Category: Shape Shifters

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Kimberly reviews Highland Werewolf Wedding by Terry Spear

TITLE: A Highland Werewolf Wedding
SERIES #: Heart Of The Wolf #11
CHARACTERS: Elaine & Cearnach
AUTHOR: Terry Spear
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/07/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Elaine Hawthorn is a gray American werewolf, currently out of work, and on a mission to share in a family treasure. When she arrives in Scotland, she nearly has a head-on collision with one hot, kilt-garbed Highlander, and runs him off the road.

Werewolf laird Cearnach MacNeill isn’t happy Elaine ruined his car, but he quickly becomes her protector after a misunderstanding lands her right in the middle of two feuding clans. Now he’s out to ensure that this sexy female wolf gets her fair share of her clan’s treasure. He knows he should leave well enough alone, but it’s too late to leave his heart out of it.

REVIEW:
This is actually the 11th in the series which I did not know when I requested it but for the most part it can stand alone. There was some parts that made me realize that other characters had their own stories but nothing I found that confused me enough to not understand the story.

This is an interesting way of writing. Being about werewolves it is set in modern times yet the story has a historical feel. I really enjoyed the story. Cearnach is a great character. He has the heart of a warrior with modern time romance in his soul. Elaine is written as strong and independent but yet she follows her heart. I enjoyed the background characters too even though honestly there was not a lot about them.

This book also had a number of wolf scenes which it seems is forgotten in a number of shape-shifter stories now. Even the connection when the characters are in wolf form is interesting.

Any fan of shape-shifter romance will love this story and as I said it can most certainly stand alone but I think I might go back and read the rest of the series one day and will definitely read the next in the series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts

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Interview & Giveaway with Molly Harper

I am beside myself today.  One of my newest favorites is on the blog today.  I have to date read all of Molly’s books and I have loved every single one of them.  Please give a warm welcome to 1st time guest Molly Harper.

Molly, can you please share with us a little about yourself

I am a newspaper-reporter-turned-church-secretary-turned-romance-novelist and author of the Nice Girls vampire series and the Naked Werewolf series. I spent a lot of time in the school and public libraries growing up and repeatedly checked out the same the non-fiction paranormal studies section.  I loved fictional stories about ghosts and witches and vampires, but the idea that these beings were studied as fact was fascinating to me.  This interest in the “weird side” stayed with me through adulthood.  So when I finally decided to write a book, it was natural that I would write a paranormal story.  And because the most popular of my newspaper columns involved me injuring or humiliating myself in some way, I decided to write the most embarrassing way possible to become a vampire.  So my heroine, Jane, was fired from her job, received a restaurant gift certificate instead of a severance check, mistaken for a deer by a drunk hunter, shot and turned into a vampire in the first chapter.

I am married to my high school sweetheart, David, who serves as the inspiration for most of my leading men. We have two children and live in our hometown in western Kentucky.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

 

Yes, my mom loves to tell the story about an eight-year-old me lugging out her college typewriter and setting up a “Writers office” in the living room.  I wrote a short story about my class taking a trip around the world and losing a kid in each city.   Shades of  Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians” but with more geography. Mom was disturbed, but entertained.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

When I get stuck, I go get a Perrier.  I used to drink Coke, but I gave them up.  If the cold bubbly liquid doesn’t jump-start my brain, I go take a shower.  I get all of my best story-resolving ideas in the shower.  I have tried to persuade my husband to install a whiteboard in there, but so far, no luck.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

A WITCH’S HANDBOOK OF KISSES AND CURSES is the latest spin off to my Half-Moon Hollow series and will be released in late May.  The story focuses on Nola Leary, a witch who searches Jane’s bookshop for four magical objects that will secure her family’s magical legacy.  Complication One: Her grandfather was Mr. Wainwright and the artifacts are lost somewhere in what is now Jane Jameson’s book shop. Complication Two: her new neighbor, Jed Trudeau, who keeps turning up half naked at the strangest times, a distraction Nola doesn’t need. And teaming up with a real-life Adonis is as dangerous  – and distracting, did she mention distracting? – as it sounds.  Can Nola complete her mission before falling completely under his spell?

The book will be available in print, ebook and audio.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I’ve made it no secret that the vampire Dick Cheney is one of my favorite characters to work with, which is why he gets all of the best lines.  I had letters from readers asking about his family line and why I “ended it” with Mr. Wainwright, so I decided to give Dick more family members to emotionally traumatize.  Writing him as a bumbling, protective, doting grandpa figure was a source of hilarity for me.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

NO!  Actually, I’m working on a ghost story called BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS, about a crew of people renovating a remote Gilded Era mansion near Newport, RI.  It’s been a lot of fun trying to come up with the scariest “haunted house” scenarios possible.  At one point, I actually scared myself staying up late to write a sequence in which a character finds an unexpected occupant in his bed.  I was so freaked out by some of the imagery that it took some stern self-talk to get me to back to my room and get in bed.  If my husband had rolled over unexpectedly or made a suspicious “ghostlike” noise, I probably would have ended up sleeping on the couch.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

Stephen King, but I don’t think I’m cool enough to pull off a conversation without fan-girling all over him.  And Nora Roberts, because she is the queen.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Writers write.  It sounds cliché.  But I meet people who seem to think that if they buy the right book on craft, take the right class, or join the right writing circle, it will guarantee their success. And while those things are valid uses of a writer’s time, sitting down and putting words on paper is what will further your story and make you a better writer.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

Visit Greece.  I’ve studied Greek mythology and history for years and I would love to see some of the sites linked to some of the divine stories.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

Hourglass by Myra McIntyre

Defiance by CJ Redwyne

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

 

Learn more about Molly here: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr |

Blogs:

Singleundeadfemale.blogspot.com

www.whinesisters.com


Amazon | B&N

Nola Leary would have been content to stay in Kilcairy, Ireland, healing villagers at her family’s clinic with a mix of magic and modern medicine. But a series of ill-timed omens and a deathbed promise to her grandmother have sent her on a quest to Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky, to secure her family’s magical potency for the next generation. Her supernatural task? To unearth four artifacts hidden by her grandfather before a rival magical family beats her to it.

Complication One: The artifacts are lost somewhere in vampire Jane Jameson’s occult bookshop. Complication Two: Her new neighbor Jed Trudeau keeps turning up half-naked at the strangest times, a distraction Nola doesn’t need. And teaming up with a real-life Adonis is as dangerous as it sounds, especially since Jed’s got the face of an angel and the abs of a washboard. Can Nola complete her mission before falling completely under his spell?

 

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Kimberly reviews Flirting Under A Full Moon by Ahlyn Chase

TITLE: Flirting Under A Full Moon
SERIES #: Flirting With Fangs Trilogy #1
CHARACTERS: Brandee & Nick
AUTHOR: Ahlyn Chase
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/02/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
If Brandee Hanson ever wants to go from waitress to photographer, she’ll have to take some once-in-a-lifetime shots. But when she catches the gorgeous private investigator, Nick Wolfensen, on camera— transforming into a werewolf—she is thrown into a world of vampires, shapeshifters, and other paranormal misfits.

In order to keep his secret and stay clear of the supernatural council, Nick will have to convince Brandee not to release the photo. Fortunately, he was looking for an excuse to spend more time with the beautiful waitress anyway.

REVIEW:
Well I didn’t love this book but I didn’t hate it either. The synopsis really doesn’t explain what the book is about clearly. There is an interesting story that is told but nothing ever seemed to click.

The book was written in almost a YA style even though it is not. The characters never seemed to really connect. The characters in the background weren’t over the top interesting and it also seemed to have a feel that we missed a book somewhere when it talks about Nick’s twin brother and his wife but this is the first in the series so obviously we didn’t. However it is not the first book for the author so maybe their story was told in another book or series.

I want to say I liked the book. I read it in a day even though it was over 300 pages so it had me interested I am just not sure it would ever be a book I recommend.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly’s review of Wolf With Benefits by Shelly Laurenston

TITLE: Wolf With Benefits
SERIES #: Pride #8
CHARACTERS: Ricky & Toni
AUTHOR: Shelly Laurenston
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/26/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Ricky Lee has no plans of getting serious about anyone, but he will protect Toni Jean-Louis Parker. Not just because he’s been hired to do so, but because it’s the right thing to do. And if that means traveling around the country with one complicated She-jackal, dealing with chocolate-eating wild dogs, instigating trouble between his brothers, and having the most amazing sex he’s ever had…well, who said his job didn’t have perks?

Toni doesn’t know how she keeps getting herself into these situations. But even she has to admit there’s something about Ricky Lee Reed that she finds kind of interesting…and downright sexy. Now they just have to survive long enough to figure out if what they have is worth fighting for…

REVIEW:
This is the 8th is the Pride series and I would definitely say if you have not read the other books this is not the one to start with. While I enjoyed the story of Ricky and Toni (her’s family was fine too) but the rest was just too much. The story is over 400 pages and that to me was 100 or more too many.

Again, having not read the previous books in the Pride series I will say in the beginning I was a little lost on who everyone was and what they did and why they were in the storyline. There were just way too many characters/breeds mentioned (and the hybrids were just overkill). It was really confusing. There is a background story that seems to have continued throughout the series that was again confusing because it did not explain the storyline much in this book to understand why the characters were searching for this person.

Now that being said. I take full responsibility for picking this book from NetGalley without even realizing that it was part of a series because if I had I would not have picked it up especially with it being so far into the series. I can completely understand why someone who has followed the series from book one would enjoy it. I enjoyed it enough to know that with the right information before beginning this book I would have enjoyed it too.

So I leave this review with how I started it. If you have not read the series I wouldn’t start it with this book but if you have read the others in the series you will really enjoy this book.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kelly’s review of Blurred Expectations by Carrie Ann Ryan

TITLE: Blurred Expectations
SERIES: Redwood Pack Novella #4.5
AUTHOR: Carrie Ann Ryan
PUBLICATION DATE: 1.8.13
Characters: Hanna, Josh & Reed
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Hannah Jamenson has babies on the brain. It seems that her sisters-in-law are expanding their family in the blink of an eye, but Hannah feels left behind. Every time that little test reads negative a little part of her dies and she feels like her Healing powers are failing her. Her mates, Josh and Reed, are doing everything they can to help her deal with their trials and losses, but they too feel like there is nothing they can do.

Just when the lines of what they mean to each other go out of focus, an enemy from Josh’s past is back to prove the things that go bump in the night are real and everything they had held dear is now in jeopardy. In order to fight back and find their way, they’ll need to put everything on the line before they lose it all.

Author’s Note: This is a novella set between books 4 and 5 to give you a taste of Reed, Josh, and Hannah. It is best that you have already immersed yourselves in the Redwood Pack world, however even new readers will enjoy a glimpse of the Redwood’s favorite triad.

REVIEW:
3.5 Stars Being a novella I will keep this really short.

I really enjoyed this novella. I have not been really feeling the menage story line in a really like time. But I really enjoyed this story by Carrie Ann.

If you are a fan of the Redwood Pack series then you will love Hannah, Josh & Reed’s story

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

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Kelly’s review of Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh

TITLE: Wild Invitation
Psy-Changleing #0.5, #3.5, #9.5 & #10.5
AUTHOR: Nalini Singh
PUBLICATION DATE: March 3, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In Beat of Temptation , innocent Tamsyn has always had a place in her heart for Nathan, a blooded DarkRiver sentinel. But is she ready for the fierce demands of the mating bond?

In Stroke of Enticement , a wary young teacher, skeptical about love, arouses the man—and the animal—in an aggressive leopard changeling who must prove his affections are true.

Plus 2 NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED NOVELLAS

In Declaration of Courtship , Grace, a shy submissive wolf, finds herself pursued by the last man she ever would have imagined: a SnowDancer lieutenant said to be “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.”

In Texture of Intimacy , SnowDancer healer Lara discovers the searing joys—and unexpected challenges—of being mated to quiet, powerful Walker, a man used to keeping his silence.

REVIEW:
3 out of 4 is not bad right?
I really enjoyed 3 out of 4 of these novellas. One just didn’t grab me like I would have liked it too. It was still a good story. But not as much as the others.

Nalini is a fabulous story teller and anyone who is a fan of her Psy-Changeling series will love all four of these novella’s. I have to be honest I have not read this series. I have read a few of the books but not in order at all. But even with that I really didn’t feel lost at all with this book. While each novella’s main characters may have been in other books I really didn’t feel lost until the last story. It seems like there was a lot of history and some very important things must have happened before this novella.

But all in all I enjoyed this book. And yes I do plan on going back and reading the series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
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Kelly’s review of Mating Instinct by Katie Reus

TITLE: Mating Instinct
SERIES: Moon Shifter #3
AUTHOR: Katie Reus
Characters: Jayce Kazan & Kat Saburova
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/12/2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
As the beast within struggles to break free, he must learn to be what she needs…

Surviving for centuries, powerful lupine shifter Jayce Kazan managed to stay away from humans until he met Kat Saburova and was consumed by the need to protect her. But while Jayce shared his passion with the human seer, he refused to make her his bondmate—a refusal that caused the end of their relationship.

A year later, an attack that left Kat near death has resulted in another lupine shifter turning her. Furious that he wasn’t the one to save her, Jayce is determined to show Kat that he is the one she should rely on. But the newly turned shifter is still traumatized and worried that she’ll hurt those she loves, unless she can learn to control her inner wolf.

And as Jayce struggles to protect Kat from her own worst instincts and convince her to rekindle their love, the extremists who almost killed her are looking to finish the job

REVIEW:
Mating Instinct is Katie Reus’ third book in the Moon Shifter series. In Mating Instinct we get to see how Kat is adjusting to the events that happened to her in Primal Possession (bk 2, I would suggest reading this series in order).

They say change is good, but that doesn’t mean it is easy and nothing has been easy for Kat over the last year. She has walked away from the love of her life, was kidnapped, tortured and almost killed, then to save her life she has been turned. But even after all of this Kat has still come out on top. Maybe a little scared but she refuses to be anything but strong and more determined. The one thing Kat never planned was Jayce walking back into her life, demanding and on a mission to prove to her that she belongs to him and only him. Forever.

Jayce has tried in the past to protect Kat from his enemies, but he underestimated the humans of the world. Now Jayce had to live with the fact that he didn’t protect Kat when she need him most and it almost cost her, her life. Jayce vows to never let that happen again. Even when Kat puts herself in the crosshairs of her enemy.

I really did enjoy this book. There was two storylines happening at once so I was a little confused. Jayce seemed to be working on a case while trying to protecting Kat. But by the end of the book I understood what and where Katie was going with the dual storylines

I love Jayce & Kat. While Jayce tries to be this big-bad ass enforcer he does have a soft side and we see that with Kat and a new member of the pack. Kat is very brave after everything she has gone through. Stubborn yes, but very brave. Jayce and Kat are a great team and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these two.

I am super excited about the next book in this series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
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Kelly’s review of Raphael/Parish by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright

TITLE: Raphael/Parish – Bayou Heat #1 & #2
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright
PUBLICATION DATE: 1.7.13
Characters: Raphael & Ashe/Parish & Julia

ORDER LINKS: Amazon |B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
RAPHAEL

The brilliant and dangerous diplomat of the Pantera shapeshifters, Raphael has devoted his life to discovering the key to the infertility that is threatening the extinction of his puma race. Creating a vast network of spies worldwide, he never expected to discover that the answer might be beneath his very nose. But when Ashe, a beautiful human female, crosses his path, his most primitive instincts are stirred. Unable to resist, he takes her to his bed, and is shocked when she becomes pregnant with his child. It’s a miracle that might prove to be the salvation of his people, but only if he can keep her safe from the mercenaries determined to kill her.

PARISH

Untamed and undeniably sexy, Parish, leader of the Pantera hunters, rarely leaves the magic of the Wildlands to deal with the humans he despises. But with the prized and risky Pantera birth on the way, puma shifter, Parish must travel to New Orleans to find and bring back a human doctor. The moment he sees the lovely, talented and all too human Dr. Julia Cabot he cannot resist the wild, potent drive to make her his. Betrayed and destroyed by love, Julia will not let her heart choose her path again. But as she and Parish fight to save the life of an unborn child, a fierce and overwhelming bond develops between them, threatening her frozen heart with the secret hope and ultimate temptation of love and family

REVIEW:
Myth & Legend turn into reality in Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright’s Raphael/Parish. Books one and two in Ivy & Wright’s new joint series Bayou Heat.

In Raphael (bk1) we get introduced to the world of the Pantera Shapeshifters. Ivy does a great job of creating the world in this first story. Boy does Raphael’s story start with a bang. We get to meet Raphaels mate as she is being kicked out of her house by her drunk of a mother for being pregnant. Problem is Ashe can’t remember who or when…. But this is going to be the least of her problems when she wakes up to find Raphael in her dark hotel room talking about lost myths, shifters and that they are now mated.

In Parish (bk2) we pick up with Parish on a mission to find a human doctor for Ashe. But when Parish see Julia for the first time something in him changes. This change scares Parish. He doesn’t like humans, doesn’t trust humans not after what happened to Keria. But Parish is drawn to Julia so much so that he is willing to kidnap her and keep her if that is what it will take to make her his.

I really enjoyed both of these stories and good golly Wright leaves us hanging at the end of Parish. I am so looking forward to Bayon/Jean-Baptiste (bk 3&4) release day is scheduled for April 15th, 2013 (Happy Tax day to me!!) and Talon/Xavier’s (bk 5&6) scheduled for release summer of 2013

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
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Kimberly’s review of Sarah’s Fate by Marissa Dobson

TITLE: Sarah’s Fate
SERIES #: Fate Series #2
CHARACTERS: Sarah & Josh
AUTHOR: Marissa Dobson
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/07/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sarah McMillan’s life came crashing down when her parents died. Moving across country, she’s determined to pull the pieces together and get on with her life. But when a man steps into her path, all her plans may have been for not.

Josh Andrews spent years searching for his mate, only to find her when he least expects it. Fate brings him Sarah, someone who needs him more than he’d thought he’d needed her. But convincing her to be his mate and start a new life might be harder than the journey to find her.

Can Josh convince Sarah to let him in? Or will the fact he is a mountain lion destroy what they could have had?

REVIEW:
This is the second in the Fate Series but it certainly can be read as a stand alone. However, by reading this first you will want to go back and read the first one (Snowy Fate) so I recommend you just start with the first story.

I enjoyed Sarah very much and really liked Josh. I enjoyed it more than the first book. This was not as short as the first in the series so it gave more background and more detail and it could be because of that but I really think Josh is just the better brother.

Again this is a short read so it is a perfect shapeshifter story to have ready for those times when you just need a little down time. But since the first one is even shorter pick them both up for a cute series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
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Kimberly’s review of Wild About You by Kerrelyn Sparks

TITLE: Wild About You
AUTHOR: Kerrelyn Sparks
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/27/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Handsome Howard…
Hunky Howard…
Hot Howard…

It’s not every day that Elsa Bjornberg feels delicate, not when she hosts a home renovation show where she can effortlessly demolish a kitchen. But from the moment she meets Howard Barr, this bear of a man makes her feel like a woman. And the way he looks at her, as if she were a pot of honey he’d like to lick…

Howard is not like most men. For one thing, he’s a shapeshifter. And he always thought his celebrity crush would never amount to anything more than drooling at Elsa on TV. When his meddling vampire employer gets involved, the star is suddenly within his grasp—and within a hair of her life. For an ancient curse forbids their newfound love, and Howard is suddenly torn between his desire for her and his desire to keep her alive.

REVIEW:
I received an ARC of this book and I did not know it was part of a series and honestly I was a bit confused for a good amount of the beginning of the book. Obviously these characters have been introduced before and situations are ongoing from the other books. I just never connected with the characters which I think has something to do with not being aware of the previous story.

I did not feel that Howard and Elsa had a connection either. The book seemed very juvenile to me. Howard is more of a lovesick puppy than a were-bear and Elsa is very feeble-minded. Nothing made me what to get to know these characters.

Maybe if I had read the series from the beginning I would have enjoyed this more. I just do not know.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kelly’s review of Immortal Craving by Kendra Leigh Castle

TITLE: Immortal Craving – Dark Dynasties #4
AUTHOR: Kendra Leigh Castle
Main Characters: Tasmin Singh & Bailey Harper
PUBLICATION DATE: 1/29/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The last-and most lethal-of his kind . . .

Wild, uncontrollable, and powerful, the lion-shifting Rakshasa were hunted down by vicious rival vampires who feared their dark, magical abilities. Somehow one survived, and now, after centuries of hiding, Tasmin Singh reemerges as fierce and fearless as ever at the door of the Lilim queen, seeking answers . . . and sanctuary.

The human best friend to a vampire queen, Bay Harper traded her quiet, comfortable life for a world filled with immortal assassins, warring werewolves . . . and this hauntingly sexy shifter. Only Bay’s gentle touch can subdue Tasmin’s inner demons, even as he brings out a passion and sensuality she never imagined she could feel. But when a bloody struggle threatens to tear them apart, can Bay risk everything on her faith in him-or will his dark side be stronger than even their all-consuming desire?

REVIEW:
I really like the Dark Dynasty world. I love the twists and turns that Kendra has put into this book and her vampires. They are not your typical vamps which I really like. I have not been able to get back to book 1 or 2, but I have read book 3 and now book 4. I can say that you can read these books easily as stand alones, but I am going to go back and read the first two.

I loved Tasmin. I love that he has been asleep for the last 4 hundred years and doesn’t know anything about the new world, except for the fact that he is draw for some reason to a human woman who is best friends with the Queen of the Lilim’s. And Bay, she is one tough cookie. She finds herself in an impossible situation and instead of curling up in a ball or running with her tail between her legs she grabs the bull by the horns or the lion by the mane and shows everyone who is in charge here.

I really did like this book. But I would have loved for the battle scene to be a little more, uuummm of a battle. It was over just a little too fast for me. But other than the battle being a bit short I enjoyed Tasmin & Bay’s story. I am looking forward to what Kendra has in store for the Dark Dynasty world.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts