Alpha Instinct
(Moon Shifter, #1)
By: Katie Reus
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Published: Feb. 7, 2012
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Fear has a scent. So does desire…
Ana
Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived
after all the males and most of the females in her pack were
mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack
is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both
their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into
her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget
how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to
mate.
The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw
hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But
his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their
complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go
beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he
is determined not to leave her side again.
But Taggart and his
rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is
targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s
future, but the lives of the entire pack…
I may be new to Katie Reus books but she's managed to sink her claws into me with this book. I found myself wrapped up in the story in the first chapter and was reluctant to tear myself away from the book to cook dinner. Which is probably why I made something that cooked in the oven and didn't require my attendance. Yes, the story is that engaging. The world building is perfect and the characters that she created really come to life in the pages.
I won't bother rehashing what takes in the book since that's what the synopsis is for but I will say that there is a lot of back and forth between the characters. Ana was in love with Connor when he all but got up and left the pack without so much as a "sayonara" to Ana. So when he pops back into the picture she's hesitant to allow him back into her life but regardless, she can't run from her feelings for long. Connor, being the Alpha warrior that he is, of course, won't admit to his feelings or tell Ana why he left in the first place. Nevertheless, these two characters are mated in the beginning of the book and have to deal with both the past and present at once in order to make keep their new pack intact.
Not only did I enjoy the main characters but the story follows Connor's brother, Liam, as well as he deals with the shock of finding his mate. We also follow the villains in the story too. So we get a lot of point of views in this story that as a whole, really create an in dept story that goes beyond the two main characters. We get to meet characters who, in the future, will have their own story. So I highly recommend reading the books in succession since you will more than likely feel a little left out if you were to jump in later on in the story.
Even though this was the first book that I've read by this author it definitely won't be the last. I'm already clamoring to get my hands on the second book which deals with Liam and his mate. If you are a fan of PNR or shifter books than give this a try. You won't be disappointed.
"Regardless of species, women were the most complicated creatures on the planet, but even he know to listen when they spoke." -Liam
Officer Off Limits
(Line of Duty, #3)
By: Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Brazen
Published: June 10, 2013
Genre: Erotic Romance
Rating:
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
His need to possess her is non-negotiable.
Story
Brooks’ fiancé just called off their wedding two weeks before the happy
day. As if that isn't bad enough, her semi-estranged father, an
infamous NYPD hostage negotiator, has suffered a heart attack. Not
wanting to examine her lack of emotion over the broken engagement, she
hops on a plane to reconnect with her father before it’s too late.
Playboy
hostage negotiator Daniel Chase has never, not once, been refused by a
woman, so when a debate over hospital snack foods with a delectable
kindergarten teacher ends in flat-out rejection, he makes it his mission
to seduce her. His only obstacle? She’s the daughter of his mentor who
implicitly forbade Daniel from pursuing her.
Despite her father’s
warnings and Daniel’s troubled past, Daniel and Story can’t resist
their intense attraction to one another. But when the reason for her
fiancé’s abrupt wedding cancellation comes to light, can Story and
Daniel's already forbidden relationship survive?
Story
just had her wedding called off by her fiance and in the same day found
out that her father had a heart attack. So she flew from CA-NY to be by
his side at the hospital. While looking for something to eat at the
hospital's vending machine she meets Daniel. The same guy, who 5 seconds
ago was hitting on the nurse, is now pulling his moves on her. They have
a debate on whether she should get the healthy snack which could've
potentially been sitting there for months or junk food which everyone
eats, so therefor is "fresher".
"You've got your eye on that healthy cereal bar. It's a bad selection. Pick something else."
"Elaborate."
"No one buys healthy cereal bars. That's been there as long as the machine itself."
"Did you have an alternate suggestion?"
"Of course... Peanut butter crackers. You can't go wrong there. They're the best bang for your buck."
"You know, I could have sworn you were going to pick the trail mix."
"Oh, yeah? Why is that?
"Because you're both full of shit."
After their run in at the vending machine, Story heads
to her father's room and that's when they find out that Story's father
is Daniel's mentor. Oh and that's also when Story decides to start
calling him "Trail Mix" for the duration of the book. *GENIUS!*
This
is one sexy story. Just like the other books from the Line of Duty
series, the hero loves to talk dirty. It doesn't matter if they are in
public or in bed, these smooth operators don't seem to have an off
switch.
"Knowing these tan lines are hiding underneath your clothes drives
me fucking crazy. The sun has touched you everywhere else. But only I
get to touch you here."
There were a lot of steamy scenes but there's also back
story about the characters, mainly Daniel, as the story progresses. He
was raised in foster care and was told all his life that he'd never
amount to anything. So as an adult he's learned to earn approval from
people through sex. So when Story comes along and sees his faults and
still finds pleasure being around him, he starts to reevaluate his life.
Meanwhile Story had been dealing with an absent fiance before the
breakup. So to have a man actually want to not only spend time with her
but make her happy is something that she's not used to. Both of these
characters were out of their element with each other.
There
weren't a lot of surprises with this one except maybe the bomb that's
dropped towards the end regarding Story's father. But lets be honest
here, Tessa is an amazing author and she can write erotic romance like
it's no one's business. I'm not gonna pull the wool over your eyes and
say that this is a make-you-think-it-through Stephen King novel. Nope.
It's a read-while-the-kids-are-in-bed kind of book. Better yet, send the
kids over to their friends house for the day and dive right in.
It
all started with Protecting What's His and I must say that I have
signed up to read whatever Tessa comes out with next. If you're looking
for a steamy new read than you have got to check out this author!
*You do not need to read these books in order. The characters don't interact with each other so these are great as stand alones.
"Oh
and Jack said to tell you something... what was it? Ah... he said, 'If
the Mets get anywhere near home base, it'll be the last game they ever
play. I don't know a lot about baseball. Did that make sense?"
Daniel gulped. "Perfect sense." In other words, touch my daughter and die, asshole.
Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter.
When she isn't writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument
and thirty-minute recipes.
Previous reviews from Line of Duty
Protecting What's His
His Risk to Take
Last Sacrifice
(Vampire Academy, #6)
By: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: Dec. 7, 2010
Genre: YA
Rating:
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
They come first.
My
vision was growing dimmer, the blackness and ghosts closing in. I swore
it was like I could hear Robert whispering in my ear: The world of the dead won't give you up a second time.
Just before the light completely vanished, I saw Dimitri's face join
Lissa's. I wanted to smile. I decided then that if the two people I
loved most were safe, I could leave this world.
The dead could finally have me.
Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules.
She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with
her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke
the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor,
Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world,
risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir
guardians to come.
Now the law has finally caught up with Rose -
for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest
offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help
from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall
her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new
candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.
But the clock
on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the
dead wants her back...and this time she is truly out of second chances.
The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who
will save you?
Spirit
Bound ended with Rose being locked up at Court for the murder of the
Queen, which is exactly where Last Sacrifice picks up. Everyone is
shocked that Rose is being accused of murder. She's clearly been framed
since the murderer so conveniently left her silver stake at the scene of
the crime. The evidence is all against her and she is locked back up
until her trial which is in two weeks time. Not nearly enough time for
Lissa, her father and friends to find the real murdered exonerate her of
her charges but they need to come up with something because if Rose is
found guilty, she will be executed.
I was so sad to see this
series end. I wasn't sure how Mead would end everything but I thought
she did a good job. I was a little let down with Dimitri though. I'm so
used to him being this kick-ass character that it was a little weird
seeing him being all broken and emotional. Although, considering he
thinks that Rose is slipping away, I guess I could see him opening up to
console her. He doesn't try to win her back though because he knows that he lost his shot when he pushed her away. He's come to terms with the fact that she's moved on and he's trying to be happy for here. However, Rose is still obsessing over Dimitri and it kind of pissed me off. Here she is with Adrian and she's still hung up over
Dimitri. I just didn't care too much for that. I mean, sure at first Adrian seemed a bit off his rocker, and let's be honest here, he still is but he cares for Rose. Even during the grief of losing his aunt, he still only thinks of Rose. It's always been about Rose for him, which is why I was really annoyed that she was so quick to drop him like a hot potato just because Dimitri was back in the picture. Otherwise, I loved the
story and the fact that the story is split in half. Rose does a lot of
bond spying on Lissa as they try to find the murderer. She's still not sure exactly what's going on back home but Rose has come up with an idea of her own. An idea that will change all of their lives
I'm sad to see this series go but loved the ride. I loved it so much that this series has been something that I re-read at least twice a year. Yes, I know, I'm obsessed and I couldn't be happier that they are turning it into a movie. *picture a crying Bieber fan girl clapping excessively, and you have me*. I'm a little happy that there is a spinoff called Bloodlines that will deal with Adrian and I hope to God that poor guy gets his happy ever after. Normally I like a little spin in my romance but by golly that poor guy deserves a happy ending.
"There was a look of woe on his face that was almost
comical. Raids, bullets, criminals...no problem. A missing duster?
Crisis."
Previous reviews from the Vampire Academy series...
Vampire
Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Shadow Hunter
(Execution Underground, #0.5)
By: Kait Ballenger
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Vampire hunter Damon
Brock's first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester,
New York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn't the only hunter
in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless
when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she
works solo. But being alone is no longer so desirable when she meets the
mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. As they work to
massacre the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when
they are forced to decide between their lifelong beliefs... and their
newfound hearts.
Damon
is on the hunt for the head vampire who killed his partner, Mark.
However, when he tracks down the bloodsucker, he finds Mark's little
sister acting as a potential feeding host. She's no longer the teenager
he used to write letters to. She's hunting her brother's killer and will
do anything to seek revenge, even if it means putting her life on the
line.
I don't know why but I'm always a fan of the best friend's
little sister stories. This one had a fun twist to it though. Damon and
Mark were Hunters together and in an attempt to help Damon release some
pent up emotions, Mark gets his little sister to start writing Damon.
Pretty soon the two of them are close pen pals but neither of them have
met. So fast forward to the present time, Mark was killed in action,
Tiffany blames Damon for not saving him and Damon agrees with her
assessment. When these two meet, she has no clue that her brother's
partner "B" is the same man standing in front of her and of course Damon
isn't going to be forthcoming with that information. However, they have
a common goal and that is to take down the vampire responsible for
Mark's death. So they team up to try to take this vampire down, while
becoming closer in the process.
Even though this is a novella
that sets up the Execution Underground series, there was a lot going on.
We got to understand the characters, the world that they live in as
well as get a grasp for the stage that Kait is setting. This series
isn't going to revolve around just vampires, the EU handles all things
supernatural and apparently there is a whole butt load of supes in
Rochester, NY.
"I hate to tell you this, but Rochester is swamped with
supernatural predators. There are reported werewolf sightings, possibly a
full-on pack, there are demons lodged so deep the people they've
possessed are pretty much done for, there are several small witch
covens, loads of non-wereworlf shifters-oh, and that's not even
including all the poltergeists and ghosts reported in the old abandoned
asylum."
So with all the action taking place in Rochester, Damon
finds himself appointed team leader and will soon be getting a team of
Hunters to help him handle all the things that go bump in the night. If
the prequel is anything to go off of, this is going to be an amazing
series. I'm so glad I found out about this debut author. The whole story
was captivating, from the intense fight scenes to the seductive bedroom
scenes. If you are a fan of paranormal romance than this is an absolute
must. I personally cannot wait to read more of not only the EU series
but anything that Kait comes out with.
I was born & raised in Syracuse so of course I loved that this book takes place in Rochester.
"Not even 9:00p.m. and already he'd taken out one bloodsucker. Rochester seemed promising."
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A Midsummer's Nightmare
By: Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Poppy
Published: June 5, 2012
Genre: New Adult
Rating:
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Whitley Johnson's dream
summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met
his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night
stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.
Worse, she
totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family.
So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice
the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister
who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even
though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy
who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of
them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces
of her family together.
Yup,
Kody is one of my favorite authors. I don't care what that chick
writes, I'll read it. She
keeps the teen scene real. She doesn't write her characters the way that
society thinks they should be written, she writes them the way that teens
are. She even gives her characters real life issues who do really stupid things. I LOVE Kody's writing.
Okay now that my author
gushing is out of the way, lets talk about Whitley. Whitley has some
serious daddy complex issues. Her parents got divorced when she was young
and she never sees her father, except during the summer months. Her mother never remarried and her brother moved away and got
married so there was never a male figure in her life. She doesn't
realize that she has any issues though, to her, life is a bunch of
drunken nights and hookups. Her mom doesn't care about what she does and
it isn't until she finds herself meeting her father's new family that
she realizes what a difference a "family" can make.
I like that the
author gave Nate some struggles of his own. After his father passed
away, Nate took to drinking and drugs. He was out of control for a few
years and it isn't until he hooked up with a chick who totally brushes
him off the next morning that he realizes that his partying isn't so
great anymore. Then the poor guy gets kicked in the balls when he meets
his soon to be step-dad's daughter, the one and only "bang &
bounce", Whitley. (okay I totally made up the whole bang & bounce,
that's not her nickname) So now he's saddled for the summer with the
chick who totally blew him off after they slept together and to make
matters worse, her crazy party ways are having a negative impact on
his 13 year old sister.
The cast of characters were awesome in
this book. I thought the secondary characters were great, from the gay
friend who wasn't your typical stereotypical "gay guy" in a book (You know
what I'm talking about) to the younger sister who is excited to have an
older sister and looks up to Whitley and even the step-mom who is trying
to be attentive and make Whitley feel comfortable in her new
environment. Very rarely to I like ALL of the extra characters in a
story but I did with this one.
It seems like sex is a huge theme
with Kody. The DUFF was a girl who has sex with the guy who called her
the "designated ugly fat friend", Shut Out was a jock chick who gets her
team members and friends to withhold sex from their boyfriends for the
season, and then of course this one with Whitley who is so majorly
messed up and out of control. However, with all the other stories, the
characters see their ways, right the wrongs and they get a HEA. In this
case, it took her scandalous behavior being broadcast via a Facebook group
page in order for her to see how wild she'd become.
Yes there
is a lot of drinking that takes place in this story but the author shows
the consequences of such behavior. She didn't sugar coat what happens
due to Whitley's partying. She always shows the fall out to everything that happens in her books. This is a great book and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next.
I'm
sure everyone is going to say that they like Harrison but the moment
that Whitley sat down at The Nest (teen club) and starts flirting with
with him, I liked him instantly and hoped that he was in the story. Thank
you Kody for keeping him around because he was hilarious! For instance
the scene at the club...
He shook his head and looked down the bar. "Joe!" he called. "Hey, Honey, can you get the pretty girl a coke?"
"Only if you stop calling me honey," the bartender, a bearded man in his thirties, replied. "We've had this discussion before, Harrison."
"Aw, Joe. It's so cute that you think I listen."
The
bartender poured some Coke into a glass and slid it toward me. Harrison
winked and handed the cash to Joe, who rolled his eyes before walking
back to the other end of the bar, where more customers waited.
"He hates it when I flirt with him, Harrison whispered to me. "Which just makes it funnier."
