Title: Light in Darkness Series: Feline Allure, #5 Author: Amy E. Lambo Genre: Contemporary/ Paranormal/ Shape-Shifter Length: Novella (107 Pages) ISBN: 978-1-62741-756-3 Publisher: Siren Publishing (May 19, 2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Hearts Reviewer: Lisa Blurb: Oliver Runend, an elf, is sent to Earth after serving his sentence. On the first day, he meets a handsome man who wants to help him. Even though the stranger is suspicious in the beginning, Oliver ends up giving in.
Trevor Bryant, a weretiger, is fascinated by Oliver. After successfully showing the elf that he is trustworthy, the affection toward each other escalates quickly. Shortly after, a group of men come for Oliver and take him away. Even knowing each other so little, Trevor is determined to save his mate.
In a quest to save Micah from being sacrificed, Oliver and Trevor join forces with new friends. At the same time, on Earth, the poor knowledge about shape-shifters and other paranormal beings makes Oliver want to help his kind. The elves have been changing themselves in order to fit in. Outraged by that fact, Oliver takes action, all the while doing what he can to look after his family.
Review: This is book five in this series and they need to be read in order. It gives you an insight into their world and the way they live their lives. The characters will have you wanting to hear more about them. They are just so perfect together and the way they hit it off is perfect.
The problem was with this story was it was missing the part that would grab my attention. It seemed to not flow as well as the first four books did. It was a good story though. There were many worlds mentioned with a lot of different types of paranormal creatures. Oliver was an elf who just got out of prison. He had spent a small time in prison for kidnapping humans and selling them to the shifter society. He had been caught and sentenced. After getting out he was sent to Earth to learn about the people he tried to sell. Then he met a different type of shifter. One who was part tiger, part wolf? He could turn into a mixture. He was captivating though and Oliver wanted to get to know Trevor more.
Trevor was attracted to Oliver and wanted to be with him. He had accidently completely mated to the man, but Oliver seemed not to mind. In fact, the sex was amazing and full of fire and passion. There seemed to be a slight problem, Oliver was an elf that could get pregnant. A pregnancy that only lasted a short time and places them in danger. A group of men kidnaps their child and intended to sacrifice him. Trevor and Oliver will do anything to protect their family. They would keep their son safe.
It was told in such a way that made it feel like it was rushed through. You get from point a and somehow end up at point b with no way of telling how you got there. It just seems to go too fast. I did love it though but felt that it was missing a big part of the picture that could have been told with this beautiful story. It gives you two very sexy men who will do anything to protect their child, a shifter, an elf, excitement, adventure, and a touch of danger. I would recommend reading this story, but start out with book one first.
Title: Two of a Kind Series: Feline Allure, Book 4 Author: Amy E. Lambo Genre: Ménage/Contemporary/Shape-shifter/Paranormal Length: Novella (94 Pages) ISBN: 978-1-62741-482-1 Publisher: Siren Publishing (March 19th, 2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts Reviewer: Lisa
Blurb: Timothy Lewis can’t find the one. It all begins when he bumps into the man he’s avoided the most, a devious vampire. At first, he can’t stand Xavier, the vampire’s first impression awful. But his feelings for the handsome man grow quickly. In a turn of events, he meets the vampire’s friend, Adrian, a kind white-furred werewolf. They fall for each other, and Xavier’s reaction takes Timothy by surprise.
Xavier Sullivan falls for Timothy at first sight. With their second unexpected meeting, their love grows overnight. Xavier is able to make Timothy release himself from an impossible relationship. Eventually, Timothy accepts him with open arms as a mate.
Adrian Elliott is late. It worries him that Xavier and Timothy are already mates. As a king cheetah-shifter, Timothy has the possibility of being rejected by his people for having two mates. Their peaceful life is interrupted by Xavier’s enemies. In the mix, Timothy almost dies.
Review: This is book four in this series and they should be read in order. It gives you an insight into each character and their lives. It makes it not only easier to not get misled but it makes for a better series. This book is a lot more fun to read then the others though. It just comes off a little better. I loved the characters and the way they act with each other is just a bit funnier. Timothy and his family have the problem of falling for the same people. So when Timothy falls in love with Dylan. Even though Dylan is mated. So here he is looking for Dylan, when he finds a vampire. Xavier scares him but also draws him in.
Xavier falls for Timothy at first sight but he is having trouble with Tim’s feelings for Dylan. It is a bit strange the way Tim and his family are. It takes a short while, but Tim’s feelings are strengthening for Xavier. But he is afraid to tell him that in his world it isn’t a mating between two people but three. He wonders what Tim’s reaction to the news that they are mated to Adrian also.
Adrian is a white wolf and he is mated to Xavier and Tim. He is scared that he will not be accepted in to the relationship. He is a gentle wolf who has had sexual fun with Xavier and another quite a bit but when you throw in mates it gets a bit exciting. Timothy is not sure what to think when he has two very hot men coming at him. He starts feeling things for both but in his world, it is not done. He wonders what his family will say that instead of two mates he has three.
When the danger comes for Xavier, it is Tim that goes to protect his mates. He almost loses his life saving them. Adrian is trying to keep his family safe as is Xavier but Xavier blames himself for Tim’s injuries. You can tell that there is love between these three men, but that they have fears that slow them down a bit. I think out of all of the books in this series that I have read this one is probably the one that I love a little more. I understand it better than the others do but it still comes off as a teenager’s story. The way they act just leaves me with more questions and not getting the answers. Although I assume that considering, they are each from a different world that it is just the way they are. Although Xavier does go to the human world for blood, he doesn’t really spend time there to learn their ways.
I love paranormal romance and when it comes with sexy men it is a given that I will buy it. I was not absolutely in love with this series but it is still a good read. I can’t wait to see what Amy has up her sleeve. She does have a gift at giving you a story that you can sink your teeth into. I might not have understood the way they act, however once I started reading it kept my attention all the way to the end.
Genre: Paranormal / Shapeshifters / Alternative World
Length: Novella (30K)
Publisher: Siren Publishing (August 27th, 2013)
HeatLevel: Moderate
HeartRating: ♥♥♥ 2.5 Hearts
Reviewer: Thommie & Lisa
Blurb: An average human, Nathan Evans has never thought that the day would come when the shape-shifters acknowledged his rare existence in their world. When all of a sudden many shifters come after him, he notices that Felix Wright, a stunning white tiger-shifter, has been ahead of the race all along.
Felix takes a liking to Nathan. The human becomes the most precious item in his collection. When the rumor spreads that he possesses the only human, there is an attempt to take Nathan away from him. Realizing that he fights for Nathan’s safety, Felix begins to develop strong feelings for his object. Such feelings take him by surprise, starting conflicts between him and the human.
Despite Nathan and Felix’s issues, the attention from the surrounding islands focus on the precious being. The persistence to take and sell Nathan angers Felix, which encourages him to express his feelings and protect his human. But will they take Nathan away from him?
As enticing as the blurb sounds the book itself was an utter disappointment. The story revolves around a world other than Earth. Supposedly, once upon a time there were portals that connected this world (for which we have no name) with Earth, and shifters, this world’s inhabitants, could come and go. It was like, years ago a panther shifter adopted Nathan and when – for some unknown reason – the portal were closed – he came back with his adopted son to his planet. Nathan is the only human here and rumors always went around about him, but for some reason it is only now, at his twenty-three years old, that the shifters are showing a greater interest in his existence.
Out of the blue as Nathan gets out of his house, he is chased by a growing number of shifters. His father and friends try to help him hide but they fail and eventually Nathan is captured by Felix, the ruler of an unnamed island.
All the above information is of course not properly provided to us. The story has no sensible plot, rather dishes out information and characters without bothering making a proper introduction. We have no clue about the background of this world. The how’s and why’s, the mechanics and they lifestyle of the shifters around here. We have no idea how the politics go, what is norm, and what not. What are taboos, what is a proper behavior for people and how the dynamics of different kinds of shifter’s work between them. We never get to learn how Nathan managed to reach twenty-three years old and no one realized he couldn’t shift. We never got to learn the mating mechanics, how the bond works, what does it mean for the mates. It’s all a huge jumble of insensible, ludicrous events that held no logic, let alone realistic value.
Felix kidnaps Nathan for his “collection,” and that is surreal. Even so, we never got to see that precious “collection” of his. The idea behind it was probably meant to make you sympathize (later on) with Felix, whom had been grown in a strange environment with his parents constantly absent, and his “friends” always wanting something from him, leading to a cold person who treat all and everybody like objects.
Nathan feels an attraction to Felix the moment he lies eyes on him (as he was chased by Felix that is), but he can’t allow himself to feel that way, because well obviously the man doesn’t see him as a person with feelings. While on the trip back to Felix’s island Nathan allows Felix to have sex with him (condoms are used), but he refuses to acknowledge that he likes it, even as his body betrays him. As soon as they reach the island though, Felix treats him coldly again and Nathan forbids him from touching him again.
There is this constant back and forth between Felix and Nathan. The time span and the continuously changing of heart, the inconsistency of feelings and actions is incredulous. I literally couldn’t believe what I was reading. My only question that unfortunately was repeated over and over with every single line I read was “why? Why are these characters acting the way they do? What is the purpose behind anything they do?” and of course I never got an answer for that.
The chemistry and intimate scenes between these two characters – that by the way were incredibly shallow, with no amount of depth or personality, and utterly unappealing – was glaringly absent. Nathan’s character was a complete mess in all his actions/reactions. When the mating claim happened, I was left with my jaw hanging and disbelieving everything. Nothing, nothing made sense. Felix had sex with Nathan the first time (the mating ritual, and don’t ask what that entails I never found out, supposedly had three stages) and Nathan acted as a virgin, as if he didn’t already have sex with Felix on the boat. Immediately they hit the shower for the next step and we were supposed to see the why as the story moved on. For this step, though Felix uses condoms (I came back to this) even as his first ejaculation was seeping down Nathan’s thighs. Again, why? At this point Nathan whines about not being able to have sex with Felix because his member was too big… For which I have no comment, I’m rendered speechless. And after an intense exhibition of orgasming two or three times non-stop (literally non-stop, try to imagine that) the scene ends and we never get to understand what the ritual really was or how it works.
I could keep going on. Bottom end this story in my opinion is in serious need of a couple of editing rounds and a good, hard revision. While at it, it would be nice for the author to properly “build” this world and give the plot a sense, a meaning, and a purpose. As it is, it only gets half a heart from me for the nice idea.
Lisa’s Review:♥♥♥♥ 3 1/2 Hearts
This is book one in this series and they should be read in order. Normally I would say that it is so that you will have an insight into who each character is and their lives but it is more fun to start with book one. I am not really sure if I like this book yet or not, I will see after I read the next book. It is a great story don’t get me wrong, but it seems like Felix is just like a tempermental little boy instead of an man and a leader. He see’s Nathan as an object not as a person.
Nathan is the only human in the shifter world and is worth quite a bit, even though Nathan doesn’t think so. He is a lot smaller than the shifters, teaches swimming to students and lives with his shape-shifting father. He was an orphan and stuck in the shifter world. He was basically adopted by a shifter and is well adored. When shifters come to take the only human he runs in fear, always intent to make his way back to his father. However Felix kidnaps him and takes him to his home. Intent on making him just another precious object. Or so he thought in the beginning.
Felix starts getting feelings for Nathan and it leaves him with a lot of questions. However he knows that he wants this human and will do everything to protect what is his. Now all he has to do is prove to Nathan that he is not an object but a desired mate. There are many that will try to take Nathan away from him, but he must protect him and show him that he is falling in love with this sexy man.
Like I said it is a great story, it just comes off as a bit weird the way Felix come off. One thinks that a leader, an alpha is strong both in mind and body but Felix doesn’t come off that away. It left me with questions that were unanswered. However it did catch my attention from the start and kept it all the way to the end. It gives you sexy men, passionate sexual encounters, arguments, feisty comments, excitement, adventure and a bit of danger all wrapped up into a cool book.
Title: Light in Darkness
