Showing posts with label Dorchester Publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dorchester Publishing. Show all posts
March 17, 2009
5:22 PM |
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WOLF HUNT BY JENNIFER ASHLEY
Back Cover Copy:
Werewolf Logan defies his entire pack and everything he’s ever known to protect a demon woman. He must race to save the beautiful demon Nadia from his own pack.
Logan Wright's former Pack Leader, Matt Lewis, has a score to settle with him and blackmails Nadia into setting a trap for Logan. Matt and Logan have a history together and Matt is the reason Logan left his Pack, even though he was a respected and feared Pack Master. Now Nadia is put in the middle because of her connection to Logan, she doesn't want to betray Logan but the life of a loved one is at stake.
Logan was one of the secondary characters I hoped would get his own story, after reading THE REDEEMING. He is loyal, gentlemanlike but a true werewolf at the core.
Nadia also was a secondary character in Tain's book but a minor one. I was nicely surprised to see her paired up with Logan. She is brave and has a snappy sense of humor.
I loved the chemistry and dialogues between Logan and Nadia. They were representing the humor I like so much in Ashley's books. Along the way there was lots of information on werewolves, their pack law and rules. Of course Tain and Samantha made a small appearance but the story is focused mainly on Nadia and Logan and the plot, which was well executed. I did miss Amber and Adrian though.
This was a great novella and has the quality that's to be expected from Jennifer Ashley. It was complete, well rounded, a short but very satisfying nonetheless. The plot is excellent, it's mysterious, suspenseful, humorous and filled with different little storylines and angles that ultimately all link together. Not being too short but not too long either, it was enough to tell the story of Logan and Nadia and a perfect closure to the Jennifer Ashley installments in the Immortals series.
Quote:
Except now she'd kissed that mouth, felt his lips respond to hers, tasted his life essence. The magic of him has singed her primal core, tightening her body and making her crave more.
4 stars
1,5 flames
BLOOD DEBT BY JOY NASH
Back Cover Copy:
Jackson Cabot's bright future went dark in 1896 Paris, when he died and was turned vampire. After three decades of slavery in the service of Europe's brutal vampire master, Jackson discovered a secret that has allowed him to hoard power. Now, at last, his strength approaches that of his rival, and he exists solely to take vengeance on the two beings responsible for his eternal nightmare: the monster that turned him vampire -- and the beautiful Sidhe muse who killed him.
Because of Leanna's unreasonable and unjust fear of love Jackson Cabot was turned vampire and enslaved by Europe's vampire master, Armande Legrand. Jackson manages to escape Legrand and ever since he's has been plotting and planning revenge on Legrand. When by chance Jackson finds out Leanna is in the vicinity he decides to kill two birds with one stone and use Leanna to vanquish Legrand. But we all know what happens with the best-laid plans...
Leanna has come a long way since she was the evil love muse in THE AWAKENING. She has really grown up by suffering and has learned to be compassionate instead of self-absorbed. Her life has not been easy and everything has taken a toll on her: the abandonment by her Sidhe mother, the abuse by her human father and her imprisonment in Hell.
Jackson used to be a lighthearted and caring man. He was truly in love with Leanna when she used her powers on him and left him for dead, giving Legrand the opportunity to enslave him. Now more than a century later he has become a bitter and vengeful vampire with one goal and one goal only in his non-life: vengeance.
For a short story it had quite some secondary characters but they all fit in perfectly with the main characters and the plot. I enjoyed the glimpses of the two former main couples Kalen, Christine, Mac and Artemis.
This was an amazing story. The best of this anthology, one of the top stories in this whole series and by far the best by Joy Nash in this series. I never would have thought it after THE AWAKENING but this was truly a well written, compelling, intriguing and perfectly plotted story with the right amount of emotions, actions and hot love scenes. I loved the way the story between Leanna and Jackson was set up in the limited amount of pages Joy Nash had to work with. I really wonder what she could have done if she had a full-length book for this story. She mixed everything in the right way and delivered an excellent novella that is undoubtedly keeper material.
Quotes:
His mind blanked on a rush of white-hot lust. And red-hot anger. One hundred years might have passed but it would take much longer than a mere century to erase this particular redhead from his mind and his soul.
Seven decades of ruthless self-control, obliterated in one groan of ecstasy. Seven decades of hoarded power seeped through the rapidly widening cracks in the shield of death magic he’d constructed around his soul.
The wanting cut like a knife. It sliced at her soul, carving it into thousands upon thousands of yearning pieces. And more. It was as if Jackson had released every atom from her body, allowing them to float free, into the atmosphere. And then had recaptured and enslaved every particle of her being.
4,5 stars
2 flames
BEYOND THE MIST BY ROBIN T. POPP
Back Cover Copy:
Haunted by her past and reeling from her sister's murder, Jenna Renfield takes a cruise hoping to have a little fun – and escape the company of sexy, but obnoxious spirit walker, Dave Runningbear. Almost from the start, the cruise turns out not to be what she expected – prickles of death magic, ghostly wailing in the night and a creepy albino stalker. When Jenna realizes her life might be in danger, she’s more than happy that Dave followed her on board the cruise ship and turns to him for help, hoping they can both escape with their lives when the ship carries them "Beyond the Mist."
A deal struck between the goddess Sekhmet (Immortal Darius' mother) and the sea god Poseidon has now come back to bite Sekhmet in the behind. She thought to sacrifice her firstborn grandchild in order to keep Darius on Ravenscroft safe from earth's temptation (for more about this revert to THE DARKENING) because she never thought Darius would find love and have children. But he has and now Poseidon has come to collect on the deal. Out of desperation Sekhmet offers Poseidon a trade: Jenna Renfield, whom she knows through Mai and Nick, instead of her grandson.
Jenna Renfield has been going through the motions ever since she lost her sister to an evil genie (see THE HAUNTING) and lives with Nick, Mai and their roommate Dave. She's attracted to Dave but the parade of ladies passing through his bedroom is the reason she doesn't want anything to do with him. When an offer for a free cruise arrives, she grabs the opportunity to get away from Dave with both hands. But on this cruise nothing is as it seems and soon she's very glad Dave decided to come after her on it.
Jenna is a quiet young woman who has suffered many adversities in her life and every time she uses her magic it seems to get worse. So she has decided to go through life not using her magic ever again. She is intelligent and responsible. But after the loss of her sister she's also guilt-ridden and depressed. The only bright spots in her life at this moment are her roommates Mai, Nick and Dave. Even if Dave has a different woman in his room every night.
Dave is charming and flirtatious. He's what you would call a rake if this were a historical romance. He is interested in Jenna but since he thinks she won't give him the time of day, he continues with his amorous adventures. When Jenna received an invitation to a cruise he doesn't trust it and follows her on the cruise to protect her. His shape-shifting chameleon and spirit walker abilities sure come in handy when they end up in trouble.
Again an elaborate secondary cast fills the pages and like in Nash's story the two former main couples played their small part.
Since THE HAUNTING I was looking forward to Dave's story and I must say I'm glad it was included in this anthology but it kind of paled before the other two stories. This novella was kind of THE LITTLE MERMAID meets the LOVE BOAT, which on it's own wasn't a bad thing but compared to the other two novellas for me this was the lesser one. I missed intensity and where in the other novellas the stories were well rounded and compelling with this one it felt a bit rushed despite the great premise it held. Towards the end of the story it picked up a bit in intensity and plot so overall it ended on a satisfying note.
3,5 stars
1 flame
THE RECKONING
Sometimes there are books you read and you wish the secondary characters would get their own HEA too next to the main couples. The Immortals series consisted of these kind of books and I am very happy that the authors decides to team up an give the readers an anthology that provided to be both a delightful ending to the series as well as a great opportunity to give some beloved secondary characters their own stories.
Overall it was an anthology of solid quality, one with two excellent novellas and one that was good. They were three totally different paranormal stories with a bit less of the magical feeling the first four books in this series gave me but even so each story was unique and well-written and THE IMMORTALS is a series of which the books will stay on my keepers' shelf until they fall apart from old age.
December 9, 2008
3:42 PM |
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Random flashes of unearthly light. Ominous messages written on steamy mirrors. Assailants lurking in shadows. Mai’s hallucinations are becoming a little too real - the last one almost killed her. She’s faced ancient demons and rogue vampires, but this kind of dark magic is more powerful than any she’s seen. Mai also senses someone else trying to help her, a dream walker who comes in the night to soothe her fears. And fulfill her wildest fantasies. But who is he? As the danger and desire escalate, Mai is determined to find him—for only together can they stop...THE HAUNTING.
Mai Groves hasn't been herself since she helped her friends and the Immortals save Tain from the Ancient Demon that was holding him captive. The magic she possesses as a wood nymph is disappearing. She's suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), seeing things, having anxiety attacks and black outs. Determined to get back in the game as a reporter she has stumbled upon a story that will re-launch her career with ease.
When her neighbor disappears, she calls in the help of Nick Blackhawk who is not only a security specialist but also a spirit walker. A walker of the spiritual dimensions such as the realms of dreams and wishes. He's also a chameleon, which means he can shift into almost any living creature. His past has made him weary of love, seeing his mother walk out on him and his father he doesn't believe in true love and is happy going through life enjoying the sensualities of it but never committing to one woman. Until he meets Mai and recognizes in her his spirit mate.
The attraction between them is immediate and strong but Mai has no time for romance when she's fighting to find out what is real and what is hallucination.
One thing is sure, there's more to it when she discovers someone doesn't want her to tell the story and something evil is after her.
Just like Mac in the previous Immortals book, Mai is another character suffering from the effects and aftershocks of saving Tain from the Ancient. Her personality has gone from bubbly and lively to someone who is careful and almost scared of her own shadow. This doesn't prevent her from going after the things she wants; she is just not as carefree about it as before. She yearns for someone to love and to love her back and in Nick she finds him but of course not without having to solve the usual complications first.
Nick is a great hero. He was strong, sensual, and protective and his powers are very extraordinary. He was the character who captured my attention in this book and kept it throughout the whole book. Mai caught my attention in Popp's other book in the series but because of her disorder her lively personality that I liked so much in THE DARKENING didn't surface until the second part of the book.
Despite the instant attraction between Mai and Nick, their dialogues are fierce and snappy. Mai is as sarcastic and sharp as Nick is and this provides some fiery conversations with humorous remarks going back and forth. Their first meeting is my favorite scene of the book.
The most significant secondary characters are the bad guys of the book and for fear of spoiling too much I can't tell much about them. You'll have to read for yourself. But one secondary character that definitely also caught my eye was Dave Runningbear, Nick's best friend and roommate. He is a delightful secondary character and I think it's a pity his story will not be a full-length book but a novella in the anthology coming next year. I hope said novella will do him justice.
Even though I'm glad with the additional Immortal books, after reading the last two additions to the series I must be honest and admit they do not add anything special to the series. The last two books by no way equal the impact that the first five books in the series had on me and that's a bit disappointing. I think I had higher expectations and those expectations were not met.
However I will give my opinion of the book in this review as a stand-alone and let my rating reflect the position of the book in the series.
THE HAUNTING took me into a world of spiritual planes and dream realms, which was truly fascinating. Without noticing it I took in a lot of information about spirit realms, dream realms and auras. In the beginning I thought the romance part of the book would have to give way to the plotline. I thought the romance was going to be clean cut and simple where the plot was layered and more complicated but about halfway through Popp gave the romance a nice and unexpected twist, making Nick sweat a little, and me with him.
I also enjoyed the way Popp started with two different storylines and in the end brought them together in a good, believable and satisfactory conclusion.
I liked that of the three additional Immortal books, this one gave the most attention to the couple that starred in the author's previous Immortal book. In this case Lexi and Darius. They made quite an impressive appearance in the book and proved to be crucial to the plot. This is something I missed in Joy Nash's second book and in Jennifer Ashley's books following THE CALLING.
The book was not that intense, neither emotionally nor action wise and yet I kept wanting to go back to it every minute I could. It had the ability to keep me engaged without being heavily emotional or providing thrilling action. I suspect the main reasons for its compelling power were the way the plot was set up and worked out and the sparkling and easy dialogues. Not to mention the big pull Nick had for me as the hero. I thought I liked Tain the most in this series but his place has been taken over by Nick Blackhawk.
My honest opinion at this moment is that the series should've ended with Tain's book and maybe a new (connected) series should've been marketed for Mac and Mai's stories, linked to the Immortals series. Maybe that way, expectations would have been different. I know mine would have been.
Don't get me wrong: as stand alone books this book, like Joy Nash's THE CROSSING, is a great book, but viewed in the Immortals series it doesn't reach the level of the Jennifer Ashley books or the other Robin T. Popp book in the series.
October 30, 2008
2:27 PM |
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Back cover:
It all started with three spoiled standard poodles with an uncanny knack for mischief. Kasidy Evans knew she’d have her hands full, but she never imagined she’d find them engaged in a tug of war with a gloriously naked man—over his shorts. Apparently the willful canines took exception to their new owner, and Kasidy had to agree. Wyatt Love was nothing but a gigolo. Kasidy told herself his gorgeous, bronzed body was off limits, and his unexpected sweetness did not touch her heart, but the truth was, she found Wyatt Love…Completely Irresistible
Wyatt Love is stunned when he appointed caretaker of her estate after the death of one of his former clients at the escort service. It's only temporary until the long lost granddaughter arrives to claim her heritage. What he doesn't know is that the granddaughter is already under his nose, incognito.
Kasidy Evans has her own reasons for not wanting anything to do with her grandmother and her inheritance. She infiltrates the estate looking for evidence to exonerate a loved one who's in trouble.
This is the start of a fun book filled with confusion, mischief, passion and miscommunication
Kasidy is the daughter of a wealthy heiress and a car mechanic with a criminal past. She is passionate, cautious and a tomboy with a mind of her own.
Her parents were together against her grandmother's wishes and they were always on the run from her detectives who were trying to get Kasidy and her mother to return home. After her mother's death Kasidy is determined to maintain the independent life her mother strived for. Due to some miscommunication she believes Wyatt was her grandmother's gigolo and because of it she has a hard time dealing with the fiery attraction between them.
Wyatt Love is the likeable, charming and playful one of the Love twins. His brother Dillon is the serious and introverted one. Wyatt is the one people like immediately because of his outgoing personality. He likes to play practical jokes and kid around. But when he meets Kasidy and falls in love with her, head over heels, it's the perfect opportunity for Dillon to turn the tables on him and pay him back for all the pranks Wyatt pulled on him over the years.
The secondary characters are formed by a parade of family members and friends, round up by Dillon to exact his plan of revenge on Wyatt. The three poodles, Larry, Moe and Curly, play their mischievous and evil part and they were crucial in bringing Wyatt and Kasidy together.
And of course the trilogy wouldn't be complete without another appearance in the final book by my favorite recurring secondary character: Mrs. Scuttle. She played her part true to form and provided the laughs at exactly the right time and place. She had me laughing out loud on many occasions.
The writing is smooth and fast-paced without any heavy or intense emotions the book was full of light and witty fun. The romance was filled with endearing and funny moments against a background of a very nice plot that intrigues despite its simplicity. The only small let down in the plot was the fact that the miscommunication between Kasidy and Wyatt continues a few pages to many when Kasidy’s identity is revealed. For me some things could have been cleared up earlier in the story.
This trilogy has left me wondering how a duo of authors pulls this of, because while reading you really can't tell it's more than one person writing the story. I would love to know what their method is. Do they each write a scene or a chapter? Maybe one day I'll find out.
Sheridon Smythe weaves humor, characters and romance into a delightful, feel-good story. It put a smile on my face from beginning to end with a plot that has a surprising conclusion, with a great romance between appealing characters and with secondary characters that shine brightly but don't steal the show.
I've waited a long time to get my hands on this third and last installment of the Mr. Complete Trilogy and boy, it was worth the wait. I rolled into the witty world of scrumptious escorts as if it hadn't been more than a year since I read Dillon's story. From page 1 COMPLETELY IRRESISTIBLE kept me enthralled, amused, aroused and endeared.
October 21, 2008
12:53 PM |
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For Manannán mac Lir, a musician and Celtic demigod, life had become a blur of post-gig parties, expensive whisky, and cheap sex. And then the baby almost died--a baby he had sworn to protect. On the hunt for the would-be killer, Mac finds Artemis Black, a stunningly dangerous woman who's inexplicably able to intertwine life magic with death magic. For the safety of his people, he should destroy her. But the aching vulnerability in her eyes calls to him. And the raw desire she inspires has nothing to do with a spell. Their love may be forbidden, but Mac and Artemis can't go back once they've made...THE CROSSING
Mac is the son of the seagod Lir and Niniane, queen of the Sidhe. He hasn't been his happy-go-lucky self since teaming up with the Immortals to save their brother Tain. He doesn't enjoy his fame as a musician, the attention or women and feels he doesn't enjoy life anymore. He goes to Kalen and Christine (main couple from book 3) to figure out what is wrong with him and what to do about it. But before he has a chance to do so, he stumbles upon Artemis, a witch connected to all four elements (earth, water, fire, air) and able to practice both life and death magic. She has been stealing life-essence from faerie-villages and as guardian of Celtic magical creatures Mac confronts her and together they embark on a journey that has an outcome nobody could ever imagine.
Artemis and Mac's first encounter sets the tone for their book. It's intense and explosive. They meet under the most difficult circumstances but they are truly meant for each other. Both Mac and Artemis are longing to share the love they have to give.
The attraction is instant for Mac, even if she is connected to death magic. Artemis just wants to get rid of him because he is impeding her important quest. She isn't stealing life essence for the fun of it. She must do it to save someone very important to her.
Mac is a character that appealed to me a great deal in THE AWAKENING (book 3) but somehow Joy Nash's heroes don't seem to keep my attention. They don't come of the pages as the heroes in the other books do. I had the same problem with Kalen in his book. Though Mac did do a bit better than Kalen, there were some actions that were so out of character they puzzled me even when the explanation for them was given.
The heroines on the other hand do have that magnetic pull on me. As I liked Christine in her book, I also liked Artemis in this book. She needs balance of her abilities because without it things can turn ugly for her. Her attraction to Mac disturbs this balance and even though she has a powerful motive for her actions it doesn't excuse the fact that she causes harm with her death magic. She is strong, loyal and loving and her actions are well motivated. I could really relate to her.
The main players are Artemis and Mac and their journey and alongside them a parade of magical creatures passes through: sidhe, faeries, golems, harpies and demons. They form an extensive compilation of secondary characters, but all with very minor parts except for yet again an Ancient demon (Old One) that represents the evil. The secondary cast is elaborate but never intrusive. They completed the book and complemented the main characters.
Balance is crucial for Artemis and it's the main theme of the book. Balance between light and dark, balance between life and death.
I must say Joy Nash did an amazing job with the plot of this book. It kept me turning the pages as fast as I could, wondering how it was all going to end.
But this was also due to the writing style of this installment. It was magical and luscious but flowing and easy to read at the same time. I flew through the pages.
The dosage of information was perfect, providing little bits and pieces of information at a time, enticing the reader to learn more and know why the characters take certain actions. I liked how Joy Nash portrayed their journey into Hell and it's many levels, although at the end it seemed like she rushed it a bit in order to wrap things up. Still the plot was unpredictable, original and very well put together.
This book is connected to the Immortals series through Mac's character but it can be perfectly read as a stand-alone. I even will go as far and say that it's better as a stand alone than as part of the series. And I would recommend this as a great book, even, or maybe especially, for readers who are not that into the Immortals series.
Comparing it to the other installments it's much better than the other book by Nash in the series but compared to the books by Ashley and Popp I still have to classify Nash at the bottom of the list.
This has made rating this book very difficult. As a stand-alone it definitely falls in the 4-star category but I must also take into account that the book is part of a series and within that series it doesn't reach the level of the other books.
Overall I think Joy Nash did a great job with this book. I loved Artemis, I liked Mac, I enjoyed their story and their journey, I admired the plot and I had fun with the secondary characters.
Quotes:
The woman was a perfect, pure, high note. His long life was like a song that had been waiting for that single tone to complete it.
Mac to Artemis: "Immortality is vastly overrated (...). A meandering song that had no hope of ever achieving that last beautiful note. The final tone that gives the whole melody a deeper meaning"
September 16, 2008
6:25 PM |
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Back Cover:
As Samantha Taylor investigates the abduction of young demon women in gritty Los Angeles, she encounters Tain, the Immortal she hasn't seen since his enslavement to a powerful demon the year before.
Now Tain needs Samantha's help, and Samantha wonders if she can hide the fact that she's in love with him while they work together. Tain spent years being tortured by a demon--the last thing he'll want is a half-demon woman longing for him . . . or so she thinks.
Haunted by his past, Tain seeks peace by healing others, but he's not sure if the madness that trapped him has completely gone away. And he's never been able to get the dark-eyed Samantha Taylor out of his mind.
It's been more than a year since Samantha Taylor was involved in Tain's rescue from the Old One (ancient demon) who was holding him captive for over seven centuries. She fell in love with Tain that night but after his rescue he leaves without looking back, to heal from the torture he went through. Samantha has moved on and finds satisfaction in her work for the paranormal division of the LAPD.
More than a year after his brothers and Samantha freed him from Kehksut Tain is still a long way from healing and he wonders if he will be able to enjoy the pleasure of being with a woman ever again.
But Samantha isn't just any woman, when he needs her help to solve a case of missing demon girls, he finds it more and more difficult to resist his attraction to her beauty both inside and out, even if she is part demon and a demon kept him imprisoned and tortured for centuries.
Tain seems healed and sane again but is he really safe from the pull of the darkness deep inside him? Is he truly restored enough to keep away the darkness that once ruled his actions?
Tain is scarred both inside and out and Samantha is the only one who can soothe him, not even his brothers are truly able to do that. She soothes him with her presence, both mentally and physically but her demon-half scares him because of his torment under a demon's hand. He’s also afraid of succumbing to the darkness that remained inside him and because of his fear he tries to stay away from family and friends, afraid he will do something that will hurt them. Since his capture he has associated women and lovemaking with pain and suffering but Samantha shows him it can be different and love is something he is capable of.
Samantha is utterly fascinated by Tain and like him she’s scared of her demon-half. She has a hard time accepting that part of her and everything that comes along with it because she was brought up by her human mother to embrace her human side. Tain helps her to accept and embrace both parts of who she is and in the end that in turn helps Tain overcome his own fears and tribulations. In this story hero and heroine represent each other’s salvation.
As secondary characters there are some characters from the previous books, like Hunter, Leda and Septimus. But of course there are some intriguing new ones in the form of Logan, Samantha's werewolf partner who is very interesting. I hope he'll get his own story in this series too.
Like in the other books the love his brothers have for Tain is heartfelt and I loved the way it is shown in the books, this one included.
Again an Ancient demon fills the part of evil in this series but in this book he has a surprising lackey to do his bidding.
After THE GATHERING it was a long wait for Tain's story but it was worth every minute of it. Jennifer Ashley swept me right back into that world of Immortals, demons, vampires, and werewolf shape shifters. The only group missing this time was the witches but the others held me captivated enough not to miss them that bad.
Each book in the series has its own unique plot fitting each Immortal and his heroine and this book was a beautiful closure of Tain's story that ran throughout the previous ones linking them together.
I loved the plot; it was intriguing, surprising and original. It is incomparable to the previous Immortals books. After THE GATHERING I thought it couldn't be that much of a surprise but I was wrong. I was enthralled by another sublime installment in this series by the talented Jennifer Ashley.
I love her writing style. It's fast-paced and action-filled.
The romance is sensual and beautifully written. The plot is perfectly set up and well rounded. Hero and heroine are well matched and the secondary characters are compelling and complementing.
For me this was an excellent way to give Tain the closure he was looking for since the first book of the Immortals and I'm really looking forward to the next storyline in this series.
Quotes:
Who wouldn't fantasize about a hard-bodied male with intense blue eyes and hair she longed to run her fingers through? A man who'd made her feel so incredible when he healed her she'd almost jumped his bones right there in the club?
She flicked on the lights, noting that Tain had done the dishes.
"What a dream man." she murmured as she closed the door. "A one-night stand who cleans the house before leaving."
September 12, 2007
6:26 PM |
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He was known as “the crazy one.” And Leda Stowe could see why after finding the stunning half-naked warrior in her lion’s pen—unarmed and completely unafraid. Though he could somehow soothe the temperamental beast, nothing could calm the desire that sparked through her body at his touch. She wished they could hide away together on her island forever, but the world thrummed with danger. Before Leda could claim Hunter for herself, they would have to join the other Immortals to face the greatest trial yet:
The Gathering.
What an amazing conclusion to a wonderful and magical set of books!
And lucky for us readers who have closed this series into our hearts the end is nowhere near yet since there are at least 3 more books and an anthology planned for the future starting with Taine’s story in September 2008.
But for now let’s get back to the book at hand.
After reading the Awakening the rollercoaster ride slowed down considerably but luckily Ashley took me for a serious spin with this one.
Leda and Hunter are great characters, made for each other and destined to save each other from the hurt and loss they’ve suffered in the past.
Leda is a practical and down to earth air-witch. Touched by death magic in her past, she keeps to herself, isolated on her island with her animals.
Hunter is the Immortal with nothing to lose and living by the moment. He doesn’t waste time on subtleties or words. He wants something or in this case someone (Leda) he goes straight to the core of business without delay or smalltalk. He is crazy, but in a good way and not to mention hot and adorable too. You feel his grief and loss shimmering subconsciously but at the same time you feel his lust for life. He drives the grounded Leda, who’s his perfect mate, crazy with his protectiveness. Although he maintains he can’t come close to anyone out of fear of losing them, his actions towards Leda prove he does care for her even though he doesn’t realize it at first.
Ashley does a terrific job of joining the previous books together and creating a conclusion to a magical quest to save the world of an evil doom. Especially in the final part when every main character and every important secondary character from the previous books gather together in an action- and magic-filled, exciting fight against the Old One (Kehksut-Amadja-Culsu). In this part you also get the answer to many questions raised in the previous books. With every turn of the page I longed to know what it really was Tain and the demon wanted, why certain things were happening, wanting to know how it was going to end.
And of course the humour I missed in books 2 and 3 was back in full force. Hunter is extremely funny in his “don’t-care-about-a-thing” way and the banter between the brothers even in the midst of the grand fight is delicious to read.
In short, a satisfying and truly well written closure to this part of the series. My expectations for this book were certainly met and new expectations are being created for Tain’s book!
Because next to the lovely story of Leda and Hunter and the great fight to save the world, he was the one who I really felt the most for. He broke my heart. His hurt and feelings of abandonment. The way he forced himself to survive and endure the torture by the Old demon. It all motivates him to become the person he had become, had to become. It was necessary for him, the only way to cope with what the demon had done to him. And the way his brothers saved him…this was one of the most intense parts of the whole series up till now.
Tain’s book is in the making and I can’t wait to get it into my hands so I can delve into this delicious world of Immortals, witches, demons, vampires, sidhes, werewolves and all the other magical creatures.
From this book you get a pretty good idea who Tain’s HEA will be and I’m looking forward to reading their story.
Quote:
“Immortals.” Leda ground her teeth. “They should be called Insufferables.”
August 22, 2007
6:03 PM |
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Kalen, Immortal Warrior, has lain down his weapons. Scornful of what the human race has become, he’s rejected everything modern humans have invented—until a young, badly dressed American witch arrives at his remote Scottish castle bearing tales of demons and Death Magic.
Christine Lachlan is determined to gain Kalen’s aid in the looming battle between Immortals and the demon. But first, she'll need every feminine skill she possesses to outwit Kalen’s beautiful and vengeful Sidhe lover...
Christine was everything Kalen had been desperate to capture in his art—and in his bed. But Kalen has a dark secret of his own to fight before he and Christine can join the others for the last battle.
In this third book of the Immortals the battle against evil continues when Christine Lachlan, a water-witch and love muse starts her search for the third Immortal, Kalen, in order to convince him to join the fight against death magic.
But the climbing feeling of anxious anticipating has some what died down in this book. The rollercoaster-ride Ashley and Popp took me on has slowed down a bit. Luckily it hasn’t come to a full stop for I would be very disappointed.
But I am a bit ambiguous about this on, delivered by Joy Nash. On the one hand I can’t say I found it really good, but I can’t say I found it bad either...
It started very promising with the first three sentences setting a tone I was absolutely willing to follow but somewhere in chapter two I was lost in the very long journey of Christine trying to find Kalen.
I did refind the feeling I had with the previous books, but only in the last 100 pages or so. The chapters in between were definitely not drawing me in and were certainly not what I’ve grown used to in this series.
Sometimes I was a bit lost in all the new magical creatures that were being introduced: Sidhe, Unseelie, Halflings, Gnomes, Selkies, Ogres, Brownies, Pookahs. A lot of the time I missed the humor and bantering. There was some, mostly by Mac but it was not to my satisfaction.
It took me quite a while to get into the book after the first chapter.
Because it took a while for Christine and Kalen to meet in the book it took away the strong connection between hero and heroin I did feel in book 1 and 2.
And Kalen was not my kind of Immortal. He was so detached and indifferent to the human world. Of course he had perfectly good reasons for this as it turns out later in the book but still where Adrian and Darius were very dominant and overpowering offering a good counterpart for Amber and Lexi, I felt here that Kalen was overshadowed by Christine’s strenght and determination, also by the way he just resigned to some things that had happened in his past.
But of course there were definitely some very nice things about the book too.
When Kalen and Christine finally meet the interactions, attraction, sensuality and magic between them is palpable and immensly present.
I admired Christine. She is so feisty and brave, willing to do anything to save the world from evil.
I loved Kalen’s housekeeper Pearl, I adored Mac (oh man if only Mac good get a book of his own too.... but alas he’s not an Immortal). Leanna was the proverbial evil bitch, seriously disturbed by her thirst for power and immortality.
And when the battle against Tain and the ancient demon, called Culsu in this book, started, that’s when I really had that familiar feeling again that this series ignited in me.
And it’s the end that saved this book from a low rating.
I guess when you have a multi-author series, the risk that there’s one author’s style you like less, is always there.
Book 4 is written by Jennifer Ashley, who also started the series with book 1. I really hope that one will tip the scale to amazing again. Because this series really deserves it.
Quotes:
Kalen and Leanna:
“There will be no child, Leanna.”
“But –you can’t just walk away! I’m leannan-sidhe! No man can resist me!”
He gave her a slight, mocking bow. “I just did.”
Uni to Kalen:
“Guard your human witch well. She is a true treasure. Her love for you, and yours for her, is your true salvation.”
July 15, 2007
5:50 PM |
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“Your escort will be a perfect gentleman.”
That was her sister’s promise when Callie Spencer agreed to let one of the men from Mr. Complete squire her around town during her Atlanta business trip.
But one look at that square jaw, those blue, blue eyes and that ripped torso made Callie wish her stud-for-hire would break all the rules. And at first it seemed the all-too-appropriately named Dillon Love would oblige. His burning gaze said he took a very personal interest in their relationship.
But his on-again, off-again seduction made gun-shy Callie want to shoot herself in the foot. Her heart already broken once, by her ex-husband the underwear model, no less. Could she trust another breathtakingly handsome man, even when he promised to be completely hers?
We get reacquainted with the escortservice and employees of Mr. Complete. Luke and Lydia have gone on their honeymoon and Dillon Love (twin brother of Wyatt Love who is an escort at Mr Complete and friend of Luke’s) takes over for three weeks. In doing this he discovers a reviewer from a travel magazine that trashed his nightclub a year ago in a terrible review is coming to Atlanta and Mr Complete is providing an escort for her. Taking matters into his own hands he decides to be the escort himself.
Callie Spencer is sent to Atlanta by her sister Fontaine (love that name by the way!) who owns the travel magazine as a decoy because somebody is informing the hotels and restaurants beforehand that they are going to be reviewed. Callie has been wallowing in her broken heart for three years, caused by her cheating underwear model ex-husband and so she’s weary of “pretty boys” but she hadn’t counted on the sizzling attraction between her and Dillon.
For Dillon the dilemma is falling in love with a woman he’s trying to woo to get good reviews for the establishments in Atlanta, especially his own nightclub.
And off course the twins try to pull of the old twin-switch but Sheridon Smythe gives it a nice twist by letting Callie in on it fairly soon in the story so you can sit back and enjoy her show of revenge on the twins, especially Dillon.
I really had a blast reading this book. Sheridon Smythe knows how to blend laugh-out-loud humour, a set of fantastically written characters, sensuality and romance together into a great love-story and pour romantic comedy into a lovely book.
It’s fast paced and extremely entertaining.The dialogues and interactions sparkle of the pages and are filled with fun. I smiled almost throughout the whole book. Especially the bantering between the twins Dillon and Wyatt were hilarious. The employees of Mr Complete are funny and scrumptious and Mary Love is a mom to die for. But the character who stole the show again, like in Mr. Complete was the secretary Mrs Scuttle. She’s just too much and had me laughing until I cried and almost peed my pants.
This is a perfect book if you want to spend a couple of hours of just plain, unadulterated fun and pleasure.
It’s the second book in the Mr. Complete series and can be read stand-alone but if you really want to enjoy it to the fullest I recommend you read Mr Complete first.
Now I have to get my hands on the third book in the trilogy: Completely Irresistible to read Wyatt’s (Dillon’s twin) story and I’m sure it will be just as entertaining and funny as the previous two.
June 11, 2007
5:29 PM |
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“This is your lucky night. I just happen to be wearing black silk boxers”
That was exactly the kind of confirmation Lydia Carmichael was looking for. Proof positive that the drop-dead gorgeous date provided by Mr. Complete Escort Services was a gigolo. All she had to do was lure that bad boy into her bad and she’d put the slimeballs out of business.
But Lydia soon learned she wasn’t cut out for this kind of under-the-covers work. Luke was nog only Hot with a capital H, he was also a considerate, caring man.
As she discovered there was a lot more beneath the surface than his sexy underwear, she found herself wanting to leave her tidy white-cotton life behind.
If her secret wishes could come true, their bought-and-paid-for beginning would lead to a happilly-ever-after end that had nothing to do with money and everything to do with love.
When I read the blurb I thought it was going to be a raunchy, cheesy story on an escort-service and a woman trying to take them out of business.
But I was very pleasantly surprised!
The book was actually extremely funny, it had a good story going and the characters were fantastic. Not only Luke and Lydia as a perfect couple, Luke’s employees, Lydia’s aunt and Lydia’s friend and associate were witty and smart. Luke’s secretary, Mrs Scuttle was downright hilarious and the book wouldn’t have been as funny without her in it.
But next to the fun, there was also the sexual tension between Luke and Lydia, which Lydia tries to deny, but fails miserably at it. And deeper feelings that utterly confuse Luke, since he was only trying to teach Lydia a lesson.
There is also Luke’s evil foster brother trying to ruin him and in the end there’s love and marriage-proposals all over the place.
A delicious read and a definite page-turner and I can’t wait to read the other books in this series.
If this one’s an indication, I won’t be dissapointed.
If you're looking for a fun read to spent a few hours with, look no more. You've found it!
June 5, 2007
5:19 PM |
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A werewolf and bounty hunter, Lexi was badass to the bone. She had no problem protecting herself in the seedy underground vampire clubs of New York City. Until the Immortal she had tried to summon actually appeared. It wasn't the intricate tattoos around his well-defined muscles that intimidated her; it was the raw power she saw shimmering in his golden brown eyes, power mingled with lust. Though she longed to give in to the passion and pleasure he promised, they first had a curse to break, a brother to find, and a whole legion of vampires to prevent from joining...
Different vibe but definitely a great next installment of this wonderful series that’s becoming a sure keeper on my shelves.
If I wasn’t hooked after the Calling I would have been reeled in with the Darkening. Robin Popp continues the rollercoaster ride for me in an intense story that wrapped me in a blanket of magic, suspense, raw sexuality and a whirlwind of emotions. I’m still all tingly inside and goosebumped all over after reading last few chapters!!
The story of Darius the Immortal trapped by his mother in the realm of Ravenswood because of her fear of losing him to earth’s vile temptations like the other Immortals were. Therefore condemned to train endlessly for fighting evil in a fight that he would never engage in.
But then the Calling spell is used and it’s so powerful he’s briefly yanked away from his safe haven and his life has meaning once again.
On the earthly realm he teams up with Lexi Corvin, both fire-witch and werewolf, earning her living as a bounty hunter. A combination that’s so powerful she’s no woman you would want to mess with. She kicks ass!
If I thought The Calling was magical...that was nothing compared to this world inhabited by immortals, witches, vampires, shapeshifters, succubus, leprechauns and woodnymphs. And of course the big, bad, ancient demon and Tain also make there stunning appearances.
Tain’s motivations intrigue me and I can’t wait to see if he’s really the Immortal gone rogue these two books want me to believe. I think this one lifts a bit of the veil covering Tain’s true destiny for the reader able to read between the lines.
Of course another author means a different focus so The Darkening was not as witty, funny as The Calling was and this was not the beautifully written love-story but a darker, intenser story of how strong sexual atrraction turns into a love as beautiful and strong as Adrian and Amber’s.
The book entranced me and kept pulling me into this fascinating world of magic and Immortals. Rooting for life magic in their struggle against death magic personified by the ancient demon, Amadja.
The secondary characters weren’t as well developed and the love-scenes weren’t as steamy hot as in Ashley’s book (hey, she also writes erotica so she's an expert on steamy hot scenes!) but there was so much other enticing stuff going on that I enjoyed the read just as much, if not more because I got a deeper glimpse of this truly amazing world these authors have created and are creating. It leaves me wanting more and more and more.
So I say to Robin T. Popp: Thanks for keeping me on the rollercoaster and to Joy Nash I say: Bring.It.On! And hit me with some more of this good stuff!
May 25, 2007
5:10 PM |
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Amber is rescued from a demon attack by Adrian, a leather-coated, sword-toting warrior.
He reveals that he is one of the Immortals, created at the dawn of civilization to protect humanity from Death Magic.
Together they discover that the demon is an Old One, determined to drain life from the world, and he's convinced Tain, the youngest Immortal, to turn on his brothers and help him.
The only way to stop them is to gather the remaining Immortals in one place--but the spell to do it has been lost, and the Immortals no longer want to play nice...
What can I say?
I’m almost speechless, Jennifer Ashley has written a breathtaking start of this series. The teasers thrown at us were promising and those promises were certainly met and then some…
This first book took me on a journey of love, sacrifice, lust, hate , fun and magic. From a warehouse in Seattle to a beachhouse in L.A to the icy-cold North Pole.
And along the way I was treated to everything that makes a book a keeper for me!
Strong and witty characters, both main and secondary:
Adrian, a strong alpha-male Immortal demi-god who’s knocked of his feet by Amber, a beautiful, stubborn and strongwilled Earth-witch.
Taine, Adrian’s youngest brother, an Immortal gone rogue with a death wish.
An Old One (ancient demon) who give you the shivers.
Shape-shifters Sabine (wolf) and Valerian (dragon).
Septimus, a Vampire Lord who turns out to be not as bad as you would think…
Sizzling sensuality, suspense and magic both literally and figuratively!
And amidst all this a love, beautiful and strong develops between Adrian and Amber. A love that proves to be able to overcome everything…
It was fast-paced and almost impossible to put down.
I qualify it as a romantic suspense, drenched in a magical and paranormal sauce. A story of the fight between life magic (good) and death magic (evil).
Ashley penned down a magical and vivid story that was a little Kenyon-ish in the beginning, using similar phrases (the “reject-in-a-bad-movie”-line used in I think it was Kyrian’s story) but fortunately this feeling disappeared very quickly.
On the first page I drowned in a pool of magic and on the last page I wanted to stay submerged and didn’t want to come up ever again.
I’m on a rollercoaster and the ride will only end when I turn the last page of the last book in the series. I really hope the other authors can deliver on the next installments. Ashley proves a challenge to live up to but I’m sure the others will give her a run for her money…
Quotes
Her smile did things to him, from warming his icy, lonely heart to warming other parts of his anatomy.
When Adrian qualifies Valerian as transportation, Valerian answers:
“Oh no. Don’t tell me you need me to fly you somewhere.” He pointed to his backside. “Do you see an airline logo on my tail?”
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- Pearl
- Netherlands
- 39, married to my real life romance hero, addicted to TV shows, reading romance novels and Twitter. I'm a chronic (e)book hoarder and my absolute favorite genres within romance fiction are contemporary romance and romantic suspense, but I don't shy away from historical, paranormal or erotic romance either. Even the occasional (urban) fantasy romance, futuristic and sci fi romance may make it to my Mount TBR. This is my corner of the world wide web where I let you know what books I'm hoarding, reading and reviewing.
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