5/5 Review: Wake a Sleeping Tiger by Lora Leigh

How many authors can say they are 30+ books into a series and they still have that magic touch? Lora Leigh certainly can.  Her latest novel, When a Sleeping Tiger Wakes is wonderfully written, still drawing us into a place where we can’t let go until the end. 

In this story, Cullen Maverick and Chelsea Martinez are our newest and hottest mates to be.  Although they are newer to our community than others we have heard of them in earlier books.  Cullen is the twin to Graeme, a primal who borders with sanity every day.  After Cullen helped his twin secure his mate they needed to change their names; Cullen (Judd) and Graeme (Gideon) were born in the hopes both of them could leave their past behind them.

Chelsea has always had her family looking out for her, even when she doesn’t want it.  Working with Cullen at the Navajo Covert Law Enforcement Agency she had hoped to form some independence and show everyone how good she really is.  Cullen has other ideas that make her feel smothered and leaves her with no choice but to leave which is when everything changes.

Cullen has always known he is a recessive breed, but when Chelsea is placed in danger the animal inside decides that it’s time to show the world, especially those out for his mate exactly who he is.  To make a relationship work you need compromise.  The question is can Chelsea and Cullen learn to compromise their protective/independent identities before they lose something far more important. 

Together Cullen and Chelsea make this story sizzle and with the added comedy from Graeme this book is hard to put down.  Recommended to anyone who wants a great read!

4/5 Review: Sinner by Eve Langlais

Sinner is the second book in Eve Langlais’s Space Chronicles.  I haven’t read the first book (which will be rectified shortly) but I didn’t have any issues understanding the story line or felt like something was missing.

The story is filled with twists which are amazing.  You think you know what is going to happen and then next …. wham; it’s completely different.  I laughed, wanted to kill people and was on the edge of my seat in my places but loved the book all the same.

Until I read the blurb I thought we would have been introduced/followed another couple but in fact it’s a continuation of Rafe and Emma.  The book begins with a very disorientated Rafe who has forgotten who he is.  While he tries to remember what has happened and who he truly is Emma has found her own adventure.  What would adventure be without getting into some sort of trouble; Emma finds herself being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

This book has everything you could ask for; romance, sexy main characters, bad guys, mischief and mayhem and that cute little addiction of not being able to put the book down until its finished.

4/5 Review: The Hero by Donna Grant

The Hero is book one 1 in the Sons of Texas series.  I was thrilled when I realised that the talented Donna Grant had a new book released and read it as soon as I had the chance.

The story revolves around a second chance love between Owen Loughman and Natalie Dixon with a mix of international conspiracy, kidnapping and bridging a family together.

A life time ago Natalie thought that Owen would always be there for her, but after a harsh break up, her heart was left if shatters.  Fourteen years later Natalie has grown as a woman and gained confidence working at the Russian Embassy and thinks life is wonderful.  A mysterious phone call from Owen’s father and a unsettling revelation shortly after brings the whole Loughman family back into Natalie’s life.

Trying to keep professional is hard when your eyes meet your one true love, even after so many years.  Can true love find its way through immense betrayal, a deadly situation and kidnapping.  It’s up to Owen to see if he can mend the heart he broke so many years ago while keeping her safe and finding his family.

I believe this series has real potential and I can’t wait to read the next installment.

4/5 Review: Sweet Surrender by Liliana Hart

There is something amazing about Novellas that I can’t explain.  They are like little packages of the deepest yummiest chocolate you can find.  You bite into them and they just melt and become bliss.  Sweet Surrender: A MacKenzie Family Novella by Liliana Hart is no exception.

Liza Carmichael hasn’t been to Surrender in 12 years, but after great aunt’s death she has no choice but to return to settle the estate, which include the bakery store.  Grant Boone is a retired Lieutenant who is at a cross road in his life when he decides to take a friend up on their offer to stay with there in Surrender for a few weeks.

Both Liza and Grant are amazing in their portrayal of each character and Liliana Hart has done an exceptional job bringing them to life.  You can’t help but feel for both of them as their stories unfold and the chemistry between them is at melting point.

It’s not just a basic romance though, it has surprises that you don’t expect.  At one point I wondered if we were even going to get a happy ever after.  They both need to learn to trust in love again and fight against a common bad guy to be able to enjoy the true life they deserve.

Awesome book for a quiet night in to unwind and enjoy some true romance with a twist.

4.5 Review: Wolfe Unleashed by Paige Tyler

This is my first Paige Tyler book.  Although this is written as a standalone, I had a bit of difficulty getting into it at first not knowing the characters.  However, once I let it go - I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The book is fast paced, full of action, romance, and oh yeah - WEREWOLVES!

In this one, get to meet Alex Trevino, he is a member of the Dallas SWAT unit.  (oh yeah, they are all were!)  He has stood on the sideline watching his team, his brothers, his packmates - find their soulmates (one).  When he takes a dog that he rescued to the vet - boom he meets her.  He wasn't really looking but he knows something is different about her.  Lacey is off of men after being blindsided by her ex.  She has been focusing on her career and is definitely not looking for a man.  She doesn't understand the pull he has on her either.

I have to say with all the action, the romance is just a sprinkle throughout.  The plot twists and suspense are center court.  Dog fighting, drug running and then Lacey's younger sister disappears along with several other college coed's.  It's an action filled ride from start to finish.  Just, when you think it's over - boom there is more!

Ms. Tyler's characters are superb!  Her writing is plot driven and will keep you turning pages to figure out who the bad guys are and if the team is going to solve it in time.  Add the paranormal romance and the spice that can only be were.  It is a wonderful book.  If you like paranormal romance, with a great action packed story.  I highly recommend this one!

4/5 Review: SEAL's Deliverance by Elle James

Elle James brings us another installment of the Take No Prisoner's series! I haven't read the previous ones so I can say yes it stands okay on it's own. Of course, I want to read the other 8 now! I kind of wish I had so I can see how the extended family of characters interacted before to see what growth and changes they have been going through. This one has the members of SEAL team 10 fighting at home instead of abroad. This is mostly Ray Thompson's (Sting Ray) story. I understand that the supporting characters are weaved throughout the series.

Sting Ray, along with other members of the team, took part in taking down a factory that was manufacturing bio weapons. Sting Ray, Big Bird and Irish, all receive text messages threatening to them with losing someone they care about. Ray isn't so worried he is a loner just like his Uncle who lives on a remote ranch in Montana. When he can't reach his Uncle on his friends to check on him. They find him near death. The team comes together as a unit to solve the mystery as to who is after them and attempting to hurt what is theirs. 

When, Hank is called on because he is the closest SEAL to his Uncle - he drags his visiting sister, Lilly is on vacation from her job at the CDC. Hank drags her out of bed and uses her knowledge and skills to help isolate and find a cure for the biological weapon that the team's loved ones are exposed to. 

In true Ella James fashion, she weaves a story with a balance of suspense and romance. Her character's are well developed for a shorter story, her plot lines are tight and the ending took me by surprise. If you are in the market for a quick hot Military Romance with some action and suspense I highly recommend this one.


I am an independent reviewer for Bitten by Love.

5/5 Review: Dark Crime by Christine Feehan

I have all of Christine Feehan's Dark Series books in paperback, and have just finished purchasing all of them in Kindle format. I love her stories of the Carpathian Warriors who find their lifemates, and at once their world is in vivid color, where once it was shades of grey. Each plot is different, although the premise is the same throughout the series: Carpathian Warrior meets lifemate; sees in color; binds their souls, and then go off to fight the "undead". Undead are Carpathian Warriors who have lost their hopes of finding a lifemate, and have turned into nosferatu preying on human and Carpathian alike.

The book was awesome. It had everything anyone could need from a book. Action, love, darkness, betrayal, mystery, romance, and characters that you can fall in love with. To be able to see the profession of the characters from the beginning of the book to the end was a delight.

I highly recommend all of her series... you won't be disappointed!

5/5 Review: Mulberry Moon by Catherine Anderson

After a career on the rodeo circuit, Ben Sterling longs to settle down on his farm and start a family like his brothers. He’s searched all over for the woman of his dreams. Yet the only one to spark his interest is the new owner of the local café. Getting her attention, however, won’t be easy.

Sissy Sue Bentley has worked hard to make it on her own, and she doesn’t need another man in her life. From her alcoholic father to the men she’s dated, who were after only one thing, they are nothing but trouble. Except Ben keeps showing up whenever she really needs help. Sissy struggles to deny her growing feelings for him—but soon Ben’s tender concern has her hoping for a happier future. Then her past comes barreling back into her life, and it will take more than the love in Ben’s heart to hold them together.

**********

Whenever I pick up a Catherine Anderson book I know I will have a wonderful time revisiting friends in Mystic Creek. She never disappoints me! In this awesome installment, life in Mystic Creek is about the romance of Ben Sterling and Sissy Sue Bentley.Ben Sterling is an ex rodeo star who is ready to settle down on his farm. Sissy Sue Bentley has worked hard to make it on her own, and she doesn’t need another man in her life. As crises continue to arise, she comes to rely on Ben’s support…and waits for the other shoe to drop. Because there is no way he wants only for which he asks—her love.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this town and felt like it was a place that I would love to visit. Sissy Sue, the heroine, seemed like a very nice person and one that anyone would like to know. However, I really didn't bond with her like I did with Ben. From the very first, I felt for Ben who just wanted a family. I loved how the relationship between Ben and Sue unfolded slowly and cautiously and didn't resort to the "love at first sight" and "immediate sex" that too many books are now calling romance. Too many times when the "hot romance" book ends I am left wondering how long the couple will actually be together. With this book, you somehow know that the answer to that question will be....forever.

Catherine Anderson is a great writer, able to make you laugh and cry as you read her stories. The emotions of her characters are real, the relationships ring true and the interspersed descriptions of Mystic Creek will transport you there for a great romantic escape! Give yourself a treat and grab a cup of hot cocoa and settle back with the folks from Mystic Creek! You won't regret it!





4/5 Review: Good Vampires Go To Heaven by Sandra Hill

WHEN HE WAS BAD . . .

Two-thousand-year-old vampire demon Zeb is supposed to spend eternity turning mortal sinners into bad guy Lucipires like himself. That way, they can grow their numbers and fight the vampire angels known as Vangels. But Zeb is a bad boy in a good way—secretly working as a double agent for none other than St. Michael the Archangel in hopes of one day earning his wings. Problem is, Zeb’s betrayal is discovered.

Hello, demon dungeon.

HE WAS VERY BAD . . .

Until Regina, a foxy, flame-haired Vangel witch on a rescue mission, busts out Zeb, along with three oddball Lucipire witches. Hello, temptation!

BUT TOGETHER THEY WERE VERY GOOD . . . !

Their escape unleashes a war to defeat all Vangels forevermore. In an epic madcap battle between good and evil, a Demon just might earn his wings . . . and spend eternity with the Vangel of his wildest dreams.

**********

The basic premise is that back in the day, the Vikings pissed off God with their heathen ways and worship of other deities. He was going to smite them all, until the Archangel Michael convinced Him to give them a chance at redemption. They would live as vampires/ angels-in-training for hundreds of years. Their mission is twofold. --1-- To fight demons who wish to harvest human souls to hell. And --2-- to help those humans set on a sinful path --to change to a righteous one. Seven brothers make up the head of the vangels.

There are so many awesome aspects in the pages of Good Vampires go to Heaven. I loved the characters. They are numerous and individually distinctive. I loved the Zeb, the non-vangel. I am hoping to read the entire series. I enjoyed the “near-sex,” it was nice to see Zeb and Regina and the way the Sparks flew when they were together. I was not expecting humor and this book is hilarious at so many times. I liked the religious/biblical aspect. The Viking vampire angels are out there doing God’s work. They’re saving individual souls and battling the evil Hell vamps.

Overall, I didn’t hate the book. It was fast paced, had some action, introduced a new sort of pantheon, and had some old friends in it. If you are a fan of this series give it a try. It fell flat for me, but may work for you. It won’t stop me from picking up the next one in the series though. Maybe next time it will rock my socks. One so-so book does not make a bad series.



4/5 Review: A Warriors Heart by Donna Grant

Regards Reader -

There are those who would love to rid themselves of painful memories, to forget nasty pasts and mistakes. They say its hell to live with those memories. I say its hell to live without them. I have no memories of my past, my friends or family.

I owe my life to the Fae who discovered me bleeding and nearly dead at their doorway. They saved me and offered me a new life, regardless of my past. So I've served the Fae and the Shields since that day. My special knowledge of herbs and healing has been needed to save the Shields countless times. They are my brethren, my family, yet I am alone.

No matter where I search or what questions I ask, I discover nothing to open a doorway in my mind of locked memories. Until I catch a glimpse of a woman who seems as familiar to me as breathing.

Jayna.

Though she claims to not know me, our bodies know each other. Yet, I agonize over what she keeps hidden in the depths of her haunted hazel eyes. I fear the dark thoughts that lurk in my heart, and wonder at any black deeds in my past. If what I dread comes to pass, death will not come swift enough.

Above all, I must keep Jayna safe. She is the only one that has quieted my soul and shown me what serenity was.

Gabriel the Hollow

**********

A WARRIOR’S HEART is the fifth and final installment in Donna Grant’s The Shield series. The Shield series focuses on a group of ancient warriors, all from different realms and times, hoping to rid the world of The Great Evil.
 loved the storyline of the Shields; warriors working for the Fae to save the realms from destruction, traveling through time to do so and fighting an ever growing evil along the way. The pace was fast, grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept me wanting more. I liked the interaction between the characters, main and supporting.

 The world building style reminded me a bit of Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, in that Grant threw you into this World with little to no explanations as to how it came to be, and as a reader you were on your own. I personally like that because to me,  the reader is as smart as you make them . Many authors assume their reader needs to be lead on a leash through their worlds and that's not always the case. Donna Grant gave the reader the chance to use their intelligence and I greatly appreciated it.

Overall the story was entertaining, I enjoyed getting to know Gabriel and  Jayna.  This world has definitely captured my imagination. I will definitely be reading the entire series to see where the story begins.

This book had me right from the beginning. It was a fairly quick read and had its funny moments.  I can honestly say that I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books in this series!

5/5 Review: Every Dark Corner by Karen Rose

When FBI Special Agent Griffin "Decker" Davenport opens his eyes after several days in a coma, there is unfinished business still on his mind. Decker's on the cusp of discovering the mastermind behind a human trafficking case, and he and his partner, Special Agent Kate Coppola, are determined to bring the perpetrator to justice. And they’re about to get a surprising new lead from a very unlikely source.

Eighteen-year-old Mallory Martin and her little sister, Macy, were the victims of an illegal adoption—sold by their addict mother for drugs. But their “benefactor” is not who everyone thinks he is. Mallory has never told his secrets before—the danger to her and her sister has always been too great. But everyone has a limit to what they can endure...

**********

Every Dark Corner by Karen Rose is the 3^rd book in the Cincinnati Series.  This can be read as a standalone but why would you want to.  This book deals with a lot of issues from abuse to child pornography and more.  I can honestly say this story was hard for me to read.  I cried during so many parts of this story that my vision was constantly blurred.  It is horrifying to read a story like this but it pulls you in because it brings into light so many issue we do not think about on a daily basis yet for others they experience it their whole lives. 

Kate and Decker have a strong connection from the beginning.  They formed a bond that is so rare to find.  They both have troubled pasts.  This is one of the reasons their bond is so strong because not only have they been through traumatic experiences, they came out of it as survivors. 

Mallory is an 18-year-old girl living with a man who has abused her since childhood.  Being forced into child pornography, rape, physical and mental abuse are just a few of the horrendous things she has been exposed to.  She stays in order to protect her sister but she can’t keep quiet anymore.  She resolves to go to the police and expose the man she’s been held captive by for so long.  Her struggles had me in tears from the beginning.