Tag Archives: Paranormal Romance

Halloween in Atlantis by Alyssa Day

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for halloween in atlantis book cover

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.

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Synopsis

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.

Thoughts

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.

 <- Heart of Atlantis ReviewChristmas in Atlantis Review ->
Image source: Kobo

Wild Hearts in Atlantis by Alyssa Day

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for wild hearts in atlantis book cover

Title: Wild Hearts in Atlantis
Author: Alyssa Day
Series: Warriors of Poseidon #1.5
In: Wild Thing (Marjorie Liu, Maggie Shayne, Alyssa Day & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: “I know of your so-called gift,” he sneered.

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Synopsis

Get swept away by the passions that rise out of the unfathomable depths of the lost city of Atlantis…

Thoughts

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.

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

Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day

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

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.

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Synopsis

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?

Thoughts

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…

 <- Heart of Atlantis ReviewWild Hearts in Atlantis Review ->
Image source: Amazon

In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead by Colleen Gleason

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

Title: In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead
Author: Colleen Gleason
Series: The Gardella Vampire Hunters #1.75
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: I’ve slipped one o’ your littler stakes here in the back of your hair.

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Synopsis

All Victoria wants is to dance the night away with Robin Hood, but the vampires have different plans…

Thoughts

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.

 <- Play Dead ReviewA Temporary Vampire Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Wild Thing by Marjorie M. Liu, Maggie Shayne, Alyssa Day & Meljean Brook

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Wild Thing

Title: Wild Thing
Author: Marjorie M. Liu, Maggie Shayne, Alyssa Day & Meljean Brook
In: Wild Thing (Marjorie M. Liu, Maggie Shayne, Alyssa Day & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Short story collections, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Plump, ripe, sweet.

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Synopsis

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…

Thoughts

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.

 <- Animal Magnetism ReviewWild Hearts in Atlantis Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Dancing with the Star by Susan Sizemore

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

Title: Dancing with the Star
Author: Susan Sizemore
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Trisha Telep) & Vampires: The Recent Undead (Paula Guran)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: The problem is what are we going to do for a bartender now?

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Synopsis

She’s a vampire with a little ennui and a ghoul for a best friend. But a car accident might leave her with the best hope of a future that she could ask for… and a star worth dancing the night away with.

Thoughts

This was a really cute little story. Sephora has a major case of ennui and is kind of bored with her life. And she has a best friend who is a ghoul. All of which in and of itself would make a great short story. After all, this is the kind of story that has a great outline of characters and creatures. But then it gets better with the dream sequence.

I haven’t read a story with a good dream sequence for quite a while. And this one ticked all of my boxes. It was slightly confusing and opaque, but also clear in other moments. Which, for me at least, is what a dream is really like. The fact that it leads Sephora to her own leading man and helps to rescue him just makes it all the better.

I was expecting an entirely different story from what the title suggested. I was kind of expecting some kind of dancing with the stars dance competition to be honest. But this was so much better and more interesting…

 <- To Ease the Rage ReviewPlay Dead Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Judgment Road by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Judgment RoadTitle: Judgment Road
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Torpedo Ink #1, Sea Haven #14
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Assassins, Bikers, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: “I’m not the best interior designer,” she said, lying her ass off.

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Synopsis

A brutal education in a Russian training facility for assassins has taught this group of men one thing: It’s a long road to redemption.

As the enforcer of the Torpedo Ink morotcycle club, Reaper lives for riding and fighting. He’s a stone-cold killer who turns his wrath on those who deserve it. Feelings are a weakness he can’t afford – until a gorgeous bartender gets under his skin…

Near Sea Haven, the small town of Caspar has given Anya Rafferty a new lease on life. And she’s desperate to hold on to her job at the biker bar, even if the scariest member of the club seems to have it out for her. But Reaper’s imposing presence and smoldering looks just ratchet up the heat.

Anya’s touch is everything Reaper doesn’t want – and it brands him to the bone. But when her secrets catch up to her, Reaper will have to choose between Anya and his club – his heart and his soul.

Thoughts

This is a completely new tone of voice within the Sea Haven series. It isn’t about sisterhood and it doesn’t have that underlying, feminine sweetness to the tale that I’ve come used to in the stories in this world. There is something far more rugged and intense about the tales and the total violence throughout make it kind of hard to put down.

I’ve been reading a lot of Christine Feehan books lately and there is a certain sameness to the stories. They often feature a fairly damaged and useless man who falls in love with a woman and trouble ensues. I liked that Anya had quite a bit of spice to her though, and although there were moments when I thought I knew what was going to happen, there were a few tricks that I wasn’t quite expecting. I was actually screaming “No Reaper you fucking idiot” at one point at the book. I got that tied up in what was going on.

Where Drake Sisters and Sisters of the Heart heavily tie into one another in not only the storyline, themes and feeling, the first book in Torpedo Ink departs from that. Yes, there are still mentions of previous characters. And it is set in the town over, but the world in which Reaper and Anya find their feet and their love is completely different. And this is a fact that I kind of love… after thirteen beautiful, but similarly themed books, it’s nice to depart to something slightly different. That’s not to say any less engaging or intriguing though.

My biggest regret about this book is that it finishes off all of the Sea Haven books which have been published to date. I now have to wait until January for the next Sea Haven fix. And I’m quite frankly, not sure I can actually wait for that long…

 <- Bound Together Review Vengeance Road Review ->
Image source: Christine Feehan

Bound Together by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Bound TogetherTitle: Bound Together
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Sisters of the Heart #6, Sea Haven #13
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: The knots in her stomach told her she was a liar, but no one else – not even Viktor – ever had to know that.

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Synopsis

For five years, Viktor Prakenskii has put his life on hold in order to take down the world’s most feared motorcycle club from the inside. But carrying out the insane violence and seeing the club’s exploitation of the innocent has brought his traumatic past roaring back. And there’s only one cure: to see the wife he left behind…

Blythe Daniels thought she’d never see Viktor again after he murdered her stepfather and left without a word. She rebuilt her life without him, becoming a personal trainer and physical therapist… becoming strong enough for others to lean on. But when Viktor comes back to Sea Haven, he’ll make Blythe question everything she thought she know about good and evil – and the dark desires of the heart…

Thoughts

My first thought on finishing this book was “Yup. Everyone’s dead.” And then I smiled.

Which was a good thought. All of the bad guys that have haunted Sea Haven until this point (or at least, the really evil guy) are finally gone. Which is unbelievably relieving. And it gives this great idea that the next Sea Haven series, Torpedo Ink is at the very least, going to start with everyone trying to rebuild their lives. Which is exactly what I wanted for this incredibly rough and tumble group of characters. My main disappointment is that the only book currently published in this (I’m assuming 17-part sub-series) is Judgment Road.

Meeting Viktor in Fire Bound was kind of annoying, although you can tell that he and Blythe are obviously meant for each other, he was kind of a douche. And there is the idea that Blythe has no idea what he has done behind her back. So reading about their reconciliation and the reasons behind his choices (still made him a douche, but a more understandable one) was an absolute page-turner. Actually, I just stayed up until 2am just trying to find out how it was going to end for all of them. Not just Viktor and Blythe, but the rest of Torpedo Ink and even the Drake Sisters.

I love that this entire series ties in to every other book and the two series are seamlessly worked together. You could read each series independently of each other but reading all of them in order is even better. And the fact that each sub-series (so far) has tied up all of the loose ends at the conclusion meant that Bound Together, like Hidden Currents was completely impossible to put down. After all, I didn’t only want to see what was happening to the Sisters of the Heart, but also The Drake Sisters…

 <- Fire Bound Review Judgment Road Review ->
Image source: Christine Feehan

Fire Bound by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Fire BoundTitle: Fire Bound
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Sisters of the Heart #5, Sea Haven #12
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: An inch.

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Synopsis

Flame-haired Lissa Piner is a skilled glassblwoer whose delicate gift conceals a burning inner strength that can destroy as exquisitely as it can create. Commissioned to design chandeliers for a string of luxury hotels, her remarkable skills have taken her to Italy. But Lissa’s real mission there is a secret. For her entire life has been a lie, leading to a chance to avenge a terrible wrong.

Enlisted as her bodyguard is Casimir Prakenskii, a trained assassin living off the grid. In Lissa, he sees a kindred spirit – something unexpected and wicked, mysterious and sensual. But something more than desire is about to bring them together, because both of their pasts cry out for revenge. And for two people with this many secrets, this much passion and this many enemies, someone is bound to get burned.

Thoughts

This was probably the least intense of the sexual attractions and romances in the Sea Haven series so far. At least for me. It was also the first one that I was able to put down for a little while. Something about it was just that slight bit slower and more easily paced. That isn’t to say that I didn’t love it just as much as the first eleven Sea Haven books.

Although Casimir and Lissa’s romance doesn’t feel quite as steamy as that of the other sisters (in both series), it feels far more romantic. There is something about Casimir and the (very controlling) way in which he plans out everything for Lissa that is so much sweeter and more thoughtful than any of the previous Prakenskii brothers. Which made me sigh a few times and clutch the book into my chest in that terrifyingly cliché way that women do in movies. Apparently some women do it in real life when they read something gloriously sweet. Or maybe it is just the wedding scene that tends to make me feel this way about Casimir.

Lissa’s character is insanely tough. Where the others are emotionally and mentally tough in their own way, this is the first Sisters of the Heart who is actually physically tough as well. She is an amazing assassin with my favourite back story of the series – nothing like what I was expecting from the previous books. But apparently everything that I was secretly yearning for.

Fire Bound also introduces Viktor and Blythe’s relationship which will be explored throughout Bound Together. It also gets rid of one of the villains and sets the scene for the even bigger bad guy who is (I’m sure) going to give me the absolute heebie jeebies in the final book in this series.

 <- Earth Bound Review Bound Together Review ->
Image source: Christine Feehan

What’s at Stake? by Alexis Morgan

Book Review, , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of Vampire RomanceTitle: What’s at Stake?
Author: Alexis Morgan
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: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: “Where do I sign?”

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Synopsis

She’s supposed to be convicitng a murderer. But what happens when that murderer is possibly the love of her life? There is only one way to find out… solve the murder and save the day.

Thoughts

This was a fun and easy little romance. It wasn’t anything ground-shaking, but it was really cute. And I loved that there was so much history built into a few pages. Not only were you swept along by the storyline as it unfolded, you were tantalisingly fed parts of their past which helped to build on the fun throughout.

I’m always pretty keen on a nice little play on words. And this title does that perfectly. It highlights the vampirism in the story, it shows you that there is something at risk, and just generally works very nicely. It keeps in tune with the happy, fun and easy tone of this piece.

 <- Love Bites Review Coming Home Review ->
Image source: Goodreads