Tag Archives: Paranormal Romance

The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance edited by Trisha Telep

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Overview
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

Title: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance
Author: Trisha Telep, Sherri Erwin, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Jenna Black, Jenna Maclaine, Raven Hart, Delilah Devlin, Keri Arthur, Kimberly Raye, Alexis Morgan, Lilith Saintcrow, C.T. Adams, Cathy Clamp, Susan Sizemore, Dina James, Colleen Gleason, Barbara Emrys, Savannah Russe, Shiloh Walker, Vicki Pettersson, Rebecca York, Rachel Vincent, Amanda Ashley, Karen Chance & Nancy Holder
Series: Mammoth Books
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Short story collections, Vampires
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: I have travelled the world in search of knowledge, studied with every important intellectual from da Vinci to Hawking.

Synopsis

Love is a weapon in the face of evil.

From the biggest names in paranormal romance, here are over 25 tales of a hunger like no other…

Let Karen Chance, Keri Arthur, Lilith Saintcrow, C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp, Amanda Ashley, Vicki Pettersson and Susan Sizemore and others take you hot-blooded on the trail of the sexiest creatures of the night.

In the world of the Undead there are strange codes of conduct, dark rituals and dating games, as they seduce the locals and engage in the most sensual encounters you’ll sink your teeth into this side of the grave.

These ain’t your mother’s vampires!

Thoughts

I kind of loved this collection. It definitely isn’t one that you can read cover to cover in one sitting – there’s only so many vampire romances that I can happily read before they start to blend into one. But as a slow read that I just picked up every now and again… it was really, really good.

The short stories in this collection ranged from the classical and predictable vampire stories to ones that took a whole new spin on the ideal. Some were just sweet and some just downright disturbing. And although they all follow a similar theme, not one is the same. I now have a very long list of new authors and series that I want to sink my teeth into…

<- Red Letter DayFade to Black ->

Image source: Goodreads

Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for sea fever virginia kantra book cover

Title: Sea Fever
Author: Virginia Kantra
Series: Children of the Sea #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves:Celtic, Mermaids, Paranormal romance
Dates read: 2nd – 3rd February 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: “Not once the season’s over,” Antonia grumbled.

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Synopsis

A desire for life… Regina Barone knows something is missing from her life. She spends her days working in her mother’s restaurant on the Maine island of World’s End and her nights caring for her young son. When the island’s only eligible bachelor marries another woman, Regina realizes that the love she yearns for isn’t going to appear by magic. Or is it?

A denial of blood… Dylan Hunter has returned to World’s End for his brother’s wedding, but he is troubled by his human ties. years ago, he chose his life as a selkie – an immortal being of the sea – over the fragile and treacherous emotions of humanity. The same emotions that destroyed his family, and that will strike at his very heart…

A danger to both… Neither Regina nor Dylan can ctonrol their attraction to each other – or foresee its disastrous consequences. But their destiny has been foretold, and their fate will be decided in the stormy tides of water and fire, where only love can save them – and the world…

Thoughts

In Sea Witch, I kind of hated Dylan. He was a bit of a douche. And had major tickets on himself. So I really wasn’t sure whether I would actually like this story or not… after all, the lead was someone who I thought was a bit… eh. And after reading this, I don’t really think all that much more of Dylan. I still think he’s a douche. Although I understand his douchiness a little better I suppose.

Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the male lead, I did love the female lead – Regina. She is tough, independent and has a lot of gumption. And, even though she’s falling for Dylan all throughout, she still maintains her independence and integrity. And, as I read this story, I spend a lot of time thinking about the food that she is cooking. Which makes me incredibly hungry. After all, who can read about food and not want to eat?

Sea Fever really starts to set up the overall series storyline for the Children of the Sea series. Where Sea Witch was a great introduction and a wonderfully easy read, Sea Fever was a little more complex. The idea of the future prophecy heavily intertwines with the lives of the characters. And it meant, that like Sea Fever, I had to immediately pick up Sea Lord to see what was going to happen next…

 <- Sea Witch ReviewSea Lord Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for sea witch virginia kantra book cover

Title: Sea Witch
Author: Virginia Kantra
Series: Children of the Sea #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Celtic, Mermaids, Paranormal romance
Dates read: 30th January – 2nd February 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Margred gave herself a moment to admire him, the thoughtful green eyes, the long, strong jaw, the sensitive mouth.

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Synopsis

From the water… For years, Margred has gone without the touch of another. Now, her need has driven her beyond her own world. For she is a selkie – a legendary being of the sea, able to shape-shift into seductive human form. Finally, she has found the one she wants…

From the land… A burned-out veteran of the big-city streets, Caleb Hunter was only too happy to take the job as police chief on the peaceful Maine island of World’s End. Nothing ever happens in this tiny community surrounded by the sea – until he meets a woman who’s everything he’s ever dreamed of. And more…

To each other… Their passion is undeniable. Irresistible. But when a murderer begins targeting women in World’s End, Caleb must face the terrible possibility that the killings are somehow connected to the mysterious Margred – and that the power of their love may change the fate of humankind…

Thoughts

This is the first story in a long time that I’ve read where the woman is the sexual aggressor. And I really liked the change of pace. Maggie isn’t promiscuous and damaged as most sexually aggressive woman are often portrayed, but she is also completely free. I loved this balance between femininity and sexuality, passive and aggressive. She is such an incredibly sweet and lovable character. One that I was kind of disappointed to leave behind when I closed the last page of the book.

This paranormal romance is a nice balance between modern-day sensibilities and beliefs and ancient folklore. The use of selkies and their archaic mannerisms balances beautifully against the small town life and daily struggles of Maine. This especially comes to light when there are murders of selkies which need to be investigated. Small town cop, Caleb tries to solve a demonic murder, while using the legal system that we are all familiar with. It certainly leads to a number of confusing moments and difficulties that make this romance all the more intriguing and… well, sweet.

Sea Witch is an amazing first novel in the Children of the Sea series. It introduces a great new world set right alongside our own. There are already pasts and futures at stake and the vague mention of a prophecy. All of which make it impossible to not pick up Sea Fever straight away… which I did… after all, it is a Celtic series about Selkies… possibly the best mix of supernatural, romance and fantasy that I’ve read in a while.

 <- Sea Crossing ReviewSea Fever Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

A Stand-up Dame by Lilith Saintcrow

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

Title: A Stand-up Dame
Author: Lilith Saintcrow
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Trisha Telep) & By Blood We Live (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance,  Vampires
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: I chopped the was we used to chop rattlers back on the farm and, when her body stopped flopping and the gouts and gouts of fresh streaming blood had soaked a wide swatch of rain-flattened grass, I dropped the shovel in too.

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Synopsis

Jack wakes up in a grave with a bullet hole in his head. All he can remember is the dame in the green dress. And then he realises that the most stand-up dame might be the one who has been right in front of him all along.

Thoughts

I liked the voice in this story. It was that very 20’s and had that kind of roughened P.I. tone to it that I have become used to in some of the more vampire noir stories. There was something about the language and storyline that just drew me in from the beginning. Mostly though it was just the fact that although this was a vampire romance, the vampire part was implied, and not outright explained.

One of my favourite things about this story was the very beautifully open-ended. I was disappointed in some ways, but I also liked the fact that it was up to my own imagination to understand what happened next. Actually… imagining multiple endings has both been incredibly fun and really frustrating.

 <- Vampire Unchained ReviewUntitled 12 Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Vampire Unchained by Nancy Holder

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

Title: Vampire Unchained
Author: Nancy Holder
Series: Gifted #4.5
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Her auburn hair hung in sopping ringlets past the shoulders of her black raincoat.

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Synopsis

Liam has betrayed his sire, and now his sire is going to get revenge in the only way he knows how – through Liam’s love. But, when Liam’s ancestry comes into play, they realise that all might not be as lost as they initially thought.

Thoughts

I like the idea of a witch-born vampire. And that this ancestry is enough to overcome the change of vampirism. Actually, it’s the first vampire story I’ve had the pleasure of reading in which the change is reversed. And since it is a short story, this change occurs quite quickly. But it doesn’t feel forced and overbearing as it can in some short stories.

I like the weaving together of a bit of Irish folklore and witchcraft with vampirism. I haven’t read a good story that incorporates the two in quite a while. And it’s made me kind of desperate to get my hands on the first book in this series… self-control is a losing battle.

 <- The Day of the Dead ReviewA Stand-up Dame Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Wild Fire by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for wild fire christine feehan book cover

Title: Wild Fire
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: The Leopard People #4
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Dates read: 19th December 2018 – 6th January 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jove Books
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: His gaze was too focused, too absolute, making her feel as if she were the only woman in his world.

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Synopsis

Called on a dangerous assignment, leopard shifter Conner Vega returns to the Panama rain forest of his homeland, looking every bit the civilized male. But as a member of the most lethal of the shifter tribes, he doesn’t have a civilized bone in his body. He carries the scent of a wild animal in its prime, he bears the soul-crushing sins of past kills and he’s branded with the scars of shame inflicted by the woman he betrayed.

Isabeau Chandler is a Borneo shifter who’s never forgiven Conner – or forgotten him. The mating urge is still with her, and when she crosses Conner’s path, passions burn like wild-fire. But as Conner’s mission draws Isabeau closer, another betrayal lies waiting in the shadows – and it’s the most perilous and intimate one of all.

Thoughts

It took me a very long time to get into this novel. I did start reading this last year, about six months ago, but it just wasn’t what I was completely in the mood for. But, this time, it was something that certainly tickled me fancy a little more. Even though it still took me a while to get into the first 200 pages. The last 200 I read in a matter of days, it’s just the pace of the book and the mood I’m in I suppose.

Conner and Isabeau start off this story with a past relationship, so rather than being a story about first love, it’s one about gaining trust. Although I do enjoy the stories about first passions, love at first sight, and the idea of that very first courtship, sometimes it’s a nice change of pace to read about another stage in the relationship. Especially when it is a somewhat fragmented one. Somehow, the idea of betrayal and regaining trust, finding out more about someone after that initial “honeymoon period” is more engaging. It’s more real. More intense and able to draw me in. Probably because I’m in a long-term relationship, so the issues I’m facing are very different to those of first love.

Although I enjoyed Burning Wild, I absolutely adored the setting in Wild Fire. After all, it’s set in some incredibly attractive lands of the rainforest. In Panama, a place I’ve never visited, but one my friend has assured me is absolutely stunning. The mystery of the land and the intensity of the wilderness add to the fast paced storyline as Conner and Isabeau not only fight to return to one another, but also take down a drug cartel and rescue innocent children. It’s certainly a dreamy and intense world in which Feehan transports you to.

 <- Burning Wild ReviewSavage Nature Review ->
Image source: Christine Feehan

The Day of the Dead by Karen Chance

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

Title: The Day of the Dead
Author: Karen Chance
Series: Cassandra Palmer #3.1, Cassandra Palmer world #6
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: “I challenged you once before,” he said around the mass that had risen in his throat, huge and cold and sickening.

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Synopsis

“The Day of the Dead” features Tomas, a character from the Cassandra Palmer novels, who was last seen cooling his heels in Faerie. He’ll show up again in the series, but what about in the meantime? What does a powerful, four-hundred-year-old vampire with a serious grudge against his old mass murdering master to do when he suddenly finds himself with too much time on his hands? Hang around Faerie, where there’s nothing to eat (Fey blood=nasty) just because our intrepid heroine parked him there?

Uh, no. Not so much.

Because Tomas is obsessed, and has been for pretty much his whole existence, with one thing: taking out Alejandro, the aforementioned murdering bastard. In “The Day of the Dead,” he slips back into our world to confront his nemesis, only to find unexpected help in the form of a band of magical mercenaries. Think the A-Team with spells and potions instead of (well, actually in addition to) guns and knives and things that go boom. It makes for a lot of mayhem down Mexico way.

Thoughts

I have had a slight obsession (alright, maybe not so slight) with the Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead since I wrote an anthropology paper on it in my Undergrad at University. So reading a story that featured this time of year and festival made me kind of deliriously happy. Alright, stupid happy – I read this story from beginning to end twice in a row to get my fix. And then watched Coco. But that’s a whole other story…

I have only read the first Cassandra Palmer novel, so I don’t fully understand where this fits into the scheme of things. But even without having the background from the rest of the series, I still loved this completely. I vaguely recall Tomas from Touch the Dark and he seemed like a kind, if not slightly misled vampire. (And I honestly never thought I’d write that sentence in my lifetime…) So it was quite fun to read a short story that featured him. And, from the sense of the story, his new beginning and final freedom from the constraints of the slavery and society in which he has found himself.

<- The Music of the NightVampire Unchained ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Music of the Night by Amanda Ashley

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

Title: The Music of the Night
Author: Amanda Ashley
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Slow, Medium, Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: She ran her hands over his broad shoulders, his chest, his belly, loving the way he quievered at her touch.

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Synopsis

What is the Phantom of the Opera was really a vampire? What if you were his Christine? Paris, operas and a romance in the depths of the house… this story has it all.

Thoughts

I haven’t yet read The Phantom of the Opera… although it is due to arrive on my doorstep at any time. Yet, the very idea of it seems to pervade all sense of modern culture. I may have never read it, seen it or had the story line told to me… Yet, I still vaguely know what it’s about and feel the romanticism of the idea. So, the fact that there is a vampire romance based on this concept was incredibly fun.

I loved all of the parallels that were clearly drawn between this short story and the original tale. Yet, there was a great sense of modernity and joy throughout the story. I also love that although the phantom didn’t originally gain his own true love… in this chance at a new beginning, he finally gets his happily ever after. And who doesn’t love a happy ending?

 <- The Midday Mangler Meets his Match ReviewThe Day of the Dead Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Curse of Wolf Crag by Susan Sizemore

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: The Curse of Wolf Crag
Author: Susan Sizemore
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Scottish romance, Werewolves
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: I tricked you, all right.

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Synopsis

Tara left Wolf Crag to escape a past, but when the past comes back to haunt her she begins to wonder if maybe running away wasn’t such a great idea after all.

Thoughts

This story needed to be longer. I loved it. I thought that the romance in it was great. But the development of the relationship went from negative to positive waaaaaaaaaaay too fast. I love when past antagonisms fester and must be overcome to create a happy future together. However, in the caes of The Curse of Wolf Crag, one moment Tara is yelling at her beau and the next she is having sex with him. Talk about negative to positive on the flip of a coin…

The imagery of the Scottish isles where the worlds of fae and human collide works so nicely. Especially when juxtaposed against the modern setting in which the story starts. Talk of curses, fae and the past give this tale a very romanticised, beautiful feeling. The mists across the crag give the story a further feeling of mysticism and otherworldliness. And although I loved this story, I think that it would have been ten times better if it was just that wee bit longer.

 <- The Rebel ReviewBeloved Beast Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

Christmas Heat by Lora Leigh

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the magical christmas cat book cover

Title: Christmas Heat
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Breeds #12.5
In: The Magical Christmas Cat (Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh & Linda Winstead Jones)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Erotica, Paranormal romance,  Romantic suspense
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: He’d been out of the labs for ten years, but it had been ten years struggling to aid the survival of the breed communities.

Synopsis

She’s just a librarian, but after overhearing a sinister conversation at a party, her Christmas is about to take a turn for the worse. Or… maybe, with the presence of Noble, things are about to get a heck of a lot better…

Thoughts

I keep having Breeds stories pop up in my suggested reads, but I’ve never actually had the chance to sink my teeth into one. Until I read Christmas Heat. And wow. I’m not really sure why it’s taken me so long to pick up this series. I loved the writing, I loved the brutal honesty of sensuality throughout the story, and I love the ideas of breeds being created, not born…

I was really expecting just another paranormal romance story that featured a cat shapeshifter. One that was enjoyable and full of passion, but not really anything spectacularly different to the other series I have read within this genre. Just this short novella taught me that this series isn’t even remotely what I was expecting. For starters, the background of the “extra” in the breeds was a far more intense experimentation. The sensual moments throughout were a lot more visceral and crass, in a way that I found more realistic than romantic candlelit dinners. And the unwillingness of Haley to completely submit and her consideration of what mating actually implied was far more realistic than being swept away in a fit of lust.

I loved that although you knew Noble and Haley were going to end up together, there is a lot more placed at stake, and a greater storyline going on than just a simple romance. But, ultimately, what endeared me so much to this story was the fact that Haley explains just why she loves Christmas so much. And it is her simple descriptions that truly made me remember what it is about the holiday season that melts my heart.

<- Mercury’s WarCoyote’s Mate ->

Image source: Amazon