Category: New Releases

Blood Reunited releases 1/28

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

Book Three in the Blood Vine Series.

Brooding vampire halfling and biologist Bel Maras is determined to create a cure for the wasting disease that plagues his vampire family. His work becomes essential as the Hunters intensify their global and bloody campaign. When Bel’s cure fails, only his ancient and estranged godmother Uta Ilirije can help. But seeing the ice-cold Uta reveals something shocking–she is his bonded mate.

She may be a dangerous warrior, but Uta feels her failures acutely. She has been unable to protect her kind from Hunters, and vampires are dying out. Worse, she tied Bel to her long ago in an accident of blood, then abandoned him for his own good–a choice he has never forgiven. Many days, she is convinced Bel and the vampires would be better off if she just walked into the sun.

Biology has fated them to be mates. Now these old enemies must overcome their past to save the vampires and come to peace with the bond they never chose.

My review:

Blood Reunited is the third and final installment of author Amber Belldene’s Blood Vine Series, a series that I have loved from the very beginning.  As sad as I am to see the end to this series I must say that I am equally happy with how it did end.  It was absolutely perfect.

Blood Reunited picks up where the second book, Blood Entangled, left off and to say things are a mess for the Kastle Estate Winery would be a gross understatement.  The situation with the Hunters and the wasting disease are at the most dire points and things have never looked bleaker.

But vampire Halfling, Bel, still has hope that he can cure the wasting disease and in turn save the vampire race.  He has been working non-stop on in his lab and believes he’s isolated what makes the wine so important.  He also believes he’s figured out the same thing about the Hunter blood.  It’s all right there, practically in his grasp but alas, it keeps eluding him.  To throw another monkey wrench into things, Uta is at the winery.  Uta, Bel’s childhood friend, one of the oldest vampires in existence, and his blood mate.  As if he needed this kind of distraction.  Her presence has awoken a need in him he has never felt before and also has brought back all his childhood feelings of hurt when she pushed him away all those years ago.  He still had no idea why she sent him away when he needed her most after his mother’s suicide and he certainly didn’t have time to worry about it now.  He needed to focus on his work and saving vampires.  Easier said than done.

Vampire Uta Ilirije has stayed away from Bel for as long as she could.  Now, being forced to head to his family’s winery with the council so they could work on saving the vampires and stopping the Hunters, she would be forced to see him…and ignite the blood bond.  A blood bond she had formed by accident.   No matter what the circumstances though, she loved Bel.  Always had. And seeing his distaste for her was crushing her.  But she was a warrior and would do what it took to stop this war with the Hunters and in the end she hoped one day Bel could forgive her.  Dare she hope along with his forgiveness he could learn to love her?

Adding to this storyline was Ethan Bennett and his new plaything, Gwen.  Whoa, talk about one effed up relationship! Amber did one hell of a job portraying them as the uncaring, soulless fiends they are…or shall I say were.

We also learned more about the vampire race and their ancient relationship with the Hunters.  Seeing all the pieces fit into place was pretty amazing and again, Amber did one hell of a job weaving their historic tale throughout the series with the culmination in Blood Reunited.

While reading this story the saying “it’s going to get worse before it can get better” kept rolling around in my head…because never had it been truer.  Things with the Maras clan and the winery are a devastated mess and I was heartbroken for all they had to endure. Bel and Uta go through so much in terms of emotion and rehashing their personal history.  Bel being stubborn and angry while Uta is broken and tired of feeling all the guilt she has carried over their blood bond.  All of that being said, it made the ending ever sweeter.  I had such a sense of contentment when I read “The End” and I finished this book with a smile.  You know I won’t give anything away so you’ll have to red it for yourself to find out.

Amber, thank you for one of the most amazing series endings I have ever had the pleasure of reading and for giving us the Blood Vine Series.  All you vampire lovers out there really need to read this series…you won’t be disappointed!

Five Loves

About the author:

Book links:

Amazon   ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

In this new Love Under the Big Sky series from a USA TODAY bestselling author, Cara agrees to tutor her former classmate’s nephew—and learns some lessons in love!

Josh King is an expert at running his family’s multi-million dollar ranch in Montana. (And all that outside manual labor has done wonders for sculpting his six-foot-three body, too.) But as sure footed as he is when it comes to the ranch, Josh doesn’t know anything about how to deal with an adolescent boy—so when his twelve-year-old nephew, Seth, is dropped off on his doorstep, looking scared and acting surly as hell, Josh knows he needs help in straightening him out.

Cara Donovan loves her quiet life as a teacher in her sleepy hometown, so she jumps at the chance to make a little money over the summer as a tutor. But when she learns she’ll be teaching Josh King’s nephew, Cara’s sweet summer job gets a little bit hotter. Cara tries to focus all her attention on tutoring Seth, but Josh proves to be a delicious distraction, while Josh’s memories of the shy girl he once teased in high school are nothing like the beautiful woman he’s facing now. Can he persuade her that there’s more between them than a summer fling?

My Review:

Loving Cara is the first book in author Kristen Proby’s newest series, Under the Big Sky and talk about one hell of a debut.  I loved everything about the book from start to finish.

Cara Donovan and Josh King have known each other for years.  They went to high school together and still live in the same small town but despite the geography, they really don’t see much of each other.  That all changes when Cara gets a job tutoring Josh’s nephew over the summer.  Seth’s mother drops him off at the King’s family ranch and leaves without so much as a backward glance.  Zach, Josh’s brother and Seth’s father, is in the Army and overseas for at least another month which means Seth was now Josh and his parents responsibility.  No problem, right?  Wrong.  Seth needs a whole lot of love and attention to bring him out of the anger he’s settled into.  He also needs whole lot of help in the schooling department which is where Cara comes in and ends up as Seth’s tutor.  Luckily Cara is up for the challenge.  Of course that means Cara and Josh will be spending a whole lot of time together and soon the attraction they both feel is too much to deny.  Josh can’t believe his high school friend has grown into such a beautiful and smart woman and Cara is in awe of the handsome, sexy, and caring Josh.  Sparks will fly and lust will ignite all while helping a young man learn to trust and love again.  Will they all get their happy ending?

Man, I devoured this book.  In less than a day.  Cara and Josh have some serious heat building from the very beginning and it slowly builds at a delicious pace until they both decide to take the next step and holy hell.  These two are HOT together! But beyond that, Cara and Josh come together to help Seth, and that’s where they shine.  Where Josh is stern, Cara balances him out with a softer side and Seth stands to learn a lot from both of them.  Of course there are a few bumps in the road for Cara and Josh, which makes it more emotional and intense and that much better.  Along the way we meet Cara’s best friend Jillian (love the name, of course!), Jillian’s brother Ty, and at the end, Zach, Seth’s dad.  All of them are fabulous, complex characters and I suspect we will be seeing more of them in this series and I can’t WAIT!

If you’re looking for a romance with serious heat, loads of emotions and a small town feel, this is the book for you! Thank you, Kristen, for a fantastic book and a series I look forward to continuing!

Five Loves

About the author:

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~ Goodreads

Synopsis:

Book two of The Triton Experiment

Intergalactic mercenary Kat Darah has been ordered to keep her shape-shifting ability a secret from everyone but those closest to her, for her own safety. She’s learned how to control the feral rage… for the most part. But when Lieutenant Rygard’s military unit goes missing, she’ll use every skill she has to find her man.

Lt. Christopher Rygard has witnessed his girl shift, and he still wants her. After Kat rescues him from alien clutches, he’d like nothing more than to wrap her in his arms again, but his first duty is to his men. And half of them have been shipped off-planet to be sold as slaves.

Kat and Rygard will need to form a new team to go deep undercover, posing as gladiators and learning to fight together—not just side by side—in order to survive. In the arena, it’s all about who is the strongest predator…

My Review:

Fighting Kat is the second book in author P.J. Schnyder’s The Triton Experiment Series and follows Hunting Kat, a novella I loved.  I was anxiously awaiting this next story and wow, what a fantastic follow up!

Mercenary Kat Darah is back on her ship and kind of keeping things status quo.  Daily life, ship duties and all that….and missing Rygard.  They hadn’t had nearly enough time together and now he was on a mission with his unit and she was here, trying to keep herself busy and ignore the itch she feels for him. Adding to that itch is not being able to shift into her panther form and go for a nice long run.  But she’s had years to try to get used to that and control her shape shifter urges.  This whole guy itch is new though and adding those urges together is a tricky combo.  Luckily, Rygard calls in with a holographic call so she could see him and for a small moment in time she has peace.  That tiny sense of peace is shattered when she finds out that after his call, he and his team had gone missing.  Now, she is on a mission to save him and his men.  Kat has no idea that the mission will end up taking her right back into the world she’s tried for years to forget.  A world of violence and shape shifting viruses…the world that has haunted her memories and the world from her nightmares.

Wow.  Talk about a pulse pounding, white knuckled read! I’m going to tread carefully here and not give any spoilers away because this is a story you really need to experience first hand.

To save Rygard and his unit, Kat must join up with friends new and old to get to the bottom of where he has been taken and what the enemy plan is.  Of course, it can’t be easy and poor Kat is thrust into the middle of the world that created her and the world she is trying to forget.  After she finds Rygard, they realize that in order to save his men, they’ve got to go deep undercover in an underground world filled with cage matches and infected shifters.  People and species held prisoner for the entertainment of others.  Slaves fighting, literally, for their lives.  The amount of action in this book is nothing short of spectacular and I held my breath during some of the fight scenes, fearing for Kat, Rygard and their team.  There were tense moments but there were also tender and emotional moments.  Kat and Rygard’s connection and attraction is strong an unyielding and I loved seeing their relationship grow after being put to the test.

In the addition of many characters in this story, one really stood out to me and he was a mystery for almost the whole book….Bharguest.  A dark and deadly prisoner being held on Kat’s ship, I was always excited to get to a scene with him in it.  He held many secrets and I do hope we get to see more of him in the series.  I also have to mention that P.J. did an amazing job making me as a reader connect with the new characters and strengthen my love for Kat, Rygard, Dev and crew.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and action packed tale from start to finish and I cannot wait to see what P.J. has in store for us next!

Four Loves

About the author:

Born and raised in the North East, PJ Schnyder spent her childhood pretending to study for the SATs by reading every fantasy and sci-fi novel she could borrow from the local and school libraries. She scored fairly high in the verbal portion.

She was introduced to the wonderful world of romance a decade later by her best friend at an anime convention in Seattle.

She now lives somewhere temperate watching the seasons go by with her two dogs and super stealthy ninja kitty, writing her stories.

PJ would love to hear from you. Whether it’s questions or comments regarding her stories or this website, please feel free to email her.

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

Loving a dead man can be brutal.

Diana Reye’s pregnancy is draining her of life. Now she and vampire Ryder Latimer are faced with the most difficult choice of all. Turn Diana, or lose her and the baby. If Ryder chooses to save them, he risks the wrath of the Slayer Council and will be marked for his own death by their friend Michaela. Chasing a vampire can be consuming.

FBI agent Michaela Ramirez has been searching for the vampire who raped and killed her mother while acting as an enforcer for the Slayer Council. Since meeting FBI Director Jesus Hernandez , however, Michaela is losing a bit of her edge as she imagines the possibility of a life full of happiness and passion with her handsome boss by her side…and in her bed.

Living without the one they love isn’t an option.

But soon trouble comes calling as the vampire she hunts makes Michaela his prey. Now Michaela finds herself in a battle not only for her own life, but for her friends lives as well, as she and Ryder both make the difficult decision to break all the rules for love.

My review:

Die For Love is the fourth book in author Caridad Piñeiro’s The Reborn Series and admittedly, the first in the series that I have read.  Well, clearly I have been missing out.  This book was amazing and I have already added the others in the series to my to-read list!

This story primarily follows two couples and their current struggles, which is a fun break from the one-couple-per-book norm I’ve been reading lately.

Michaela Ramirez is good at two things…being an FBI agent and a vampire slayer.  You see those two things are easy for her because you don’t really require a whole lot of warm and fuzzy emotions.  She really didn’t excel at the warm and fuzzy.  Not since seeing her mother brutalized and murdered in front of her at twelve years old.  The problem now is Jesus Hernandez, her lover.  He is bringing about all sorts of emotions she never knew she was capable of, and emotions she’s afraid of feeling.  Just when she thinks she already has plenty on her plate, she stumbles across her vampire father.  The man she has wanted revenge on for as long as she can remember.  Never before has Michaela been more emotionally confused or her focus more shattered and never before has it mattered most.  Her heart and sense of revenge are at stake….

Soon-to-be-mom Diana Reye should be experiencing the common joys of first time parenthood.  Picking out the paint color for the nursery, choosing names, buying baby clothes.  Instead, Diana and her vampire husband Ryder are deciding if and when they will have to take away Diana’s human life in exchange for a vampire life in order to save her and their unborn child.  Add into the mix their friend and vampire slayer Michaela and the possibility she will kill Ryder for turning Diana and you could say that this baby prep is anything but normal.  Their happy ending is anything but certain and the stress is unbearable at times.

So, you already know this is the first book in author Piñeiro’s The Reborn Series that I have read but the beauty of Caridad’s writing is that I wasn’t once lost or confused during this book.  That being said, I was able to thoroughly enjoy all the emotions swirling around in this book…and man, there were a multitude of them! Starting with Michaela and Jesus.  These two are so well matched and Jesus has an innate ability when it comes to dealing with Michaela.  He knows she’s not going to admit her feeling easily but he knows she is worth fighting for.  Michaela is one kick-ass heroine.  When she has her sights set on something, she goes for it.  All in, consequences be damned.  I loved her for that.  Their ending in this story was so fitting for them as a couple! I won’t give any of the details away but know this….it’s in true Michaela fashion in how they get their own special version of a happy ever after.

Now, for Diana and Ryder….whew!  These two are equally amazing.  Diana was absolutely meant to be a mom and the way she fought for what was best for her unborn daughter was humbling and something any mom can relate to.  Doing what’s best for you child no matter what.  Ryder is also 100% dad material and he broke my heart with his worry for his wife and child.  I will tell you that I sobbed through almost four entire chapters with them.  But, if you know me, you know two things….1.) I love to cry while reading and 2.) I wouldn’t recommend a book that ends sadly.  But other than that, my lips are sealed!

I have appreciated Caridad, as a person and as an author, for quite some time and this book is just another example of how awesome she is.  If you’re a fan of love stories filled with emotion and suspense, and of course the paranormal, than I absolutely recommend this story.  Thank you, Caridad, for a spectacular and thrilling story!

 Four-and-a-Half Loves

About the author:

Caridad Piñeiro® is a multi-published and award-winning author whose love of the written word developed when her fifth grade teacher assigned a project – to write a book that would be placed in a class lending library. She has been hooked on writing ever since.

…for much more on Caridad, her book and many accomplishments and awards, please visit her website. 

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter 

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Goodreads

Synopsis:

The fallen have trespassed into Heaven for the first time in eternity. Prepared for battle, Michaela and her Archangels open Heaven’s gates to confront the fallen. Only, Michaela’s Archangels—her brothers and sisters in Heaven—betray her. And when the fallen attack the sanctuary in the skies through the gates Michaela inadvertently left open, the holy angels accuse Michaela of planning the invasion.

One simple mistake with a thousand consequences.

Dragged to Earth by an Archangel turned fallen, Michaela will do anything to return to Heaven and save it. In her fervor, she kills the Archangel—something no angel has ever done before. Wingless, without any hope, Michaela welcomes death when an unlikely human ally, Clark, finds her. With the help of Clark and Gabriel, an innocent Archangel whose friendship deepens into something far more torrid and unexpected on Earth, Michaela must prove the holy angels have their own plan for Heaven, and it is one that may prove to be the End of the Days.

It may be too late to save herself, but Michaela is the only one who knows the truth about the holy angels. If she fails, she may never be able to return to Heaven. But even that may be a hopeless dream.

My Review:

The Hunted One is the first book in author Meg Collette’s End of Days Series and one that piqued my interest immediately after reading the synopsis.  It seemed like a new sort of twist on the whole Heaven and Hell story….well, it was….and it was awesome.

Archangel Michaela has been serving as General to the Archangels since the beginning of her existence.  It was all she had ever known.  She was charged with keeping things in line and balanced between Heaven, Earth and Hell.  She was part of the elite force in Heaven and had her friends and fellow Archangels by her side.   It was a job she performed with the utmost sincerity and respect.  She thought she had done everything right until she found herself on the other end of horrible deceit and conspiracy.  Deceit and conspiracy at the hands of her fellow Archangels…her friends.  Suddenly, everything she had thought to be pure and true was tainted and she finds herself without her friends, without her wings, and without a clue on what to do next.  She knows she has to do what she can to fight the forces of evil and save both Heaven and Earth but the problem now is that she is just Michaela….not the General Archangel.  The remaining forces in Heaven are after, wanting revenge, and the forces in hell want to assure that she is destroyed as well.  Her only hope is Clark, a human and part of a family line trusted to help the heavenly inhabitants.  Will she have what it takes to regain the trust of Heaven, bring down the forces of Hell and save the human race? That’s a whole lot of burden to carry….

I always love stories surrounding Heaven and Hell and always enjoy reading each author’s unique spin on things.  In this story, author Collette has given a darker side to characters we normally think of as good and it was exciting to read from the very first few pages.  Michaela has been an upstanding member of Heaven and has never really had anything unsavory happen to her in all her years.  Well, that poor gal was in for a really rude awakening.  From the beginning she has so many obstacles to overcome and I was worried for her the entire book.  She is being framed for some serious heavenly crimes and is being held responsible for unspeakable acts all thanks to her so-called friends.  She finds help and friendship in Clark and I adored him!  He is part of a bloodline of heavenly helpers, if you will, and really wants nothing to do with any of it.  But, in the end, not only does he help Michaela when anyone else would walk away, he does it with bluntness and honesty.  He had me laughing at the most inappropriate times because he said exactly what anyone would…even if it was a bit frank.  He may win as my favorite character.

Now, I can’t give too much away here as to why Michaela was framed by her friends and what their end goal is but trust me when I say, there were more than a few “whoa” moments had when I was reading.  This tale is woven beautifully with pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place until the end. Oh, and the end? Michaela gives one hell of a kick ass speech, which leads me to believe she will be on a path for revenge in the next book in the series (which I can’t wait to read!).  Watch out, Team Evil….Michaela’s coming for you!

Thank you, Meg, for your unique spin on the good and the bad, Heaven and Hell….I enjoyed every minute and can’t wait for more!

Four Loves

About the author:

Meg Collett lives deep in the hills of Tennessee where there the cell phone service is a blessing andinternet is a myth of epic proportions. She is the mother of one giant horse named Elle and one giant dog named Wylla. Her husband is a saint for putting up with her ragtag life. End of Days is her first series, and trust her when she tells you that she hopes you enjoy it, because it has been a big pain in her #%&. Just kidding. Sort of.

Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Website

Forever Wicked releases January 14, 2014 

Book links:

Kindle  ~  Amazon print  ~  Goodreads  ~  1001 Dark Nights

Synopsis:

They had nothing in common but a desperate passion…

Billionaire Jason Denning lived life fast and hard in a world where anything could be bought and sold, even affection. But all that changed when he met “Greta,” a beautiful stranger ready to explore her hidden desires. From a blue collar family, Gia Angelotti wore a badge, fought for right—and opened herself utterly to love him. Blindsided and falling hard, Jason does the first impulsive thing of his life and hustles her to the altar.

Until a second chance proved that forever could be theirs.

Then tragedy ripped Jason’s new bride from his arms and out of his life. When he finds Gia again, he gives her a choice: spend the three weeks before their first anniversary with him or forfeit the money she receives from their marriage. Reluctantly, she agrees to once again put herself at his mercy and return to his bed. But having her right where he wants her is dangerous for Jason’s peace of mind. No matter how hard he tries, he finds himself falling for her again. Will he learn to trust that their love is real before Gia leaves again for good?

My review:

Forever Wicked is a novella from author Shayla Black’s Wicked Lovers Series and is also part of the 1001 Dark Nights Series.  A fan of Shayla’s and excited for this amazing novella series to start, I was thrilled to get an early copy of Forever Wicked.  Well, let me say….Shayla has kicked off this series to one smoking hot start!

Jason Denning has many things.  Tons of money and all of the material things that accompany having billions of dollars at his disposal.  The one thing he doesn’t have and the one thing he really wants is his wife.  He and Gia had met and married in a whirlwind affair and he had been looking forward to building a life together with her until her brother’s murder.  After the tragedy, she had left him almost as soon as the ink on their Las Vegas marriage certificate had dried.  And he had been thinking of her ever since.  Now, armed with information on the reasons she left and the determination to get her back, he derives a plan.  Surely Gia wouldn’t be able to turn down his offer and with a little bit of luck she would be wooed enough to stay with him.  Forever.

To say Gia Angelotti is stretched thin would be a gross understatement.  Besides the grief over her brother’s murder, helping her family and working as a police officer she had the guilt of leaving her new husband eating at her every day since she left him.  Now it was too late though.  It had been almost a year since she left him and certainly he’s moved on by now.  Handsome and successful, Jason wouldn’t have sat around playing “she loves me, she loves me not” with a bunch of flowers waiting for her to come back to him.  Imagine her surprise when, after all this time, he tracks her down and asks her to spend the two weeks leading up to their first anniversary with him.  And being Jason, he makes her an offer she desperately needs and can’t turn down.  The question is, what will happen when the two weeks ends….

It’s a good thing I read this book during the coldest week of the year…because the heat coming off of these pages sure kept me warm.  Jason and Gia are in quite a stalemate in their marriage.  Gia left Jason without a backward glance.  Jason has been privately pining for her since she left.  Both of them are unhappy.  Their relationship isn’t conventional by any definition and I loved many things about it.  They met at a BDSM club, married quickly and then ended up apart almost instantly.  But that’s not what I loved most about it.  What I loved most was that both Jason and Gia were willing to give their marriage a shot.  Now, it wasn’t without a whole lot of struggles and there was certainly more than a little reluctance on both of their parts during the story but that’s where I grew to admire these characters.  Both Gia and Jason were doing what they thought was best for their partners but in the end all it took was a little step back for each of them to realize they were both wrong….and it takes strong people to admit it.  That’s what drew me to this couple.  Of course, the ridiculously sexy scene in the department store dressing room and bathroom counter scene didn’t hurt.

Characters with numerous personality facets, hot chemistry and heaps of emotion make this novella a total win for me.  Thank you, Shayla, for an amazing story and for kicking off the 1001 Dark Nights Series with a BANG!

Five Loves

About the author: