Rules of Surrender by Christina Dodd

Title: Rules of Surrender
Author: Christina Dodd
Series: Governess Brides (book #1)
Next in series: Rules of Engagement

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: Impoverished and cast out from her family, Lady Charlotte Dalrumple is forced to work as a governess. Ostensibly hired to teach Lady Ruskin’s Eastern born grandchildren in the ways of English society, Charlotte soon realizes that her real assignment is to turn their barbarian father into a true English gentleman. The only problem is that the outspoken and sensual Wynter Ruskin has every intention of turning the tables and seducing the prim and proper Charlotte.

Review: Light and entertaining with some laugh out loud moments but the plot is insufficiently developed and the ending feels rushed. The embezzling subplot, for example, has potential but fizzles out, and its conclusion is predictable and contributes little to the story.

Dodd is a skilled writer with a talent for characterization. Winter and Charlotte have a vibrant chemistry, and even though there are one or two questionable scenes that may put readers off, for me, they were consistent with the Eastern influence on Wynter’s character. Moreover, Charlotte’s emotional conflict with regard to Wynter and her attraction to him seem to negate the idea that he truly forces himself on her. While, Wynter is obnoxious, chauvinistic and overbearing, Charlotte succeeds in putting him in his place and ultimately teaches him the true value of women and love.

The secondary characters are another strong point. From the children, who are sweet and engaging, to Charlotte’s ridiculous bully of an uncle and the bitchy Lady Howard, each plays a part in building the foundations of the story and contribute to the overall atmosphere. On a side note, the story takes place in Victorian times and there are hints at the superior colonial attitudes of the British Empire, which readers may find offensive but should be taken in context. One cannot ignore history and culture even when writing historical romances.

In sum, a fun and enjoyable read and I will be continuing with the series.

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First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

Title: First Drop of Crimson
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress World (book #1) 
Next in series: Eternal Kiss of Darkness

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: Denise MacGregor has an extreme aversion to the supernatural world ever since a deadly encounter with some of its more vicious representatives. But now a demon shapeshifter is preying on Denise and her family, and the only one she can turn to is Spade, a powerful and mysterious vampire who arouses her deepest fears but also her strongest desires. 

Review: It is necessary to preface this review with the admission that I have not read any of the books in the Night Huntress series and have no plans to do so as they are written in the first person, which is one of my personal pet reading peeves.  

That said, the Night Huntress world is an intriguing and exciting place, and it is fantastic that First Drop of Crimson is in the third person so that I am able to enjoy Frost’s exemplary writing skill. Moreover, I was never left feeling confused or out of the loop for not reading the books in the original series.

The plot is intricate with several different villains at various times in the book but all threads ultimately come together into a unified whole. While there are some annoying plot holes (for example, why does Denise feel the need to protect Cat from her problems when she knows her friend is quite capable of kicking butt?), these do not detract from the overall story. 

The characters are what make this book a keeper. Denise is a courageous, determined and endearing heroine. Her reactions to the trauma she experienced are realistic and believable. Spade is seriously sexy and romantic. Their relationship is well developed although their chemistry is more subdued than some of the paranormal romances that I’ve read recently. 

The secondary characters are a mixed bag. Those from the original series come across as a little one-dimensional. It is possible that readers more familiar with them might feel differently about this. In contrast, the characters unique to this book are more fleshed-out and compelling, especially the demon who is the catalyst for the story. 

One final comment on the language – quite a few of the characters are English and as such there is liberal use of English slang such as “bloke”, “sod”, “mate”, which takes some getting used to.  

First Drop of Crimson is an entertaining read. I look forward to reading Mencheres’s book and hope that Ian will also find his match.

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Rapture Untamed by Pamela Palmer

Title: Rapture Untamed
Author: Pamela Palmer
Series: Feral Warriors (book #4) 
Previous in series: Passion Untamed 
Next in series: Hunger Untamed

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: The most antagonistic and anti-social of the feral warriors, Jag must partner with the beautiful and enigmatic Olivia, a member of the Therian Guard. However, Olivia is no ordinary immortal and possesses forbidden powers that must be kept hidden from her race. Will Jag discover her secret and what will he do with his dangerous knowledge?

Review: Once again, the plot is engrossing and the intricacy of the Feral Warriors’ world just gets better and better.

The characterization is both the high and the low point of the book. In terms of the latter, Jag is vulgar and obnoxious, and his behavior toward Olivia is morally questionable. The revelations of his tortured past explain many of his offensive actions and he does eventually redeem himself. Nevertheless, it is difficult to sympathize with or even like his character.

In contrast, Olivia is amazing. She is courageous and spirited, and kicks Jag's butt on numerous occasions. He has definitely met his match in her. The unique curse with which she is afflicted and its contribution to the plot is actually what kept me reading. Not that the romance is lacking, in fact, despite his faults, Jag and Olivia’s relationship is captivating, especially once he comes to terms with who he is and realizes what he has to lose.

In sum, the book is well written and has some excellent twists and turns as well as a significant cliffhanger at the end. I highly recommend that the series be read in order so as not to miss out on any of the important details.

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Bound by Shadow by Anna Windsor

Title: Bound by Shadow 
Author: Anna Windsor  
Series: Dark Crescent Sisterhood (book #1)  
Next in series: Bound by Flame
 
My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: As a fully trained Sybil, Riana Dumain is a warrior priestess in the battle of good versus evil. When she becomes involved in a case involving the occult murder of a child, Riana suspects that NYPD detective Creed Lowell may possibly be a foot soldier for the evil Legion cult, using his badge and drop-dead looks to consolidate demonic power. Why then does she find herself so attracted to him?

Review: An intense and sexy romance with an excellent mythology centering on demons and the powers inherent to the four elements. The elemental magic and symbolism are unique (at least to me) and I found them particularly appealing.

The plot is action packed and absorbing but there are moments when it drags possibly due to the need to explain the complex mythology and consolidate the world building. The story is, however, well worth the effort of slogging through these areas.

Creed and Riana are an engaging couple and the development of their relationship is one of the book’s strong points. Creed is an interesting character because he is at odds with himself and must come to terms with his true nature before he can commit to someone else.

Riana originally comes across as physically and mentally strong but her insecurities are soon revealed and accentuate her conflicting emotions regarding Creed. Her inability to completely trust Creed despite everything he does for her is annoying but consistent with her characterization.

The secondary characters are also well developed. The other Sybils have distinct personalities and backgrounds, and it is great that they stand up for their principles. Some readers may find them obnoxious but I, for one, enjoy reading about strong willed, intelligent and powerful female characters. The villains are a little clichéd and it is not difficult to guess who they are, but the final showdown with them is exciting.

The book is well written and the next two installments are set up nicely within the storyline. I look forward to reading them.

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Ashes of Midnight by Lara Adrian

Title: Ashes of Midnight

Author: Lara Adrian 

Series: The Midnight Breed (book #5) 

Previous in series: Midnight Rising 

Next in series: Ashes of Midnight

My rating: 3.5 Stars

Synopsis: Once a civilized Breed, Andreas Reichen is now a vampire consumed with the desire for vengeance and he will do anything to get it including using the only woman he has ever loved as a pawn. 

Review: An intriguing plot in terms of the overall story arc with an exciting twist at the end. However, the romance is weak and unappealing.  

Andreas’s character has been building up over the series and I was eager to read his book but ended up being disappointed. To begin with, his character does a complete about face and transforms from a civilized and intelligent social creature into an uncontrollable and dangerous warrior bent on vengeance. This transformation is logical in terms of plot development but it takes some getting used to.

Andreas’s relationship with Claire is where the book takes a turn for the worse as their connection falls flat and fails to resonate. Their interactions are lackluster and borderline boring. The previous books emphasize the significance and strength of the blood bond, thus the fact that she is bonded to one of the villains, despite her claims to have loved Andreas wholeheartedly, undermines the romantic aspects of the story. It is a pity that Adrian couldn't find a way to work around this.

Speaking of Claire, her character comes across as selfish, vapid and disloyal. Some of her actions are extremely irritating and contradict her own internal dialogue. Moreover, the way in which she and Andreas ultimately resolve their issues comes across as absurd and uninspired.

To be honest, Roth’s character is far more interesting and impressive. He is manipulative, arrogant and sadistic – all of which make for one of the more compelling villains in the series.

The scenes between the other warriors and their mates, and the development of the Dragos storyline are some of the few saving graces of the book.

In sum, the world that Adrian has created is exciting and entertaining, which more than compensates for the unremarkable romance in this installment. Moreover, Andreas is not one of the core brotherhood of warriors, and he and Claire may not take a central role in books to come. For these reasons, I will continue with the series despite the failings of this one.  

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