Title: Downtown Bus Series: Prehistoric Shifters, # 1 Author: Sui Lynn Genre: Erotic Romance/ Shapeshifter/ Paranormal Length: Novella (125 pages) Publisher: Extasy Books (January 1st, 2015) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts Blurb: Micah Lewis is minding his own business on his morning commute, dreaming of freedom and mountain forests. It’s an unattainable dream, as he‘s an owned man. His parents sold him and his twin to a fae collector, who uses Spencer to control him. He is forced to live in a cage on display when not working in the Fae’s factory.
Daniel Hawthorn arrives in the city just in time to have his bike break down, forcing him to use public transportation. When he discovers his mate, a beautiful, blond, human man who seems to be extremely shy, he decides to make his approach very carefully.
Micah agrees to meet with Daniel, but things don’t go as planned. Secrets and ancient legends come to life, sparking a cross-country escape to the mountains of Montana. Will Daniel get to keep his mate? Will Micah attack and kill him?
Will Leopold the Fae find and kill them both before they even have a chance to discover love?
Review: Daniel, a beta wolf shifter, meets his mate Micah, a Smilodon, the largest of the prehistoric saber-toothed cats, on a bus after his motorcycle breaks down. As the two go on a date it’s interrupted by the guards of fae Leopold and attempts to take Micah back. Once Daniel learns that Micah is a prisoner along with other prehistoric shifters he takes Micah and runs back to his pack to get help from his Alpha and brother Ben.
Intense and adventurous story of two men on the run. I loved the fact that Micah is a saber-toothed cat. Really enjoyed the descriptions of his shift. I couldn’t believe Leopold was holding shifters against their will as if they were his for the taking. I was sorry to see he escaped punishment by running.
I enjoyed the whole story of this wonderfully written book. Really looking forward to the next book to see what happens next in the Seres. Fantastic read.
Highly recommended
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review throughhttp://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com*
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Future Fantasy (2215)
Length: Novel (196 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-62798-374-7
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (22nd January 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½ Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: In a world recovering from a war that devastated humanity, Evan Halvard struggles to control a power he doesn’t understand. Evan is a stonemason. He can give life to stone to create and awaken living gargoyles. When he receives a message that a large gargoyle is about to be demolished by the Church, Evan rushes to save it.
After centuries of sleep, the gargoyle has no interest in a present he can’t relate to. Yet, through the haze of his hibernation, a voice calls to him. He awakens restrained by those he swore to protect. Evan and Adel must work to understand the power connecting them and escape the evil hunting Evan, before the Church destroys Adel.
1st Edition published by Silver Publishing, July 2011
Review: When humanity was nearly destroyed people turned to the Church to ease their grief and when the Government’s fell the Church stepped in to lead. Evan is a young man who can awaken living stone but knows that the Church can never know his secret, so he is secretly part of an underground movement that rescues stone statues that once protected Church sanctuaries. Rescuing a large gargoyle Evan learns more about his powers and discovers that not all is well within the Church. Adel has been sleeping for a long time when he is awoken by the Maker and discovers that those that he has always protected have turned against him and his brethren, but with the Maker by his side, there is hope for all living stone. Adel and Evan must understand their connection and survive the evil ministrations of a Church Father.
Hmmm, gargoyles, post-apocalyptic Church and Elementals mix them together and we have a great start to a brilliant series. In a world that is far different from our own time, the Church leads and they have implemented laws to raise the population, but Rome isn’t in full control. Evan is a stone worker who has a little gift; he can awaken gargoyles. Evan uses his remote cabin and stonemason work for the good of the underground. To rescue statues from destruction at the hands of the church. During one rescue, he awakens a gargoyle that will change his life and bring the love that he has been lacking. Adel discovers his mate in Evan and now needs to protect him, Father Michael has his eye on Evan, and Adel knows it isn’t innocent interest and it isn’t long before the Father makes his move.
This is a great story that has some surprises, great characters and a really good storyline. We are taken into the future where the Church leads, in America the Church is wiping out gargoyles as evil, and Evan is secretly working against them. Evan has grown up seeing how harsh the Church can be so when he meets Jude and discovers the truth he finds it hard to believe, but Jude has helped him in the past and Adel thinks they should take a chance. Adel and Evan make a brilliant couple and the development of their relationship fits well with the circumstances, I also enjoyed the way the story progressed giving us just enough hints as to the direction it’s heading. The gargoyles are all well written and a large percent of them are cute small ones who are fierce protectors, one travels with Jude while the rest are like family to Evan.
The background world building is interesting and we learn a lot early in the book as to the circumstances that we find ourselves in, and it really sets the tone for when we first meet Father Michael. Father Michael is a very creepy character who you just know has his fingers in some unsavory pies and he really is slimy. When we discover the full truth about Father Michael, I have to say it wasn’t that much of a surprise, but it did help to fit in some of the pieces as to what was happening in the wider story.
I recommend this to those who love a world in the future where gargoyles are being awoken, who love a great storyline and characters, danger and startling rescues, and a love that will last.
Warning: Some readers may find some scenes disturbing – mention of rape and abuse.
Blurb: Orphan Lance runs after he’s attacked and ends up with blood on his hands. He runs again when a shape shifter, Andrew, discovers him in his barn. Is Lance a savior? A Murderer? Can they find trust as well as love?
Lance Fitz is an orphan, lost in the foster care system. He’s a survivor and tough as nails. Attacked and beaten, his attacker is murdered. Lance, with blood on his hands and a broken spirit, flees to the solitude of the peaceful pine forest of the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Andrew Reed, a handsome shape shifter discovers a man in his barn loading a duffel bag with supplies. Before he can ask questions, the young man spots him and runs. Andrew chases after him. What he discovers at the end of a fast-paced run through the woods astounds them both.
Can Andrew help Lance heal enough to trust him? Can he convince Lance to stay before he runs out of Andrew’s life, forever beyond his reach and the slavery that has him bound to the land and vampires?
Review: Lance has grown up in the foster system being passed from foster home to foster home and State to State, when a foster-father is killed, Lance goes on the run and begins to discover the secrets of his past. When Andrew discovers a young man in the barn, he gives chase, when he finally catches up with him he is delighted at what he finds.
This is a wonderful story that had me enthralled with its craftsmanship. Sui Lynn has created a world that is complex but easy to follow, she explains well the world of her shifters, and although we don’t get all the answers in this book… it is only the start of a great new world. When Lance is caught by Andrew, it starts a slow building relationship between the two men, it is a relationship where trust has to be earned, and where love develops slowly.
Lance has been badly abused in the past and although he grows to love Andrew, he doesn’t think that the relationship will ever progress to sex. Andrew adores Lance and will do anything for him, when he realizes the extent of Lance’s abuse he knows he has to hold back and hope that Lance will overcome his past because they have already declared each other as mates and they have to consummate their mating… or it will get violent as their animals take over.
This is a wonderfully written story where secrets come out and Lance finds out about his parents, he starts to learn about the shifter world and the circumstances that the shifters species find themselves in. The characters in this book are wonderful from the two MC’s to all the supporting characters; the emotional depth to the book is startling and well-rounded out. The background of the shifters is well-developed and I loved the fact that the shifters and animals choose each other instead of just being born a certain type of shifter.
Although this story doesn’t answer all our questions, it is a fantastic start to a series that promises answer’s in future books (the next one is called A Royal Bind). It has introduced us to a world of shifters and vampires that I found fascinating, it is also a book that is based on building trust and overcoming ghosts from the past and looking towards the problems of the future. A really incredible story that I adored.
I have to recommend this book to anyone who loves shifters, mystery, a bit of action, some danger, a slow love story, some hot lovemaking, and a happy ending.
Genre: Paranormal, Shifter, Vampire, Alternative World
Length: Novel (193pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (30th August 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½ Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Lance Fitz and Andrew Reed are a blissfully mated pair, but Andrew’s benefactor Stephon, a born vampire, isn’t happy with the pairing, especially after he discovers Lance’s pedigree. Stephon attempts to find answers using his mental connection with Andrew, and when his efforts fail, he goes after Lance’s new shifter family. Enraged, Lance severs the tie to Stephon. He wants to tear apart the abusive vampire and free his mate and family for good. But before he can try, the family reminds Lance that the death of one vampire won’t change the social status of shifters as an enslaved people. The fight won’t end with Stephon, even if Lance succeeds.
Review:This book is part of a series and must be read in order. Lance and Andrew are happily mated, well they would be if people didn’t want Lance dead, but Andrew is still tied to Stephon and Lance is far from happy about that fact. As Lance begins to learn of the political mechanics, he has to wade through, Andrew and his family seeks to support and protect Lance as those who don’t want change, seek to put an end to the pureblood.
A Royal Bind is a great continuation from Pauper Prince. Lance and Andrew have many political maneuvers to endure as they decide what must be done to protect Lance from the assassins; Lance also wants Andrew free from Stephon and just wants to be with his mate. They have many decisions to make because as a pureblood, the only pureblood to be known to live, he is a danger to the vampires rule over the shifters and that is not something that most vampires want and some shifters. They have to be careful of who they trust because enemies may not be enemies and allies might not be allies.
I really enjoyed this second installment of the Changing Moon series, the characters Lance and Andrew still adore and love each other, but now as more people learn of Lance’s bloodlines they begin to learn that there are even more people that they might not be able to trust. Lance is a great character who may not want anything but his mate, but will try to do what is best for everyone, he also shows his backbone more in this one and I was thrilled at his and Andrew’s developing skills. Andrew is an absolute sweetheart and I really love his entire family (well except Uncle Dave).
This isn’t a story where the lines between allies and enemies are clear, you just can’t tell who is really out for Lance and some characters will surprise you, and I have a strong feeling that by the end of the series we will be left reeling as to who the enemy really is. You will love some of the new characters that we finally meet face to face (so to speak) and you begin to have doubts about others but as I said there are no clear lines so you are left guessing. Lance and Andrew’s love is plain to see on every page, as is Lance’s inexperience of the shifter and vampire world and you can only hope that he is being guided by the right people.
I will recommend this to those who love shifters, vampires, paranormal, strong love, hot sex, developing characters, a great story and being left with a desperate hope that the next book will be published soon.
After a grueling battle in ancient Greece, lovers Dexios and Lykon committed their lives to each other in the name of Goddess Cythera. After the war, fearing the strength of his love for Dexios, Lykon abandoned his vow and returned home. Heartbroken, Dexios called on Cythera, who changed him into four unfinished statues. In that form he would wait for his fickle lover to return, break the curse, and make him whole.
Thousands of years have passed when Galen Kanellis finds the disassembled pieces in the storeroom of a Seattle museum and makes them the focus of his new exhibit. Needing information, he contacts his ex-lover Nick Charisteas. Nick has a lifelong dream of finding the Dexios Collection, and the last thing he expected was for it to wind up in the hands of the man who broke his heart. As both men search for answers about the statues, worries of abandonment and fear of loss test their renewed relationship, threatening to separate them again—this time permanently.
Release Date: August 26, 2013 | Buy as eBook ($6.99 ISBN: 978-1-62798-056-2) | Buy as Paperback ($16.99 ISBN: 978-1-62798-055-5)
No Angel by Daniel A. Kaine
Born with a birth defect called Devil Syndrome, it is impossible for Josh Harper to hide the two small stumps of hornlike bone atop his head. If people also knew about his ability to create force fields with his mind, they’d lock him up for sure. Left to fend for himself on his eighteenth birthday, Josh tries to make it on the streets. When he’s attacked, he’s rescued by Sam Mitchell, who has an equally strange power—and a set of pure white wings.
Sam ran away from home a year ago, and the new life he’s built for himself includes living in an abandoned house and looking after three younger kids, all with Devil Syndrome. Then along comes Josh. After a rough start their relationship grows and the two young men find a haven in each other’s arms. But when tragedy strikes their newfound family, Sam’s hatred of regular humans spirals out of control, and Josh will have to make Sam see sense before everything he’s worked so hard to build is destroyed.
Length: Novel (200p.) | Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, Paranormal, Coming of Age
Release Date: August 26, 2013 | Buy as eBook ($6.99 ISBN: 978-1-62798-124-8) | Buy as Paperback ($14.99 ISBN: 978-1-62798-123-1)
Call Me But Love by Tracy Rowan
Mercutio is a funny, moody, complex foil for Romeo in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but in the four stories presented here, each an independent tale, Mercutio’s love for his friend goes far deeper, always somehow entwined with the fates of Romeo and Juliet.
The first tale sets the trio back in Renaissance Verona, where Mercutio vies for Romeo’s love. Romeo is oblivious, but the love triangle has deadly consequences. Next, we find Romeo and Mercutio in Victorian England. Though Romeo knows Mercutio loves him and returns his passion, he struggles to fit his desires into the strict mores of the day. The third story takes us to post-WWII America, where war-weary Romeo, Juliet, and Mercutio long for the right to love whom they choose. The final story in the collection brings the three characters into contemporary times, a band on a road trip that will change their lives forever.
Release Date: August 28, 2013 | Buy as eBook ($3.99 ISBN: 978-1-62798-014-2)
Ride the Wind by Anne Dudley
Alex Durant lives in a room behind the motorcycle repair shop where he works as an underpaid mechanic, bullied by his boss. There’s a truth he’s ignored most of his twenty-three years: men on their bikes turn him on, not women on the pin-up calendars that line the shop walls. It’s during a well-earned vacation to Sturgis, South Dakota, to attend the motorcycle rally where he comes face to face with his truth.
He meets the confident and outgoing Jordon Baker, who races motorcycles as a career. Alex is overwhelmed by Jordon’s incredible smile and kind eyes and his need to live life to the fullest. In the week they spend together, it’s Jordon who shows Alex things he’s never experienced: concerts, races, and the stars. It’s Jordon who shows him that two male bodies can ignite in pleasure when they come together. By the end of the week, Alex sees in Jordon’s eyes what he feels in his heart, and the truth of that scares him to the core.
But Sturgis week has ended, and Alex is back to the grind. He’s now stuck with making a difficult choice: continue to live his sad life alone and in hiding, or live his truth with the man who has big eyes for the world.
Length: Novel (246p.) | Genre: Contemporary, Coming of Age | Release Date: August 28, 2013
Pediatrician Wes Gordon will do just about anything to escape his grief. When opportunity knocks, he signs on to work at a hospital in a tent camp in Haiti. One night while returning to his quarters, he comes across a gang of kids attempting to set fire to an underage rentboy and intervenes, taking the injured René under his wing. At the hospital, diplomat Anthony Crowley tells Wes that the kids involved in the attack are from prominent families and trying to hold them responsible will cause a firestorm.
In spite of the official position Anthony must take, Wes’s compassion captures his attention. Anthony pursues him, and they grow closer during the stolen moments between Anthony’s assignments, escaping earthquake destruction for glimpses of Caribbean paradise. When Wes realizes the only way to save René is to adopt him, Anthony is supportive, but time is running out: Wes must leave the country, and Anthony is called out on a dangerous secret mission. Now Wes must face adopting a boy from Haiti who has no papers without the support of the one person he’s come to rely on most and may never see again.
Lance Fitz and Andrew Reed are a blissfully mated pair, but Andrew’s benefactor Stephon, a born vampire, isn’t happy with the pairing, especially after he discovers Lance’s pedigree. Stephon attempts to find answers using his mental connection with Andrew, and when his efforts fail, he goes after Lance’s new shifter family. Enraged, Lance severs the tie to Stephon. He wants to tear apart the abusive vampire and free his mate and family for good. But before he can try, the family reminds Lance that the death of one vampire won’t change the social status of shifters as an enslaved people. The fight won’t end with Stephon, even if Lance succeeds.
When twenty-two-year-old Emilio Sanchez sees handsome Spencer Derdinger walking by his construction site, Emilio makes it his goal to seduce the shy professor. Getting Spencer into bed isn’t difficult, but Emilio soon learns that earning the trust of a man deeply hurt will take time and patience. With a prize like brilliant, sweet Spencer on the line, Emilio decides he is strong enough to face the challenge.
Spencer is surprised when he’s approached by the gorgeous construction worker he’s admired from the safety of his office window. Acting spontaneously for the first time in his thirty-eight years, Spencer takes Emilio home. When the casual hookup turns into the potential for love, Spencer realizes that if he wants to build a life with Emilio, he’ll need to be strong enough to slay his personal demons and learn to trust again.
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Alternative World, Futuristic (2216)
Length: Novel (251pgs)
Publisher: Silver Publishing (12th May 2012)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb:Jude’s been attacked, what has kept him alive is his strange power to set things on fire. Nicolai sees a gargoyle circling a burning building, goes to investigate to find his mate amidst the rubble. Is this love’s first fire?
Jude Jamison is a Jesuit Inquisitor, part of the pope’s force of special investigators. He suspects his cover has been blown as he’s been under constant attack. Without the gargoyles his friend Evan sent along as his guardians, and a strange ability to start fires, he’d already be dead.
Nicolai sees a gargoyle circling a smoldering building. He investigates the rare creature and is totally unprepared for the discovery of his human mate, lying amid the rubble. After waiting two millennia to find his mate, fate must be laughing. A human will never survive in his world. Yet he’s unable to leave the beautiful man behind.
Together can the two find a way to survive? Is this love’s first fire?
Review: Jude is in desperate need of help, as more and more demons are sent after him. But, there is only so much he can accept, because of the fear of hurting someone by accident. Nico is surprised to learn that his mate is human. What on Earth could fate have been thinking? But, as he gets to know his mate, he learns that Jude’s life is in grave danger and that there is far more to Jude than he first realised.
This is the second book in the Elements of Love series and must be read in order, as events in Adel’s Purr lead to discoveries in this book. Jude, Jesuit Inquisitor, is running for his life. He suspects a certain faction within the church is responsible, but getting the proof has been difficult. But, that isn’t his only problem, he feels like something is trying to consume him from the inside and it has something to do with his ability to suddenly create fire. Nico is seeking to protect a little gargoyle when he comes across his mate nearly unconscious and severely injured. Now, he has to help his mate delve into the underbelly of the church and help his mate control his fire.
This is a fantastic addition to the Elements of Love series and it continues with Jude’s story. As we saw at the end of the last book, Jude can now manifest fire, but the how and why is discovered in this story. Jude is drawn to his rescuer, but is terrified of hurting him. Nico tries to reassure Jude that he won’t, but he also worries that he will injury Jude. So it is an interesting beginning for our two lovely MCs, as they both come to realize that they are perfect for each other. We find out more about the Elementals and the history behind them, along with a slew of new characters, who add a broader horizon for future books.
So with the relationship between Jude and Nico, they might be a well matched pair, but that doesn’t mean that it is going to be easy for them. Both these characters are great, with Nico trying to show Jude that he will always be there for him, and Jude putting his trust in Nico although he is scared of losing him. With everything going on we mustn’t forget that they have the church to contend with and, gah, they are really nasty.
Well, what can I say? If you love paranormal, danger, rescues, gargoyles, hidden agendas, conspiracy, hot sex (lol), really hot men, and a happy ever after and an open end for the next book, then this is for you.
Blurb:Justin’s running from a past that refuses to let go. He finds refuge renovating an old gothic church. It’s been a century since the church’s gargoyles have awakened but Justin sees them and hears the beating of their Stone Hearts.
With renovations of his old Gothic church almost complete, Justin prepares for the grand opening of his gallery. Now content and happy, Justin feels safer than he has in a long time, but it’s shattered when he’s attacked and beaten in his own home!
When David finds Justin and leaves unwanted gifts, Justin’s no longer safe, day or night. His dreams of warm strong arms and dark wings are his only comfort, offering him an illogical security through the night.
Gargoyle, Cullen sits his post as he has for centuries, guarding the souls of those who enter the church. Awake for the first time in a century, he notices the new owner with curiosity and a possessiveness he’s never known before. Will Justin finally find peace, wrapped in dark wings and the beating of a Stone Heart?
Reader’s Advisory: Though Stone Heart is not officially part of the Elements of Love series; Stone Heart takes place in the same universe only pre-Apocalypse.
First published March 2012 with Silver Publishing.
Review: Justin has settled into the city where he hopes his stalker won’t find him. As he works on the old church, that he will call home, he talks to the gargoyles that guard his sanctuary. When he is attacked, he dreams that his favorite gargoyle comes to him to offer comfort and support. Cullen has spent much time listening to the human talk to him, now he finds that his human needs protection and he and his fellow gargoyles will ensure his protection.
Justin is an artist who is opening his own gallery. As he works on the old church, he awakens the gargoyles and they will protect him from those who would do harm. But, the gargoyles are helpless during the day, so Justin calls in an old friend. This is an interesting gargoyle story that I found wonderful for the simple fact that although they came alive at night they still turned to stone during the day and not even Justin’s love changes that, it really was refreshing.
Justin might have thought that he had fled his stalker, but the man just won’t give up. Cullen is really sweet in his need to protect Justin, but even he knows that he has limitations. Now, even though this story is focused on Justin and Cullen there are other things that are going on in the background that are just as interesting that involve Justin’s sister, her son and her high school sweetheart, you also have the other gargoyles Bob, Draco and Snout who make for interesting reading.
I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to Sui Lynn’s future gargoyle stories. With this one, I will recommend it to those who love gargoyles, hot sex, an interesting story, a slightly more realistic gargoyle story (do not go there, I know it isn’t real so *raspberry*) and a happy ending for everyone involved. (Except Bob because his angel really is just stone.)
Title: Downtown Bus
![RoyalBind[A]LG](http://mmgoodbookreviews.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/royalbindalg-e1377721637952.jpg)
![HeartWithoutBorders[A]LG](http://mmgoodbookreviews.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/heartwithoutbordersalg-e1377316841508.jpg)
![RoyalBind[A]LG](http://mmgoodbookreviews.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/royalbindalg.jpg)
