Dark Possession by Christine Feehan

Book Description:

Manolito De La Cruz discovers his lifemate only to hear she would never accept a male of the species. MaryAnn Delaney has been around the Carpathians for a little while now, and having met several of the men, she knows she would have a difficult time being a lifemate to any of them. She's a city girl, a counselor for women and she wants to go back to her home turf. Manolito was born and bred in the Carpathian mountains, but has lived in South America with his four brothers on their extensive cattle ranch. They are laws unto themselves, and have long ago taken on possessive, passionate and arrogant ways that only magnify the already dominant traits of their race. MaryAnn, modern city girl, is about to meet a rainforest predator.

I believe this is the 18th (or some such other crazy number) installment of Feehan's Dark series. This series has always been special to me because my first vampire/paranormal book was Dark Prince back in 2000. I remember being home with my son, who was born in September of that year and reading books faster than I could buy them. I was in the used bookstore and looking at this book thinking 'Vampires?'. Then I read the first few pages and thus began my love affair with Mikhail Dubrinsky. Through the years, there have been hits (Dark Prince, Dark Desire) and misses (Dark Symphony) for me. Honestly, how original can an author keep it after this many releases? Though I am a diehard fan, I definitely think that Feehan ought to consider winding the series down. Unless she can come up with some new meat.

Well, she tried (and somewhat succeeded) to do that in Dark Possession.

We first meet MaryAnn Delaney in Dark Destiny. She returns in Dark Celebration where she is unknowingly mated to Manolito De La Cruz. When Manolito dies by saving the life of Shea Dubrinsky (Dark Desire), MaryAnn has no idea the profound effect that it will have on her life. By the end of Dark Celebration, she is still totally clueless to the fact that she was mated to a Carpathian male (who she thinks are overbearing, arrogant, and pompous).

Fast foward to Dark Possession. Somehow Riordan and Juliette (whose book I don't remember) talk MaryAnn into coming to South America to help Juliette's sister, Jasmine (who I vaguely remember), after she was kidnapped and held by the jaguar people. MaryAnn has the unique ability to help people, which is why she's a counselor. Unfortunately MaryAnn finds herself depressed and unable to help for the first time in her life. Looking at the situation as a counselor, MaryAnn knows that she's clinically depressed, but she can't understand why. She refuses to believe she's depressed over the death of a man she only saw from a distance. It doesn't matter that she's cried buckets of tears over the death of Manolito.

When Riordan and Juliette tells MaryAnn that Manolito is still alive, her heart believes it even if her head tells her it can't be true. Apparently Feehan has divised a way to bring people back from the dead. There's a world between alive and dead and that's where Manolito is. He's really effed up because he can't remember anything. All he knows is that MaryAnn is his lifemate and she isn't there. In the soul world, the vampires insidious whispering cause him to doubt himself and MaryAnn. Talking of joining the ranks of the vampire and having endless power, Manolito finds himself weak. Not that he wants to join the vampires of course, just that he doesn't think anything is worth fighting for without his lifemate.

Eventually Manolito and MaryAnn reunite and there is an explosion of chemistry, which is very Feehan-like. Lots of sex, of course. Possessive jealously from Manolito. Confusion from MaryAnn. Exactly what you expect when you read about Carpathians. I did giggle a little bit over Feehan's descriptions of a woman's va-jay-jay. I really hate flowery descriptions (unless it's a historical), especially considering how "earthy" these books are supposed to be. I mean, they're getting down and dirty in the jungle, fcol.

Feehan reintroduced the Jaguar shapeshifters, who have always intrigued me. She hasn't written a Jaguar book since Wild Rain. Personally, I think she's overdue. She also introduced a new species into the series. What you ask? Werewolves. Yes, you read that right. The Werewolves are the only other species that can bring absolute destruction to the Carpathian people. Though they were allies, over time they separated and lived their own lives. Eventually the werewolves disappeared off Carpathian radar.

I'm sure you can already guess why this is important. MaryAnn is a werewolf. Of course she has no idea. I figured it out though. A page before it was revealed. LMAO. When I think back, that fact all but smacks you in the face throughout the book. Since MaryAnn didn't know, Manolito didn't know which meant that she was unknowingly converting Manolito everytime he fed from her. Then the arrogant ass has the gall to blame that on her. *snort*

I think that Dark Possession infused the Dark series with a much needed and long overdue new life. It was seriously lagging. I really thought this was a good addition to the series.

4 out of 5 stars.

Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

Book description:

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…

First, I have to say that I am SO HAPPY that Nalini stayed true to the person that she created Judd to be. That was my fear with this book, that to make Judd into hero material, she would have to change things about him that shouldn't have been changed. That didn't happen AND he was still a great hero. So much so that I want him for myself. Just like I wanted Lucas. And Vaughn. *sigh*

Obviously we learn a lot more about Judd's life in the PsyNet and his time as an Arrow. His Psy designation is Tk-Cell which is one of the most deadly designations out there. Apparently the Psy Scientists think that for every child that is born of this designation, there was some sort of mutation in utero. So not only can Judd move things with his mind, he can also regenerate cells or stop things from doing what they're supposed to do. Say like the heart. He can stop the heart from beating. With no more than a thought. Judd is one deadly mofo. The good thing about that is that he knows it. So when he starts to actually feel things for Brenna, he pulls waaay back. Too bad she's a wolf who won't take no for an answer.

I really felt oh-so bad for Brenna in StS. I still cry when I re-read it and Sascha is trying to talk her into coming out of unconciousness. So even though I totally felt for her, I had doubts that she would be a strong enough heroine so soon. Why do I even doubt the genius that is Nalini Singh? I mean, really. She portrayed Brenna as the victim who wouldn't give into fear. The fear that Santano Enrique did something so vile to her that she was now like him. After a particularly horrific nightmare, Brenna soon finds out that she witnessed the murder of her own packmate. Not only that, but in her dream, she enjoyed every bloody minute. Needless to say, this freaks Brenna out a bit. The only person she feels she can turn to for the truth is Judd Lauren. After being coddled for months by her brothers and her pack, Judd is the only one that doesn't show her sympathy. Though she is somewhat turned off by his emotionless facade, she is also strengthened by his belief that Enrique didn't turn her into the same monster he was.

I loved the build up of Brenna and Judd's relationship. While Sascha was literally silenced by Silence, it was different for Judd. Silence enables him to keep his emotions completely contained so there are no oopsies. Oopsies like people dying. Stuff like that. So even though Judd wants Brenna, he's not willing to sacrafice her life for his wants. *sigh* Awwwww. Actually imagine a man that wouldn't put himself first. Judd is physically attracted to Brenna, but he literally can't touch her without causing himself pain. That pain is supposed to remind him who he is and what he can do. See, if he has an orgasmic orgasm, he could actually kill Brenna in his excitement. So you see why he would be a little leery of sex. Oh and did I mention he's a virgin? LOL. Even though I technically figured that (yes, I actually figured that out), it still was a surprise because he's soooo alpha. Oh and when they actually do make it to bed, he's like an 11 out of 10.

Of course there was more to the story than the romance between Judd and Brenna. Though Judd and his family defected, Judd is still loyal to the Psy race. He really believes that there is a need for Silence for some Psy, but not for others. When he is contacted by a Psy he only knows as "The Ghost" and told about Protocol I (yes, it's as bad as it sounds), Judd agrees to help TG destroy the lab and research that would take Silence to a whole new level. There's also some insight into the new Councilor, Kaleb K-somethingorother. It seems that he's as evil as they come, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was The Ghost or some other double Psy agent.

Nalini did such a fantastic job with this book. It's days later and I am still thinking about how great it was. Six months really isn't that long, but it can't get here soon enough.

5 out of 5 stars.

Tanner's Scheme by Lora Leigh

Book description:

A sexy paranormal series set in a world where genetically altered Breeds and the humans who created them sometimes come together in the fiercest of passions.After the Feline Breeds’ main base is attacked, Tanner desires revenge. So he kidnaps Scheme Tallant-the daughter of a one-time high-ranking member of the Genetics Council. But when Tanner discovers that Scheme herself is a target of her father’s ruthless mission, his vengeance takes a back seat to saving the life of the woman he hopes to claim as his mate.

I luuuuuurve this cover. I think it's the best cover of the summer. Usually I don't like covers that have actual people on them, but this one really rocks my socks.

For the readers who have read this series from the beginning (Ellora's Cave), this is the long awaited story of Tanner Reynolds. First introduced in Tempting the Beast, Tanner and his brother Cabal were known for their penchant for sharing women. I was wondering how LL would spin Tanner's book b/c she's written Breedmates as unable to stand the touch of someone that is not their mate.

Scheme Tallant (I didn't even get the title until halfway through the book. *rolleyes*) is the daughter of the Breeds' most hated enemy. General Cyrus Tallant of the Genetic's Council has made it his mission in life to show the Breeds as they really are. Souless and empty. Not fit to be in society. Unfortunately for him, the world's view of the Breeds does not coincide with his own. So he takes them out one by one. He trusts no one, not even his own daughter. When he finds out that his daughter is working for the enemy, he can do nothing other than order her death. He sends his most trusted assassin to kill her quickly. Oh, his most trusted assassin is also Scheme's ex-lover and was the father of the baby her father had aborted against her will. Great father, isn't he?

While Scheme is waiting to get picked up by Jonas Wyatt, her contact, she's kidnapped by Tanner Reynolds. Tanner has been watching Scheme for years. Years and years. Like ten years. Tanner is sickened by his attraction to Scheme, whom he believes has ordered the deaths of innocent Breeds. After he kills the man sent to kill her, Tanner takes her and runs, realizing that she's not who he always thought she was.

Tanner takes Scheme to his underground lair where no one can ever find her. At first he took her because he wanted to punish her, but now he just wants to keep her. As the days go by and Scheme fights to get free, Tanner hopes that she is his mate. Unfortunately, there are no signs of the mating heat. Signs like enlarged taste buds on his tongue and a special barb that is in his penis and makes an appearance when mates do the nasty. Is it just me or does that sound weird to anyone? Anyway, because Tanner and his twin brother, Cabal, are genetically identical, Tanner starts thinking that Scheme is Cabal's mate. He can't do anything other that bring them together even though it's the last thing that he wants to do.

So while Tanner realizes that Scheme is not who he thought she was, he isn't 100% sure that she's the spy that Jonas had in the Genetics Council. Likewise, Scheme isn't sure that Tanner isn't the spy that her father has in Sanctuary, the Breed stronghold. One thing that I really liked about this book is that the Breed spy was finally outed. This spy has been in Sanctuary for over TEN YEARS. That's a long damn time.

So overall I really liked this book. I liked how LL didn't have Tanner and Scheme mate right away. It was really powerful how they eventually came together, which made the book that much better.

4 out of 5 stars.

Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Book description:

Ever since the moment his godhood was taken by Artemis, Sin has done nothing but plot his revenge. But when he kidnaps a woman he believes to be the goddess, he quickly finds out that she is not Artemis, but her servant, Katra. And instead of capturing her, Katra captures him. She refuses to release him until he promises not to seek vengeance on her mistress. In spite of himself, Sin is intrigued by Katra, who is nothing like the deceitful Artemis. She's fierce and true, but also compassionate and loyal. However, Sin is not the only enemy Artemis has and it quickly becomes apparent that he must help Katra save her mistress... or life as we know it will cease to exist. What's an ex-god to do?

I had virtually no expectations going into this book. Zero. After the last two books (The Dream Hunter being one), I really didn't have much hope that Kenyon could bring the series back from what I saw as its' ruin. Don't get me wrong, I still would have read the series through to the bitter end. I guess I have held out hope that she would make me love the series as I loved it after reading the first 4 or 5 books.

Onto my review.

What did I love most about this book? Any doubts I had over Artemis being Ash's heroine were laid to rest. THANK GAWD. There is no way in hell that Kenyon will pair these two characters together. There is too much history between the two of them. Way too much. Eleven thousand years is a lot of time. Especially when Artemis screwed Ash over so many times. Holly and I have had a long running discussion on Satara being Ash's heroine. I flopped back and forth, thinking that it could be possible, but also thinking that Kenyon would try to pull off the impossible (and alienate her readers) by putting Ash and Artemis together. I think that Satara is going to be his heroine (I'll probably change my mind before his book is out, though). He's not going to get his HEA very easily and pairing him with Tory (from The Dream Hunter) would be waaaay too easy. He needs someone that is as jaded as he is.

Okay, onto the review. *g*

After Artemis took his godhood from him, Sin has vowed to himself that he would kill her. Kidnapping a woman who he believes in Artemis, he feels triumph that he will finally have his revenge. He soon realizes that it's not Artemis he has taken, but her daughter. Though he fights it at first, Sin finds himself attracted to the daughter of the person he despises more than anyone else. When Kat offers her help in his battle against the gallu demons, Sin can't turn her down, especially when she freely offers him the knowledge that would kill her.

Kat has been cloistered by both her mother and her grandmother for as long as she can remember. Considering that she's about eleven thousand years old, you have to wonder how far back she can remember. There was one scene where she was "showing" Ash how Artemis was as a mother. She was about 7 in the flashback. I was wondering how she can remember back 10,993 years ago. Anyway, Artemis sends Kat to kill Sin. Though she doesn't blindly follow her mother's wishes, after she sees Sin fight some demons and then cut off their heads along with the head of their human victim, Kat thinks her mother may be right in this case. What she doesn't count on is her resemblence to Artemis and Sin's hatred for her.

Eventually Kat talks Sin into accepting her help in his fight against the gallu demons. Of course this is another time where this is the end of the world if they don't [insert whatever they have to do to save the world here]. I wasn't as interested in the fight with the demons as I was in the Ash/Kat interactions. Or the Ash/Artemis interactions. Obviously Sin and Kat saved the day. Kenyon also introduced a few new characters. Xypher, who is a Dream Hunter will have his book in February. That should be good. Xypher is majorly tortured. Like Zarek-type torture. Also, Sin's brother who died, but was brought back to life by Ash.

As in the last few DH books, the world of the Dark Hunters has gotten way too complex. I miss the days of Night Pleasures and Night Embrace. While it was complex at that point, it was still manageable. Now when I think about about Atlanteans and Dark Hunters and Dream Hunters and demons and Damions, it's enough to give me a headache. That doesn't mean that I didn't like this book, because I did. After the last DH book (which all I can remember is the guy being some kind of cat and the girl being allergic), I was extremely happy with DMC. I'm a diehard Kenyon fan. Maybe after Ash's book comes out, I won't be so gung-ho on reading these books.

So this isn't much of a review, other than to say read the book. I can't even put my thoughts together on it because they seem so disjointed. I would recommend you read this, even if you've given up on the series. *ahem*

4 out of 5 stars.

Seeing Eye Mate by Annmarie McKenna

Book description:

He's a shape-shifting wolf, she's a psychic and his other half. In order to catch a killer he has to rely on his Seeing Eye Mate.

Caelan Graham is on the hunt for a shape-shifter bent on killing female mates. As Prime, it's Caelan's duty to protect his entire pack, so it's a good thing he doesn't have a mate of his own to look after right now. Too bad the most alluring female has just walked past his nose.

As a clairvoyant, Tieran Jones has given up on men and their lack of understanding her gift-until Caelan. The man ignites her passion, sets off a vision of a gruesome wolf attack, then shows up in her bed. In wolf form. To top it all off, he keeps insisting she's his mate.

When the attacks continue, Tieran's visions evolve and point in one direction. Caelan's twin brother. With a lack of physical evidence, Caelan must depend on Tieran's sight for clues. An act making her a prime target.

I literally don't know where to start. There are so many problems that I had with this book, but I couldn't put it down. I mean, seriously. What is with that?

This book wasn't short on humor. I'm sure that the author didn't intend for it to be that humorous, but when you have lines like: "One minute Caelan wanted to strangle her, the next, he wanted to lay her out, spread her thighs as wide as they could go and slurp at her delicious pussy.", how can you not laugh. Slurp? Delicious pussy? I'm giggling just thinking about it and I.don't.giggle. Also, Tieran sucked him off like "she was a kid with a lollipop". Hello? Mother here. I don't want to think about kids and oral sex synonymously, thankyouverymuch.

So anyway...Tieran has had bad luck with men. Having psychic visions after sex isn't conducive to a good relationship. So she just avoids them instead. That all changes when she first sees Caelen at a bar where her car breaks down. After coming to her rescue with the tow-truck driver, Tieran thanks him and leaves. She has no intention of seeing him again. Ever. I have no idea why she wouldn't find it strange when Caelen shows up on her doorstep. I mean, really. A total stranger. And it's not like she left her purse or anything. So if I was her, I'd be asking how this freak knew where the fuck I lived.

Of course they immediately start going at it and she winds up pregnant. Caelen knows she's pregnant because he can "smell" it. Yes, people. He can smell it.

Lots of hot sex ensues, with the plot seemingly thrown in as an afterthought. The problem is that Tieran is seeing the "Mate Murderer", but she thinks it's Caelen's brother, Eli. See, the wolf in her dream that's murdering women has a scar on its' shoulder, just like Caelen.

The villian is so obvious it's laughable. The fact that Caelen doesn't know who it is makes it even more funny. Come on. I never know who the villian is, but I did know who this one was. Good Gawd. Oh, and how's this for a cliche? When Caelen goes to hunt the killer, he lives the killer to protect Tieran. Seriously.

Then there was the fact that Caelen kept calling Tieran "my own". That annoyed the ever-loving shit out of me. "Good morning, my own." or "Eat your breakfast, my own.". I wanted to take that phrase and shove it back down his throat. Ugh.

Eli's (the brother) book is next. Hey, I told you it was a train wreck. There are way too many train wrecks in my TBR pile. I've already read Eli's book and the review is coming shortly.

3 out of 5 stars.

Hunter's Salvation by Shiloh Walker

From the back cover:

HIS MISSION

Vax was once committed to his life as a Hunter, tracking down the evil beings who prey on humans, but he opted out of the game long ago. Until now—because somebody, somewhere, is in danger. And, despite his best efforts, Vax can't ignore his calling?

HER SACRIFICE

Jess Warren is determined to find the maniac who killed her sister. A gifted psychic and telekinetic, she will do anything to exact her vengeance. Even if it means putting herself in peril...
THEIR INSATIABLE DESIRE

Jess would rather not accept Vax's help—especially since letting him have his way could draw her deeper into his irresistibly sensuous realm. But then he saves her life—and they discover that the depraved madman they've been looking for is much closer than either of them could have imagined...

I'm really trying to think. I'm really trying to get motivated. What was I thinking coming back to work on a Friday? Gawd.

Hunter's Salvation is part of a series. I believe the series originally started with Samhain or EC. I started reading it when Berkley released Hunting the Hunter. Walker's website says that Hunting the Hunter stands alone and that Hunter's Salvation can stand alone as well. I don't recommend reading it as a stand alone. Vax was first introduced (to me) in Hunting the Hunter. It was published back in July 2006. I know authors have little control over publishing schedules, but I as rather annoyed it took a year to get the next book out. I barely remembered Vax and didn't have the time nor the desire to skim back through Hunting the Hunter.

Though Vax technically is a Hunter, he stopped all Hunter duties after his wife was brutally attacked and turned by a feral vampire. She was kidnapped from their home when he was out Hunting. Vax had to kill her himself. Those flashbacks were sad. Poor Vax. Oh, I forgot to mention he's a witch, too. See what I mean about being out of it?

So apparently when a call goes out to Hunters that one is needed, if you are in the general vicinity, it's basically a compulsion to answer. Even though Vax doesn't want anything to do w/ being a Hunter, he can't resist the call. Off he heads to Indiana. Btw, poor guy lives in Montana. That's worse than living in Idaho. Though he is somewhat of a loner, so it all works out. Anyway, he arrives in Indianapolis and goes straight to a club where it seems all the trouble is brewing. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the club. Vax can feel the bad mojo pouring out of the place. It's pretty sickening stuff.

Jess Warren is at the club to bring down the owner. As an investigative reporter, Jess was doing a story on women who would go missing and turn up dead months later. She tied it back to said club, but that was as far as she got. The club's owner decided to send her a message, so he tortured and killed her younger sister. Then, nice guy that he is, he sent the whole thing on video to Jess. So Jess is also rather tortured. Oh the therapy bills these two could wrack up together. Jess knows a little about the paranormal world. A telekenetic, things tend to fly when she gets mad. Her sister was an empath (which makes what happened to her even worse). So she knows that something weird is going on, she just doesn't know exactly what.

Vax and Jess meet up when Vax steps in to save her from a bouncer. He soon realizes that Jess is the person he's supposed to protect and takes measures to do just that. How? By knocking her out and depositing her unconcious body in the car. No, I'm not kidding.

Unfortunately, neither Vax or Jess realize the magnitude of what is going on in the club. See, there's this evil vampire doctor who is stealing brain sereum from witches and injecting it into humans. Why? To make their own witch-y army, of course. Why else? Jess has no idea what she walked in the middle of. Neither does Vax. They soon learn when one of the "creatures" tries to kill Jess at her house. She gets away and sends an S.O.S. to Vax. Vax once again comes to her rescue, though she doesn't like it.

Like I said, I have been looking forward to this book for awhile. I kept putting it down, though. I'm not quite sure why b/c it wasn't a bad book. I just wasn't glued to it like I was when I read Hunting the Hunter. At the end of the book, Vax was turned mortal when the evil vampire doctor injected him with the sereum that was supposed to kill him. Vax almost died, decided he couldn't stay w/ Jess then changed his mind and begged her to take him back. Vax was a good hero, Jess was a good heroine. So maybe it's just me. Maybe.

One thing that did bother me was how this Masters guy who killed Jess' sister was made out to be such an evil villian. Then Vax just killed him and it was almost an afterthought. It was just a bit of a letdown. There was no confrontation. Just Vax remembering how easy it was to cut his head off or however he killed him.

I do plan on picking up Book 1.

3 out of 5 stars.

Muse by Adra Steia

Book description (since it doesn't have a back cover):

Leah and Miguel have been separated for ten years, after the birth and adoption of their child when they were just teenagers. Reunited, they discover their psychic bond is as strong as ever. Miguel is now a troubled artist, and Leah is struggling to make a life for herself.

As they decide to resume their turbulent, passionate romance, Miguel summons his Muse, a seductive, violent spirit that haunts their home. After several violent, bloody attacks, Leah learns very quickly that his Muse is not all he claims she is, and that the vindictive spirit will stop at nothing to possess Miguel. To save him, Leah must sacrifice everything.

Reading the back cover, the reader would rightly assume that Leah is the heroine. The reader would also assume that Miguel is the hero. That being said, this is NOT a romance. Why, you ask? Because the hero does not die in a fucking romance. I don't care what the fuck he's done. I don't care if he's not redeemable. I was so pissed when I got done reading this book. I was so steamed that I actually talked to my husband about it (who is clueless by the way). Over and over in my mind I was saying "You can't kill the hero off in a romance". You can't. Isn't that like a rule of thumb or something? I don't know what genre you would put it in, but it's not a romance.

Miguel Dominguez is an artist. A talented artist. When he goes to do a commission, he is shocked to find Leah, his first and only true love. Miguel talks Leah into coming with him. That part is believable b/c Miguel and Leah were desperately in love when they parted ways ten years before. There are major unresolved feelings there. Not to mention Leah is working as a maid for their old high school bully. So while she's wary of Miguel and his intentions, she leaves with him.

Off they go with Miguel's brother, Jose, to start their new life in the old family home. That's when the real fun begins.

This is where it all started to break up for me. Obviously the house is haunted. On the first night/morning, Leah finds a skeletal ghost in her bed trying to kiss her. So yeah, I'd say haunted. But is it? When to call in a ghost specialist?

-Get pushed into the bathtub and strangled by a shower curtain? Check.

-Get helped down a couple flights of stairs into the basement? Check.

-Have a psycho ghost tell you that your husband is hers? Check.

-Get your face gouged out by an angry ghost? Check.

Okay, better call in the experts. 'Cuz obviously something is going on. But here's the thing. Only Leah and Jose think that the "ghost" is really dangerous. Miguel is thrilled b/c the ghost is his muse. The ghost is giving him a lot of ideas for new work and he refuses to give her up. He refuses to believe she's dangerous. Leah's injuries are easily explained. He thinks they're self-inflicted. Then he finds himself attracted to her. Which makes him feel like a cheat b/c he really loves Leah. Which on a small sidenote, you can really tell that he did love Leah. He was crazy about her. These two really seemed to be made for each other. End side note.

Let me back up for a moment. The whole book, the author has us waffling back and forth about Miguel's brother, Jose. On one hand, you really admire him b/c he was there for Miguel when he had a mental breakdown years back. On the other hand, he's an ass b/c he thinks everything is Leah's fault and that she will bring Miguel's downfall. So Jose and Leah's relationship is rocky, at best.

Leah and Jose both convince Miguel to leave the day after his art show. Then he changes his mind b/c he would rather live without the love of his life than his muse. His thought is that he was without her once, he can be without her again. And off to the haunted basement, he goes. Leah realizes that she'll lose him for good if she can't get him out of the basement. So her and Jose along with the Ghostbuster set fire to the house. Then Miguel dies in Leah's arms. Like he dies and doesn't come back to life. It pissed me off just to type that.

Oh, but here's the kicker. The Ghostbuster told Leah and Jose that there were no spirits in the house. Miguel apparently had more psychic energy than he ever thought and he created the muse from left over spiritual energy. So while the muse did exist, she was Miguel's to control. And apparently he liked having his muse call him on his cell phone during his honeymoon, even though it was off. He also liked having wet dreams about her. M'kay. So we get that Miguel has issues. But he LOVED Leah. Like you just knew he would die for her.

My thoughts are that the author decided during the 50 or so pages to kill Miguel off. He was redeemable up until then. But did she redeem him? No, she didn't. Which ruined the whole point of having a HEA. Oh and to make it even better, Leah was pregnant. Leah didn't want to tell Miguel b/c she was afraid the muse would really hurt her. She tells Miguel as he lay dying.

Fast forward four years. Leah has a daughter. Leah has Jose in her life. Miguel comes into her mind and tells her that Jose loves her. They can be happy. Blahblahblah. So Jose and Leah hook up. W.T.F.????

1 out of 5 stars.

Safe Harbor by Christine Feehan

From the back cover:

One of seven daughters in a line of extraordinary women, Hannah Drake has been the elusive object of affection for Jonas Harrington for as long at the young man can remember. If only the stunning super-model was driven by a passion other than her career. But Jonas isn’t the only one with desires for Hannah.

From the shadows has emerged a vengeful figure who stalks the beauty with one terrifying purpose: to strip her of all she is and destroy her. Only one man was destined as her protection. Now, out of a storm of danger, Jonas must guide the woman he loves from a sinister darkness that threatens not only Hannah, but the entire Drake family.

Safe Harbor is the long awaited story of Hannah and Jonas. In the four previous books, I really loved to hate Jonas. He was such an ass to Hannah. We never knew why, though. Feehan clears that up in this book.

Jonas Harrington has struggled for years with his feelings for Hannah Drake. By the time he was 10 years old, he knew she was special. He just didn't understand why. For years now Jonas has stayed far away from Hannah. Not wanting to bring her into the darker part of his life, Jonas has done what he thought was best for Hannah. After a job goes bad, he knows that he can't wait to claim Hannah as his own. Almost dying makes him change his priorities a tad bit. Returning to Sea Haven, Jonas arrives at the Drake House to find Hannah packing for another modeling job. Of course this doesn't make him happy b/c Jonas hates that she shows her body off to millions of people. He also doesn't like it b/c he knows Hannah herself doesn't like it.

Hannah has loved Jonas for-evah. Though she is a world famous model and completely gorgeous, the girl has MAJOR self-esteem issues. She doesn't think that she'll be woman enough for Jonas. She also has no idea that he has feelings for her. What she does know is that she can't take his constant criticism. When she tells him that she needs him to stay away for awhile, he hits the roof. His feelings finally come out and they totally get it on. It was actually sweet b/c they both couldn't believe that the other one felt what they did. Of course Jonas being Jonas (and a man, too), he believes that Hannah will now quit her job and stay home to be a good little wife. Which is exactly what Hannah wants. However, she won't break her existing contracts. So she leaves for New York and Jonas is pissed.

While Hannah is doing her big fashion show, Jonas and Sarah are watching it back at the Drake House. It was actually very amusing. Jonas is pacing around and asks Sarah, "Why hasn't she called?" to which Sarah replied, "She did call. You yelled at her to get her ass home and she hasn't called back since.". Heee. Okay, so maybe you have to read the book b/c it was a lot more funny when I was reading it.

Then Hannah gets attacked. Savagely. Viciously. On live t.v. Jonas and Sarah are helpless to stop the attack and they can't even help Hannah. Lucky for them, Ilya Praneskii was at the fashion show. You remember the Russian hitman that's a bodyguard for the Russian mob guy? Well he was there b/c his pscyho boss is obsessed with Hannah and her sister, Joley. Ilya has his own special powers and he is able to keep her alive until the Drake sisters arrive.

So Hannah is really messed up now. She can't leave her house b/c the paparazzi are everywhere. She can't sleep b/c she has nightmares. She can't look at herself in the mirror b/c the scars remind her of the attack. She can't be intimate w/ Jonas. She can't, can't, can't. Not saying that I blame the poor woman. What Jonas and the Drakes can't figure out is why Hannah was attacked. Though she has your normal obsessive fan base, there was no specific person that would stand out. Again and again people come to try to kill her. The first time after she came home, the house ate the people. Okay, not ate them exactly, but it was pretty creepy to read. The tree's came alive. The floor swallowed men whole. Oh and then they rolled over the bluff down into the ocean. You know Jonas is totally freaked out about it. Which was funny.

Eventually Jonas figures out that HE is the reason that Hannah was attacked. This doesn't sit well with him, as you can imagine. After so long of trying to keep Hannah out of the dark part of his life, he literally brought it to her front door where it almost killed her. The sisters kicked ass and protected Hannah, which always makes me smile. There was a really sweet part where all Hannah's sisters apologized for pushing her into doing something she didn't want to do (modeling). They each wrote her a letter. Jonas did, too. It was just "awwww" inducing.

Very much looking forward to Joley and Elle's book. Considering the backstory on Jonas and Hannah, I thought Feehan pulled it off really well.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

The Summit by Kat Martin

From the back cover:

Autumn Sommers knows the danger of ignoring such powerful omens. Twelve years earlier, she could have prevented a tragic accident if only she had acted on those horrible nightmares. This time, she knows what she has to do.

Her research into local missing persons suggests that the girl in Autumn's dreams could be Molly, the daughter of businessman Ben McKenzie. Still emotionally shattered from his loss and unwilling to trust this stranger, Ben is angered rather than relieved to hear her theory that Molly is still alive. Certain that she may be the girl's only chance, Autumn persists, until Ben grudgingly agrees to explore this tiny, if improbable, shred of hope.

As Autumn's dreams become more and more vivid, she and Ben pursue their leads—leads that point to more murders, and to the only person in control of whether they live—or die.

I love Kat Martin's paranormals. Unlike most paranormals these days, this seems like it could actually happen. Maybe. Or maybe I should say that it's not as far fetched as being a vampire or werewolf.

When Autumn Sommers (I didn't even get *that* until 3/4 of the way through the book) starts having dreams about a little girl who was taken from her front yard, she knows that she has to do something. When she was 15, she had a dream that her two best friends died after the car they were in ran headlong into a tree. She was horrified when they actually died exactly how she dreamed. Because of this, she knows that she has to stop the kidnapping from happening, or help the little girl's parents find her. She just doesn't know how to find out who she is because she doesn't recognize the little girl in her dream nor does she recognize the kidnapper.

After checking school photos (she's an elementary school teacher) and then going to the library, she realizes that the kidnapping she's dreaming about happened six years before. According to the newspapers, Molly McKenzie was taken exactly how Autumn dreamed it. Realizing that seeing Molly's father, Ben McKenzie, at the gym where she teaches rock climbing classes has triggered the dreams, Autumn sets out to convince Ben that she's not crazy. Right. I think that was the hardest part of the book for me. Not that she's psychic, but that she actually convinces Ben she's not crazy. Once I got over that hump, I really enjoyed it.

Even though he isn't totally discounting what Autumn has said, Ben still doesn't trust her or her motives. After going through six years of hell, Ben has no desire to bring the nightmare back to life. For himself or his family. Eventually, he knows that if there is even a chance Molly is out there alive, he can't just ignore it. Poor Ben. I felt so bad for this guy.

Autumn only has dreams after she has been with Ben. His bright idea is to start spending the night at her house so he can be there when she dreams. Actually, so he can be there *after* she wakes up from dreaming. You see, now Autumn is having dreams of Molly in the present day. Or what she thinks is the present day considering that Molly now looks like she's about 12. So each night she dreams the same dream over and over, she sees new things. Like the other women in the house with Molly, the simple clothes they're wearing, the mountains in the distance. Things that aren't really helpful...until Autumn and then Ben's ex-wife remember where they first saw the kidnapper.

Things move really quickly after that. A little too quickly, actually. Of course, in between trying to figure out clues, Autumn and Ben are both falling for the other. Autumn is really insecure though. I mean really insecure. I'm talking about bang your head into the wall insecure. Her dad was never faithful to her mom, so that means all guys are scum. Not that her dad is scum, though. No, he's just a man. And men can never be faithful. Of course Ben is the type of man that only dates supermodel types. Which isn't hard for him since he's stinkin' rich. In Autumn's book, that's a huge mark against him. So even though she's falling in love with him and the sex is so good, she knows that she'll never be able to satisfy him forever. Seriously people. It got old. Yes, I understood she was insecure. That was readily apparent every time you read "she knew that he would get tired of her eventually". Autumn is insecure, check. In the meantime, Ben fully admits to himself that he has to have her. How does he woo her? By having sex with her. Because Autumn lurves sex. No girly feelings for her, just sex.

Other than Autumn's serious self-esteem issues, I really liked this book. A lot.

4 out of 5 stars.

In Darkness Reborn by Alexis Morgan

From the back cover:

Once a warrior for the Others, Barak q'Young is caught between two worlds—exiled from his homeland, and a pariah among his enemies, the Paladins. While hunting a betrayer who's selling the precious blue gems that light the Others' world, Barak must aid geologist Lacey Sebastian in her research for the Paladins. Barak is instantly drawn to the fiery, beautiful woman, but Lacey initially despises the enemy intruder. Soon she sees beyond his violent past, though, finding the dark warrior intriguing—and extremely sexy.

Though neither can resist the passion that blazes between them, Barak is torn between loyalties, hiding a secret gift that could prove useful to Lacey's research, at the sacrifice of his own people. But when Lacey is kidnapped and held hostage, Barak realizes that he will do anything to save her . . . even risk his own life.

This is the 3rd book in the Paladins of Darkness series. Barak q'Young was first introduced in Dark Protector when he saved Laurel Young's life. As an Other, Barak expected to be slain as soon as he crossed the barrier, which is why he crossed over. Instead, Laurel stood between him and his Paladin enemies and Barak found himself living in the very place that his people died trying to reach.

Barak broke my heart in this book. Living among the Paladins, his lifelong sworn enemies, Barak is more than an outcast. He's despised. The only reason that he was allowed to live was because he saved the life of the Paladin leader's mate. Laurel Young was the only thing standing between him and certain death. When he realizes that his presence is hurting Laurel, he goes to Devlin Bane and tells him that he needs to be moved. Little does he know what he's getting into.

Lacey Sebastian has made it her life's work to find out a way to know when the barrier will go down. Though she is at first appalled that she has to work with the enemy, she soon realizes that Barak is as good of a man as her brother is. Unfortunatley for her, her brother is not only a Paladin, but a Paladin that is injured and unable to fight. Since he injured his sword hand, Penn Sebastian has made it his duty to protect Lacey, even more than he usually does. He is more than furious than she has to work with an Other.

Barak wants Lacey, but he refuses to be her dirty little secret. Can you blame the guy? Lacey wants Barak, but she is torn between her desire for Barak and her loyalty to the Paladins. Imagining Penn's reaction to any type of relationship with Barak makes Lacey shudder. The more she gets to know Barak, the more she falls until she realizes that she is in love with someone she has been taught to hate. You really get caught up in the dilemna of these two. Barak wants to take anything Lacey will give, but wants more. Lacey wants Barak, but is scared to reach out and take it.

But Barak has a secret. One that is pretty explosive. See, even though Barak left his people, he still refuses to help the Paladin's kill them. That means that he doesn't tell them that he knows when the barrier will go down. His senses are extremely hightened. He can hear and smell things that an ordinary human and even a Paladin, can't. Though he knows that he can help Lacey achieve her goal, he keeps quiet because he refuses to be a part of the deaths of any more of his people.

One of the best parts of the book was when Devlin and four other Paladin's came over to Barak's house. It was a total "man" get together, compelte with pizza and beer. Barak feelings of friendship with these Paladin's made me want to cry. For months he was barely tolerated by these men and suddenly he finds himself friends with them. Now, when they call him "Other", it's not a derogatory name , it's said with friendly affection. It was also funny to see Devlin Bane becoming friends with Barak when from the time he saved Laurel, he insisted that he only protected Barak out of love for Laurel. Hah.

Alas, there are still people that are trying to find a weakness among the Paladin ranks. When one of these people try to recruit Penn Sebastian, it is with little luck. Though Penn is bitter at his inability to fight, he'll never betray his people. Unfortunately for him, that means that they have to go to further lengths to get his cooperation. Which means that they kidnap Lacey.

When Barak finds out that Lacey was taken, he was just getting ready to cross the barrier back to the other side. That meant certain death, but Barak was determined. Lacey couldn't be with him, he couldn't betray his people, and he couldn't really have a life. It was sad to read. When Penn comes to attack him, accusing him of taking Lacey, Barak has to go after her. Penn and Barak have to work together to find a woman that they both love.

The ending was a good one. I absolutely loved how Barak was accepted within the ranks of the Paladins. I also loved seeing his happiness when he realized that Lacey loved him.

You definitely have to read the first two books before this one.

4 out of 5 stars.

Raintree: Sanctuary by Beverly Barton

From the back cover:

War with their archrival, the evil Ansara clan, is unavoidable. For Mercy Raintree, a war means she must assume her position as guardian of the Sanctuary—the sacred Raintree home place deep in the Smoky Mountains. But doing so threatens to disclose her most prized secret—one Mercy has kept to herself for six years.

As the solstice looms and the battle heats up, Dranir Judah Ansara gathers his forces, intending to wipe every Raintree from the face of the land. Including Mercy, whom he's claimed as his to kill. Then he comes face-to-face with her—and with her daughter, Eve. Will Mercy's closely guarded secret change not only the outcome of the battle…but also Judah's own bitter heart?

This is the last book of the Raintree trilogy (1st - Raintree: Inferno by Linda Howard 2nd - Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones). This is my favorite in the trilogy. After a rocky start with Howard's Inferno, the series really picked up with the 2nd book and got even better with this one.

Wow. This book was intense. The two previous books were spent telling the story between the Raintree and Ansara clans. All we know is that the Ansara clan tried to kill both Dante, the Raintree Dranir and Gideon, the Raintree Prince. So they're some evil freaking people, obviously. Needless to say, it makes for darn good reading when the hero of the third book IS an Ansara. And not just any Ansara, but the Ansara Dranir.

The Raintree obviously got cocky in their belief that the Ansara were no longer a threat to them. Hello? Dante seemed like a smart guy. So the fact that after 200 years, the Raintree thought the Ansara were still wiped out was pretty arrogant.

Cael Ansara was first introduced in Raintree: Inferno when he tried to have Dante killed. We follow him through to this book where we learn that he is one crazy S.O.B. He is half brother to Judah Ansara, the Dranir of the Ansara clan. Cael is the older brother, so he thinks that he should be Dranir even though he's a psycho and a bastard. In the 1st chapter of the book, Cael tries to have Judah killed. So it starts out with a bang. Soon after Judah kills his attackers, he finds out that Cael sent an assassin to the Raintree Sanctuary to kill Mercy Raintree. That's when Judah says that as Dranir, he claims Mercy Raintree as his kill.

So what kind of romance can this be when for over half the book, Judah is determined to kill Mercy, while Mercy is determined to kill Judah? A damn good one! See, Mercy has a secret that she has kept for six years. Her daughter, Eve, is half Ansara. Seven years ago, Judah seduced Mercy just because she was the Raintree Princess. Mercy had no idea who Judah was until she realized she was pregnant. Then she ran. Both Mercy and Judah had never forgotten each other or the night they spent together. For Mercy, she has a reminder every day in her daughter. Judah just knows that he'll kill Mercy quickly. It was a little distasteful that Judah acknowledged that he would kill any Raintree children. Other than that, I had no problem with Judah wanting to kill Mercy. It was his inner struggle that made it especially good.

During the course of the book, Mercy knew that she would eventually fight Judah to the death for their daughter. She was still oblivious to the fact that the Ansara were once again a powerful clan and that the Ansara Dranir was the father of her child. Seeing how Judah bonded with his daughter, you knew that he wouldn't kill Mercy. Of course it took him forever to realize that, but then again, he is a man.

Cael Ansara was still determined to take on the Raintree and kill Judah because he wanted to rule the whole Earth. Including all the humans. Oh joy. That is fun to think about. The final battle at Sanctuary is intense. Mercy is the type of heroine I love. Though she is strong, she's still a mother who is trying to save her child. She's still the keeper of Sanctuary, who is trying to save her clan. She's still a healer. By the time the battle begins, she admits to herself that she still loves Judah, but she knows she'll still have to kill them for the sake of her daughter's future. She is a little slow because she didn't realize that Judah came to fight against Cael instead of with him.

One small issue I had. It really is a small one. Eve is six years old. I have a six year old. Six year olds don't talk like she does. Maybe magical ones do, but my six year old doesn't use logic like this one did. She was more like a 10 year old. So that got me hung up in places, but I tried to excuse it b/c she was magical. Or I tried to ignore it.

Overall, this was a fine ending to the series. I definitely recommend all three books in the series.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Prince of Magic by Linda Winstead Jones

From the back cover:

The firstborn children of the Fyne witches have finally come into their own, each with a special gift...

Independent Ariana Kane Varden, daughter of the Sun Witch, has never let family duty keep her from reaching her dreams. She learned the practice of her gift, the power to heal others, at her mother's knee. And now she is the Palace healer, tending to her emperor...

The last prophecy of magician Sian Chamblyn's late grandfather points to Ariana as the one to save Columbyana from a growing evil. Sian has hightailed it from lands afar to deliver the message. When he must prepare her for the fight of her life, Sian intends to remain undistracted by his sensuously beautiful protege. But in the heat of battle-and passion-diligence might be his downfall...


I am so annoyed. I just realized that this trilogy continues a previous trilogy. *sigh* Now that there was a slight cliffhanger, I'm going to continue on before going back and reading the first trilogy. Maybe. My anal-ness about reading in order might change my mind.

Ariana is a a healer. Her primary role as a healer is for the Emperor himself. Having been sick for many months, Ariana isn't quite sure why she can't heal the Emperor, but she knows she can't let him die. With his son and heir missing, Columbyana can not withstand the unrest that would come with the Emperor's death. So with the Emperor's permission, only a select few know exactly how sick he really is.

When Sian Chamblyn shows up on the scene with dire predictions of death and doom, Ariana isn't sure she believes him. Sian is sure of the prophecy that his grandfather wrote before he died and he is sure that Ariana is the key to saving Columbyana.

This is why I think I need to go back and read the first three books. Is Columbyana a country? A Kingdom? Another word? I wish I could answer that...

So Sian is a powerful wizard and he believes it's his destiny to teach Ariana the magical skills that she will need to fight the upcoming evil. Because of the fact that the prophecy states Ariana will die fighting, Sian is a little chagrined when he realizes he's falling for her. Too bad he didn't tell her that she's going to die. Cuz she is pissed when she finds it, the morning she's supposed to lead her men into battle. She's also pissed because she'd been sleeping with him for weeks and fell in love with him. He couldn't even have the decency to tell her that she's going to die. WTF is up with that?

The evil dude is none other than Prince Ciro, the Emperor's missing son. Back when he lived at the palace he was posessed by the Isen Demon when he was on Level Thirteen. Level Thirteen is another thing that must have been explained in previous books. So he's possessed, he drinks blood and he sucks up souls. He can only take gray and/or black souls without permission from the person he is taking from. He can't take white souls, which is really making him angry. Because the white souls are what he really wants. He also has these creepy people following him called "Ciro's Own". They're like his own souless army and they will make you shudder.

Back to Sian and Ariana. He realizes that he can't leave for home when she goes to battle like he originally intended. Though he doesn't want to care, of course he does. He's majorly tortured. He was married and when his wife was in childbirth, both her and the baby died. Poor guy. No wonder he was afraid of commitment. Eventually Ariana makes him realize it's okay, though I don't know how because the likelyhood of her dying is extremely high.

This book was just okay for me. Nothing spectacular, but not bad either. I like the storyline, but it felt like something was missing. Obviously there was, but I didn't know that at the time. The excerpt for the next book, Prince of Fire, sounds really good though. I guess Sian and Ariana as characters just didn't do it for me.

3 out of 5 stars

Soul Song by Marjorie M. Liu

From the back cover:

Against her will, Kitala Bell foresees the future. But only deaths, and only violent.

Kitala's own future is in peril. From the ocean's depths rises an impossible blend of fantasy and danger, a creature whose voice is seduction incarnate, whose song can manipulate lives the way that Kitala herself manipulates the strings of her violin...even to the point of breaking. He is a prince of the sea, an enigma-a captive stretched to the limit of his endurance by a woman intent on using him for the purest evil. And when survival requires he and Kitala form a closer partnership than either has ever known, the price of their bond will threaten not just their lives but the essence of their very souls.

I was a little surprised to find a ARC copy of Soul Song in my mailbox. I had no idea where I had won or how Dorchester got my address. The light bulb soon came on and I realized that in Marjorie’s newsletter subscription, your address is required. Very nice.

This is the 6th book in the Dirk & Steele series. Kitala Bell was first introduced in Tiger’s Eye as Dela’s (Tiger’s Eye: heroine) best friend. Honestly, I barely remembered her from that book.

M’cal is a Merman. I don’t like that word. M’cal doesn’t like that word either. It just seems like a fairytale word. It also doesn’t sound very masculine. Plus whenever M’cal is referred to as a Merman, I would think of The Little Mermaid. Moving on… M’cal fell in love many years before, with someone he now knows is a witch. A bad witch. She enslaved him and he now has to do whatever the witch wants him to do. What she wants him to do is take souls and return them to her. See, M’cal has this nifty little power. He can take souls when he sings. Hence the title, “Soul Song”.

It really was a fine line that Liu walked with M’cal. Even though it was against his will, he killed people. Many people. And not just bad people. The book starts out with him taking the soul (and therefore killing) a lonely woman who was just looking for companionship. Whenever he takes a soul, he basically relives the life of the person whose soul he is taking. So M’cal is not exactly a good guy. But he’s not a bad one either. Like I said, fine line.

The witch orders him to go take Kitala’s soul. Initially M’cal is in control of his body and his actions. When he balks at doing what the witch wants, she takes control and forces him to do something, even if it’s against his will.

Kit is a muscian. She plays the fiddle. I have no idea what the difference is between a fiddle and a violin. I had to go look it up because a fiddle sounds like something that my five year old would play with. Kit is playing in a concert when she first sees the woman in the crowd. She's a beautiful blonde woman, in an amazing white dress. There's only one thing wrong with her. She has a knife sticking out of her eye.

Against her better judgement, she goes to warn the woman and the man she was with. It really hits the fan then.

So after she warns the woman, Alice, Kit finds herself kidnapped by two corrput cops and left to die (or not) at the hands of several thugs. Just when she thinks that it's over, M'cal shows up. M’cal saves Kit’s life, even though he knows he’ll eventually have to kill her. So he does what any good guy would do; he tells her to run. Which she does.

The next day their paths cross yet again and M'cal finds it harder and harder to stay away from her. For some reason, the curse that was placed on him is dulled when he's around Kit. Though he questions it, he doesn't fight it because he senses that Kit may be his salvation. Both M'cal and Kit realize that there is more than one person that wants her. When Kit is kidnapped yet again, M'cal races to save the day only to realize that he fell right into a trap.

I won't go into the ending for two reasons. One is that I don't want to spoil it. Two is that it's just too complex to try to put into words. Then ending is a good one and wraps everything up quite nicely. Alice's part in the story is explained in a believable way. I wouldn't be surprised if Alice got her own book somewhere down the line. It also leaves the series wide open for some more Mer-people.

There are several recurring characters from Dirk & Steele that we know in love. Namely Koni (who is the most prominent), Amiri, and Hari. Something that bothered me was that as bad and evil as the witch was portrayed in the beginning of the book, Liu seemed to try to make the reader feel sorry for her toward the end. That was hard for me because I just wanted her to die. Sounds harsh as I type it.

If you haven't read this series, here are the books in order: Tiger's Eye, Shadow Touch (the best one, imo), The Red Heart of Jade, Dark Dreams (anthology), Eye of Heaven, and Soul Song.

4 out of 5 stars

Master of Dragons by Angela Knight

From the back cover:

The last time fairy princess Nineva Morrow engaged in magic, evil forces rendered her an orphan—isolated and incapable of trusting in anyone's survival. But after years of hiding on Earth, she'll use her powers once more—and attract more knights than she can handle.

Now at the center of a rebellious Mageverse noble's plot and helplessly dominated by a powerful, body-possessing spirit, Nineva's only hope is the smoldering Dragon knight Kel. This renegade of Arthur's court has enough desire to burn down every door to her heart—if the surrounding forces of King Llyr would subside long enough to let him.

The survival of the Mageverse hangs in a passionate balance of entitlement and pleasure, with destruction threatening to bring an entire magical universe to it's knees...


Okay, then. Here we go. Master of Dragons is the newest installment of Knight's Mageverse series. I continue to be amazed at how Knight manages to spin this series. I mean, how often and in how many ways can Avalon be attacked without becoming repetitive? In Master of Dragons there is yet another evil villain who desires nothing more than to bring Avalon to its' knees. And it works.

Dragon Knight Kel was first introduced in Master of Swords. He met Gawain (hero: Master of Swords) and the two instantly form a friendship. The dragons didn't like that too much cuz they hate humans. To make a long story short, Kel was cursed into a sword (for fifteen hundred years) and the only way to get free was to kill Gawain. Which he didn't do. So at the end of Master of Swords, Kel is finally freed. Then he's knighted by Arthur. So he's one happy dragon.

Nineva Morrow was raised by her Sidhe father to fufill her duty as Avalon to the goddess, Semira. Her duty was to free Semira from the sword she was trapped in. Her family had to hide her on mortal Earth because her cousin King Angsar wanted Nineva dead at any cost. So anytime Nineva used magic, her family had to move. Eventually she learned not to use magic at all. That all changed when she was 17. She was backing out of the driveway and ran over her neighbor's dog. She healed it and shit hit the fan.

So here is my #1 bone to pick with this book. And yes, it's shallow as hell. Kel has cobalt hair. Cobalt. Blue. When the guy is in his human form, his hair is fucking blue. He even has blue hair in his nether regions. Every time (which was only once or twice) that hair was described, I giggled. I'm not a giggler, but I fully admit that I giggled. More than once. Can you imagine blue hair down there? Oh and he had red eyes too. Too bad he didn't have a white beard.

Kel called Nineva a professional martyr. That description was spot on. It got a little old after awhile, but whatever. Anyway, Semira is getting weaker and weaker and there is only one way to give her strength. You guessed it; sex with Kel. That's a bit of a a cliché, but hello, he's a dragon and she's a Sidhe princess. I can buy it. Since the day her parents died, Nineva has been having a dream that is both erotic and terrifying. She dreams of having hot sex with her lover, then a dragon is breathing fire on her. Needless to say, she's a little creeped (and freaked) out when the prophecy starts coming true.

Oh, did I mention that Kel got a visit from Cachamwri, the Dragon God? Seems that Cachamwri had a plan, which is why he let Kel get imprisoned in the sword. See, it's his destiny to protect the Sidhe Princess and prevent the Dark Ones from destroying Avalon, thus destroying mortal Earth.

After reading Demon Moon which was 500 pages, this book seemed really short. It's amazing how much stuff is crammed into this book which is a smidge under 300 pages. And it didn't seem rushed at all. There were vampires, Knights of the Roundtable, Dire Wolves, Sidhe warriors, dragons. It was pretty action packed.

Oh did I mention the villain in this book? He's pretty psycho. He's the product of rape. Angsar (the bad guy in Master of the Moon) raped his mom, who then understandably instilled him with a hatred of his father. She then turned him into a psycho just like his daddy. He then killed his own mother when he decided to go after the Sidhe King. So he's pretty fucked up.

There were some funny parts too, which I love. When Kel and Nineva went back to the Dragon Lands to enlist their help, they were in Soren's cave (a good dragon) when his apprentice came in. She was an 800 year old dragon, but was about 18 years old in human years. So she looks and Nineva and squeals "It's so small!". Yeah, that cracked me up. Because I just kept picturing these three dragons in a cave with a human that was probably smaller than one of their claws.

I'm not sure what's next in the series, but there are several character choices. Personally I would like to see the Court Seducer whose name I can't remember. There's also Soren (my first choice), though I don't think Knight will go for another dragon hero quite yet.

4 out of 5 stars.

Demon Moon by Meljean Brook

From the back cover:

Return to the sensual netherworld of Demon Angel for a startling romance of eternal love threatened by the consuming darkness of a Demon Moon…

No one would call vampire Colin Ames-Beaumont kind, but they would call him unnaturally beautiful. For two centuries his tainted blood has kept him isolated from other vampires, sustained only by his beauty and vanity—bitter comforts, since a curse has erased his mirror reflection, replacing it with a terrifying glimpse of Chaos.

Savi Murray's insatiable curiosity had gotten her into trouble before, but she'd always escaped unscathed. Then came Colin. In the midst of Heaven, he gave her a taste of ecstasy—and of Chaos. Deadly creatures from that realm herald the return of an imprisoned nosferatu horde, and Colin and Savi’s bond is their only protection—and their only passion…


Well. I have to admit that I'm very pleasantly surprised by Demon Moon. It's really not a secret that I didn't enjoy Demon Angel. While I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. The book was booooring. Not all boring, but too much for me to really get into it.

First let me first say that this book was really fucking long. I mean like almost 500 pages long. There are some authors that I wish would write 500 page books. This author wasn't one of them. I went into it thinking it was going to be a repeat of Demon Angel. I am happy to admit that I was WRONG. See, I barely faltered on typing that.

Colin Ames-Beaumont is a total ass of a character. OMG. He really is. But I loved him. I loved how he had no qualms about his vanity. He knew he was beautiful and he wanted everyone to tell him so. Including Savi. The banter between those two was highly amusing. You could just tell that aside from the physical attraction, they genuinely liked each other. Which is always nice. One of my issues with Demon Angel was that there wasn't enough interaction between Hugh and Lilith. There is plenty of interaction between Colin and Savi.

So the book starts off with a bang (almost literally) when Savi is on a flight home from India. She sees a nosfertu on the plane and starts freaking out (okay, she didn't really freak out but I did). Only a few weeks (or maybe months?) before, there was an unexplained explosion on a passenger plane which killed 400 people. So she IM's Colin to get his help because both Hugh and Lilith were unavailable. (Can you IM on a plane? Did I miss something?) What happens next is that Savi saves the day. Of course all the passengers freak out because this girl is attacking an assuming passenger with a garrote. So Savi locks herself in the lavatory with Nani and wait for the calvary which arrive in the form of Michael and Selah (I really need to pick up Selah's anthology).

Sooooo, ingesting the nosfertu's blood along with the hellhound venom that she injected into him while strangling him changed her a bit. She's stronger, faster, etc. Oh and now all these wyrmwolves are after her. Everyone thinks they're after Colin because they want him to open the portal to Chaos, but they soon realize that Savi being around during all the attacks is not a coincidence.

This book had so much information that I'm still a little confused two days after finishing it. I read verrrrrry slowly as not to miss anything. Yeah, that didn't work out so well. There were times when I was flipping back through the pages to see what the hell I missed.

Colin's blood is cursed. Anyone that drinks his blood dies a horrible miserable death. So he can't turn anyone. The only one he would want to turn is Savi, which he can't do. Actually, he doesn't want her turned at all because he can't feed her and he can't stand the thought of her feeling the Bloodlust while she's feeding from someone else.

There were some good ass scenes in the book between Colin and Savi. Specifically when Savi cut her hand and slapped it over Colin's mouth. *sigh* She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't risk taking her blood thus triggering Bloodlust and she also knew that it was the only way to get him to listen to her without interrupting. Mission accomplished.

It was an abrupt, yet satisfying ending. Ten pages before the end of the book, I was still wondering how they were going to get their HEA. I could literally feel the pain between these two as they realized what life would be like if they stayed together.

Lilith and Hugh were of course prominent figures in the book. I loved how Lilith didn't change from Demon Angel to Demon Moon. She's still a royal bitch, but Hugh is her one weak spot. I also loved when she said things like "You fucking beautiful ass" to Colin. Heee.

If you haven't picked Demon Moon up because you were unsure about Demon Angel, don't wait. You won't be disappointed.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Edit: I can't believe I forgot to give an honorable mention to Sir Pup. That's one, er, three, fierce animal(s). I want one. He can carry my purse. And my kids, come to think of it. I did have a hard time at first b/c whenever I think of a dog, I think of my dog. Which is a Shih Tzu. So I was imaging my 10lb dog with three heads carrying two vampires.

The Others: Conception by Sarah McCarty

From the back cover:

An unwilling victim of an experiment gone wrong, mother to a child that shouldn’t exist, Eden Lavery knows only one person strong enough to stand between the Coalition’s fanatical quest for immortality and their threat to her daughter; Dusan Knight. Six foot three of solid muscle, Deuce wears his power with the easy confidence that comes from six centuries of commanding the Chosen, the inspiration for vampire lore. But Deuce isn’t just the source of legend. He’s the man she loves. The man she’d ultimately betrayed.


From the moment Eden reenters his life, holding the miracle of a Chosen child in her arms, Deuce burns with the need to complete their joining. Everything about Eden, from her sassy sense of humor to her delectably stacked body was made for him. But some things are easier decided than done. Amidst a race for survival, against an enemy that cannot be destroyed for fear of extinction, Deuce must fight for the future of his people and to convince Eden the passion between them is more than illusion. She is his Chosen mate, and nothing, not her fears, the Coalition, nor death itself will take her away from him.

Ermmm, what is with EC's covers? I am not ashamed to say that I do tend to judge books by their covers. There have been many new authors found b/c I liked the cover. If I hadn't heard so many good things about Sarah McCarty, I wouldn't have looked twice at this book. It kinda looks like she's trying to ingest his lips.

I loved this book. Sarah McCarty is definitely going places. Of course it wasn't until after I read the book that I found out that this series may not continue. *sigh* It's just my luck.

So Eden Lavery's grandfather is one fucked up old man. He's obsessed with immortality. Dude, he's, like, 89. If you want to be immortal, do you really want to do it in an old man's body? Anyway, the book opens up with a bang. Eden is literally hanging from the ceiling by her bound hands while gramps and her uncle whip her to get the location of Eden's vampire lover, Dusan. Of course gramps doesn't want to hurt her. He just needs to know where Eden stashed the vamp. In bust an army of men to come to Deuce's rescue, who just happened to be in the floorboards right underneath Eden's feet. Unconcious, of course. So while his men are dragging Deuce out, the leader of the pack (he's really the leader of the Pack) tries to get Eden down. Eden convinces him to run after she realizes gramps plans to blow the whole place up. *sigh*

Fast forward a year. Deuce thinks Eden is dead. Which sucks because the Chosen only mate once and it's for life. So when Eden turns up on his mountain with a baby no less, he is elated. Well, almost elated. Obviously Eden was getting it on with some other guy and he didn't know if he could accept that. Well, turns out that Eden was actually inseminated with Deuce's sperm and voila!, Eden's daughter is also Deuce's daughter.

So here's my problem. Eden escaped five minutes after a c-section, baby in tow. Because of a voice whispering in her head to run. I can accept that a mother would do anything for her newborn, including getting up off the table five minutes after a c-section and running. What I, under no circumstances, can accept is the fact that when Eden came face-to-face with Deuce for the first time in a year, she was aroused. Um, dude. You just had a c-section. Your stitches are pulling out. Aroused? Yeah, pull the other one.

So overall, this was a really good book. The Chosen are a very interesting group of people. Eden and Deuce's daughter is the first child born to a Chosen in hundreds of years. So she's something of a miracle. Because they have to find out how she was conceived, Deuce can't allow Eden to kill her grandfather. Obviously Eden doesn't really care what Deuce says and tries to escape to keep Jalina (the daughter), safe.

This was the first (and possibly last) book in the series. I thought that the information about the species in general was a little on the light side. I could definitely have done with more details about how the Chosen and Pack came to be allies. More about the Chosen in general, really.

There was lots of action and blood sucking in this book. Not for the squeamish!

4 out of 5 stars.