Title: Zheng’s Heart Series: Vampire’s Kiss, #2 Author: Amber Kell Genre: Paranormal/ Vampires Length: Novella (75 Pages) ISBN: 978-1-78430-252-8 Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing (October 31, 2014) Available for early download. Heat Level: Low Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts Reviewer: Lisa
Blurb: A second chance in life, a second chance for love.
Jonathan Zheng’s spirit has been hanging around Aaron’s neck for the past five months. When he finally gets a body, he discovers a new life comes with new issues.
Between exploring a relationship with Banner, the hot bartender at Orion’s club, and learning more about the man he’s become, Zheng discovers what he wants in life might not be what he originally thought.
When a killer starts piling up the bodies, Zheng has to not only cope with the investigation but also battle his new body’s insane cravings. Will he be able to work alongside Aaron and discover who is murdering people, or will he sink into madness like he was warned about?
Review: This was an amazing story. This was book two in this series. Each book in the A Vampire’s Kiss Series focuses on a different romantic couple. To enjoy the overall story arc and crossover characters, we recommend reading the series in sequential order. It keeps me from getting a bit lost in the stories and gives me an insight in to their world. A world that captured my attention from the start and kept it all the way to the end. I love the way each character just mixes with the others. How fast they are to defend what is theirs and what they act the way they do. It was amazing and I love the way the characters just come together and make a true story enjoyable. It caught my attention from the moment I started reading and kept it all the way to the end.
Five months ago, Zheng had been murdered by a vampire. His spirit had been put in a gem on a necklace till Aaron had found a body for him. Aaron had been told to find a human body because being in the body of a vampire would drive him mad. So Aaron had switched to homicide to do just that. When his partner was killed, Aaron had thought he had found the perfect body for Zheng. Problem with that was his partner was a vampire. So brought back to life in a way, Zheng had to get use to it all. The funny thing was the only one he felt like drinking from was Banner.
Banner was the hot bartender at Orion’s club. He knew that Zheng was his mate, but he wanted them to take it slow to get to know each other. Their passion had a way to make them burn even hotter for each other. When bodies started showing up Zheng and Aaron had to find the one who did it. Zheng had once been in love with Aaron but now his feelings were getting stronger for his mate. Banner was already falling in love with his mate and worried that Zheng couldn’t feel for him what he feels for Zheng. Now all he had to do is to keep his newly turned vampire mate safe.
I absolutely loved this story. It has the perfect twist to make this story make you crave for more. I would recommend reading this story, especially if you love sexy men, crazy vampires, twist and turns, excitement, danger and amazing sex. It gave me that and so much more. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next story.
Hey guys, we have the pleasure of hosting Amber Kell with her fantastic new release Elijah’s Ghost, Amber chats a bit about A Wizard’s Touch series, we have a tasty teaser excerpt and we have Lisa’s review for you to enjoy! Enjoy the post and check out the rest of the series when you get the chance <3 ~Pixie~
Elijah’s Ghost
(A Wizard’s Touch 04)
by
Amber Kell
It only takes one event to change the world.
Elijah Trenton had always been considered a weak wizard. With little magic and an overpowering father he’d expected to spend his life teaching. When an accident reveals his ability to talk to the dead, new possibilities open up.
Devin Stewartson had been eyeing Elijah for months. The shy redhead drew his eye from that first day, and only the thought of a relationship had him shying away. When Elijah saves Devin’s life, Devin decides that some things are worth a chance.
Old enemies and new adversaries try to tear the two men apart, but love can withstand most anything and even death can’t part two men fated to be together.
Title: Protecting His Pride Series: Supernatural Mates, #7 Author: Amber Kell Genre: Paranormal/ Shifters Length: Novella Publisher: Total E-Bound (December 1st, 2013) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2.5 Hearts
Reviewer: Thommie Blurb: When a bleeding lion shifter collapses in the alley outside his restaurant, Garret Halcon discovers the one thing missing in his life was love.
Garret Halcon finds a lion shifter bleeding behind the alley of his restaurant. Unusually attached to a complete stranger, he follows him to the hospital.
When Cesar runs into the problem of too many alphas in one town, he has to prove to Talan that he can be a successful member of the pride without being a problem.
Will Cesar be able to complete a task set for him by the lion alpha or will he die for the sake of his pride?
Review: A lion shifter and a hawk shifter are most exciting as an idea, more than enticing and certainly will draw me to read a book. However, I’m now resigned to the fact that when a book with so many elements has such a short length will never be enough for me.
Cesar has been locked away in a lab and tortured. When his value comes to an end he’s taken away to be disposed, but he manages to escape and return for the other lions. A bit too late though as they are already on the way out from the lab, however Cesar has a last stand off with one of the guards leaving him with a bullet in his body and unable to shift. Injured he makes his way in a daze not knowing where he’s heading and lands outside Garret’s restaurant, where he collapses.
When Garret finds him after his shift, it’s clear that he’s found his mate and the timing couldn’t be better. First because his mate needs him and second because Garret has been itchy for a while now for intimacy.
However, troubles never seem to end as the area’s pride’s Alpha can’t tolerate another Alpha in his territory and Cesar will have to work his way around into finding a solution and stay by his mate’s side.
So much information was dumped all at once in this book. Hawk shifter, I’d love to read more about them, the how’s and the why’s and their lore, but that was lacking. The lab situation was hazily explained and the entire events that led Cesar to his freedom were clinically described losing all the potential intensity. Cesar’s issues with being an Alpha and feeling inadequate for the role were overcome as if a magic spell was cast and Cesar’s and Garret’s relationship was merely stated. The chemistry of the mates, their intensity, their passion, and need were too weak to be felt. The pace was too fast for all things to be absorbed and that made me not really get attached to the characters. In addition, the mating bond/claim when it happened was one-sided with our Alpha lion never making his claim and left me wanting. The end when it came was this huge hang up, so abrupt that I had to check twice that this book was over.
Bottom end, while the idea behind the story is quite enticing, the story itself was less than I expected and didn’t manage to take me with it in that magic space where I would have lived in the story instead of simply reading it detached and wondering.
Blurb: When the world is on the line, will love be enough to save them all?
Farren Azar came to college to get his degree. However, he knew he couldn’t let anyone know about his djinn blood. The djinn had been exiled to a different plane, and if his heritage was discovered, he could be banished too. When a djinn and a fire god become involved in his life, he has to figure how to handle two powerful entities without losing himself.
Dan Stewartson knew Farren was the one. A glance between them had him hooked. When strange fires begin popping up around campus and fingers are pointed at Farren, Dan refuses to believe his lover could be responsible. Will he be able to save Farren’s reputation, or will secrets come between them and wreck their budding romance?
This is book three in the A Wizard’s Touch series. See the full series listing here
Review: This is book three in this series and they should be read in order. It makes it easier to understand what is going on and who everyone is. Farren has djinn blood and he fears what would happen when everyone finds out. The djinn could be either good or evil, but they had been banished to another plane. And Farren knew that if people found out he would be banished too. He is afraid of what will happen to his boyfriend Dan once the knowledge is found out. He didn’t want to lose his mate. He is also afraid that he will lose control over his powers and burn Dan.
When a djinn visits him, he is lost in what to do about it, but when a fire god shows up, he is really lost. He has to find away to handle them and not lose himself. Dan however knew that something was going on. He knew from the first glance that Farren was his mate. He would do everything in his power to help him and keep him safe. But when fires start popping up around their campus he gets worried. Everyone is blaming Farren, but Dan knows there is more to it. He just needs to find out what is going on and how to keep his lover safe. There are so many secrets floating around that he is worried about what is going to happen with them both, but his love for Farren is stronger than ever.
I love the mix of danger, love, excitement, and mystery in this story. It just comes together perfectly. You can’t help but love Farren and Dan, although you do want to smack them around a bit. Their friends and family are the ones you will want to smack even harder. It is an amazing story, one that you can just lose yourself into. It captured my attention from the start and kept it all the way to the end. I would recommend reading this story especially if you love the paranormal worlds, wizards, two hot and sexy men and some major passion. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book of this series.
Blurb: What would you do to protect your family? For Aden, the answer is anything.
Aden Gale has always protected the boys he chose as his. Gallen Theos refuses to become another one of Aden’s projects. He might have been bespelled by his father but he was Aden’s mate and he refused to take anything less than a full partnership. If the cool-eyed killer thought he could wiggle away for Gallen’s own safety, well he had a lot to learn about the tenacity of sorcerers.
It’s so disappointing when you have a book in your hands, with great premises and promise, and it comes up short and lacking.
Here we have book #5 of Banded Brothers series that introduces us to Aden’s story and his mating with Gallen, the sorcerer we met back at To Enchant an Eagle #3. It’s also the first of the spin-off series to come named Dragons of Seattle.
In this book, Aden is facing his retirement. He’s tired of being nearly killed on a daily basis and figures it’s time to stop. However, he can’t imagine how his life would be any other way and finds himself restless. Thinking he’s of no use anymore, now that his son is all grown up. But, when he’s faced with being the mate of a Sorcerer, his mind spins in all directions. He’s too old for Gallen (it doesn’t matter that Gallen is 100 years old, he looks twenty for crying out loud), his life is too dangerous and could endanger his mate, and he’s mortal and thus will die in a few years, meaning his mate might die too with him or at best live a miserable life after he’s gone. Not to mention there are dragons around Seattle that seems focused on him lately. Oh did he forget the mob family dead set on him and his dearest? God, how about Gallen’s controlling psycho Father? How do you protect your mate from a powerful sorcerer?
You can see how exciting the premises are. They are full of possibilities; possibilities lost in my opinion in such a short, short book. With the amount of events happening in this story, the pace and time frame are too fast, too furious. We go from one intense incident to another, without the luxury of time and development to properly feel the story unwrap and the emotions stick within us. The surprise of Aden being Gallen’s mate is totally lost, so is Gallen’s surprise at finding that it’s Aden who is his true mate and not Eaton. The fact that both men don’t take a moment to communicate, rather jump to conclusions is a bit annoying. The fact that Aden seems to effortlessly leap from denying the bond to nearly devouring Gallen in a heartbeat leaves you reeling with the speed and indecisiveness. The human criminals that come around the corner, the paranormal ones that pop out of nowhere, the actions scenes that are done and over with in the blink of an eye, and the end that is such a cliffhanger, stopping the story in a most abrupt way. The sexual bond that came, went, and lost all its intensity and importance when Gallen’s mom pops in the middle of the bedroom. Agrrr!
Perhaps I’m expecting too much, or perhaps I’m too damned picky. I just wish – and it’s not the first time I say this – that this author’s books were a bit more substantial. I wish they had space to grow and provide time for the read to feel the full impact of the story. The imagination involved is quite remarkable, yet they always leave me wanting, not for more, but for the one I have in my hands to be, I don’t know heavier, stronger, with greater impact. And thing is, they can achieve all that if they weren’t so rushed. In the end, I’d rather wait a year and have a truly great book in my hands, than go through the frustration of this fast spinning of a tale that leaves you a bit hollow inside.
Portia’s Two Cents: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
This is the story that I’ve been waiting for, forever. I don’t know if it’s because Aden is not paranormal, but he has always been my favorite character in this series. I don’t know how it would feel trying to read this title as a standalone, but having read the 4 prior books, I loved the action with just a bit of steamy romance. The pace worked for me. I felt like I was getting another episode in a weekly drama, and not knowing everything was just fine. I don’t know how Amber keeps track of all the characters in her series, each maintaining a distinct voice, but I give the highest praise for writing that keeps me coming back for more.
Blurb:Sometimes the deepest wounds are the ones you can’t see.
Dr. Jean Broussard hasn’t been lucky in love. The only men who interest him are either taken or end up wanting him for his money. When Detective Ryan Calloway appears in his emergency room, he thinks he’s found the perfect man.
Ryan had spent his life alone. Enjoying his independence, he’d always preferred one-night stands to anything longer. However, lately his friends’ relationship has left him feeling lonely for the first time. When he ends up being stitched together by a sexy doctor, he thinks he might’ve found the guy to break his solitary streak.
They’ll have to overcome a killer and threats on their lives before they can get on with the task of healing Ryan.
Review: This is yet another story that had a very nice idea yet failed in the end result. My main issue with this one was the hasty feeling it left me with. Everything, and I do mean everything, was rushed in this one. Plus, the blurb leads you into a very different mindset and expectation that the story doesn’t deliver.
Let me start with the instant lust/crush/love that occurs between the two men. Their entire relationship is one big BAM, with everything happening in a fast-forward fashion. The Doc meets Cop; instant lust is followed by a lightning speed date that has the two men sending the afternoon, night, and morning together. During this time Doc comes out as a possessive, bossy, overbearing person (I truly disliked his personality) and he’s just one step from literally putting a leash on the Cop, who in the meantime has every gay guy they stump upon drooling over him and trying to gain his attention, which brings out the cave-man inside Doc even more. In addition, the gentle doctor we first meet turns quickly into a very aggressive man, making a blatant come-on on Ryan and having literally no patience at all. A doc without patience… Yup, I disliked him all right.
Moving on at the erotic part of the novella, I have to say it was bland, uninspiring, and detached. The banter between the guys wasn’t good enough, but what was even worse was the fact that the act itself was so fast, you don’t get the chance to grasp what happened. Any chance of emotions reaching the reader was killed on the spot and sensuality went amiss in the chaos of the “don’t seed my sheets” afterglow. Very off-putting.
The mystery itself was lacking as the author pretty much reveals who the baddies are from the beginning. Suspense? What is that? The only surprising thing was one of the baddies’ personality that had us “tricked” at the beginning, but even that couldn’t make up for the transparency of the plot. Just so I don’t forget to mention this, it all happened so damned fast with the end coming so abruptly it made my mind reel.
I’ve said this time and again; While I do love Kell’s ideas, I really dislike the lack of development and plot finesse. This story needed space and time for development, a heavy look at the characters’ personality, and a great deal of revision/proof reading.
Blurb:Lewis Larson thinks he’ll settle down with a woman and have a bunch of children… eventually. Vampire John Lesley and a trio of babies change Lewis’s plan.
Lewis Larson thinks he’ll have a female mate. His goal to eventually settle down with a woman and have a bunch of children hits a snag when a sexy vampire crosses his path.
John Lesley knows he wants the adorable werekin as soon as he sees him. Unfortunately, convincing a commitment shy wolf to bond with a vampire proves difficult when family, enemies, and a trio of babies gets involved.
Review:This story is part of a series and I recommend they be read in order. Lewis wants nothing more than to eventually settle down with a woman and have a whole bunch of werebabies, unfortunately sexy vampire John is the one that smells like home and Lewis is determined to ignore him. John is having a hard time convincing Lewis to even be in the same room as him, never mind go on a date. And he is just starting to make progress, when Lewis learns some startling news.
Hmmm. A very interesting story that has a couple of twists that adds some excitement. Lewis longs for a family of his own, but his attraction to John throws him completely. Deciding to ignore the attraction doesn’t help and he eventually gives into his feelings. But the discovery of a secret may just destroy what they are building. John is ecstatic when Lewis begins to come around, but he is furious when he learns what his granddaughter has planned. To protect Lewis, he keeps quiet and it just might backfire big time when Lewis discovers the truth.
I found this story to be a very light-hearted novella that was a joy to read as we visit with the Larson family again. Lewis is commitment shy. He is unsure of what he feels for John and because he eventually wants children, he ignores what he does feel. John is sure that he wants Lewis, but getting Lewis to acknowledge the attraction is hard. Just when everything seems to be going well, his family nearly wrecks the relationship. Both characters are great and the sparks between them could start a forest fire. The problems they face are well-played, but I did feel like the ending was rushed, and everything was resolved with no real solution and just seemed to be glossed over.
The storyline was great and very well written, we see Tam and Valko from TrialsOf Tam and we have Lewis and John in some steamy embraces that really heat up the page, we very briefly see some cute werebabies and Lewis, John and Tam take care of a threat to the family. Although I really enjoyed this story, I really feel like even though we get a happy ending it wasn’t a satisfactory ending. Simply because it was very slick and glossy with no real punishment dealt out to the perpetrator. And Lewis and John really needed to have it out between them before they kissed and made up.
I am going to recommend this to those who love shifters, vampires, hot men, hot sex, an interesting twist, a manipulating female and a very happy ending.
Blurb: After centuries of isolation, Saint has returned to reclaim what is his…
Saint, a Thresl of unimaginable power, has spent centuries trapped beneath rubble. Now free, he is determined to claim both his throne and his mate. Anyone who stands in his way will be annihilated.
Marsley Jacks is unsure if he wants to be the mate of a ruthless Thresl. After spending most of his life protecting the shifters, he’s unsure if allowing a power-hungry Thresl takeover is the best thing for the species.
Two men with opposing views—will they come together in time to save their people?
Review: So… ugh… was that it…?
All the wait for Saint’s story, all the anticipation, and this is what we get? Nope, this fan girl is not happy.
This is going to be mostly a things-that-let-me-down review because, well, they were many. Let’s start with Mars and his not wanting a mate attitude. I felt like the pattern was dragged out here and the reluctant mate card was drawn yet again, which after an extensive inner monologue on Mars’ side, resolved itself mostly due to the fact that no one can evade his soul-mate forever.
Oh my God, have I mentioned how tiresome that thing really is? We saw it a little bit with Soldier Mine, but we had a hell of a blast with Prince Claimed. Politician Won had it a bit differently since Leo refused to change, and let’s not even mention the inner-monologue with the Bonded Broken. Of course Duke Betrayed was full of it since Balaze has no say there, so does it really surprise me we’d encounter it here too? Honestly yes, it does. What really made this one stand out from the others though, is that it literally solved itself. Mars had the problem. Mars overcame it with nothing so much as an effort from Saint. He just let the mating bond take its course.
Moving along we have Saint, the greatly anticipated Thresl for all his ancient power, the original King of the Thresl race, the one with the most potential of them all. Saint, as beautiful and gorgeous as an idea as it was, simply was not enough. I feel slighted on Saint’s behalf. He deserved more. This 93 pages novella was not enough for him. There was not enough space for his mating to settle and develop, there was not enough space for their Thresl-saving-mission, there was not enough space for his throne claiming, there was not enough space for the final closure and the villain mastermind fight in the end. Saint did not deserve the rush he got, and neither did we.
And, oh my God, the villain of the story. I so did not expect that. As much as in hindsight there were clues all over the place, I did not expect that. I think the identity of the bad guy here was brilliant. I also think that the execution that came delivered along with the all-time classic “bwahaha I’m the bad guy, I will rule, you will die” monologue was God-awful. I mean, you ruin the bad guy and you’ve ruined the entire story, and it was such a shame.
The epilogue itself was not the closure one would expect. I’ve seen around people mentioning this being the final installment and if that’s indeed so, than I’m afraid the closure was a poor choice, as well. It would have been much preferable if the epilogue was set a year after and given a more potent ending than this happily for now sort.
So, why 3 hearts you might ask? Hell, I’ve always said I’m biased when it comes to this series, and even though I was let down with this one (hard), I still got my time with my favorite Thresls. What can I say, I have my soft spots. 😉
Hey guys, today you will see various posts from Authors that we hounded… er asked what they would be doing for Christmas and many of them have sent us wonderful posts with pictures so we can share their holiday’s with you.
My first author is Mary Calmes, I adore Mary’s stories like Where You Lead and with how she creates great stories I just had to find out how she celebrated Christmas.
Christmas at the Calmes house begins with tree decorating and we watch the movie Elf while we’re doing it along with eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate. Even in Hawaii we did the same thing. There are store bought ornaments and handmade ones as well. We hang the kids’ stockings and two years ago, we got a cat, so Dewey’s goes up too. The last decoration we put up is the angel and she always goes in the kitchen. We open gifts Christmas day, not Christmas Eve, and since we moved to Kentucky, we drive out to the country to spend the day on the family farm. The very best part of the holiday is being together.
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My next author is Sjd Peterson, and after chasing her all over cyberspace I finally pinned her down to share her Christmas plans. Oh I nearly forgot that she once did a Christmas story, Leon it’s a cute read that’s all warm and snuggerly.
Well, I’m not big on decorating. I used to be but I’ve gotten lazy so the tree is all you get. But hey, it’s a perty… “Oh shiny” tree. (It’s so totally me)
I’ll be spending time with friends and family on Christmas and taking all the positive vibes and magic of the holiday season and sending them to Tj, Eric and their families. If anyone deserves a Christmas miracle it’s them. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Merry Christmas Hugs
Jo
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And now we have R.J. Scott, who within minutes of being asked had everything back to me with a picture collage, but then she always seems prepared with her excellent Christmas stories like Texas Christmas.
When Pixie asked me to write and tell you about the Scott family Christmas I immediately went to my stock of family photos. I love Christmas, I love the friends, the food, I love writing about Christmas, watching Christmas films, giving presents… you name it and I sign up to it!
This Christmas day is at mum’s house where wine will be consumed and presents opened alongside a huge Christmas dinner. We’ll play games, Matt’s favourite is Sorry, followed closely by Uno and Sevens. We’ll build lego, and probably Mr RJ and my sister’s hubby will have a sleep – that is if Mum’s dog will let them! We always have big plans for what we call *tea* which is at around 7pm… but end up being way to full to manage even a small slice of cucumber.
We don’t really have snow at Christmas (despite what the films tell you!) but every so often we do get the white stuff. Apparently this year it will be overcast and raining… 🙁
All my presents are wrapped and ready, I just need to get Jesse’s Christmas out and available then I can relax!
Happy Christmas to everyone!
RJ X
Picture 1 – Baby’s first Christmas… and yes that is me… bald as a coot and three months old, with my first two teddy bears. I think those bears are the only things holding me up, bit like after I have had a few too many wines.
Picture 2 – Baby’s first Christmas, take 2 – this time I am the one in the rather fetching blue dress, with my mum and dad, circa 1972, holding my little sister (and yes she WAS born with that much hair, unlike me). This was a very special Christmas as we were a family of four.
Picture 3 – An old Christmas Decoration – This is a decoration that we have just put on my Mum’s tree. So many memories of putting this same decoration up every year.
Picture 4 – The Scott Christmas Tree with added arty effects. We put this up at the weekend and I love turning the lights out and sitting watching TV with just the Christmas lights on. Beautiful.
Picture 5 – Don’t ask. When I was 12 I was in the wonderful Panto Cinderella at my school. Yes I played the ugly sister and it was a big (and funny) part, and yes I absolutely needed padding and so much makeup on to make me look hideous…
Picture 6 – Cinderella again. This is a set of Christmas lights that hang in my mum’s house and have done every Christmas since I was little. The set is Cinderella’s carriage interspersed with tiny lanterns. Very pretty and so old now.
Stephani Hecht, sent along her little post about her family Christmas and only technical difficulties have postponed their Christmas snapshots. I suppose to make myself feel better I should read Wayne County Holiday’s and Hot Cocoa and Candy Canes!
Family Traditions-Stephani Hecht
Our family traditions are pretty simple. We like to decorate our tree as soon as possible, usually on Thanksgiving Day. Yeah, we love the Holidays that much. The thing we look forward to the most is the day where they have the Christmas Story marathon. We usually watch it all day long. Sigh We never get tired of that movie. Even though Cody is twenty and Joie is twelve, we all still get stockings. We even make up little ones for the birds and our lizard, so nobody gets left out.
We don’t leave cookies and milk out for Santa anymore, which is kind of a bummer. I miss doing that. The one silver lining in that, is that we passed down our nice plate and glass down to Jackie’s kids. So, it almost feels like the tradition has carried on.
As usual this year, I went overboard on presents. But, to me, the fun part is giving, rather than receiving. I love to see people’s faces when they open a gift that I got for them. To me that’s what the Holidays are all about—bringing joy to others.
Amber Kell, Well if I had RJ then I had to have Amber Kell as well, well they did come up with the wonderful The Case of the Sinful Santa and Amber went even further with her free Christmas short stories Christmas Tree Magic & Santa Wishes! So I had no choice to invite the Queen of Novella’s to tell us her Christmas plans.
When MM good book reviews asked me to write a post I had to take a moment and ponder if I truly wanted everyone to know how strange I truly am. Then I realized most of my fans probably already do so they probably won’t be the least bit surprised at my revelations.
I was asked what sort of Christmas traditions my family follows. Growing up we didn’t really have any. My family isn’t religious and most of the time was spent putting up the fake tree and juggling time between my mom or dad’s house. As an adult I decided to start my own traditions.
1) We always have a real tree. We go to a tree farm and find the perfect tree. Then my husband tells me it won’t fit in our house. Next, we scale down expectations and find a tree that will at least scrape the ceiling. Once tree is home we drown it in lights and ornaments until it can barely stand beneath the weight.
2) We go to Archee McPhee’s and purchase a mystery bag. This will be opened on Christmas Eve to keep the children’s little heads from exploding from Christmas expectations. It contains the normal stuff: poseable Einstein dolls, zombies and the occasional bacon flavored candy…you know the usual holiday cheer.
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3) We get a Lego advent calendar so my eight-year-old Lego fanatic can put them together every day. Older son had one last year but he didn’t want one this time because they didn’t have a Santa Darth Maul. He has a chocolate one instead.
4) Hubby and I send the kids to bed early, drink eggnog and put presents under the tree while we watch our holiday movie The Ref. I always wrap and assemble everything as soon as it is purchased and stash it away. I hate wrapping anything on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is the time for coffee and movies with hubby with a side of Santa.
Along the way we do have things like the usual sugar cookie making. One year I couldn’t find my Christmas cookie cutters so I made Christmas octopuses, once baked they looked like Cthulhu. Maybe it was wrong to take them to my husband’s highly religious family but we had fun.
This year my son’s teacher sent a bag of crayons, a star mold and instructions on making custom crayons. End result. Hubby used them to make crayon zombie fingers. Just another holiday tradition at the Kell house. I hope everyone has fun this holiday season following your own traditions. Merry Christmas.
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T.M. Smith, was an obvious author to invite, after all she does fulfill my pervie needs 😉 She has no Christmas stories as yet but she rocks with The Library!
Christmas in our house means a time of gathering and recognizing the traditions. There is a long list of things we do every year, and the family have come to expect it. First, we always decorate our tree on Thanksgiving day while listening to Christmas Carols. We have such an eclectic array of ornaments and each and every one holds special meaning as well. Every year each member of the family gets a new ornament and this ornament always reflects that person. Trust me, if you know us you could walk over to this tree and know who each ornament is for! For each of the kiddo’s in the family, including myself, we have a baby’s first Christmas ornament. So there are precious bobbles on this tree that are 42 years young!
Friends and family gather every year the weekend before Xmas for a party and gift exchange. And every year it seems, the group grows by one or two. Some of these people we only see this one day a year, so it is all that much more cherished. The conversations, the visiting, sharing events from the past year, eating lots of good food and drinking LOTS of good wine!
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These are all things that my grown children look forward to every year. And my hope is that as they grow older and wiser, that they will continue these traditions in their own homes. Thanks for stopping by today and sharing my Christmas traditions with me! I’d love for you to leave a comment and tell me what Christmas means to you, or one of your families Holiday traditions.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY ** .
Cardeno C. Was cautious to join us, but as I said it’s a holiday so send what you can, so C.C. had celebrated Hanukkah and shared with us their holiday celebration, and I am going to tell you to have a look at In Another Life because it’s a wonderful Hanukkah story.
. Hanukkah came at a fun time this year because the 2nd night was on Thanksgiving. That made for some creative Thanksgivukkah celebrations, like a pumpkin turned into a menorah.
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Like with any holiday, there’s food, of course. Potato latkes are traditional this time of year and I tried to get creative with mine. Instead of the usual grated potatoes and onions fried into patties, I used roasted potatoes and all sorts of veggies. It was pretty good, I think, though nothing beats the original. What I’m more proud of were my matzah balls. My father has always made wonderful matzah balls but he was out of town for the holiday this year so I gave it a go. I think they turned out pretty well.
But food and candles aside, Hanukkah is about spending time with family and friends. I was lucky to share candles and dinner and dreidel on the eight night with people I hold near and dear. What is dreidel? Well, it’s a fun game where you spin a top and gamble chocolate coins.
Food, games, and candles with friends and family. That was my holiday this year and it was wonderful.
And now we come to Beau Schemery & Augusta Li, I invited these authors separately but am posting them together because they are such an awesome pair, I adore both these authors books and nearly *squeed* in joy when they said yes!
My name is Beau Schemery and I’ve written the YA novel, The Seventh of London and the Verses of Vrelenden series. Xmas isn’t a real big day in our household which is to say Gus (That’s Augusta Li, fantastic and infamous M/M writer; yep, we’re roommates) and I are normally too busy to go in for all the pomp and circumstance. Our kids are older so they’re not really into the craziness anymore either. We both still work day jobs to supplement our writing so we don’t really get a Christmas break. We really just get a day off.
That said we really use the day to relax and play Xbox games that we will probably buy for each other. We do presents but nothing super elaborate (Note the extra fancy wrapping bags nicked from our place of day jobbery). We also still put up stockings for the kids with mostly Japanese candy inside. My stocking is one of my boots with my Slytherin scarf thrown over it.
Our goal this year was to not leave the house but since we don’t have cable, we’ll be seeking out a relative’s home to watch The Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Time of the Doctor. And we’ll probably sit around weeping like little kids when Matt Smith regenerates.
Oh and wine. Lots of wine. Hope your day off is as relaxing and filled with weird, authory awesomeness as ours will be!
Augusta Li was ever so kind as to create a picture of the stars of the Blessed Epoch series, Yarrow, Duncan and Sasha…. I have died and gone to heaven, aren’t the guys just so sweet! ~Pixie~
Blurb: Sometimes love finds you before you think you’re ready.
Chris Garland’s love for glasswork encompasses his life. Between school and working as a concierge at The Melia Hotel, he doesn’t have time for anything else. However, when he sees the handsome stranger sitting in the hotel lobby, he can’t resist introducing himself.
Leo Abbott lost the love of his life two years ago and has yet to recover. Flying to Atlanta for his cousin’s wedding, he couldn’t help but think of his dead lover. When the hotel’s concierge checks on him in the lobby and introduces himself, Leo feels the first stirrings of attraction. Passions he thought long-buried flare back to life.
Will two men from separate walks of life be able to find a common ground where they can be together?
Title previously released as part of Unconventional in Atlanta Anthology.
Review: This makes a great love story. However, I wished it had been longer to get the full affect. It has such a beautiful story line, you just get lost in this story.
Leo lost the love of his life two years ago to cancer, but he has been given a second chance. Chris took one look at Leo and knew that this would be a special man. Chris is a loving and caring man who is hard-working and wants the man in front of him. Leo is not completely over his loss and has trouble moving forward, but he knew that he wanted Chris. He wanted to see if it would go further than just one night. There is so much passion and tenderness that you just hold your breath for the next move.
When you first start reading, you are captivated and can’t wait to see what happens next. It is told in such a tender way that you get caught up in the story. I do hope this will turn into a longer story. I can’t wait to read it again and again.
Blurb: When the heart is involved, bravery can have more power than the strongest magic.
When James Sparks, the alpha of the local werewolf pack, declares Kevin Santhill as his mate, the freewheeling wizard panics. He didn’t plan on settling down—not now, not ever. It doesn’t matter that James is the sexiest thing he’d ever seen or that his heart flips whenever he sees the sexy wolf shifter, he plans to stick by his guns and stay independent.
However, when his best friend Jaynell goes missing, he has to partner with James to help find his friend. And if Kevin can’t find the confidence to dredge up his magic and control his avatar, Jay could be lost forever.
Review: This is a humorous with a twist of seriousness. It has a great story line that makes it seem so real to me. I would love to be there for the arguing and making up parts.
Kevin had never planned on settling down and panic’s big time. His body however has different ideas. He wants James but his head is screaming no. James is the alpha of his werewolf pack and is strong and loyal. James wants his mate, wants to help him and keep him safe. When they finally do get around to sex, it sets the sheets on fire. He just needs to show his mate the way. This has the best twists that I have read in quite a while. It has action that boggles the mind, arguments to spice the way to great sex and dangers not expected. I would recommend reading this series because it is a pretty great read. I just love it when a mate thinks he can get out of mating, just because his mind has it set to single and free.
Just take a bit of time out of the day, grab a soda, sit down, and just read this story. It is a pretty good length and a great story.
Blurb:Zephariel, the Angel of Vengeance, Nick Klauson, nephew to Santa, Christmas magic, zombies in the school and a necromancer causing chaos…and at the centre of it all—Mal.
Zephariel is the Angel of Vengeance and is tracking down his cousin Danjal for misuse of brimstone. When he walks into a bar and finds Nick Klauson drowning his sorrows, he is instantly drawn to him. Could this be his fated mate?
When Nick and Zeph join forces to deal with zombies in Mal’s school, sparks fly. Add in a demon, a wolf, and a necromancer, and Sam and Bob have a hunt on their hands.
Review:This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Zeph, the Angel of Vengeance, is on his way to see his cousin Danjal when he feels a pull and he comes across his mate, but claiming his mate isn’t easy when he is suddenly called upon to deal with some zombies. Nick is trying to drown is sorrows as he contemplates his life, not being a full Klauson has him being looked down on by the rest of the family but he continues to do his work seeking out the dread and dark pockets and wiping out the cause. Together, Zeph and Nick face more than just zombies and to be together one of them might just have to give up everything.
This is a great addition to the series bringing us some answers but also opening up new ones as one case closes and a discovery is made. Nick is a great character who has had his confidence knocked repeatedly by members of his own family, he has no clue why Zeph would want him, but Nick has a lot to offer. Zeph’s character is perfect for Nick because he sees the true worth of Nick, he doesn’t see anything wrong with Nick being half-human and appreciates the gifts that Nick has. They have instant chemistry and are fated to be together but they face opposition when Zeph’s people interfere.
The storyline continues on smoothly from The Case of the Dragon’s Dilemma with the zombie’s at Mal’s school, it also brings Danjal and Hart back into the story and Smudge starts bringing in the familiar’s for Sam to place. We see how Sam and Bob are doing and how Sam is still in denial, we discover the truth about the necromancer with Nick saving the day with Christmas magic and we see a new relationship being forged between Zeph and Nick that didn’t start out perfectly but picks up speed quickly.
I really do enjoy this series and how it’s progressing. You never know what we will face next, what interesting characters we will be introduced to, or what new problems will arise. And we can’t help but wonder when poor Sam will get an actual paying case that doesn’t end up involving him, Bob or Mal in some way. Zeph and Nick make interesting additions to the little group of friends and they bring that extra angst as they face down those uppity Angels and they get a surprise visit.
I recommend this to those who adore the paranormal, love great characters, love perving on not one but two couples, getting pulled into interesting and different storylines and having great happy endings.
Friln had always counted on his lover to be there when things go wrong. But when one brief moment of death breaks his bond with his Thresl mate, he loses the only thing in the world he needs to make him happy.
For the past ten years, Friln, the king’s Captain of the Guard, has lived with, and loved his Thresl mate, Nelrin. When an assassination attempt catches Friln in the crossfire, he is killed. In the brief moment before he’s revived, the bond to his lover is shattered.
At Friln’s death, Nelrin loses everything. Bereft of the only person he’s ever loved, Nelrin turns back into his cat form and runs away. Unfortunately, he falls into the hands of a pair of scientists who have different plans than redemption for the Thresl race.
Review: Oh damn, I think this is the best one of the series right after Soldier Mine. It was definitely better at plot solidity, better at action/romance balance, and how they unraveled. I remember the pace for the previous two was a bit hectic, not allowing much space to come to terms with the event and I was pleasantly surprised to see a complete lack of those flaws for this installment.
So, back to story; remember the King’s Captain of the Guard, Friln, and his mate Nelrin? Guess what, Friln dies in the line of duty. So here, we have immediately action, agony, and suspense, because there is already an established ten-year relationship between Friln and Rin, and when Friln dies the bond breaks. We are thrown at the maddening pain and agony of a mate left behind. Unfortunately, the unbearable intensity of emotions that should have reached us didn’t quite make it. And though we witnessed Rin transforming back to his Thresl form to survive the pain and madness, the gravity of this emotional state didn’t affect us as much leaving us a bit detached. And simply continue reading with perhaps a curiosity at what’s going to happen next.
The plot picks up at that point and crazy scientists introduce themselves with crazy/horrifying plans for Thresl genocide, Rin becomes an experiment lab rat, Friln recovers only to find out his missing a ten years bond, nearly goes crazy with pain, and goes after his mate. And we have a race of lovely events that keep you on your toes as a whole back-story unravels and preps you for the next installment while giving you a story well worth reading.
Now, I felt so sorry for Friln. I honestly believed at some point that Ms. Kell would be the sadistic author and have him killed a couple of times more. I mean, he gets shot, he gets captured by scientist (when he goes after Rin), he gets poisoned, and finally he gets bombed. Thank God, he got a nice ending because literally the entire Universe owned him that much after all, he went through.
And as I said I loved this book, it was well written, the plot well thought and engaging, the pace while fast allowed for coping and absorbing the facts, and the romance was lovely and quite passionate for a well-established relationship. I do believe the fans of the series will love this one as much as I did.
Two things I’d like to add. First, Ms. Kell is killing us with the little tidbits she’s giving us about Saint. Honestly, I can’t wait for his story and I feel like a parrot repeating it with every new installment I get to review. Bring him on already!!!
Second, there has been a question I’ve always wanted to ask but somehow always forgot. If Thresls bond with humans and they have their human form from then on, how do they breed? We’ve seen this species only on a male-male bond, but I just wonder, to the female bear a child in her in its feral form or as a human fetus? Is it human and changes to a cuddling kitty after it’s born or is it a kitty straight from the start? And does it shows how fascinated I am with this species or do I need to take this to the next level?
Blurb: This is book five in the The Thresl Chronicles series.
When Duke Hellbur is accused of treason against his people, he bonds with medic Balaze to keep his human form and prove his innocence.
When Duke Hellbur is accused of smuggling Thresls and selling them off to interested buyers, he undertakes a trip to prove his innocence. In order to retain his humanity, Hellbur bonds with a medic named Balaze…who didn’t exactly give his assent to the binding of their souls.
Balaze admired the duke whenever he visited the castle, but finding someone attractive and wanting to be theirs for eternity aren’t the same thing. After surviving the death of his first Thresl mate, Balaze isn’t exactly eager to go through that pain again. However, the duke doesn’t take no for answer.
Those who are guilty will have to be uncovered if the two men ever plan on finding peace with each other. When Hellbur and Balaze go off on an interplanetary adventure, can they find common ground or will their enemies tear them apart?
Review: The suspense continues in the Thresl Chronicles Series and book five Duke Betrayed picks up where the previous left us with Duke Hellbur being in the hospital waiting to get better so that King Vohne can interrogate him about his alleged betrayal. As we already know, Hellbur suppressed his change back to feral when his mate died in the Great Purge by using drugs. The absence of them during his healing causes Hell to shift back into his Thresl form when in the hospital and under the care of Balaze. Upon regaining consciousness, Hell understands that he has no chance of proving his innocence in this form and that the people who framed him are now free to take advantage of his people.
I must admit that when I read the blurb I was a bit disappointed, thinking that I’d be reading about yet another forced mating, same way it happened with Prince Blaine, however this is not the case. While indeed the Duke is in a precarious place, being free from the drugs allows his feral instincts to come free and he smells his mate, recognizes him in Balaze. The relationship between the two is shady of course; Balaze thinks the Duke only claimed him to keep his human form, and Hell on the other hand has been so many years without a mate that he doesn’t know how to make his new one feel at easy. While Balaze’s unease comes through their link, Hell doesn’t really know how to deal with it. It doesn’t help that his previous mate was a soldier and their relationship was not one of many affections.
It is very interesting to see the Thresl bond in this peculiar pair and I believe the author managed to do a really good job showing us that no matter how “fated” you may be, no matter if you have a direct link with your other half, you always need to work on a relationship to make it work. Both men’s character comes forward and I had a blast getting to know Hell and Balaze. The spymaster became very approachable when it was clear that no matter how strong a hold he had on his network of spies he missed the conspiracy right under his nose. He became a dear one when he finally let loose and vulnerable, admitting the need of his mate in more ways than one and literally depending on him. Balaze on the other hand showed us his true making, not only his soft and sweet side, his caretaking streak and his empathy, but also a fierceness when it came to doing whatever necessary to help his beloved.
Between adjusting in their new bond and running as fugitives in order to find the people responsible for the threat on the Thresl’s life we were granted with yet another action plot that had us on our toes and constantly wondering who might be behind this conspiracy. Yes, the person who took direct advantage of Hell’s name was pretty obvious from the beginning, but there are more and they run deeper, making this series a non-stop addiction and literally causing a craving for more. On that aspect, I feel the author has a strong hold on her goal to keep her fans pinning for the series with an unwavering interest.
Of course there was the little bit that caused my eye roll, because in almost every installment there is a person who wants the Thresl for his mate, threats to kill the established mate in order to take advantage of the Thresl. I feel it’s a constant that I read every time and I’ve even come to expect it so much so that it almost doesn’t make an impression on me anymore. Still it’s a thorn on the plot when the villain is so predictable.
The highlight of the story as always for me at least was Saint. Dear author, just kill me! When I started reading the series I admit the Thresl as a species were the great allure, following by Kres (you can’t deny his appeal, his almost feral possessiveness), but too fast I became enthralled with Saint and looking around at the fan-base of the series I’m not alone. Saint is a creature that simply mesmerize you and following him around has been a blast, a frustrating one but awesome nonetheless. The book ends with the nicest surprise ever. It literally had me scream and for the love of all that’s sacred, please, please don’t take long to bring his story on the shelves.
For those of you that don’t know the series I urge you to get a look into them, for the fans of this world I don’t have to say much beside, go grab it and enjoy yet another well-delivered installment. Strongly recommended!
Blurb: Tiberius has met the man he wishes for his own, but Keir isn’t willing to be one of many. He plans to be the Alpha’s only.
Tiberius, Alpha of the Black Creek pack, is tired of being alone. When Keir, a new Beta joins the pack, Tiber is startled to learn he’s found his mate. Keir isn’t interested in becoming one of a couple of Alpha mates. He plans to be the one and only. First, however, they need to defeat their enemies and weed out the ones who are trying to destroy them from within.
Review:This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Tiber is the Alpha of Black Creek pack and wants to find his mate, and stumbles across him when he is looking for signs of Oscar. Keir is overjoyed to finally meet his mate, but he does not intend to ever share his mate with anyone else. Tiber and Keir have other concerns first though they have to hunt down Oscar and rescue pack members and they discover there is a traitor in their midst.
Oh, Keir is one confident puppy and Tiber soon learns that surrender is bliss. Tiber is still hunting for Oscar, the insane wolf who is murdering Tiber’s pack members, while on a hunt he and Conner discover an injured red wolf and take him to Josh. Keir was looking for Tiber’s pack when he was attacked by a back wolf. Even though he is injured, he is still overjoyed to meet the alpha. Now, he just needs to convince the shifter that they are meant to be together. With Tiber accepting new pack members, he doesn’t realize that he may have accepted a traitor, but it soon comes to a head and all is revealed.
I really enjoyed this story. I really liked the way that Keir, as a red wolf, was slightly different from the gray wolves, fully believing in the mate bond for red wolves. Keir is also super confident, even though he knows alpha’s usually take more than one mate he is determined to prove his newfound mate otherwise and that he is the only mate Tiber needs. Tiber has been alone for some time and although he doesn’t say outright, at first you get the feeling he has no intention of having more than one mate anyway. He just likes tease Keir. Their relationship is passionate and they get along brilliantly, the storyline has a good hint of tension with a healthy dose of danger. I must admit to being slightly surprised as to the traitor and cheered happily when they got what they deserved.
I recommend this to those who love shifters, a great storyline, brilliant characters, hot sex, shifters getting their just deserts and a great hot ending.
Anthony Carrow never thinks to find the love of his life when he goes to a bar with his best friend Steven Dell. Getting over the death of his lover has been a hard task for Anthony. After two years he’s still broken-hearted and doesn’t have any intention of joining the dating scene. However, going with Steven to scope out a werewolf club to help his friend find a mate leads to unexpected consequences.
Silver, alpha leader of the Moon pack, has been searching for his mate for a long time. Unhappy with the men he meets he’s given up searching for the man of his dreams until Anthony walks into the bar.
Can a man who’s already suffered a loss once be persuaded to give love a second try or will fear hold them back from finding the love they both deserve.
Review: Anthony is getting over the death of his lover and his friend Steven has talked him into going to a shifter nightclub with him.
This is a pretty good story of shifters and other paranormal beings. There is some BDSM, lots of shifters and paranormal beings, and some pretty hot man-sex
I recommend this if you’re looking for a short fast read, paranormal romance, hot alphas, and sexy subs.
Publisher: Total E-Bound (20th September 2013) Available from 23rd August 2013 with TEB VIP club
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb:Dragons, battles, a Siren attack and a deal Sam may come to regret leave Sam and Bob in danger…and result in Mikhail finding a mate.
Bob and Sam take their kind-of-adopted-now vampire daughter Mal to look at new schools. Mikhail is left to babysit the last of the remaining rescued children whilst they are away. When Sirens appear to steal her away, he is left facing the attack alone until a mysterious hero comes to his aid.
Ryujin, or Jin to his friends, is a dragon shifter and his role as Captain of the Dragon Guards puts him in direct conflict with Mikhail. The minute he sees Mikhail he knows what he wants. Now if he can only get Mikhail to see the same.
Review:This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Mikhail is babysitting the last of the rescued children when they are attacked by Sirens; rescue comes from an unexpected source in the shape of a sexy dragon shifter Jin. Bob and Sam come back from dropping Mal off at her new school to find the bathroom destroyed and a new quest to undertake…. returning the little dragon shifter princess home and discovering who was behind her kidnapping. Jin is surprised to discover his mate is a vampire/siren hybrid, but Mikhail isn’t sure if he could be a dragons mate.
Dragon’s *sigh* I just love dragon’s, and this story is an excellent paranormal with a horrid new enemy. Mikhail is left in charge for only a short amount of time when Siren’s attack with the intention of snatching the last remaining child, Eliza, when Jin comes to the rescue they realize that a dragon must have been involved with the original kidnapping. Jin, Mikhail, Sam, and Bob along with Eliza head back to the Dragon Mountains to return Eliza to the safety of her father and to discover who would want to get rid of her. Mikhail and Jin also have to find out if their mating stands a chance, because Mikhail doesn’t have much hope of anyone really wanting a vampire/siren hybrid.
This story is a wonderful addition to the End Street Detective Agency continuing the kidnapped children/ siren storyline while weaving slightly darker elements into it to give us an exciting dangerous story. While we have met Mikhail in previous books, this book gives us insight into his life and you can’t help but admire him, as his past is unfolded. Jin is a very sexy new character who is also tough, but sweet and vulnerable at times. We see both men instantly connect but because of Mikhail’s mixed heritage, Mikhail doesn’t recognize, at first, that Jin is his mate. Jin is so understanding of Mikhail’s qualms and they really are a fantastic couple when they finally get it together.
The rest of the storyline reveals more than just the siren’s involvement and we discover that someone, who Jin thought was a good friend, is a traitor. We see Sam make an ill-advised deal in his desperation to save someone, and he is delightful in his worry for Mal. Bob and Sam’s relationship continues to develop and they are brilliant together in this story, as well as the support they show their friend. We also get an excellent ending with hints for the next case.
I recommend this to those who love brilliant paranormal investigations, danger and mad dragons, new storyline directions, great characters, incredible hot sex and a brilliant ending that leads us to the next book.
Blurb: Zander Elios only wanted his Thresl to transform into his mate. Little did he know that once the Thresl changed, Zander would be the one who had to make the most adjustments.
Zander had just about given up on his Thresl ever changing forms. After two years, the beast was still in his cat shape with no signs of changing any time soon. When his health becomes precarious and his Thresl shifts to save him, Zander wonders if he was truly meant to be a mate of one of these special shapeshifters.
As part of his new duties as ambassador to the Thresl king, he is sent to investigate the source of the Thresl smuggling. Unfortunately, when things go wrong they go very wrong and Zander’s Thresl, Leo, is kidnapped. It will take all of his love and diplomatic skills to find their way back together.
Review: Ah, what a trip, yet again. I think I’m totally enthralled with The Thresl Chronicles and no matter what the author writes, I’m going to swallow it whole. Book three in the series is even better than the second one, nearly matching book one. The big bonus is that now we can see the big picture, the world, the conspiracy, and the possibilities hidden in the storyline. I’m totally fascinated with it and I enjoyed book three so, so much. It was indeed a surprise.
See here we meet Zander again, remember him? The son of a politician who was at Thresl training along with Kreslan, when Kres was still learning what the hell it means to be the bonded of a Thresl? If you don’t then you’ve obviously not read Soldier Mine which I urge you to start reading immediately if you’re a fan of Sci-Fi / Shifters.
Now as I was saying Zander comes back – which is a surprise because I was expecting Saint’s story – and he’s having a serious problem. His Thresl has not shifted to human form after two years and Zander is really worrying that they are not meant for each other, not to mention the fact that he’s so completely horny being alone in bed for so long. The curious thing is that even as he thinks so, even as his Thresl refuses to shift, the Thresl still insists upon claiming Zander as HIS through their link. This distress brings Zander in an extremely dangerous physical condition literally forcing his Thresl to transform and really, as in really claim him.
You know what that means right? Hot, steamy scenes, interspersed with the inevitability of the fated mates and the “sappy” love that in truth does not grate at all, rather spices it up and gives their lovemaking the intensity needed to make you swoon. I’ve said it again and again, while I usually dislike that kind of love, it has really worked in this series and made me crave it more and more.
Zander and Leo are perfect. They have spent so much time together while Leo was still in cat form, that they lack that awkwardness of the newly found mates that know nothing of each other and need to go through the get to knowing phase. Zander and Leo are already best friends, they already trust each other and work together perfectly as a team, and this was invigorating in the series. But there is more.
The fans of the series already remember how Saint owns the secret of Thresls not losing their cat half after bonding. So here we have the addition of Thresls maintaining their form and shifting back and forth and it’s absolutely fantastic.
I, though, being the insatiable and the picky woman that I am, still craved for more. My all-time issue is the fact that the books are too small and there is no room for proper development. The action plot felt again half and rushed over, the fact that there was the incident of Leo’s abduction and they found nothing on who did it had me shaking my head again. That person or persons as they might be more than one are roaming free even as Saint is around now with the ability to read minds, so right there we have a huge hole. Also the introduction of the next book takes space from this one, again, and makes the ending extremely hasty, something that adds at my frustration.
All in all, I’m still having the same issues I had with Prince Claimed albeit they were fewer in this book. But I enjoyed this one even more, I had great fun reading it, I loved Zander and Leo as a pair and the new additions that the author added. Most of all I’m even more hooked and anxiously awaiting for the next installment that will probably be Saint and Mars’ story, a story that seems really worth waiting for.
Blurb:When William Stamson falls in love with a dilapidated mansion, he has no idea he’ll attract the attention of Cassius Grant…and disturb some magic better left alone.
Born a void, someone who cannot perform magic, William Stamson moves away in order to live on his own, away from his matchmaking family. While house-hunting, he falls for an old mansion that calls to him…and is situated on a vortex of magic almost limitless in power.
Cassius Grant, Cash to his family, is charged with getting rid of the house’s new resident. Determined to evict the interloper, he is taken aback by the beautiful, wilful man who refuses to abandon his new house under any circumstances. Cassius realizes the best way to deal with the man is to keep a close eye on him…and what better place than from William’s bed?
Reader Advisory: This book was previously released at another publisher. It has been revised and re-edited for release by Total-E-Bound.
Review: William is a void, born into a very magical family. deciding he needs to get away from his matchmaking, slightly overprotective family, he buys an old mansion; ‘a painted lady’ that needs much love and care. But, the house is on a magical vortex and the council doesn’t want anyone living there and sends Cash to convince William to leave. Cash discovers it isn’t going to be easy though… his magic won’t work on a void and he discovers he is attracted to the beautiful William. When William is run down by a car, Cash has to protect him and all the clues point close to William’s family.
This is a great cute ‘gay for you’ novella that is wonderful for a relaxing night’s read. This really is a delightful story that takes a macho enforcer who loves women and gives him a beautiful man as a soul mate. A beautiful man who is a void, a rarity that will need protection if anyone discovers his secret. Cash and William make great characters and the attraction between them is really hot. The storyline is great, with a surprise with the house and a family twist and you really can’t but help enjoy this story.
This really is a great story if you just want a fun light read. William is a touch spoiled, rich and likes things his way. Cash is macho, hot and is used to getting his way and he is straight, very straight until he meets William. Add in secrets and mystery, a powerful family and you have sparks flying with just a touch of danger from a slightly deranged character.
I have to recommend that if you love magic, ‘gay for you’, great characters, an interesting storyline, and enjoyable light reads than this is the book to read.
Blurb:When love is on the line, crossing it is the only path to take.
Eaton Franks has had his eye on Marty, the leader of the hawks, for a long time. After he rescues the bad boy, things take a tragic turn and it looks as if the gang leader might never fly again. When Eaton has the chance to use a sorcerer to fix the love of his life, little does he know it will lead to his own abduction.
Marty is beside himself when his eagle shifter is stolen. He knows they are mates and he’s willing to do anything to get him back. However, now he has to decide if he is willing to give up his hawk half in order to save his eagle. Sometimes love makes a man do crazy things.
Review: Eaton has had a crush on Marty for a long time. when the leader of the hawks is badly injured, Eaton will do anything to have him healed, even make a deal with a sorcerer. Marty is horrified when Eaton is taken because of him. The eagle shifter is his mate and he will do anything to get him back. Marty and Eaton’s friends are willing to go to war to get Eaton back, but with a sorcerer casting his spell will Eaton want to come back?
I love a good light-hearted story of friends pulling together to rescue one of their own and that’s what Amber Kell has created with her wonderful Banded Brothers series. a group of friends as close as brothers sticking together through thick and thin and finding love along the way. This is Eaton’s story, the quite, studious eagle shifter who has the hots for bad boy biker, Marty. With Marty so injured that he might lose his hawk, Eaton puts his trust in the sorcerer, Gallen, and discovers Gallen has his own plans. Marty has come to the point in his life when he wants to settle down and finally claim Eaton. Being injured and learning he might lose his hawk is a hard blow, but Eaton persuades him to trust Gallen. When Marty discovers the trust is misplaced, it is too late and there is nothing he can do, turning to Eaton’s friends they mount a rescue, but are it too late?
This is a really great little story that gives us that spark of excitement that we have come to expect from Banded Brothers. The fierce loyalty, the guns, the explosions and the idiots who think they can take on the friends. The writing is great, showing us not just the strong bonds that hold these friends together but the devotion that each friend finds in their mates. Does that confuse you? Me complementing the entire group? Well, Amber Kell doesn’t forget the exceptional bonds just because a character already has their story, and they are still there even if it is more in the background.
Eaton and Marty are sweet together and both will do anything for the other, they are very easy-going with their relationship with no recriminations from Eaton when he discovers Marty knew they were mates. Marty’s helplessness with the situation screams at you, but Eaton’s cunning is impressive. Although you sneer at Gallen’s behavior, by the end of the story you find a little pity for him. The new people you meet makes you wonder what will be coming after Harris’s story, and I really can’t help hoping for a story for Aden, he is soooo perfect for a clash with an Alpha male.
I will recommend this to those that love shifters, paranormals, magic, hot sex, great characters, a great storyline that leaves threads for the next book and a very happy ending.
Title: Zheng’s Heart
