Anise Eden does a fine job of weaving a complicated plot against the US president with the personal and Medical, psychiatric, and political thriller.
Anise Eden does a fine job of weaving a complicated plot against the US president with the personal and professional lives of therapist Neve, and endocrinologist Con. It starts a bit slow, and the full complexity takes time to develop, but the story is tautly woven, the characters feel real, and it's an engrossing read right up to the ending. ...more
Melissa Addey is one of my favorite writers of historical romance. One reason for that is her impressivelyLovely romance with a harsh background topic
Melissa Addey is one of my favorite writers of historical romance. One reason for that is her impressively exhaustive research, so when she writes a Regency-era romance where the hero is a "lunatic" being isolated for "treatments" by his wealthy family, I am certain the barbaric practices (tortures) described were among those actually employed by medical practitioners of the time. That doesn't make them any easier to read about. The heroine's sad life as a foundling, abandoned at birth to a charity institution and released to become the paid companion of our hero, is equally intolerable by modern sensibilities and only only appears less horrific by comparison to his situation. Had there been a content warning, I might well have skipped this particular book. But, there wasn't, I didn't, and I'm happy to say that the romance was indeed worth reading. Maggie and Edward are sympathetic and likable characters - Maggie in particular is prone not to take it lying down when she or someone she cars for is wronged. Supporting characters are likewise believably well-drawn, and the details of the setting and the times contribute much needed realism to what sometimes feels a bit too grimly Dickensian. Romance readers will applaud that the long-suffering couple gets their Happy Ever After ending, and everyone can appreciate the author's cleverly engineered disposition of any lingering threats to their future happiness. This is a voluntary ARC review....more
After reading the earlier books in this series, I was a bit let down by this one. The Baron isn't the most likable of heroNot bad, but not my favorite
After reading the earlier books in this series, I was a bit let down by this one. The Baron isn't the most likable of heroes - he just leaves me feeling"meh." Natalie didn't inspire me either. The continual rehash of how cold, desperate, starved, downtrodden, etc. - her plight was like something straight out of a Charles Dickens novel, and adding in the vampire thing just made it over-the-top....more
CyberTitan Rebel is the one who saves his brothers, and their human allies. Not a soldier, he's a combat medic who never stLove is an act of rebellion
CyberTitan Rebel is the one who saves his brothers, and their human allies. Not a soldier, he's a combat medic who never stops. Human nurse Taline is drawn to him, recognizing a kindred spirit, as they save who they can, comfort the dying, and vow vengeance and victory for their kind. This beautiful, sad, touching and ultimately hopeful battlefield romance had me in tears sometimes, sometimes burning with anger, but always right THERE with Taline and Rebel. Their healing journey lifts them from despair to love for each other, and a new purpose for the rebellion.The CyberTitan - human alliance is such a compelling story, and this seventh book in the series does justice to the overall vision of freedom and a shared new world. This is a voluntary independent ARC review....more
This was a fun story to read, full of kidnappings, space chases, red hot romance, and the great Alien Bride Race. There were some spots Wild adventure
This was a fun story to read, full of kidnappings, space chases, red hot romance, and the great Alien Bride Race. There were some spots that got a little confusing, due to the many different alien species involved, but that's part of the author's wild imagination. ...more
It felt so real as Haleigh and Jack negotiated the hidden depths of a relationship that should have been simple, cI loved this sweet and angsty story
It felt so real as Haleigh and Jack negotiated the hidden depths of a relationship that should have been simple, could have been settled so easily, EXCEPT: Dating is difficult, It's an uncomfortable venture into vulnerability with a high likelihood of disappointment. Haleigh has had enough. She's DONE. Bravely, to prove her point, she lets the most important people in her life take the wheel and select her next ten dates. Ten Hail Mary last chances, followed by a lifetime alone? The result is a clever, amusing, sympathetic look at dating reality for a beautiful, baggage-laden young woman on the cusp of broken-heartedness. I went through the ups and downs right along with her, loving her courage, cheering for her right up to the ending that made me smile through a few tears. Jenny L. Howe continues to write the real, the honest, and the poignant stories of life for the positively plus-sized heroines in our lives., and we are all enriched by reading....more
Haven Colony, home to Vardarian blood brothers Torren and Zanyr, is where they hope at last to live in peace, find their fated mate, anThree of a kind
Haven Colony, home to Vardarian blood brothers Torren and Zanyr, is where they hope at last to live in peace, find their fated mate, and bond forever. It's recently become home to human colonist Jenna. When it turns out that Jenna is in fact their Mahaya, the alien males need to come clean about their past. But Jenna has a secret too, and when that comes out, there's trouble in the Haven Colony paradise. This story went by a little too quickly for me, but I liked the characters, the menage relationship was satisfyingly steamy, and all ends well for the lovers. Haven Colony, however, still faces a challenge... which means more for the next book! Works for me. This is a 100% human-written independent and voluntary ARC review....more
Anxiety has plagued Kayla even before she was kidnapped by aliens and sold to smarmy criminal Grum. When fugitive Volscian guard Jaraz seekCute couple
Anxiety has plagued Kayla even before she was kidnapped by aliens and sold to smarmy criminal Grum. When fugitive Volscian guard Jaraz seeks a fake ID from Grum, the deal goes south, and Kayla brains Grim with an alien flowerpot - thereby saving Jaraz' life and setting herself free. It makes them both fugitives in need of an escape, so they agree to join forces. (Since this cute, clever little story is an alien romance, it follows that they join other things too.) The story moves fast. It's predictable, but so amusing, so charming, so entertaining that before you know it there's happy reunions and HEA at the Alien Hotel (clever series tie-in). This one put a smile on my face, and I'll gladly read more if Kate Sinner would kindly keep writing. This is my utterly charmed ARC review...more
Goddess Artemis married human Everius, the cruel Steward of Earth. It was not a happy marriage. Regan, on of Earth'sInformation leads to improvisation
Goddess Artemis married human Everius, the cruel Steward of Earth. It was not a happy marriage. Regan, on of Earth's Guardians who are in rebellion against Everius, decides to kidnap Artemis to force the Steward to reform. When it becomes clear that she's an abused victim and not a valuable hostage, the plan goes sideways. When Regan develops feelings for Artemis, the kidnapping morphs into a rescue. More complications: there are children involved! And yet more complications: demons attack This is a really good, high tension thriller with a super-sized side of steamy and tender romance. The emotions run high as Tegan and Artemis learn to heal their damaged hearts, while fighting for their love, their children, their future, and justice for Earth. Oh, and the demon battles are up there too. It's an easy, engaging, satisfying read, with a definite To Be Continued vibe that doesn't minimize the couple's HEA. Very much worth reading. This is my voluntary independent ARC review. ...more
If you are into very very very hot fantasy romance you will find everything you want here. If, on the other handLots of sex and not much communication
If you are into very very very hot fantasy romance you will find everything you want here. If, on the other hand, you like a satisfying love story along with all the heat and spice, this one may frustrate you a bit. It did me, just because Maggie and Brav had some fierce self-doubt and self denigration issues, along with a hefty dose of PTSD. That's by way of explanation, but what I'd have liked better is having the two of them work through all that together. I didn't feel the emotional depth to match the sexual energy. But as an independent ARC reviewer, that's my personal, voluntary point of view, and yours may differ....more
Somehow Tanika has acquired an unwanted djinn who manipulates her into fulfilling her cherished wish to marry her trueOf heat, magic, and bad bargains
Somehow Tanika has acquired an unwanted djinn who manipulates her into fulfilling her cherished wish to marry her true love and have a family. Trouble is, this bad djinn is a soul eater, so if she asks for her wish to be fulfilled, her true love's soul will be taken and he will die. Talk about a bad deal. And when another djinn, seeking the magic to restore him to djinn homeland, connects with Tanika and her bad djinn things get really wretched. Good djinn falls for Tanika, she falls for him, and it's djinn vs. djinn to see which one can out-maneuver the other to get what he wants. Tanika, of course, stands to lose either way. This is one dark, carb-loaded, and steamy magical romance with a very convoluted path to HEA. It's a fast read. Parts of it got a bit more convoluted than I liked, but I enjoyed the sexy parts, the carb-loading bits, and the angsty and angry drama....more
The gutsy independent courier from the overcrowded slums is more than she seems to be. Mia ekes out her living as a delivery seExciting series starter
The gutsy independent courier from the overcrowded slums is more than she seems to be. Mia ekes out her living as a delivery service operator in the dome, one of the last human refuges on a devastated, ecologically wrecked Earth. Outside is barren, toxic, radiation poisoned death. But when she is blackmailed into taking a delivery job outside of the dome she finds out a few things about herself that she never suspected. To deliver her "package" she must enter the territories of both the dragons and the phoenixes - the two warring species whose emergence post-eco collapse decimated their own, and humanity's populations to near extinction. This is a superb post-apocalyptic fantasy romance. It's full of adventure, danger, and surprise twists. The world building is vividly descriptive and lusciously detailed. Better still a is the character development; Mia in particular stands out with her stubborn independent streak, her sense of irony, and her pithy, honest self-talk. There is only one downside here: the dreaded cliffhanger. Fear not! There is a remedy. Book 2 in the series is immediately available. This is essential for binge readers like me, and so I will happily read on. ...more
CyberTitan Eon has survived floating among the debris of deep space, the abandoned survivor of the Titan escape from the enemLove sends reinforcements
CyberTitan Eon has survived floating among the debris of deep space, the abandoned survivor of the Titan escape from the enemy Solcrue. When a wandering salvager ship appears, he barely makes it to their airlock, only to find a divided crew - those bent on destroying him for salvage and two humans who defend their cyborg ally. Raven the human pilot/engineer saves him and hooks him up to restorative tech. This begins an alliance. Forged from historical roots, it turns personal as they form a bond of personal trust. Raven frees Eon from his punitive programming, and Eon frees her from fear and despair as they search the galaxy for the last refuge of the escaped Titans. They also fall in list/love. The romance is sexy and emotional, the journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty, and for that alone this is a great read. The real story here is their metaphorical journey to personal freedom and the understanding of what it means. That pushes the story to a new, higher level. It makes for an evocative and timeless tale that transcends setting and genre. This is a gem of a book, and this has been a voluntary independent ARC review....more
Love this crazy, sexy, improbable and wild story! What's not to love? Kabillionaire sheiks? Frenemy twin teen girls?T'monique Stephens does it again!
Love this crazy, sexy, improbable and wild story! What's not to love? Kabillionaire sheiks? Frenemy twin teen girls? Surprise fatherhood? Mafisoso buddies? Dueling hitmen? Arranged marriages? Bad marriages? Struggling single parenting? Mold in the attic? Red-hot romance? Jet-setting and shopping? At the heart of it all, "plain Jane" and a dutiful royal heir who find out what really matters - tryst, family, and real love. I couldn't stop reading, heart-in-mouth the whole way through. The world is full of "plain Janes" - may T'monique Stephens never run out of stories to tell....more
Celestial Hearts is a wonderful SF romance anthology containing three novels:
Captain Santiago and the Sky Dome Wait11/15 stars -- but read on, please!
Celestial Hearts is a wonderful SF romance anthology containing three novels:
Captain Santiago and the Sky Dome Waitress by Tracy Cooper-Posey is an absolute gem. No one writes character-driven SF like T. C-P. The world-building is flawless. This is a futuristic tale of the sentient AI who acquires a human body, and the grizzled world-weary starship cruise captain who mistakes her for someone he once you knew. It's simultaneously a heart-wrenching, hopeful, emotionally authentic second chance love story, a superbly realistic depiction of a future in which the lines between technologically created and biological life forms are increasingly blurred, and a flashback frenemies-to-lovers romance. I was utterly captivated and couldn't stop reading until the last word. Five stars are not enough for this novel.
Orion's Masquerade is M.E.Rose' contribution to the anthology. This story is one of mounting suspense and romantic desperation. A presumed-dead space explorer makes an unheralded miraculous return from shipwreck, only to find his beloved wife on the bidding block in a masquerade ball/bridal auction. She isn't there willingly, the rules prevent him from interfering, there's a smarmy rival for her hand, and betrayal is behind it all. Again, I couldn't stop reading, as the stakes mounted, the obstacles multiplied, and the romantic desperation went through the stratosphere. Perfectly paced and emotionally gripping, this one rates a pulse-pounding five stars for sure.
Last of the three novels is Bound, by Erin Zafron. In brief: I read it all. I liked none of it. I rate it 1dim star. But don't let that stop you! Either one of the first two novels alone is worth the purchase price of this anthology. This is an independent and voluntary ARC review....more
Stillwater, the shadowy mega-criminal group has been active in Hartley, CO and the Last Refuge Protectors have been fighting back. River vs Stillwater
Stillwater, the shadowy mega-criminal group has been active in Hartley, CO and the Last Refuge Protectors have been fighting back. When Lt. Gov. Charlotte "Charlie" McKinley becomes a target, protector/hacker River comes out from behind his screens to keep her safe. They have a history going back to childhood, and "frenemies" doesn't even begin to describe the relationship. But under their heated conflict is heat of a different sort. Threats, bullets, bombs, bows and arrows - nothing and no one can hold back a rampaging River from saving, and claiming, his Charlie. I was as high on the action as I was on the romance, and I hung on every word in this sexy thriller. This is a voluntary independent and thoroughly captivated ARC review. ...more
I enjoyed everything about this book except the cliffhanger ending. Great characters, steamy bedroom scenes, fast and fuMystery dragon shifter romance
I enjoyed everything about this book except the cliffhanger ending. Great characters, steamy bedroom scenes, fast and furious fights, daring escapes, brutal betrayals - and gorgeous dragon shifting warriors, yum yum!! But that cliffhanger... This is my voluntary independent review of a free BookFunnel download....more
The last book of a series is often a letdown for me. Not so with this fourth and final story of the Wicked Realms series. All the The last great magic
The last book of a series is often a letdown for me. Not so with this fourth and final story of the Wicked Realms series. All the stellar qualities of the first three volumes are still here - the boldest and most dangerous of quests, the overwhelming odds and the dire consequences of failure, and the sickening malevolence of the evil that threatens the world. Anaria and her four chosen males gain more strength, more depth, and a bond of love even greater than the magic that ties them together as they face their final task - the elimination of the Old Gods and the restoration of the three kingdoms. Together they are heroes to cheer for, to cry for, and to rejoice with - and I did all of that during one epic reading, cover to cover. Viscious is my Throne is the perfect finale to a dark, dangerous, magical, sexy, heroic adventure. This is my voluntary, independent ARC review...more
Cam and Ellie survived their encounter with the murderous mages of Martin House, where Ellie killed the only mage who could control hePayback is scary
Cam and Ellie survived their encounter with the murderous mages of Martin House, where Ellie killed the only mage who could control her shadow. But House Martin wants revenge. Segue Institute, the refuge of humans who fight Shadow, is under attack again and all indications are that House Martin is to blame. Cam and Ellie must once more undertake the mission to subdue the Martin mages. This exciting conclusion of the series sees them gathering their courage and bringing their special talents to bear, but it is their love, and their growing faith in each other and themselves as individuals that hold the key to Segue's survival. High drama, magic-wielding violence, and growing dread make the story so intense that it sometimes feels overwhelming. Beneath it all, the foundation of commitment and trust keeps the reader motivated to see it through to its rewarding conclusion. This is a voluntary independent ARC review....more
Author Lexi Post combines her background in classical literature with her fondness for cowboy romance in this tension-fraught and sometimes steamy talAuthor Lexi Post combines her background in classical literature with her fondness for cowboy romance in this tension-fraught and sometimes steamy tale of family feuds and forbidden love on a struggling small ranch. The bitter feud between the Haydens and the Dunns pits money and influence against traditional old ranching values and independence. Tanner Dunn faces managing a failing ranch, carrying out plans for its future he doesn't agree with, and managing his father's stroke recovery. Amanda Hayden Davis is the therapist who comes to his aid. But she's a hated Hayden, and he won't have it. Practicality and filial duty overrule his opposition, aided by Amanda's professionalism and skill. Reluctant acquiescence morphs into desire, and more. But old hatred's exist on both sides; Hayden interference and Tanner's hair trigger temper nearly ruin everything. Both Tanner and Amanda are strong and sympathetically portrayed, and the author employs dramatic tension to create a perfect blend of desperation and hope. It makes a timeless tale fresh, contemporary,, engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable. This is a voluntary independent ARC review...more