Review: Twila's Tempest by Natasza Waters

Title:  Twila's Tempest
Author:  Natasza Waters
Genre:  Romantic Adventure
Book Size:  1018 KB / 392 pages

Drake Addison, retired Marine, understands the dangers of the sea, but there’s a storm coming, and she’s all of five foot three.

A dark horse among the Treasure Coast’s elite, Drake’s passion and wealth tempt him. His first love is building yachts. Meeting Twila, he sees she has a passion as well—caring for the elderly, including his parents, but she’s trapped.

Like unearthing a gold doubloon, with one kiss from Twila, he craves a thousand. He makes an excuse to remain in Port St. Lucie and teach Twila about the sea. His mistake: misjudging the heart of one woman, the soul of another, and the ferocity of the one headed their way.
Sometimes, a little knowledge is dangerous, but for Twila—it’s deadly.

The book starts off describing Twila's life among the Florida senior citizens' mobile home park. While it sounds bland to some, the author does a good job in keeping it interesting. One resident, a woman who is proud of her sons and nosey as hell, finagles a way for Twila and Drake to finally meet.

Part playboy, part ex-military, and a whole lotta sexy, Drake has his hands full with a lucrative yacht building business and a self-centered arm-candy model. Hint: Arm Candy hates Twila from the word go. Sparks fly between the women, but flames grow between Twila and Drake.

In Twila's life, her self-imposed responsibility for the seniors comes first. Loyalty is number one. I'm not sure what Drake's priority is apart from his yacht business, but it felt like it was to remind Twila that there's more to life than playing slave to the seniors who gladly took advantage of her good nature.

The excitement builds when the mother of all hurricanes blows in. Twila and Drake are separated but come together in the crest of it all. Together they weather the storm, but barely. And then it's a wrap.

The nautical knowledge Natasza Waters uses in creating this story is almost as exciting as the story itself. Through her pictures in words, the reader is carried along this fast-paced story into the eye of the storm.

You might need one of these after you've finished this book.

***** FIVE STARS

Review: Horses and Heroin by Bev Petterson

Title:  Horses and Heroin
Author:  Bev Pettersen
Genre:  Romantic Mystery
Book Size:  306 pages (Amazon didn't show the eBook for some reason. I purchased this book in 2015 and just now got around to reading)

Jockey School Is Not What It Seems.

A talented rider disappears without a trace.
His frantic sister poses as a student.
A private investigator's plans for quiet recuperation are shattered.

Megan is determined to find her missing brother even though no one else at the illustrious California Jockey School seems to care. Her only ally is a recuperating PI who unfortunately is the owner's best friend. Soon she is caught between a blossoming romance and a far-reaching conspiracy...and misplaced trust can be deadly.

I almost passed on this book because of the title. Yes, I'm against hard drug use, but that's not the reason why. Frankly, it's just a stupid title when another could have worked better. That said, I'm glad I read the book's description because that's what sold me to click the BUY button.

This is my first novel by Bev Petterson and I'd be interested in reading others. I like horses. I like horse racing. Put the two together and she wrote an outstanding, fresh story. There were slow sections of the story where I admit to quickly skimming over to get back into the action. Especially the part authors call "The Sagging Middle".

The heroine Megan enrolls in jockey school (I didn't know there were such things) to investigate the disappearance of her brother. Enter the hero, Scott. He's a P.I. who'd been grazed by a bullet to the head during his last job and he needs to recuperate away from the hustle of his busy P.I. office. Of course, any man in his right mind who'd recently been shot in the head would naturally choose to hide-out at jockey school that just so happens to be owned by his buddy. (who just so happens to need a drug addict instructor)

Throw in the Mexican drug cartel, a few bad jockeys, a few goofy sidekicks, and this turned out to be quite an enjoyable read! I was never quite sure "whodunit" until the author divested the truth. Good job on the part of Bev Petterson and her superb writing skills.

Mystery, suspense, sexy characters as well as despicable ones, and plenty of Thoroughbred racehorse track action to keep you standing in your stirrups until the very end.

**** Four Stars
 

Review: Prophecy's Healing by Brenda Dyer

Title:  Prophecy's Healing, Book 5, The Prophecy Series
Author:  Brenda Dyer
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Book Size:  904 KB / 322 Pages

Her love for him has spanned time.

After years of betrayal, Julia Murphy is starting over and attempting to leave her broken-hearted past behind. As a waitress at The Green Tree nightclub, she’s working to save enough money to finally take the college courses that will kick-start her new future. But fate has other plans. When two men viciously attack her, a tall, menacing stranger comes to Julia’s aid and thrusts her on a wild journey into a past that death has erased and a world she didn’t know exists.

His past and future collide

As the deadliest vampire warrior in the Surrey squad, Ace is feared and avoided, which is fine by him. He cares for nothing and nobody, including himself. But when he rescues a pretty waitress from a deadly attack, he can’t deny he’s drawn to her. However, this newfound attraction comes with consequences Ace never could have foreseen. He comes face to face with his tormented past, and Julia is the link. Now, he must decide whether he’ll fight for a love that’s spanned the ages, or if he’ll allow centuries old hate and betrayal to destroy their futures.

This is Book 5 in the Prophecy series and while it could be read as a stand-alone, it probably wouldn't make as much sense unless you read the whole series in order.

Throughout the series, Ace has always been grouchy and mean. He wasn't mentioned a whole lot, but the other books weren't about him. Fair enough. In Prophecy's Healing, we find out why he acts the way he does. Two hundred years ago in the past, he'd been betrayed by a woman he loved. A cliche' story plot, but fun to read nonetheless. In the end, her betrayal gets her killed and Ace lives with the residual effect of not only the betrayal, but the fact that he'd been the lucky soul who killed her.

Fast forward to present day Surrey, BC. Julia is working in a dive bar hustling drinks and hates it. Why she works there and not flipping burgers at a greasy spoon or making change at Wal-Mart is unknown, but that's beside the point. The author had to put them together and does so in a way that's enjoyable to read. I mean, what's better than a super tall, super muscular, long-haired, bad-ass alpha male vampire rescuing a weak human female from two drunk brutes after last call? Again, cliche', but well written.

Throughout the story there's all sorts of angst - should she? No! Should he - Hell no! Back and forth, push and pull....I almost quit reading because the overdone melodrama of it all. But again, the author's talent kept me turning the virtual pages. Kudos to Ms. Dyer.

Prophecy's Healing is a good book. I recommend reading all the books in order, however.

**** Four Stars

 

Review: Ghost Hunter by Lori Brighton

Title:  Ghost Hunter

Author:  Lori Brighton

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Book Size:  739 KB / 291 Pages

When Ashley Hunter inherits the Inn where her father mysteriously vanished years ago, she jumps at the chance to finally uncover the truth about his disappearance. But soon after taking ownership of the decrepit building, Ashley realizes she’s in for far more than she bargained. Not only has she inherited answers to many sought-after questions, she’s also inherited spirits, demons and even fallen angels! Then Cristian arrives, a gorgeous man who insists he merely needs a room to rent. She believes him, until one by one her ghosts start disappearing...

As a fallen angel destined for a life of servitude, Cristian Lucius is relegated to protecting earth from unwanted spirits. But he can’t accomplish this daunting task alone. He requires assistance from the very woman who frustrates him as much as she intrigues him. Cristian is determined to ignore his intense attraction for Ashley, and focus on his mission. If they don’t work together, they won’t have a chance in hell of defeating the demon threatening their lives. The problem is getting Ashley to trust him. No easy task, considering Cristian is the very man responsible for her father’s disappearance.

 Ghost Hunter is a great story with characters whom I immediately liked. The heroine Ashley has been treated mentally insane all her life because she can see and speak to ghosts. I was a bit lost in the beginning, not understanding exactly what powers Ashley held. It was a long time into the story before it became firmly stated. Keeping me on the edge of the seat, if this was the author's intent, didn't work for me.


So, American Ashley inherits a rundown home from her aunt in England, that she calls a Pub. I don't know why it's referred that way since I don't recall any reference made to it being a drinking establishment. So, again, that part threw me off each time the reference was made.

The hero is a well-rounded character named Cristian, who turns out to be a fallen angel trying to make it back into the good graces of Micheal, the head angel and his boss. While he doesn't have wings that outstretch like I'd been hoping, he does have tattoos of wings on his back - which I found as a bit of a letdown. Again, personal opinion. With the build up of what was to come between the demon who plagues the Pub and this avenging angel, I thought there'd be more excitement or fear or something once the cat was let out of the bag, so to speak.

The ghosts who live in the house/pub that Ashley comes to think of as family start disappearing one by one. Perhaps the description of her feelings for the ghosts was too strong because when the last ghost disappears, she really isn't all that upset. Kind of made me go, "huh!".

There are the usual side characters that helped round out the story, but I never understood why everyone kept the "Big Secret" from Ashley. Especially when the reader finds out what the big secret is, and I didn't think it was all that big after all. Though I must admit, I like the twist on Who the big secret turned out to be.

*** 3 Star Review

Review: Stepbrothers Stepping Out: With His Doctor by Delilah Devlin

Title:  Stepbrothers Stepping Out: With His Doctor

Author:  Delilah Devlin

Genre:  Erotic Romance

Book Size:  File size - 1066 kb

She's in luck! The doctor's in...

With the ink barely dry on their D/s contract, big brother's ready to introduce Sasha to a very special friend...
Note: This original 5800-word short story may be short in length, but it's not short in passion!

Sasha has crushed on her Dom stepbrother Jacob since she was 12 years old. Now that she’s all grown up, she makes her move when his last Submissive moves on.

She’s usually good at dealing with Jacob, but when he introduces her to his friend the doctor, that’s when all bets are off. Wanting to please her Dom tests the Submissive role she’s chosen to play when a “physical” examine becomes the scene to test their commitment and realize their feelings for one another.

This is a very short novella with passionate love scenes and two characters who are not only well developed in a very short time but who work well together despite the issues one of them faces. The story dives straight in with a hot sexy scene and immediately the reader is told just how attractive Jacob is. The descriptions given by the author are excellent and will have the reader able to clearly imagine the scenes and play them through in their head.

What a shame the book wasn't longer! Delilah Devlin has great writing skills and the story develops well. An excellent short read.

*****5 Star Review

Review: Shattered Heart (Z series Book 2)

Title:  Shattered Heart, Z series, Book 2

Author:  Jerri Drennen

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Book Size:  93 pages/338 KB

Covert Z operative, JT Malone, is in Oregon on assignment. By taking an engineering job, he’ll investigate accusations of possible threats to national security made by an informant, who has since died under suspicious circumstances. He didn't plan to fall for the dead man's widow.

Two years after her husband's accidental death, Charlotte Delaney will do whatever it takes to save her cafe from foreclosure, even accepting a marriage proposal from her late husband’s boss. That is, until an appealing stranger insinuates that her husband's death was no accident and the person responsible could be the same man who's asked her to marry him. The attraction between Charlotte and JT is instantaneous and explosive, making her question everything she thought she knew about herself and her life.

Together, the two battle against an unquenchable desire while scrambling to thwart a terrorist act that could thrust the country into epic tragedy. The closer they get to the truth, the higher the stakes, with Charlotte at risk of becoming collateral damage. Now, both will be forced to put everything on the line: for life, liberty, and love.

By all indications from the blurb, this book looked like a great read. The synopsis seemed like everything I look forward in a book.

By Chapter 5, I gave up.

JT Malone's character started out great. Ms. Drennan portrayed him as experienced, yet apprehensive going into his new assignment. All good stuff. Charlotte Delaney's character, though a bit flat, was believable at first too. A widow of two years, she still loved her husband and found it hard to move on. More good stuff.

What curled my lip was how both characters went from JT's ambition of catching the bad guy and Charlotte's desire to save her beloved cafe, to suddenly both having Fourth of July sexual fireworks and wanting to spank the monkey in her front living room.

One minute she's crying in her deceased husband's untouched-since-he-died office to tongue wrestling outside that very door. The flinging of eye-rolling emotions moved faster than a reader kept up with and eventually left me in the dust with a bad taste for this book.

I had such high hopes from everything the blurb promised. Sadly, this book couldn't keep me interested.

DNF

Review: Dark Wolf Rising (Bloodrunners series Book 4)

Title:  Dark Wolf Rising (Bloodrunners series, Book 4)
Author:  Rhyannon Byrd
Genre: Paranormal Romance (werewolves)
Book Size:  302 pgs / 638 KB

Eric Drake, a powerful Dark Wolf, has never trusted himself around human females—preferring to mate only within his pack. That is, until he encounters Chelsea Smart snooping around Silvercrest pack land in search of her missing sister.

Secretly, Chelsea thinks Eric is the sexiest man she's ever seen, though she is wary of his potent Alpha energy. Then it's discovered that Chelsea's sister is being held by a pack of vicious Lycans, and Eric heroically leaps into action. Now, Chelsea will risk everything—her body and soul—to surrender to the passion that will mark her as Eric's woman for all eternity…if they survive.

The book started off strong and immediately sucked me in. By the end of page two, I started having doubts.

Eric Drake doesn't trust humans, females or not. At night, though it's so dark he can't make out her features, somehow he enables Xray vision and is able to suddenly make out everything from the shape of her nose to the curve of her cheek. Mind you, he's far away while she's sitting in her van, in the dark, hidden under the cover of trees. 

Yeah. Only it gets worse from there.

I'm not an English major or an expert on how to write a story, but I learned enough in my high school creative writing class to know when someone abuses the word "was" when writing a fiction story. Why Ms. Byrd's Harlequin editors failed to properly edit this book is beyond me. It could have been so much more...

Enter the heroine Chelsea Smart. She's short on cash, lost, can't afford a place to stay, and for some reason chooses to be uncooperative with the local law enforcement. I didn't find this believable in the least. 

When Eric approaches her driver's side window, after two other agents proved unsuccessful in terminating her illegal camping, she suddenly finds him hot, attractive, and her girly parts take notice. Oh! But wait. Although he's law enforcement, she's a bitch and treats him like crap.


Yeah. It got worse. Between the lousy writing and stupid story, I couldn't force myself to go on. Why torture myself when there's other, better written books available.

DNF

Review: Coyote Heat (SEALs On Fire Book 1)

Title:  Coyote Heat (SEALs on Fire, Book 1)
Author:  Desiree Holt
Genre:  Erotica
Book Size:  64 pages 191 KB

A wild weekend in Key West with Team Arapaho is just what Navy SEAL Miguel "Coyote" Cruz needs after a tough mission. Cold beer and hot women. The last thing he expects is to meet a woman who singes his body with the slighted touch and stokes the fire in his guarded heart. Too bad she's determined not to fall for a military man.

An author who consistently produces excellence in storytelling and quality of writing is Desiree Holt. She crosses romance genres with ease and I've enjoyed reading all of her books to date.

Coyote Heat is a novella size story with a Navy SEAL hero who ultimately finds his love. Filled with sexual tension and erotic scenes that is consistent in Ms Holt's books, this book is an adventure from start to finish.

The character of Miguel "Coyote" Cruz, who is enjoying a little downtime in Key West after completing a dangerous mission, is sizzling and enigmatic. The heroine, Cori Sutherland, isn't into military guys but finds Coyote one hot number whom she can't resist.

Enter the tug and pull of passion and love scenes hot enough to melt your eReader's screen, and you have Coyote Heat.

Great short story with a "Happily For Now" ending, leaving the reader hoping for a longer second book to continue where this one ends.



**** 4 Star Review

Review: Kidnapped the Wrong Sister

Title:   Kidnapped the Wrong Sister
Author:   Marie Kelly
Genre:   Erotica
Book Size:   138 pages / 424 KB

Blurb taken from Amazon:

 “I had a phone call from my brother not long after I left you … he told me that you had ripped up the cheque, he had a lot to say about that, along with a few other things, none of which I will bore you with…. Not a smart move Miss Brown”

“And why is that Mr Dranias” she had bit back her eyes angry daggers

“Because you forced my hand….I told you there was no way that I was letting you get your greedy little hooks into my brother.. so welcome to my island”

Diona had looked at him, the confusion on her face so clear

“Wh…what do you mean” she stuttered

By now Nikias Dranias had moved so close to her that there was only about a foot between them, and she could see his dark eyes as they looked down on her with triumph on his face

“I mean Miss Brown that you will be staying here, until you’re due to return back to the UK, when I personally will put you back on the damn plane and out of our lives. My brother, has a very short attentions span Miss Brown, and I’m sure that once you are out of the way, he will quickly find other little playmates with which to fill his day.

Diona had looked at him with shock, her eyes wide with disbelief

“You can’t do that “she cried out

He had smiled back his eyebrow lifting

“I think you will find I already have”

Mistaken for her sister, Diona Brown had been tricked into visiting the island home of the Billionaire Nikias Dranias, who planned on keeping her there as his prisoner to stop his brother from marrying the woman he believed to be no more than a gold digger.

However passion had quickly flared between the two, and now Diona had found that she has to escape to not only save her sister but also herself from the enigmatic and distrustful Greek.

Oh. My. God.
DNF
I was able to choke down a sizable amount which enabled me to say: this is quite possibly THE WORST book I've ever read.


Why, you ask? Just look at the blurb copied straight from Amazon. Do you see all the punctuation errors? News flash - it gets worse!

The writing is worthy of a grade school graduate. I'd say junior high, but I've corrected those students works whose writing exceeded that of Marie Kelly. The story is weak, the plot predictable, the characters fall flat.

With too many abominations to the English language, I decided the best course of action would be to quit reading before I ruined my eyes.

DNF

Review: The Vampire's Warden

Title:   The Vampire's Warden
Author:   S.J. Wright
Genre:   Classified as Paranormal Romance however there is no HEA ending.
Book Size:   201 pages/2905 KB

He moved. It was a flash in the moonlight, a blur of motion like I’d never witnessed before. No human had the capacity to move like that. When I found myself face-to-face with him there in the meadow, I knew without a doubt that the journal was authentic. I knew that my grandfather hadn’t been crazy at all. Because a foot away from me stood a vampire.

I tried to like this book. Really, I did. But I found the story confusing without a solid idea of who exactly is Sarah's love interest. At first you're lead to believe it's Alex. But then the interest shifts to Michael. Throw in a sister who's character fell flat and a housekeeper who we don't get a clear picture of, and the reader is left with pure literary chaos.

The least favorable aspect for me was the ending. To be classified as a romance, which the author has clearly done, the story must end in a HEA or HFN at the least. This is neither. Please - don't pass your work off as a romance when there isn't any romance or the proper ending!

WARNING: cliff hanger without an ending. (Which totally sucks.)

This confusing tale meanders around one flitting thought after another which string the reader along as we wait for it to get better. A redeemable factor for the author is an interesting concept of Vampire jail, called caretaking, which could have been so much more.

The book needed an editor to go after numerous and repetitive punctuation mistakes. I admit to being bored and skimming over large sections of the book to find the next interesting scene and yet lost no translation in the story.

I would not classify this book as an adult romance but as a regular YA paranormal story.

* 1-Star Rating

Review: Brash

Title:  Brash
Author:  Nicola Marsh
Genre:  Contemporary Romance (sensual)
Book Size:  183 pages / 501 KB

Jess Harper is so tired of being good… 


Thrust into the dazzle of Burlesque Bombshells, Vegas’s premier dance venue, the small town librarian has no option but to embrace her inner vixen.
Especially when blast from her past, sexy Aussie celebrity chef Jack McVeigh is still determined to keep their relationship strictly hands-off. 


This time Jess isn’t surrendering without a fight and armed with her hot props and Bombshell moves, Jack doesn’t stand a chance. 


When Jess and Jack are sequestered on an island to orchestrate the burlesque wedding of the year, sun, surf and sizzling sex are on the menu! 


But will the fiery couple come back for seconds?

From beginning to end, an excellent story. What a pleasure to read and follow the growth and adventures of the characters.

Yes, there are steamy scenes but nothing that'll make you cringe, these are well thought out and beautifully written. I liked the concept of a good-girl librarian who remembered her one-time crush from ten years prior. I thought the idea of her month long vacation with her brother in Australia a bit weird and wondered if Marsh could have created Jess and Jack's initial meeting in a different way. Lord knows I'd NEVER spend a month with my brother on vacation. But I digress...

This fun story has humor, sexy scenes, and lots of character interaction. Well edited and formatted (which is a major plus in my eReader book!), I look forward to reading more books by Nicola Marsh.

***** 5-Star Rating

Review: Her Lord and Protector

Title:  Her Lord and Protector (formerly titled On Silent Wings)
Author:  Pam Roller
Genre: Historical Romance (also listed under gothic)
Book Size:  211 pages / 4825 KB

Destitute and voiceless, a jilted bride living under the guardianship of an aloof man who may have murdered his wife wonders if it’s her heart, or her life, that hangs in the balance.

His is a heart of iron...
Embittered lord Alexander Fletcher must shelter a penniless mute in his ancestral home, Drayton castle. Although he makes no pretense he resents the intrusion, the woman stirs his heart into an unwelcome gallop. He wants only to be alone and not to love another woman who, like his wife, might grow to hate him so much she will take her own life.

And she is slowly melting it...
Lord Drayton's detachment only adds to Katherine Seymour’s distress of losing her voice. But after he gives her a searing kiss just before he introduces the husband he's chosen for her—and whom she promptly refuses—she discovers his horrid secret.

But someone is watching.
Only Agnes Cooke knows how Alex's insane wife died, and she will not hesitate to kill again in order to be the next Lady Drayton. Watching Alex go out of his way to help Katherine regain her voice, however, is more than she can take. This plan will require more than just laudanum and mercury....

While the blurb is somewhat of a spoiler and gives the ending away (why do that??), I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the author's storytelling abilities.

Each page I read kept me turning for the next. Excellent research in writing the story, the characters, costumes of life in 1667 England were well played-out. I particularly like how even though the heroine is mute for most of the book, her thoughts and actions are easily known.

If you're not into head-hopping, quick-fly point-of-view changes, then the author's writing style may not be for you. I will say that while I don't care of this type of writing, I enjoyed the story none-the-less. It's easy to follow whoever's head you're in at the moment. (which might say a lot for the author's writing ability)

In the end, I'm glad I took time to read this well-written story with an excellent HEA, feel-good ending.

***** 5-Star Review

Review: Irish Moon

Title: Irish Moon
Author:  Amber Scott
Genre:  Fantasy Romance
Book Size:  344 pages / 812 KB

A promise... is a promise and Ashlon Sinclair refuses to let anything deter him. When the chest he vowed to conceal with his life is stolen, his only hope in recovering it is also his only distraction--Breanne O'Donnell.

In her bones, Breanne feels much amiss in her mentor's sudden death. But who would murder the king's own druid? Moreover, how is is his demise linked to the mysterious stranger left behind? 

Their searches intertwine and attraction beckons putting their lives and their hearts at risk under an IRISH MOON.

 

 

What a great story. I love when a book keeps me up late into the night. 

 

Ashlon and Breanne are wonderful characters whose lives are inevitably entwined when fate brings them together.  A former Templar Knight, Ashlon is entrusted by the deceased Jacques DeMolay with the duty of retrieving and delivering a special chest containing a rare item. Breanne is a druid (witch??) in training, until her mentor is discovered murdered.

The story is fantasy, paranormal, and suspense all rolled into one. Action, adventure, and romance bring the well-developed characters to life. When reading the story, you can almost imagine yourself moving along within the scene. Mental images of the historical world are easily incorporated into this fast-moving tale.

The pet peeve of mine is in the final editing. Words and punctuation were missing, which were glaringly obvious to me. That said, I still enjoyed the story immensely.

**** 4-Star Review

 

 

Review: Dark Genesis (The Darkling Trilogy Book 1)

 Title:  Dark Genesis (The Darkling Trilogy Book 1)
Author:  A. D. Koboah
Genre:  Science Fiction / Fantasy
Book Size:  299 pages / 722 KB

Life for a female slave is one of hardship and unspeakable sorrow, something Luna knows only too well. But not even she could have foreseen the terror that would befall her one sultry Mississippi evening in the summer of 1807.

On her way back from a visit to see the African woman, a witch who has the herbs Luna needs to rid her of her abusive master’s child, she attracts the attention of a deadly being that lusts for blood. Forcibly removed from everything she knows by this tormented otherworldly creature, she is sure she will be dead by sunrise.

Dark Genesis is a love story set against the savage world of slavery in which a young woman who has been dehumanised by its horrors finds the courage to love, and in doing so, reclaims her humanity.

 While this isn't the genre of story type I normally read, once started I had to read it through to the end.

The story is slow to start, almost to the point of dragging, but then picks up and you're on taking back into time with wonderful storytelling. There are a few nit-picky points that took the book down a notch - such as the British form of English when the story takes place in America. Another item that kept throwing me out of the story is the use of metric measurements in place of imperial (or standard). I wouldn't know how far a dozen meters is, for instance, and I doubt a slave would either.

I think the author must have researched her subjects and location extensively to bring it all to life the way she has. Linguistics is another High-Five as Luna's speech pattern is perfect and true to form from beginning to end. I did become rather annoyed at her constant bursts of anger which seemed a weak form of keeping the story's romantic element alive.

The ending was not one I enjoyed, but reminded myself this story wasn't a romance. I'm sure others will like it and I can appreciate a story well written and edited.

**** 4-Star Review

Review: Touching Ghost (SEALs On Fire Book 6)

Touching Ghost: SEALs On Fire, Book 6
Author: Regina Carlysle
Genre: Erotica
Book Size: 55 Pages / 231 KB

SEAL Ren "Ghost" Ramsey never expected sparks to fly when he meets up with his childhood friend, Dr. Sadie Ballew while on leave in Key West. He's surprised to discover she's successful, sexy, and divorced. Sadie had always been too good for the likes of him, a son of an alcoholic and slated to become no better. He should keep her at arm's length, but he wants nothing more to burn up the sheets with the sassy lady she's become.

Sadie isn't fooled by the badassed, dangerous facade Ren wears like a second skin. She only sees the sweet yet conflicted boy she loved and lost all those years ago. Afraid to let him go off on another dangerous mission without knowing how she truly feels, Sadie needs to find the confidence to make the leap from friends to lovers.

Nice book to read. Some editing problems (ie: "join" written as "joint" in a few places) and while that sort of thing distracts me, it didn't take away from the story. In the usual Erotica form, sex drives the story, not the story-line or characters.

Scenes are well-written, nothing too funky or gross. Characters well thought out and believable. While I never felt my heart tug for either one of them, it was a good, quick read nonetheless and I enjoyed it...until the end, that is.

It's my belief, or perhaps my preference, that romance stories, Erotica included, end in a HEA or in the very least a Happily For Now. Not the case with Touching Ghost. If you don't mind the disappointment of a feel-good ending, you'll probably like this book. I felt it ended too abruptly, as if the author didn't want to go past her publisher's maximum word count or something.

*** 3-Star Review

Review: For Love & Vengeance (The International Romance Series, Book 2)

For Love and Vengeance: The International romance Series, Book 2
Author: Johnny Ray
Genre: Mystery, Suspense

 

 FOR LOVE AND VENGEANCE is an International romantic thriller filled with action and adventure that jumps across the globe as Vance searches for a girl he had only spend one night with, but one that promises to the perfect fit in his

life. All he has to do is rescue her and keep her from becoming another casualty in the "for the better good", a lie he was given earlier when his previous girlfriend was murdered.

When everyone lies to you--trust your gut instinct
If that fails--start over
For your love deserves the best
And murderous terrorist your vengeance
May God have mercy on their soul

Both the Americans and the Russians think Victoria works for them exclusively. In truth; the Pack, an International
Crime Syndicate, brutally controls her while they launder money in America by buying distressed houses for terrorist sleepers. While she executes the perfect escape, staging her death during a shark attack, she makes one mistake--she meets Royce, who worked as a special operative several years earlier, the night before disappearing.

Royce, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with any American led special operations after he had been lied
to in order to keep him focus on his prior mission. His girlfriend had been abducted and brutally murdered earlier while they had kept him in the dark. The last thing he had ever expected was another woman in his life, especially a
Russian spy. Furthermore, he never would have believed that she would be the one thing that would encourage him to finish a mission that he should have taken care of the first time.

Royce is well trained on how to discover the truth, so although Victoria's apparent shark attack was well conceived he knows better. He had used the life of a surfer bum for years as his cover. The more lies he uncovers, the more suspicious he becomes until finally he feels like he has little choice. His prior operation was so top secret even the CIA were told nothing He didn't need them then, and he sure the hell didn't need them this time either. The last time it was for country--this time it was going to be personal.

 First let me say: That was the longest freaking "blurb" I've ever seen! Blurbs are short, sweet, and to the point. They garner a reader's interest. Entice them to buy the book. This blurb not only was cause for instant skimming, but it's a reviewer's nightmare.

Anyway, on to my review...

When I first came across this book it had a different cover. That must have changed at some point. But I don't judge a book by its cover (by the way, the old cover was better. This one looks like it was slapped together). Also, this book was advertised in the Romance category - which is what the Romance Wench reads.

Let me just say THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE!

Not one to waste a perfectly good chance to read a new story, I forged on. Trudged on. Forced myself to turn the ebook page and continue. Why do I do that to myself? Because I'm an optimist. I keep telling myself the book will get better.

It didn't.

The characters were flat and though their emotions were written, I felt none of it. After the hero and heroine meet in the beginning of the book, we don't see the woman again until near the end. WTF kind of romance is that? That said, I did like Victoria's character and wish she'd had a bigger part in the book. Revolving the story around Royce and only him made for a long, boring read.


The story in itself was interesting, meaning the concept was good. If Johnny Ray had only taken the time to check for typos, find his frequent missing words, and hired an editor, this story might have received a better rating.

 Oh! And by the way, Mr. Ray... You might want to double check your "blurb". There's a HUGE typo in the opening when you call your male character "Vance" instead of Royce. It's shit like that that drove me bananas!

* 1-Star Review

Review: Naming His Mate (Black Hills Wolves Book 17)

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Winter Secrets: Naming His Mate (Black Hills Wolves Book 17)
Author:  M. Limoges
Genre:  Paranormal: Werewolves

 

 Small-town sheriff, Mike Hadley, would love to experience a headache-free day for once in his life. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. While investigating a rash of disappearances and dealing with his ornery lover, he’s thrown into a whole new world he never imagined existed.

Damien Marks has finally found a place to call home in Los Lobos, South Dakota, with the Black Hills Pack. He also stumbles across something he never thought he would—his mate. Falling hard, he decides he needs to come clean and tell the truth. But will his sexy lover accept what he is?

Embroiled in a potentially dangerous situation, both men have to decide where their loyalties lie—with duty or love?

I've only begun to delve into the series created by Decadent Publishing. And because I enjoyed the first book of Limoges' (See my review: Winter Secrets: Winter Solstice Run #3 (Black Hills Wolves, Book 33), I was certain I'd enjoy another by the same author. She didn't disappoint.

Without fully knowing the background in the series, I never felt out of place or left wondering what the heck was going on. From the first page, I read as if I were there in the story. When reading novellas, oftentimes I'm left feeling the story was too short, characters not fully created, or scenes jumping too fast.

Not the case with Naming His Mate. I should also add: This is the first M/M book I've read and reviewed. While I can't say I'm wild about this genre, I can give the Ms. Limoges high marks for a well-written story.

Great action and warm love scenes, crafted by a highly skilled, professional author.

***** 5-Star Review