Sarah’s extreme psychometric talent requires that she shield her skin beneath heavy robes and gloves. On a mission to a newly re-discoveredNo touching
Sarah’s extreme psychometric talent requires that she shield her skin beneath heavy robes and gloves. On a mission to a newly re-discovered planet she learns why this is so. Meeting the mate she never thought to have is the key to her future, his future, and the future of an entire planet. This is sexy and a little strange, but a good story overall.
Merged review:
No touching
Sarah’s extreme psychometric talent requires that she shield her skin beneath heavy robes and gloves. On a mission to a newly re-discovered planet she learns why this is so. Meeting the mate she never thought to have is the key to her future, his future, and the future of an entire planet. This is sexy and a little strange, but a good story overall....more
T'monique Stephens' latest iteration of the Syndicate crime boss who falls for the "plain Jane" is a supersexy romance -True love and other priorities
T'monique Stephens' latest iteration of the Syndicate crime boss who falls for the "plain Jane" is a supersexy romance - I had steam coming off my e-reader! - and a wild, action packed crime drama that wouldn't let me stop reading until I finished it. The love story is wonderfully authentic, as Jane the good-girl eldest daughter meets and falls for Nick, the bad-ass wealthy mob underboss whose undying loyalty is to his brothers in crime. Jane agonizes over her kick-over-the-traces new love, and her family's disapproval, and does he really love plain old goody-two-shoes her. Nick agonizes over who has dibs on his time and attention, and who deserves his ride or die loyalty, his Jane, or his job. There are lives on the line - more that just his or hers. There are no clear answers until betrayal, bullets, and babies force the issue. There's no fairytale HEA - the body-count and bruises preclude that. Instead, Ms. Stephens goes for the messy truth - there's joy in survival, freedom in choices, and yes, dammit, love DOES conquer all. I was offered an ARC of this book but I had already borrowed it from KU. My review is, as always, my honest and independent opinion....more
Lee-Ann Wallace wrote the book that hooked me forever on alien SF romance, so when I was offered an ARCReally good for a book I normally wouldn't read
Lee-Ann Wallace wrote the book that hooked me forever on alien SF romance, so when I was offered an ARC of this book, I jumped on it. Normally I don't read YA, and fantasy is not my cup of tea, either. And I HATE cliffhanger/TBC endings... BUT this is Lee-Ann Wallace!! The amazingly detailed, lucid writing that puts you right into the story. The well-developed characters who live the story, and whose eyes the reader sees through. The complex issues and multiple plot threads that are so seamlessly integrated into the action and the characters' internal monologues. It's unbelievably good writing and good story-telling - even in a book I usually would not choose - so three stars is due to YA and TBC only. If you are into that, you will adore this book. The is an honest, independent ARC review, and I DO recommend the book....more
Gail Meath writes a very absorbing mystery. Songbird happens in Roaring 20's NYC - specifically the Broadway theater distHistory, mystery, and romance
Gail Meath writes a very absorbing mystery. Songbird happens in Roaring 20's NYC - specifically the Broadway theater district. A series of murders, a wealthy mom's boy suspect, and Laura, a newly discovered chorus girl/rising star who receives the gift of gardenia after each murder. The role of detective, Jax Diamond, is filled by a man devoted to duty and the truth, except or his bizarre and pain-filled past. He and Laura meet, and the romance begins. Laura is no dumb hick, and quickly makes herself essential to solving the case, while Jax dares to relive and reveal some his inner secrets as his love for her grows. The requisite disastrous turn of events, the nail-biting tension of imminent death, the last desperate effort to save the victim, and the light-bulb moment when niggling incidents, seemingly unrelated characters, and long-hidden secrets merge into a clear picture of guilt and innocence are all handled quite adroitly. The characters, major and minor, are refreshingly realistic and believable. The absence of melodrama lets the story tell itself through Laura and Jax's eyes - and a darned good yarn it is, too. I stayed up lat to finish it; it is THAT good. And thus ends my voluntary ARC review....more
The good: Mysteries abound! Clear and crisp writing, believable, unique, and intriguing characters, vaguelyThe good, the bad, and the upshot of it all
The good: Mysteries abound! Clear and crisp writing, believable, unique, and intriguing characters, vaguely creepy scene-setting, well-developed and heart-warming love story with multiple romantic triangles, HEA ending
The bad: Vaguely historical; few references allow the reader to pinpoint the time period. Some subplots have more holes than Swiss cheese, with unclear motivations or vague backstories.
The upshot of it all: This is a voluntary ARC review: despite it's flaws, I enjoyed The Curse of Morton Abbey, and I would recommend it to mystery and romance fans who like a touch of the gothic....more
I love Ruby Dixon’s Corsairs - the big blue Messakah pirates who plague the stuffed-shirt noble houses on one hand, and the bMore than I bargained for
I love Ruby Dixon’s Corsairs - the big blue Messakah pirates who plague the stuffed-shirt noble houses on one hand, and the bad guys of the galaxy on the other. And then there is Lord Straik - the bad guy noble Messakah who turned corsair and then good guy… this book is his story. And it’s a blockbuster. Ruby Dixon pulls out all the stops to give us her finest world-building, her most nuanced characterization, and her gentlest understated humor in this wonderful full-length novel of romance and redemption. Absolutely her best work to date. It is a re-read shelf must. Marvelous, mesmerizing: the best 90+ chapters you will never want to put down....more
It's a short and straightforward SF romance: a human girl - a refugee survivor of a planet-wide massacre take heThe cyborg, the girl, and the robo-pup
It's a short and straightforward SF romance: a human girl - a refugee survivor of a planet-wide massacre take her robot dog with her on the rescue spaceship. The dog causes a ruckus, and the stern cyborg who captains the mission orders the dog deactivated. when she sneakily leaves the dog in working order, it promptly turns on her roommate, and all hell breaks loose. Her ongoing conflict with the captain morphs into something more - something sweet and steamy. When colony survivors aboard the ship begin to disappear, the two join forces to investigate the mystery, and the robot dog becomes the clue that unravels it all. The romance is slow-burn, and simmers in the background as the hunt for missing persons goes on, but ends in a satisfying HEA. I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC of this book...more
Prince Saber, the family screw-up, is ordered by his father the king to marry Lady Mirage. BORING! MeanDragons learn to trust IGDA matchmaker's advice
Prince Saber, the family screw-up, is ordered by his father the king to marry Lady Mirage. BORING! Meanwhile Mirage's social climber mother orders her to cooperate with the arrangement. BORING! The IGDA matchmaker's psychic advice is unhelpful. Their dates are worse. Then an accidental, inadvertent kidnapping leaves the two miserable mates-to-be aboard a spaceship bound for Trouble. On the way, they discover that maybe neither is the boring blando the other believes he/she was... Flames and other heated exchanges take place... By the time they find Trouble, Team Dragon Mates has a united goal - get home, tell King Daddy and Momma Bitch the marriage is a go, and they are outta there and on to HEA. Gotta love it when the underdog - er, dragon - wins!...more
Dragon Prince Ranger fights his way out of a slaver’s cell only to be intercepted by the woman he recognizes as his mateLone Ranger finds his sidekick
Dragon Prince Ranger fights his way out of a slaver’s cell only to be intercepted by the woman he recognizes as his mate. He’s shocked. Sidney hears the escaped prisoner’s tale of slavers. She’s shocked. When Sidney confirms Ranger’s accusation, she’s devastated. But two honorable beings can’t let evil triumph, so off they go to end the slavers and save Sidney’s people. I don’t know which was more satisfying - the Great Rescue or the flaming hot Great Romance. I loved the whole thing. Woo Hoo!!...more
Penelope Bloom nails this kooky and clever story of the would-be author and the one-shot word-wonder whose writer-fan iFunny enemies to lovers rom-com
Penelope Bloom nails this kooky and clever story of the would-be author and the one-shot word-wonder whose writer-fan interaction turns hurtful, then sexy, then life-changing in ways they are forced to learn to deal with. It's got the familiar Bloom trademarks: snarky, clueless-but-adorable characters who blunder their way into honest feelings - and true love, while succeeding beyond their wildest dreams in their chosen endeavors. It's got the kooky, pain-in-the-butt sidekicks who help save the day, and the random goofballs who liven up the pages with their bit parts, and it's fabulous. It hits all the highs (the sweetness, the sex) and all the lows (the hurts and dashed hopes) with perfect pitch. I found it enchanting and entrancing - read it all in one go - and I'm still smiling about it as I write this voluntary ARC review. Do not miss this! ...more
Astoundingly realistic history through one woman's eyes
This is a very well written historical novel, in the style of an autobiography. We see ancient Astoundingly realistic history through one woman's eyes
This is a very well written historical novel, in the style of an autobiography. We see ancient northwest Britain, with its ever-changing population of Roman descendants, Angles and other English tribes, Celts and Vikings. Religion served as the great organizing principle, with the new Christians vying for dominance over the ancient Celts and goddess worshippers, as well as the old Norse gods. Yvaine is the heroine, a native of the goddess-worshipping people of the Isle of Mists. Her sad and mystery-laden life there is over when a religious ritual gone lethally wrong sends her fleeing her home for the mainland and a new, strong world she must learn to survive. Her life as a newly free woman in an unstable and dangerous world takes her through love, friendships, losses and discoveries - not the least of which is the truth of her own origins. It is a harsh and violent time and place, and author Wendy Nelson-Sinclair does great justice to the recreation of that world, its people, and the forms that shape it. Yvaine's feelings about her life are empathetically detailed, and the only sour note is the ending, wherein a now-dead Yvaine continues her narrative as though she still lived - very disconcerting, and an affront to all the preceding authenticity in the author's first-person POV. Readers should be mindful of triggers: rape, murder, graphic violence; these are presented as the commonplace events of the times, and not sensationalized. The ending aside, I stayed up late and neglected a few chores to finish this engrossing and vivid historical novel. This is a voluntary review of an ARC....more
Sunastara Jeka works as the social director on an interplanetary cruise liner - an orgiastic futuristic Love Boat - and she Space cruise line thriller
Sunastara Jeka works as the social director on an interplanetary cruise liner - an orgiastic futuristic Love Boat - and she personally guarantees her clients a happy cruise. She's a woman who holds grief and loss at bay with casual sex - until a former one-night stand gets hired on to her same cruise ship. Love, as it turns out, has many forms, and Sunny is no match for the emotional crises that inundate her on this perilous journey. Superb characterization and a touch of dry humor are the hallmarks of this thriller/romance. I recommend it all - except for the kuton... This is a voluntary ARC review....more
The price of survival Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2021
Season 2 of the ever-evolving saga of human intersection with the history and The price of survival Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2021
Season 2 of the ever-evolving saga of human intersection with the history and fate of the sentient planet Tajss opens a bit darker than what went before - the combined Zmaj and human factions of Tajss have successfully deployed nuclear weapons to destroy the Invaders who sought to overrun the planet, at the price of cramped confinement in the underground bunker complex which pre-dated both the Devastation and a period of Tajss history prior to that. All the evils of enforced confinement - the factionalism, inter-species friction, near-starvation and intense crowding, are temporary until the nuclear fallout clears the planet surface, but survival is harsh, demands sacrifices, forces tolerance for exploitative behavior, and grinds hope into dust. When Sophia accidentally discovers the existence of Bahr, some hope is rekindled - HIS. He's an old military experiment of Frankenstein-like ilk, a monstrous altered Zmaj soldier who has survived and revived from stasis to discover that Sophia is his ":Treasure." His bumbling attempts to win her nearly destroy his dream, and both their lives, before a reluctant acceptance of what cannot be changed sets things in balance. It's HFN, and an anxious wait for the next chapter in the Red Planet of Tajss series. This is a voluntary ARC review. ...more
Twins Joule and Cage now work for Helio Systems, bringing a new solar array to rural Alabama. Except, the locals aren't into cheap solar eneBlown Away
Twins Joule and Cage now work for Helio Systems, bringing a new solar array to rural Alabama. Except, the locals aren't into cheap solar energy. They're heels-dug-in, picketing, marching and shouting against it. Even the weather votes 'thumbs down' - or maybe that should be 'funnels down' as a swarm of twisters strikes an area carefully chosen as relatively tornado free. The twins, and a huge cast of characters, ride out (sometimes literally!) the storms and the protests, while uncovering some unsavory local flavor, some unsung heroes, and a newfound appreciation for their lives. The action is non-stop, the fear-meter is pinned at 10, the body count is sad, and the whole story will have you biting your nails down to the quick - and loving it. This is a frightfully independent ARC review....more
So what do you do when you've found your soulmate - and then they die? If you're Vaxxlian Admiral Tahrin, you walk thLost soulmates and second chances
So what do you do when you've found your soulmate - and then they die? If you're Vaxxlian Admiral Tahrin, you walk the streets aimlessly, angry and wallowing in self-inflicted guilt. One such perambulation leads him to spot unmated human female Skylar. She's headed to Vaxxlian Matchmakers, who inform her that yes, they found her soulmate, but he died that morning, so no HEA for her. VMM are psychic matchmakers, and in the midst of Skylar's tragedy one of them recalls the recently bereft Admiral, and, well, maybe a marriage of convenience? Skylar and Tahrin? Not exactly what Tahrin had before, but Skylar's hot, and he's a Vaxxlian male... Tahrin's in. Now to convince Skylar. This story is a bit short on romance, and at first it's anything but sexy, but in this universe psychic matchmakers are never wrong. Thus Skylar and Tahrin feel their way to HEA, and give us all hope in the process. Whew! This is a voluntary ARC review....more
Fabulous account of the Spanish patriot who galvanized Spain's guerrilla resistance to French occupation during the Napoleonic wars, alonMagnificent!!
Fabulous account of the Spanish patriot who galvanized Spain's guerrilla resistance to French occupation during the Napoleonic wars, along with the equally stirring story of her lifelong love and marriage to a fellow patriot. I particularly enjoyed the well-rounded portrait of a truly independent woman, whose devotion to family, country, and husband exemplifies everything modern women aspire to: the epitome of true feminism lived to its loftiest ideals. All action and no rhetoric. Stunning story, a magnificent romance, and an inspiration to women everywhere. This is a voluntary and independent ARC review....more
Remember the old rhyme: 'Mother may I go out to swim? Yes, my darling daughter. But hang your clothes on a hickory limb, And don'5 chilling dark stars
Remember the old rhyme: 'Mother may I go out to swim? Yes, my darling daughter. But hang your clothes on a hickory limb, And don't go near the water!' That silly old bit of doggerel gains a whole different meaning after reading Rhonda Parrish's aptly titled Dark Waters anthology. Turns out Mother knew her stuff, as demonstrated by these strangely thrilling but ultimately frightening tales. Hidden depths that no sun can warm nor light illuminate hold monsters and mythical beings. Soaked in curses, drowning in tragedy, forever held fast by the deep, mere humans inevitably succumb to the dark waters. This voluntary and independent ARC review comes with a warning: Reader, beware!...more
This story fits in right after Callim’s Challenge in the Quasar Lineage series. It is sweet and steamy both, offers one more glimpseLovely short story
This story fits in right after Callim’s Challenge in the Quasar Lineage series. It is sweet and steamy both, offers one more glimpse into the machinations of the Quasar Council, and a quick read. Good stuff for fans of Pearl Tate’s Quasar Lineage series....more
When Courtney the roller-skating car hop gets snagged by aliens it’s “alien abduction V 2.1.14. When Crux comes to the The Crux of Courtney’s dilemma
When Courtney the roller-skating car hop gets snagged by aliens it’s “alien abduction V 2.1.14. When Crux comes to the rescue it’s a coincidence. He’s there cuz King Daddy Dragon wants his princely son and heir mated, and the psychic matchmaker promised Prince Crux his mate was on this very planet. Courtney and Crux make a great pair; he fricassees slavers and wild beasts with his dragon fire, she whomps ‘em with a roller skate upside the head. Do they fall in love? Does Courtney get her life on Earth back? Does Crux fulfill the King’s demand? Do they actually end up together? Hint: this is a Kate Rudolph action adventure romance; what do you think? I think you’ll love it! Welcome to the InterGalactic Dating Agency,KR !...more
Flexing the atrophied magic muscle An ex-Olympian (deity, not athlete), Hera loves her formerly divine and Demi-god children, but wandering the world iFlexing the atrophied magic muscle An ex-Olympian (deity, not athlete), Hera loves her formerly divine and Demi-god children, but wandering the world in the guise of a motorcycle club babe isn't her thing. Hera's more the settled and content type - what else would you expect of the (former) Goddess of Home and Hearth? She fakes a malfunction on her Harley, necessitating a stop at Finn's hog repair and custom shop. Finn is actually Fenrir, the former Norse god of wolves, but he keeps that on the down low. His interest in Hera puts a little pep in his step and some spicy pictures in his mind, but the two dance around their true identities and their real feelings. They rescue a old pup with a deformed leg, and meet a super-shape-shifting former goddess, Ceta, then face off against the MC from their worst nightmares. It's kinda cute, in a magic-and-bloodbath way, as Hera and Fenrir find their emotional equilibrium, their new purpose, and renewed strength in their long-disused divine powers. This is a completely honest, independent and fully human ARC review....more