Tag Archives: Paranormal Romance

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

A Jaguar’s Kiss by Lora Leigh

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for shifter angela knight book cover

Title: A Jaguar’s Kiss
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Breeds #11.5
In: Shifter (Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day & Virginia Kantra)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Erotica, Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Were there emotions that had carried over from marriage that now hampered her ability to see her ex-husband as he was?

Synopsis

Natalie is about to get the job of a lifetime and escape her controlling and overbearing ex-husband. But, she might be in for a lot more than she bargained for when she meets an irresistible Cajun Breed.

Thoughts

I read Christmas Heat in a Christmas anthology not long before I started the Shifter anthology. When I realised that there was another Breeds story in it, I raced through the pages until I could sink my teeth into another of these stories. I have ordered the first few novels in the series… but I haven’t received them, so I was at a point that I’d do almost anything for my fix.

This is not one of those stories you should read where there are witnesses, or people who can read over your shoulder. It is intense and entertaining. But, what I love most about these paranormal romance stories so far is that it isn’t all romance and candles. Yes, love is about that… but it’s also about this weird, overriding passion. It’s not often pretty, and it is almost never like in the movies. Jaguar’s Kiss is like this – it is about this overriding sense and passion that is completely overbearing and more than a little terrifying.

<- Dawn’s AwakeningMercury’s War ->

Image source: Amazon

Sea Crossing by Virginia Kantra

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for shifter angela knight book cover

Title: Sea Crossing
Author: Virginia Kantra
Series: Children of the Sea #0.5
In: Shifter (Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day & Virginia Kantra)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Celtic, Mermaids, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: She didn’t want to sleep.

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Synopsis

And don’t miss the story that started it all, “Sea Crossing” in the anthology SHIFTER (Think Anne of Green Gables sails on the Titanic, but with shapeshifters!)

Thoughts

I’m already obsessed with this new series. I was kind of obsessed within the first chapter – there was something both sensual and innocent about the storyline. I also loved the fact that although Emma feels that she is a ruined woman (a complete strong and powerful product of the times), she still manages to find a way to stand on her own two feet. She refuses to settle for the second best that is forced upon her, but rather, decides to build her own life anew. Or at least try to. As with every other story, her best laid plans quickly go awry.

It’s hard to tell whether my obsession with Celtic folklore and the UK is because of my ancestry, or just because I love the richness of the mythology. So, anytime I find a series or tale that uses Celtic mythology, I tend to dive in head first. This paranormal romance story fit the bill exactly. Utilising selkies instead of other forms of mythological sea creatures pulled me in hook, line and sinker, and now I can’t get the beauty of the storyline out of my head. The greatest issue that I have with this novella is the fact that I have to wait at least a month until the first novel in the series arrives…

 <- Forgotten Sea ReviewSea Witch Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Atlantis Unleashed by Alyssa Day

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for atlantis unleashed alyssa day book cover

Title: Atlantis Unleashed
Author: Alyssa Day
Series: Warriors of Poseidon #3
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She could save us, it claimed.

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Synopsis

Eleven thousand years ago, Poseidon’s warriors swore an oath to protect humanity from those who stalked the night. Now those powerful forces are uniting. So are two souls who are all that stand between justice and eternal darkness…

A warrior prince…
Lord Justice made the ultimate sacrifice for his brother and paid for it with unimaginable torture. Now he’s back, rescued from death, his sanity shaken, and his mission inescapable: to search for the lost star of Artemis. But the beautiful female whom he has sworn to protect is shadowed by an evil that could destory them both.

A woman of science…
The archaeological artifacts of Atlantis speak to Dr. Keely McDermott, sharing visions of life long ago. The ancient revelations have cast her into a world between past and present, between reality and illusion – and, when she meets the fierce Atlantean warrior assigned to guard her, between terror and temptation. As their two worlds collide, so too will danger and desire…

Thoughts

Although there is still an epic battle with vampires to complete this story (like the first two novels in this series), most of the story doesn’t actually involve an arch nemesis or vampires in any significant way. It is about the internal battle and war that Justice must fight with himself to survive and become whole again. And I really enjoyed this change of pace. I tend to find I jump from series to series because there becomes a certain same-same in the battles that the characters are fighting, by having an internal demon as opposed to an external, Day was able to mix it up enough that I don’t yet want to put this series down in preference for another (I’ve had to because I haven’t received Atlantis Unmasked yet, but I digress…)

One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed about Justice and Keely’s story was that Justice is completely dual natured. Whilst there are a plethora of external forces he has to fight against (being held captive, rampaging vampires, etc.), the biggest battle is that with himself. And, more importantly, the internal dialogue that highlights his duality. Although the Nereid half is cast as the evil, I like that at the end, you find that the Nereid was also having its own battles and trouble expecting its alter-ego (for lack of a better term). Keely’s ability to accept them both and realise that he is her other half in spite of his crazy just made it feel all the more sweet.

I also enjoyed Keely as a lead female. She is the first scientist and academic to take centre-stage in this series and for that alone, I found that I related to her better than previous female leads. I may not be an archaeologist who has a gift to read the past in an object, but I am a female scientist who is constantly querying the world around her and trying to figure out how things work. I absolutely loved the way in which, even in the most dire situations, she will trail off and start to question how things work, the past, just anything and everything around her. It’s something that I do often, get distracted by the how and why when I’m supposed to be looking at something completely different…

 <- Shifter’s Lady ReviewAtlantis Unmasked Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Sacrifice by Rebecca York

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

Title: The Sacrifice
Author: Rebecca York
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: Medieval fantasy, Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Then she felt him go rigid, felt him suck more strongly as his body jerked and went stiff.

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Synopsis

Morgan has always been nothing but a disappointment to her father. Yet, she’ll still sacrifice everything to save her people, and maybe find a little of love for herself in the process.

Thoughts

I’m getting towards the end of a very big collection of vampire romance stories. And once you’ve read a heap of stories with the same themes it can become a little… repetitive. However, The Sacrifice had a completely different feel to it. And it was honestly enough to make me feel refreshed towards the entire anthology.

The trope of a virgin sacrifice to appease the evil dragon on the mountain was completely turned on its head in this short story. Alright, the sacrifice was still a virgin, but she had an actual brain on her shoulders and willingly sacrificed herself. The dragon was a vampire and the kingdom she was sacrificing herself for was kind of run by a douche. It just completely turned everything that I was expecting on its head. In the best way possible.

 <- Remember the Blood ReviewThe Midday Mangler Meets his Match Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Shifter’s Lady by Alyssa Day

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for shifter's lady alyssa day book cover

Title: Shifter’s Lady
Author: Alyssa Day
Series: Warriors of Poseidon #2.5
In: Shifter (Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day & Virginia Kantra)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: She’d seen it before, of course.

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Synopsis

An Atlantean beauty and a voracious Alpha panther male explore the boundaries of shape-shifting passion—only to shatter each one of them, in a beguiling novella of the Warriors of Poseidon…

Having never ventured beyond Atlantis for four centuries, Marie, First Maiden of the Nereids, is finally leaving for the world of the Above to see her brother and meet the beautiful shifter he married. For Marie, an even bigger surprise awaits her—one prowling in her sister-in-law’s panther pack. No man has ever touched her quite as exquisitely as Ethan, Alpha male of the panthers. But being drawn into his sensual world is as irresistible as it is dangerous when a violent turf war places both of them in inescapable danger.

Thoughts

I was expecting a novella featuring one of the Seven Warriors that are the focal point of the Warriors of Poseidon series. So it was a somewhat pleasant surprise to read a novella about one of the sisters – and a healer who is the leader of a temple. Alright, there was still an incredibly dominant and pushy male taking centre stage, but I enjoyed the fact that the Atlantean was female this time.

One of my favourite parts of this novella was that although there was the romance, neither party gave up everything for it. I was fully expecting the female to suddenly drop her role as lead of the temple, move to Florida and bed down with a very pretty leopard shapeshifter. Instead, they admit that they are mates, and tied to one another, but neither gives up their lives and responsibilities to indulge in this. Rather, there is an agreement to maintain a long-distance relationship, of sorts. I found it entirely refreshing that the tale ended in this way.

 <- Atlantis Awakening ReviewAtlantis Unleashed Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Atlantis Awakening by Alyssa Day

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for atlantis awakening alyssa day book cover

Title: Atlantis Awakening
Author: Alyssa Day
Series: Warriors of Poseidon #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: If you threaten Erin again, I will come after you with everything I’ve got.
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Berkley Sensation

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Synopsis

To rescue the world from an overwhelming evil, Poseidon’s warriors have risen from Atlantis. Chief among them is Ven, serving as the King’s Vengeance by birthright and by battle challenge. None can conquer him – except perhaps for one human female…

The warrior…
Ven’s mind is filled with duty. He must serve as Atlantean liaison to the humans in a war waged against the vampires. A sword is his weapon – not diplomacy. But on a mission to recover the Nereid’s Heart – a ruby of immense power – it will take every ounce of strength he possesses to resist the sexual allure of the beautiful witch chosen to work with him.

And the witch…
Erin’s heart is filled with vengeance. She lives only for the chance to punish those who murdered her family. Now she must partner with a legendary Atlantean warrior whose dark desire threatens to crash through the barriers she built around her emotions – and her heart. Caught in a trap of shifting alliances, how long can Ven and Erin resist their awakening passion?

Thoughts

I have a weird relationship with the Warriors of Poseidon series… while I’m reading them I don’t think that I’m completely enthralled, yet, I tend to just rip through them quickly and fall madly in love with the characters in the storyline. And, when I close the final page of the book, I can’t stop thinking about the storyline and all that unfolded.

Where I really didn’t feel any connection to Conlan throughout Atlantis Rising, I really liked Ven in the sequel. He had that crabby alpha-male thing going on which annoys me (and then I realise that I actually have that in my own life), but it was tempered a lot better than in Conlan’s characterisation. He had a softness and care to him that was kind of missing, although I honestly think that it has a lot to do with an improvement in Day’s writing across the books.

I’ve read a lot of vampire books over the years – something about Twilight seems to make it a must-have in anything with a paranormal theme. Yet, the vampires in this, although they follow along the traditional lines, aren’t a painfully overdone cliché. They aren’t even the centre point of the storyline, just another calibre of enemy that wants to destroy and take over the good guys. Or, in this case, want to take over Erin, the lead female in this story…

 <- Wild Hearts in Atlantis ReviewShifter’s Lady Review ->
Image source: Goodreads