Title: Resonance Author: Mary E. Choo In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick) Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this) My Bookshelves:Paranormal romance, Vampires Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Edge Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: “Good evening, my dear,” he said to a passing caterer.
We all resonant together through life, but it takes a very special vampire to recognise this fact. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll be able to use it to make others’ lives better.
I liked the idea in this short tale of vampires being able to sense life forces. It isn’t a new idea, but it was dealt with in a unique way. The fact that it is used in a moment to diagnose cancer, and encourage wildlife to run rampant in a backyard, that was novel and fun.
I liked the idea of feeling the “resonance” in each being. I didn’t absolutely adore the pace and writing style of this short story. Ultimately, it is about rising up against an oppressive regiment and finding power in ones own desires that drives this story. The need to feel and live, even when you are undead. And I loved that message, but I found it a little difficult to be swept away by it.
Sara is hunting vampires. But things take a bit of a turn when her old lover shows up with a bit of a surprise unveil.
As soon as Wyatt walks onto the scene, you know what’s going to happen. You can guess from almost the very first sentence that Sara is probably going to fall for a vampire. I mean, the short story is in a collection of vampire romance novels and it opens with her hunting a vampire. But that didn’t make the storyline any less enjoyable.
One of the things that I love about the ending to this short story is that Sara doesn’t immediately accept vampires. Actually, she states that she can’t just suddenly change all of her opinions and thoughts just because Wyatt has re-entered her life. Which is refreshing. Even when we fall in love, we don’t suddenly become someone new. It is a gradual change, a merging of opinions and ideals. But not one that completely changes the entire makeup of an individual.
Holly and Matt both have tragedies occurring around Christmas. Twelve years later, they’re thrown together and have to learn how to deal with their pasts, if there is any hope for the future.
This was a great, easy, happy Christmas read. One that reminded me of the reasons I love Christmas and making me want to go absolutely insane with the Christmas decorations this year. The title of this novella led me to believe that it would primarily be about snowmen and the song “Frosty the Snowman” kept playing in my head. It wasn’t, but it was still fun reading with the Christmas carol playing in the background.
I love the parallel stories of Matt and Holly in Melting Frosty. Both suffer a tragedy the Christmas near when they’re twelve. The trauma shapes both of the leads in completely separate ways. But somehow, this makes them perfectly matched for one another, and highlights the love and importance of family. It’s enjoyable watching the different ways in which very similar stories can affect two different people – in one it creates a sense of fully living in the moment, and the other, a need to completely distance himself from Christmas and all of the joy it involves.
There is something about Christmas that makes anything possible. I’m not sure if it’s all of the stories and movies that we always see during the holiday season, or just something that is culturally entrenched. Melting Frosty is a reminder that Christmas is all about love and treasuring one another. And one that I wish I could read again and again and again…
It’s the time of year when dreams come true, miracles happen every day, and love is the greatest gift of all. The holidays always seem to bring out the best in everyone, with heartfelt hugs for long-missed friends, sincere smiles in the spirit of the season, and a feeling of magic in the air…
This scintillating collection of paranormal romances celebrates the holidays as never before. From a shape-shifting leopardess who wants a packmate to be her soul mate to a sudden snow-storm that brings a surprise gift, these four tales by Nalini Singh, Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, and Jean Johnson will stir your spirit in all the right places.
Naw. This collection left me with such happy, Christmassy, gooey feelings. All four of these novellas are simple, cute and incredibly sweet. They encompass the feelings of love and giving that to me is the true spirit of Christmas. After finishing every single one of these novellas, I not only bought something by each of the authors, but I just sat there with a feeling of bliss and happiness that there is still goodness in the world.
I know that the storyline is really good and sweet when it makes me tear up a bit. The fact that every single story in this collection did that to me is a fantastic indication of just how special this entire collection is. If you need something feel good and beautiful, this is certainly a reflection worth reading!
New Orleans is filled with vampires, both the temporary and permanent kind. So what happens when two of them meet?
I wasn’t expecting a story like this in a collection of vampire romance short stories. For starters, even though a vampire was in it, it wasn’t really about vampires. And for another thing, it wasn’t really all that romantic.
Although the storyline and the characters in this story
didn’t really draw me in… the setting did. There is something about New Orleans
that has always fascinated me. To the point that it’s probably the only American
city that I’m really interested in visiting. And the fact that a vampire story is
based there seems somehow… right.
Title: Halloween in Atlantis Author: Alyssa Day Series: Poseidon’s Warriors #0.1 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Paranormal romance Pace: Medium Format: Novella Publisher: Alyssa Day Year: 2016 5th sentence, 74th page: Not wanting to think about the day she’d leave Atlantis and go back to Chicago.
Halloween in Atlantis, a novelette of Poseidon’s Warriors
A Halloween treat from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Alyssa Day.
Now that Atlantis has finally risen to take its place on the world stage, the Atlantean warriors are having to face some new and interesting dangers — like Halloween parties.
Arrogant warrior Liam doesn’t understand the beautiful, bubbly human whose entire function in life appears to be to plan parties, but he can’t seem to keep away from her, either. Jamie, who considers herself to be completely unflappable–the hallmark of a great event planner–doesn’t understand why the far-too-serious Atlantean manages to get under her skin with every single encounter. Even if he is the sexiest man she has ever seen.
When the two of them are thrown together to solve a mystery surrounding the queen’s stolen jewels, sparks fly, secrets are revealed, and Halloween has never been hotter.
I didn’t actually realise that this novella takes place after the actions in Warriors of Poseidon until I was almost halfway through. I’m not really sure why it took me this long to figure it out, but I digress… it was still wonderfully fun, and luckily for me, didn’t give away much of the activities and plot throughout the rest of the Warriors of Poseidon series.
I’m an Australian, so I don’t really celebrate Halloween. I also don’t really get the whole hype about it. Which made it kind of fun to read a story that featured a Halloween celebration as the backdrop. Certainly a festive season that I’ve never partaken in, and one that both fascinates and disinterests me. I especially enjoyed the ways in which the Halloween party was used to create an escape avenue through fancy dress.
I love the paranormal romance throughout Alyssa Day’s stories. It is sweet, quaint and quick. But it also makes sense, and doesn’t feel like a horribly conceived, but badly written character development. I like that the relationships throughout feel natural.
Get swept away by the passions that rise out of the unfathomable depths of the lost city of Atlantis…
I loved Bastien’s romance. It features shapeshifters, passion and temptation. There’s also this great idea that although Riley and Conlan’s romance is the first in the series, Bastien met his soulmate a long time before Conlan did. It just took longer for the two to connect and find their way to each other.
I loved the sense of intrigue and intensity throughout this story. Other than the leading romance (which does take up most of this novella), there is a conspiracy theory, a race against time and an alliance to make. It was a lot to cram into a novella. But it was thoroughly enjoyable! There’s nothing like upping the stakes to increase the passion and lust in a paranormal romance…
As a finish to the Wild Thing anthology, this was a fun ending, as a next instalment in the Warriors of Poseidon series, it helped to keep me engaged within the series. It makes me wonder what is going to happen next.
Title: Atlantis Rising Author: Alyssa Day Series: Warriors of Poseidon #1 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Paranormal romance, Vampires Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Berkley Sensation Year: 2007 5th sentence, 74th page: He released his viselike grip on the priest’s throat, looking away.
Eleven thousand years ago, before the seas swallowed the Atlanteans, Poseidon assigned a few chosen warriors to act as sentinels for humans in the new world. Tehre was only one rule – desiring them was forbidden. But rules were made to be broken…
When she calls… Riley Dawson is more than a dedicated Virginia Beach social worker. She’s blessed with a mind link that only Atlanteans have been able to access for thousands of years. Being an empath may explain her wistful connection to the roiling waves of the ocean, the sanctuary it provides, and the sexual urges that seem to emanate from fathoms below…
He will come. Conlan, the high prince of Atlantis, has surfaced on a mission to retrieve Poseidon’s stolen Trident. Yet something else has possessed Conlan: the intimate emotions – and desires – of a human. Irresistibly drawn to the uncanny beauty, Conlan soon shares more than his mind. But in the midst of a battle to reclaim Poseidon’s power, how long can a forbidden love last between two different souls from two different worlds?
It took me a little while to truly get into this story. I almost felt like the beginning of the story was a little overbearingly cliché for a paranormal romance. And I didn’t feel that immediate sense of attachment to the leads that I usually do. But, once I passed over that first hump, I managed to fall into this story. And after the halfway point, I found it impossible to put down.
Riley is a good female lead, and the opening scene with her sets the scene for her personality and battles. But the intensity of her first moment quickly died off, and that was made it hard to fall completely in love with her straight away – an intense situation made way to a bizarre one rather quickly. However, once I got to know the character and her ability to cope with any situation (especially ones that involve vampires), I wanted the happily ever after that I was sure was coming.
For me, Conlan was the biggest hurdle in falling in love with this story. Most of the paranormal romance tales that I read feature men that I immediately fall for. Conlan is one that I still don’t feel passionate towards. There’s just something about his characterisation that doesn’t draw me in. Which I think comes down mostly to personal preference, since in the second novella, I absolutely loved the lead male. And I was certainly drawn to Alaric…
The world that Atlantis Rising creates is multi-layered and fun. It creates a reality in which Poseidon sits side by side with vampires, and one that I can’t wait to read more of. Now I just have to wait for the next novel to arrive in my post-box…
All Victoria wants is to dance the night away with Robin Hood, but the vampires have different plans…
There’s something weirdly romantic about Victorian London. Which is weird, because living in a time when women were just expected to marry and procreate sounds like a special kind of hell on earth. This short story, yet again, makes me love the romance of the time and the incredibly beautiful storylines that are built in this world.
Victoria is the kind of heroine that I often enjoy reading about – a female who is forced into a specific role. But, who is also independent,and able to kick butt when needed. I also love the imagery of her with a huge beehive of hair on her hand, dressed up as Marie Antoinette. With a stake in amongst all of her charms. Actually, it was almost a little like a Victorian Buffy… and now I want to see if the rest of the series has that go-against-the-grain vampire hunter feel to it.
Four extraordinary talents bring the most uncommon desires to life in a bold new anthology of romance on the edge.
Enter the forbidden and recklessly exciting world of the demon horde and their willing victims…
Listen to the secrets of a beautiful animal whisperer who’s drawn intimately closer to danger, and to the most suspect of all male animals – man…
Get swept away by the passions that rise out of the unfathomable depths of the lost city of Atlantis…
Follow the dark shadows that stalk both the living and the undead in a world of restless vampires and guardian angels…
I tend to buy these small collections of novellas to contribute to one of the series on my shelf. And then when I read them, I get to discover new authors and series that just continue to expand on my collection…
I loved this collection of novellas. I was expecting a very mushy gushy collection judging by the fact that it is classified as paranormal romance. However, it wasn’t like that at all. Each of the stories did feature sex and some form of romance, but it wasn’t incredibly intense. The sexual tension helped to add an extra layer to the storyline, without taking over it.
And don’t get me wrong… I love the stories that are all about the romance, but sometimes it’s nice to have a set of stories which have a sexual tension component, without it just being about that.
Earth and Skye 