Dawn's Desire Contest

Donna Grant is holding a contest for her latest release Dawn's Desire, book #3 in the Dark Kings series. Check it out on her blog or her facebook page.

For centuries, the immortals knows as the Dragon Kings have hidden their shapeshifting powers from the world. But when a mortal enemy threatens to expose them, the warrior Banan must leave his secret lair in the Highlands, risk his life for the dragons within – and resist the temptations of human love…

Jane Holden has never considered herself beautiful. But when the impossibly handsome Banan casts his gaze upon her, smoldering with sensuality, she feels like the sexiest woman on earth. Banan, however, is a man on a mission. He refuses to succumb to this modern woman’s charms – or his own desires. Two of his warrior brethren have already surrendered to forbidden love. But as the danger closes in, Banan realizes that he needs to possess Jane – mind, body, and soul. For she is more than his match. She is his destiny...

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Phantom Shadows Trailer

The 3rd trailer for Phantom Shadows, book #3 in the Immortal Guardian's series by Diane Duvall is here:

So, what do you think? Have you started the series? Do you want to?

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The Challenge Factory: Facebook Shout Out

The Challenge Factory, one of my favorite Goodreads groups, has their own Facebook Page.


They are holding a cool contest, so stop on by right here and check it out!

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The Lure of Shapinsay: Excerpt & Book Trailer

Krista Holle is an indie author of The Lure of Shapinsay, published in December, 2011. In the author's words, the book is a unique paranormal romance dealing with the very old Scottish mythology of the selkies.

Here’s an excerpt:

A hand slid over my mouth and stifled my scream before I was even fully awake. When my eyes sprung open, I was ready to be filled with the image of a most ghastly villain, but instead it was forewarned magick that filled my eyes, and I was filled with awe. A man in the lightest sense of the word, loomed over me with eyes so wide and feral, I thought he might howl to the moon. His words came out rough and breathy. “If you make a sound, I’ll snap your scrawny neck.”
The sensible fear one should first feel when they are first assaulted, oozed reluctantly into me, and my eyes strained towards the darkened bedroom. Wake up, Blair.
“He sleeps like the dead,” the selkie hissed as if he read my mind.
Oh, bloody, bloody, the fire had done no good at all. I silently cursed my ignorance and Blair’s lame advice. The man above me was pearly white and as naked as the day he was born. Even in the blushing light of a dying fire, I could see the smooth skin of his chest and the tiny folds at his tight stomach as he curled over me. It was instantly clear why the women in the village laughed when I asked how I might recognize a selkie man. He would wear a lein and trousers no more than a fish.
The selkie man slipped his hand from my mouth then sniffed his palm.
“What?” I squeaked.
His dark eyes turned on me with such wildness and intensity; I believed his promise to break my neck. I pressed my lips together too frightened to move, but also mesmerized by the extraordinary sight of him—a wildebeest about to be eaten by a majestic lion. I was frightened—wasn’t I?

And here is the trailer:

The Lure of Shapinsay is available from Amazon.  I've never read anything about Selkies, have you?

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Dream Date with an Angel

To celebrate the release of Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter, Pinterest and Harlequin are having fun with A DREAM DATE WITH AN ANGEL!!

Join us on Pinterest and create your own "A Dream Date with an Angel" board!
REPIN the cover of WICKED NIGHTS by Gena Showalter - then HAVE FUN AND BE CREATIVE! 

Here's my Dream Date with an Angel board on Pinterest.  

Come and take a peek.

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Teaser Tuesday (19): Midnight

A weekly book meme hosted on the Should Be Reading blog.
To participate, all you have to do is:

• Grab your current read  
• Open to a random page  
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•  Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser is from Midnight by Ellen Connor:

There was something beautiful and primitive about men dancing for the pleasure of women. The bravos took pride in their grace. 

Book #2 in the post-apocalyptic Dark Age Dawning series by Ellen Connor. In this installment, Chris Welsh (a character from book #1: Nightfall) joins one of the last remaining bastions of civilization and finds himself unable to resist its enigmatic leader, Rosa Cortez.

 Review will be available soon.

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It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn

Title: It's In His Kiss
Author: Julia Quinn
Series: Bridgertons (book #7)
Previous in series: When He Was Wicked
Next in series: One the Way to the Wedding

My rating: 4.5 stars



Synopsis

Hyacinth Bridgerton is a handful to say the least - excessively intelligent, witty and outspoken. Most men are completely intimidated except for Gareth St. Clair who is both exasperated and charmed by her. Despised by his father, Gareth has secrets in his past that he wishes to uncover and after receiving an old family diary written in Italian, he enlists Hyacinth's help with its translation and the two set off on an adventure in intrigue and love.

Review

Definitely one of Quinn's best and ranks up there with The Viscount Who Loved Me and Romancing Mister Bridgerton as my favorite in the Bridgerton series.

Although not as steamy as When He Was Wicked, Hyacinth and Gareth's relationship is more romantic and magical. Hyacinth is my favorite Bridgerton sister, and her wit, charm and outspoken honesty make her endearing and delightful. As mentioned in many of my reviews, I am a sucker for a tortured hero and while Gareth is not as tormented as Simon, Michael or Phillip, he definitely fits into this category. He is gorgeous, witty and absolutely likeable despite one or two morally questionable actions (which are, nonetheless, quite understandable given his upbringing and fear of losing someone he loves).

Once again, the secondary characters are excellent, especially Lady Danbury whose conversations with Hyacinth had me laughing until I cried. Gareth's father is a spiteful and obnoxious villain, and it is a pity that he doesn't get more of a comeuppance.

The treasure hunt plot device is very entertaining but ultimately disappointing because it fizzles out at the end, possibly because Quinn wanted to save its conclusion for the 2nd epilogue.

Overall, a light-hearted and entertaining addition to a wonderful series. There is only one more to go, which leaves me with a bittersweet feeling.

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Running Hot by Jayne Ann Krentz

Title: Running Hot

Author: Jayne Ann Krentz

Series: The Arcane Society (book #5)

Previous in series: The Third Circle

Next in series: The Perfect Poison

My rating: 3.5 Stars

Synopsis:

Working as a librarian for the Arcane Society, Grace Renquist has secrets she is desperate to keep. Assigned to partner former police officer, Luther Malone, who shares her ability to read auras, Grace fears that her past will return to haunt her. Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with operatives from the renegade group known only as Nightshade, Grace and Luther must think on their feet and combine their resources if they are to survive dangerously potent powers enhanced by the founder's formula.

Review:

A fun read but not as suspenseful as some of the others in the series.

Luther and Grace are a typical Krentz couple. She is intelligent, feisty and damaged in some way while he is tough, sexy and absolutely irresistible. They have intense chemistry and their paranormal abilities complement each other - Grace profiles auras while Luther manipulates them. Nevertheless, their romantic relationship materializes too rapidly with very little development. 

The writing and dialogue are smooth as usual, however, the suspense plot is ultimately predictable and the threat posed by the villains is scarcely threatening. Moreover, the pacing is a little off with numerous superfluous explanations that fill in gaps rather than developing the story and characterization. The Nightshade plot is overly complex and even though some questions from previous books are answered, there is insufficient information on the origins and progression of the organization. 

The secondary characters are entertaining such as the band of misfits Luther hangs out with in Hawaii and Fallon Jones who seems to have bitten off more than he can chew. His character is very intriguing and I look forward to his book. 

All in all, quite entertaining for those times when you want an uncomplicated read.

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Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Title: Slave to Sensation

Author: Nalini Singh

Series: Psy-Changeling (book #1)

Next in series: Visions of Heat

My Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: In order to curtail their violent tendencies, the Psy race has been indoctrinated to feel nothing – no anger, no jealousy, no hatred and certainly no love. But Sascha Duncan is different and can no longer restrain her emotions once she meets Lucas Hunter, the leader of a Changeling pack. With the ability to shapeshift into animals, the Changelings are true predators and they hunt a Psy who has been butchering their women. Lucas believes Sascha may be his ticket into the Psy world but both he and his animal are fascinated by her. Can Sascha and Lucas resolve their differences in order to catch a killer? Are they willing to sacrifice everything for a taste of the ultimate temptation?

Review: Slave to Sensation starts out a little slow but grows into an exciting story once it gets going.

The romance is intense and the love between the main characters is irrefutable. Sascha is an intriguing character. She is feisty and courageous and succeeds in concealing her flaws from her own people. She nevertheless yearns for a place to belong, which she finds with Lucas. On his part, Lucas is a dominant and possessive alpha, but never hesitates to accept Sascha for who she is despite their differences. He is even willing to sacrifice himself and the welfare of his pack to a certain extent. The fact that their mating develops over time rather than as the result of immediate and intense attraction further contributes to their relationship. 

The serial killer plot adds a sense of urgency to the action and highlights the profound differences between the Psy, who are reminiscent of the Vulcans from Star Trek with their cold and analytical logic as well as the Borg with their hive mind, and the Changelings who focus on emotion, physicality and sensuality.

Singh's writing is fluid and her world building unique, interesting and entertaining. The dream sequences are particularly good (shared dreams are a favorite plot device of mine and these are written very well).

The secondary characters are appealing in their own right and their stories should be enjoyable. Overall, a solid beginning to the series and I look forward to continuing with it.

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