Tag: GLBT Paranormal Historical Romance

Loki's Curse by Cameron Lawton

200x300lokis_curse130401_1010Title: Loki’s Curse

Author: Cameron Lawton

Genre: Paranormal, Historic, Vampire

Length: Short (25pgs)

Publisher: ManLoveRomance Press (29th March 2013)

Heat Level: Low – Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Set in ninth century Ireland, when Haakon’s son, the finest warrior in the village, dies in his bed and so is excluded from Valhalla, a blood oath is made. Nobody but the village witch, the Gytha, can foresee the catastrophic consequences. Even she is not sure how they will resolve it.

Purchase Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=CLLOKICU

Review: Ivar, the village Chief Haakon’s son, was struck down by sickness. Haakon fears Ivar will never enter Valhalla and swears a blood oath. Gytha, the village witch, knows it will be a terrible curse, but bows to Haakon’s wishes and with the help of Ivar’s childhood friend, Thorkell, sets about bringing Ivar back.

Okkaayy, this is far from a nice sweet read. In fact, it is pretty brutal, bloody and dismal. Although, it has a happy-ish ending it isn’t happily ever after in the romance *snort ‘romance’* stakes. Thorkell desires men. A desire that will get him killed and that desire is pointed at his best friend, Ivar.  So when Ivar dies, Thorkell offers his love and devotion on the chance it will bring him back. But, Ivar is not the same and although Thorkell strikes a deal with Ivar, Ivar is just too wrong to let live.

This is a great little short if you are looking for something that is to the point and brutal and a touch monstrous, with a hint of dread and despair. I really felt like this was more like a horror story with a bit of redemption thrown in at the end. It’s well written and sends a couple of tendrils of dread down your spine as you see what has returned from the dead. Especially when poor Thorkell has sworn to deal with what Ivar has become. If you read this expecting a happy sexual love-fest between Thorkell and Ivar, then you will be surprised when it is brutal and to the point and the happiness comes when they return to just friends.

I will recommend this to those who want true love that’s twisted, a touch of horror, despair, and dread, very rough sex and an ending that is happy for Thorkell in his acceptance.

 

Reluctant Surrender by Jana Downs

Title: Reluctant Surrender

Series: Alchemy Mates 01

Author: Jana Downs

Genre: Historical (1815), Paranormal

Length: Novel (192pgs)

Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand Publishing (23rd June 2012)

Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: A former member of a legendary vampire-hunting family, Andren MacGregor is now a vampire under the care of an extremely sexy and absolutely forbidden ancient Roman vampire named Lucian. He’s spent the past seven years fighting the growing attraction for his maker, and the fact that he is no longer human just seems to compound his prickly personality.

When his family steps back into the picture and a killer starts targeting Lucian, Andren has to come to grips with the things he’s been denying about himself. He’ll have to learn to balance being a vampire and being a hunter in order to protect the man he’s growing to love and the family that he’s sworn to protect.

Purchase Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/reluctant-surrender

Review: Andren has had a lot to cope with first going from vampire hunter to vampire, then his unexplained attraction to his sire and finally having to cope with no longer being human. And now just when he is accepting his fate, his family are back and someone is out for him and Lucian. Lucian has waited patiently for years for Andren to come to terms with being a vampire. Now, he just wishes that Andren would turn to him for love. In the mean time, Lucian has to help Andren hunt down a killer who is targeting them both.

You know I wasn’t sure at first about the setting for this book, 18th century England, for vampires, but after reading it I found what better timeframe to have vampires live, than regency England when the aristocracy slept most of the day and partied at night. Andren used to be a vampire hunter, but then a hunt went wrong and he was turned. His family turned their back on him and he only had Lucian (his sire) left to rely on. Andren has now spent the last seven years basically sulking for the loss of his old life and refusing to come to terms with what he now is. He has also denied his feelings for Lucian.

Lucian has had the patience of a saint, looking after Andren and teaching him the ways of a vampire could not have been easy. The support that he has shown Andren is amazing and it is only his love for Andren that has had him being so strong in the face of Andren’s treatment of him. Lucian is a wonderful vampire and some of his close friends are great and they really fill the story out. When Andren finally let’s himself accept his circumstances, Andren and Lucian are beautiful together. And then they have Andren’s family to deal with and whoever is after them both.

This is a really good story that weaves a web of deceit and murder, of love and betrayal and of hope and forgiveness. Andren’s family discovers truths that their father hid. Lucian’s friends just might not be friends and Andren finally accepts Lucian’s love. I liked the way that this story was told and the descriptions of regency England, the sex is hot and passionate and the vampire powers are cool and varied. I will admit to not liking Andren at first, god what a big baby, but when he finally accepts that there is more to life and that he doesn’t have to give up his calling of taking down rogue vampires, he improved in my eyes by a huge amount.

So, if you love vampires, vampire powers, regency, danger, love, accepting your fate, finding out truths and having a happy ending then this is the book for you.

 

 

 

Snow Bite, Blood Red by Jade Astor

Title: Snow Bite, Blood Red

Series: Once Upon A Man 01

Author: Jade Astor

Genre: Historical, Medieval, Paranormal, Alternate World, Vampires

Length: Novella (132pgs)

Publisher: Silver Publishing (30th June 2012)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 ½Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Albion leads a sheltered life until he is chosen to break the curse that has befallen their king. A nightwalker who feasts on human blood, King Jasper knows regaining his humanity means draining the life from the man he loves.

A man-loving twist on a classic tale. The younger son of a powerful lord, Albion leads a sheltered life with his father and half-brother, Rosarius. Everything changes for him when he is summoned to King Jasper’s palace. Much to his brother’s resentment, Albion is chosen to help break the curse that has befallen their ruler.

Forced to live as a creature who shuns the daylight and feasts on human blood, King Jasper has nearly given up hope of finding the true love that can restore his humanity. Just as he starts to believe Albion may be the one to heal him, a mysterious assassin tries to put a stop to their growing passion. With the forces of dark magic working against them, Jasper and Albion must find a way to outwit death and forge a life together.

Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/products_id/1101/?zenid=3a799ff1718524eeb8af84fb253e2a71

Review: Albion gets his first glimpse of the King, when he is taken to court after his coming of age. He can scarce believe the tales his brother tells him and is shocked to learn his brother wishes to ensnare the King. But, his brother’s plan backfires, when Albion is chosen instead. Jasper has fallen foul of a curse laid upon him because of his father’s actions, now forced to drink blood and living in darkness he only wishes to break the curse. But, finding the one man who can break it is difficult, when Albion seems to have an effect on him, someone sets out to get rid of Albion.

This is a well written twisted rendition of Snow White with a bit of Beauty and the Beast thrown in. Albion is a sheltered young man who has just passed his eighteenth birthday and with his coming of age, he is invited to the King’s yearly party to introduce all the newly eligible young men to the King. Albion is dragged into a ploy by his brother to ensnare the Kings attention and when Albion is chosen, Rosarius is far from happy. Jasper just wants to find the one who can break his curse, but it is getting harder and harder to live with the lonely existence and dashed hopes, until Albion brings hope back into his life and it puts Albion’s life in grave danger.

Albion really has been sheltered and is very naïve about life. He has had his own secret longings and when he meets the King those longings take on a life of their own. Albion is just so trusting that you want to protect him from all the evil in the world. And Jasper, well, with Jasper you want to take all the hopelessness and loneliness away. They make a really sweet couple, and you can’t help wondering if it isn’t because he has the right blood and more because of how they feel for each other.

So, I will recommend this to those who love a fairy tale with a twist, danger, intrigue, witchcraft, erotic lovemaking and a very happy ending.

 

 

 

The Mystery of Ruby Lode by Scotty Cade

Title:  The Mystery of Ruby Lode

Series:  N/A

Author:  Scotty Cade

Genre:    Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Gay, Historical, Paranormal/Alternate World, Romance, Thriller, Western

Length:  Novel

Publisher:  Silver Publishing (May 26, 2012)

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥4.5Hearts                                                                       

Blurb:   Something left behind in the abandoned Ruby Lode gold mine attacks four friends, exploiting their weaknesses and insecurities, threatening their sanity, friendship, and ultimately their lives. Can they solve the mystery of Ruby Lode in time to save each other?

After six long months of research, adventure seekers Bowen McAlister, Cyrus Curran, Duff Gentry, and Lockhart Dawson are on their way to Boulder, Colorado to explore Ruby Lode, an abandoned gold mine. Duff, a born psychic, senses something isn’t quite right, and the closer they get, the more his unease grows.

Something left behind long ago in the deep shafts and drifts of Ruby Lode makes its presence known by exposing dark, heavily guarded secrets.  Preying on each of their weaknesses and insecurities, Ruby Lode’s own destructive secret threatens their sanity, friendship, and ultimately their lives.

CONTENT ADVISORY: This story contains elements of rape/near rape.

Product Link:  https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/products_id/849/?zenid=5b689a0780bf14b69461002bfeb4fb57

Reviewer:   Portia

Review:  Normally, I begin a review with a bit of a blurb.  But, I have to preface that with a bit of a confession.  I am always nervous when an author jumps genre.  I know, that sounds petty, but oh well.  Sue me.  I like when my favorite writers are predictable and consistent.  But, every now and then, one of them surprises me.  Scotty Cade shocked the hell out of me…in the nicest possible way.

Now as a writer, I can tell you flashbacks can be hard to pull off.  If you put them in the wrong place, or cover the wrong time frame, you can lose your reader.  Scotty Cade pulled wove flashbacks into this entire story brilliantly.  The Mystery of Ruby Lode begins at the beginning, in the spring of 1914.  Frink and his best friend Counter are two young prospectors trying to strike it rich.  Realizing that they lack both experience and equipment, they hook up with two other miners to better their odds of actually striking gold.  Before they can pull a single piece of ore out of the ground disaster strikes.

Then, we jump to present day.  The four friends have been on this type of adventure before.  But, this time is different. This time not only their lives are in danger, but their very sanity.

This is a fabulous romantic suspense.  I can’t say that enough times.  Absolutely brilliant.  The pacing was just right.  The flashbacks that are woven into the main story let us stay just a head of the four friends.  And the touch of paranormal is so well done, that it if you don’t believe if ghosts, you might.

For those of you who are wondering, there is some really hot sex, but it is always tempered with the intimacy of lovers…at least in the present day. 😉 And in true Cade fashion, these are grown ass men, who don’t play head games with their lovers.  Each has a secret that must be revealed in order to solve The Mystery of Ruby Lode, all trusting that their secrets will be safe, with their closest friends.

I am recommending this one for, of course, all the Scotty Cade fans…trust me, he delivers.  And anyone who loves a good cold case mystery with a touch of paranormal thrown in.  Highly recommend.

Badland Rejects by Elita Mae

Title: Badland Rejects

Series: Between the Badlands and Heaven 01

Author: Elita Mae

Genre: Wild West, Shifter, Paranormal

Length: Novel (182pgs PDF 290pgs Kindle)

Publisher: Senzuri Books (5th /6th June 2012)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥1 ½ – 2Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: When the west clashes with fantasy, a group of rejected souls find themselves tangled in the same situation. A danger lurks close behind as they try to high tail it out of wherever they may be. On their journey escaping the persistent shadow they fall right into his hands. Raylan, a cowboy with the heart of fire and a sword sharper than the Grim Reaper’s scythe, progresses through the lands. Ready for a quick kill, he gets more than he bargained for by an innocent trip to take a piss, a day that would forever change his lone ranger habit. Gabe, a man who suffers from gaps of time, searches for something he doesn’t even know. Day by day he idly wanders unsure how he ended up in one place or another. One day he wakes up in bed, naked, beside Raylan. No memory of the night before, he struggles against the fate binding him to this cowboy who insists not leaving him behind. Fresh out of bed, the two venture off on their long journey side by side.

Purchase Link: USA: http://www.amazon.com/Badland-Rejects-Between-Badlands-ebook/dp/B00898GVPS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339308586&sr=8-1&keywords=badland+rejects

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Badland-Rejects-Between-Badlands-ebook/dp/B00898GVPS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339606951&sr=1-1

Review: Raylan is a drifter.  He drifts from town to town and maybe sometimes he might do a bit of robbing… okay, so he’s a wanted man and on this night he enters a town where his fate just might change. Gabe wakes up next to a cowboy, but he has no recollection of him. Unfortunately, for Gabe the cowboy doesn’t remember much either. But, circumstances throw them together repeatedly. Mako ends up tagging along and ends up with his own companion Zack.

This story has a very good premise, but the execution was poorly carried out. Raylan is alternatively running from and then hunting something that used to be an old friend. Gabe is in a roundabout sort of way looking for revenge although he doesn’t know it.  Zack just wants to be accepted and Mako is a young man who prefers the company of animals to humans. These four end up together traveling across the flatlands having adventures and facing enemies. While, Gabe begins to trust Raylan, in between his blackouts, and Zack and Mako become very close.

I found this book really hard to get into because of the writing style; it jumped from POV to POV with no warning. So one second you are in Gabe’s head and the next you were in Raylan’s. it was hard to follow what was going on and I would lose the thread as it jumped from subject to subject. But, if I ignored all that and just concentrated on the bare bones it held my interest. The storyline is more complex than we are led to believe, because Gabe’s blackouts are not just blackouts, and we are introduced to a variety of characters that inhabit his body. So, the very first encounter between Raylan and Gabe is actually between Raylan and Bane. Zack is really a wolf who can take on a humanoid form and Mako is very sensitive to auras.

Anyway, if this book had been from my personal library then I really don’t think I would have finished it, because, by the time I got to page 70 I had a killer headache from all the jumping about of POV (we even had the horses POV) and trying to keep the thread alive and the only reason I didn’t set it aside for a later date was because I was reviewing it. (I always said I’d be honest.) But, this author has a lot of potential, the bare bones are great, it was just the execution that fell short in my eyes and I am a sucker for this type of story. If the POV hadn’t jumped about so much or was at least clearer when it happened, and their own background stories clearer it would have got at least a 3 Hearts . And I would love to know what happened to the eye patch?

So, if you want a story at combines the Wild West with the paranormal, with shifters, unexpected trouble, a complex man, a brooding cowboy and a happy for now ending then give this book a try.

 

Bound to the Beast by Kay Berrisford

Title: Bound To The Beast

Series: The Greenwood 02

Author: Kay Berrisford

Genre: BDSM, Historical (43AD, 1588AD), Fantasy, Paranormal

Length: Novel (217pgs)

Publisher: Loose Id (10th April 2012)

Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: England, 1588. When a fairy betrothal ritual goes wrong, village lad Tam is bonded to Herne the Hunter. Warrior, legend, and Greenwood spirit, Herne once led the terrifying Wild Hunt, an army of the undead who rode as harbingers of doom. When his passions are stirred and his blood is up, Herne sports the antlers of a mighty stag.

Herne could be the lover Tam secretly craves, but Herne’s past makes him fear the brooding warrior will enslave or kill him. While Herne admires Tam’s toughness and humor, he has rejected love—as he has sworn off leading the Wild Hunt—and wishes only for solitude. To break their betrothal, they must travel into the Greenwood, a realm of magic and bondage where their desires for each other grow dangerously irresistible, and the Wild Hunt bays for their blood.

As the threat rises, Herne’s mastery and compassion realize Tam’s darkest sexual fantasies. Soon he’s no longer fighting for his freedom, wishing to be bound to the beast forever. But can Herne’s tortured heart be reawakened? And if so, will their love destroy them both, or prove Herne the Hunter’s greatest weapon?

Purchase Link: http://www.loose-id.com/The-Greenwood-Bound-to-the-Beast.aspx

Review: Herne has had vengeance in his heart for over fifteen hundred years, but he is losing his need to lead the Wild Hunt.  when he is called to The Greenwood, he finds the Wild Hunt waiting for him to lead it, but maybe the Goddess has something else in mind for Herne when he interrupts a fairy betrothal. Tam really doesn’t want to marry any woman, but he has been chosen to capture a fairy in marriage. But, it all goes wrong and there is a race against time to find a way to break the betrothal.  all the while, Tam and Herne fight their attraction to each other.

Another wonderful tale of The Greenwood.  although, this one is set over two hundred years before Bound For The Forest. Herne has been alone for a long time except for when he is leading the Wild Hunt across England.  But, he is tired of the vengeance.  the one who wronged him is long gone and although it hurts to remember that betrayal, he can no longer find the full wrathful vengeance in his heart. Tam ends up betrothed to the wrong being inside the fairy circle and now Tam and Herne must find a way to break the betrothal before it ends in death for Tam while running from and avoiding the Wild Hunt as they try to harry Herne to lead them and they want Tam as a sacrifice.

Tam and Herne are fantastic characters. Herne wants peace and quiet, to do his duty and to be left alone.  and Tam is a chatter box who is interested in all around him and can manage to get on Herne’s last nerve by being stubborn. Tam somehow manages to get through Herne’s thick shell and Herne wants to protect Tam. With the help (snort) of the fairies (you would not believe the mouths on them) and with the Wild Hunt on their tail, they discover just what the Goddess’s plans really are.

So…a story filled with world building, delightful and disgusting characters, incredible detail, more wonderful lore, passionate, primal, primitive sex with a touch of BDSM and some very happy characters with a wonderful ending, what are you waiting for get this book and let it take you on a journey.

 

 

A Brush with Darkness by Erastes

Title:  A Brush With Darkness

Author:  Erastes

Genre:   Historical – Florence, 1875, Paranormal

Length:  Novella

Publisher:  Carina Press (March 19, 2012)

Heat Level:  Explicit

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

After making a grisly discovery one night, I needed proof that there was still goodness in the world. I never dreamt it would come to me during my next commission–with a subject whose very name means light…

Yuri was glorious in his otherworldly beauty, surrounded by a bright halo of iridescence, but I detected a fierce darkness lurking underneath the surface. Sketching all night, I could hardly wait to capture his likeness in a painting. For Yuri has stimulated not only my creative urges, but my sexual ones as well.

His very presence infuses me with joy and passion, but what will happen if my patron should discover our trysts? Dependent on his good graces, I can’t afford to lose his support. But I fear the time will soon come when I must choose between restoring my family’s fortunes and obeying the temptation of the muse before me…

Previously published as Chiaroscuro, newly revised by author.

Product Link:  http://ebooks.carinapress.com/02B45553-0F33-4B4B-AF28-1CB2E4FEAA94/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID={F2D717D2-8B77-4B48-B6D7-5274564E0685}

Reviewer:   Portia

Review:  Michel di Fiesole is the only son of a business man, now deceased.  The circumstances of his father’s death are a bit shady, but Michel has neither the contacts nor resources to make further inquiries.  Luckily, he does have enough talent to secure his father’s former business associate, Signor Bettano as a patron.  For two years he has painted the portraits of the Florence elite.  Now, he has been commissioned to create a portrait of a man, who literally takes his breath away.

This was my first Erastes novel.  I have several of her works on my Kindle, but always seemed to skip over then, in favor of something shorter or more contemporary.

I could just kick myself.

The language of this book is magical.  There is a lilt to the cadence that was just beautiful.  Her use of language sets a wonderful tone that is historically accurate.  It is not just true to the period, it’s just absolutely beautiful.  As I read, I could almost head Patrick Stewart or better yet, Jason Statham voice in my head.  I would love to see this title turned into an audio book.

Michel is a dear.  He would love to tell his patron to drop dead.  But, he takes his responsibilities to his family seriously.  He will endure any amount of personal discomfort, in order to see to their needs.

I wasn’t sure of Yuri’s intent, at first.  He is so beautiful and so intense.  But, he also proves to want Michel for more than an evening’s entertainment.

This book will not appeal to everyone.  I happen to love the poetic styling of the 19th century British writers. And A Brush with Darkness is very much in that vein.  But, the story is very well-written.  Even if you don’t think of yourself as a historical romance lover, you will enjoy this book.  You would be amazed at how steamy sex can be, when you have to remain true to a historical period.  The mystery that is interwoven adds a darkness that is very satisfying.  Not to mention that little matter of Yuri’s avocation.

If you haven’t tried Erastes, I highly recommend A Brush with Darkness as your introduction.  It’s just long enough to weave a tale of intrigue with just a taste of the paranormal.  Highly recommended.

 

Vertigo by Michael Mandrake

Title: Vertigo

Author: Michael Mandrake

Genre: Paranormal, Historical

Length: Novella (96pgs)

Publisher: Renaissance eBooks Inc. (Sizzler Editions) (20th January 2012)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥2 ½Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: After losing his lover to mental disorder, Dr. Hayden Curry throws himself into work, silently wishing he could experience something extraordinary in love. He finds his match in David, a creature Hayden revives after discovering him and hauling him back to his lab. Upon awakening, David asks Dr. Hayden’s help in discovering more about himself. Hayden agrees but senses secrets in David. Will he get to the bottom of things and be able to continue the special relationship he and David have, or will the secrets that come forward tear them apart?

Purchase Link: http://shop.renebooks.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MANDRAKE-01

Review: Hayden is called by the police to help to identify a mysterious half-man, half-beast, but when he gets it back to his laboratory he makes a startling discovery. David is the creature that Hayden revived and he has an ulterior motive for being there.

This is quite a strange paranormal story. Hayden is still missing his lover who is locked away in a mental institution when he inadvertently revives a beast-man.  it is the beginning of a complex relationship where David keeps secrets from Hayden and Hayden is steamrolled into a relationship. I am not really sure how to feel about this relationship as it was based on lies and half-truths and I was expecting Hayden to be a much stronger character.

David is far more than a shifter; although we don’t get the full truth for some time and he also seems to be slightly unbalanced, although that could just be a natural part of his behavior.  Hayden seems to be quite a strong character, but against David, he becomes more submissive. I also think that when Hayden learnt the full truth that his reaction should have more explosive and that he should have at least questioned his own feelings for David.

The sex between them is quite erotic. I was left slightly bemused by the ending as I was left with some questions as to the reality of the situation that they left behind. Although I liked Hayden I felt like he had made the biggest mistake in his life because he had been played from the first and been manipulated into loving David. David acted a lot of the time like a child who was going to have his toys taken away, what tantrums.

So if you want something a bit different that has hot sex, an unstable demon, a gullible Doctor and a happy ever after then this is for you.