Yokai Magic by Margaret L. Carter

July 24, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Yokai Magic by Margaret L. Carter
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (113 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Dryas

When Val unearths a Japanese scroll and a cat figurine inherited from her grandfather, magic invades her world. The statuette, actually a cat spirit named Yuki—a yokai—enchanted into that form for her own protection, comes to life. Over a century ago, an evil magician cast a curse on her, and a wolf-like demon conjured by the curse still hunts her. Because Val is the one who broke the protective spell, that dark magic endangers her, too. She must turn for help to the last person she wants to get involved with, her former high-school boyfriend, now an officer in the Navy. Together they search for a way to vanquish the threat from the spirit realm, while facing the attraction they thought they’d long since put behind them.

Val was exploring in the basement of her house to find old artifacts that her grandfather had brought back from Korea. She was looking for items she could sell to afford fixing up her parents’ house. What she finds changes her life forever.

One of the objects was a Japanese good-luck cat with a red scarf. She also reveals a Japanese painted scroll that she had accidentally bled on while opening it. On the scroll was drawn a shrine with the same good-luck cat and in the background of a misty form of a woman over a river. Then the cat became alive stating that she was placed in the scroll for her own protection. The cat is what is called a Yokai, a Japanese Spirit. Her name is Yuki and she served a minor Kami (god) for the small stream that flowed by the shrine.

A man named Hiroshi often came to pray to the kami. He was a magic user and a great painter who fell in love with Yuki. He was the one who painted the picture and made her into a statue for her protection. What Val didn’t expect was to start seeing Yokai everywhere.

Val is a wonderfully developed character who rolls with the punches that life has thrown her way. I admired how she took the fact that she has magic infused in her house without screaming in panic and running away. She is a woman full of honor, wanting to keep those around her safe. For example, she keeps the scroll that Yuki is attached to, which is how other Yokai find Val’s house. Yuki had informed Val that she should place the scroll in another place. Val had disagreed as she was getting to know Yuki as a sister of sorts. Val has one major flaw. She tends to not deal with facing the choices that would allow her to move on in her life.

The plot was very enjoyable and rather different. I always enjoyed learning about a different culture. The novel teaches about different yokai and other legends. I would love to learn more but this was well done. There are no places where the plots skip around. The first plot is keeping Yuki safe, and the second one is the developing relationship between Val and Thad. They become closer to each other every day to figure how to get her house back to normal.

There are a few things I think could have been changed. For example, Thad takes the fact that Val has supernatural creatures around her house and speaking cat in stride. Val was the same way, taking the whole matter in stride. To me, most people would take a while to absorb everything. The conflict resolution happened a little too quickly and easily. I would have liked to see more of a fight along with making it harder to find the information they needed to get rid of the evil.

Altogether this is a wonderful read that is hard to put down. The characters and culture catch the reader’s imagination.

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Unexpected Angel by N. J. Walters

July 24, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Unexpected Angel by N. J. Walters
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (105 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Angelina Astoferus is on the run from her uncle, who wants to marry her off as part of a business deal. Her only hope is to find a spaceship to escape on—and a man willing to take her virginity, since her being pure is part of the deal. A desperate escape attempt leads her to the loading docks of the planet Oasis, where she spies Amos. Captivated by him, when the opportunity to sneak on board his ship arises, she takes it.

When Amos Marks discovers a stowaway on his ship, he knows she is big trouble. He and his brothers don’t need two dangerous enemies—her powerful uncle and the jilted warrior from Gravas—but Amos can’t turn his back on her. He decides to help her with her outlandish plan, but neither of them expects that the physical connection between them will lead to so much more.

What would you do if you were engaged to an alien that you didn’t know anything about, except for the fact that their women have to be a virgin. This is what happened to Angelina Astoferus. She was desperate to get away from her scheming uncle and avoid a marriage that she does not want She refuses to be a pawn for her uncle, especially since she has proof that he is going to double cross her fiancee’s people.

She decides to stowaway on the Abigail because the man she saw seemed nice.

Amos Marks is the engineer for the Abigail. The ship is owned by himself and his brothers: Flynn, Kal, and Garth. She is a trading ship but they also do some mercenary work, although they do their research to make certain that the person deserves to be taken out.

This is a very sweet novel with wonderful love scenes. The tenderness made me melt but there is also quite a bit of lust involved to. Angelina is a strong character with a past that would have broken most people. She took her destiny in her own hands, stowing away on a random ship to get away from her controlling uncle. Her entire existence had been forced to live in a cage, a very luxuries cage but a cage nonetheless.

Her determination to lose her virginity to any man shows her desperation to live her own life. She figured that once she lost her virginity she could get dropped off on a planet and figure out where she should go and what she should do.

Abel is a strong man with a family of tough brothers who love and cherish their younger sister. There is nothing they wouldn’t do to find out where their sister is or any information as to where she could be. That was the plan until he meets Angelina. It was funny seeing his reaction when this beautiful woman throws herself at him.

Their connection is immediate and strong. He admires her beauty but is wowed by her strength of character. Abel’s protective manner seems to be a behavior of all his brothers. Once they learned how dep his feelings went, they welcome her as part of the family the close ranks around her and were ready to do anything they could to keep her safe. Angelina is also powerful enough to help the brothers find their sister. She wants to help her new family heal.

I would have liked to see the relationship develop a little slower. Also, the talk of their sister seems to be a background plot even though it seems like it should be the major plot.

A wonderful novel full of great characters developing into one unit whose love has changed them for the better. Each character adds to the plot and character development. If you like a short, sweet novel with strong characters this is the book for you.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Brides of Banff Springs by Victoria Chatham

July 15, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Brides of Banff Springs by Victoria Chatham
Publisher: Books We Love Publishing
Genre: Historical, Paranormal
Length: Full length (161 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

In the Dirty Thirties jobs were hard to come by. Having lost her father and her home in southern Alberta, Tilly McCormack is thrilled when her application for a position as a chambermaid at the prestigious Banff Springs Hotel, one of Canada’s great railway hotels, is accepted.

Tilly loves her new life in the Rocky Mountain town and the people she meets there. Local trail guide Ryan Blake, is taken with Tilly’s sparkling blue eyes and mischievous sense of humor, and thinks she is just the girl for him. Ryan’s work with a guiding and outfitting company keeps him busy but he makes time for Tilly at every opportunity and he’s already decided to make her his bride.

On the night he plans to propose to Tilly another bride-to-be, whose wedding is being held at the Hotel, disappears. Tilly has an idea where she might have gone and together with Ryan sets out to search for her.

Will they find the missing bride and will Tilly accept Ryan’s proposal?

In 1935 a young woman Matilda ‘Tilly’ McCormack leaves everything behind in Medicine Hat, Canada to come to the well-known The Banff Springs Hotel for a job as a housekeeper. While she stands on the railroad station, she misses the last car to the hotel and was worried about how to get to her job in time. She meets Ryan Blake, who works for the hotel transporting guest’s luggage and guiding the tourists via horseback around the beautiful area. He offers to take her with him in his cart. Tilly was instantly attracted to him. A great quote about how their relationship is going to develop is, “I think I’m going to have to marry you”.

Tilly is a perfect match for him. She is tender, hardworking, with a spine of steel. She lets Ryan know in no uncertain terms that she has her own opinions and she should have a say in matters. She makes friends easily, especially her roommate Felicity ‘Flics’ takes her under her wing and introduces her to some of the other workers. What surprises everyone is how she became friends with one of the guests, Burma Evans. Although they do not have much in common Tilly feels sorry and somewhat responsible her welfare. What really made Tilly mad and sorrowful is seeing the situation between Burma and her fiancée. This is a great example of how every woman is treated the same no matter their cast in life.

There are three different relationships going on at the same time, each one showing an example of how each circumstances and personalities can affect a relationship. The first couple is Tilly and Ryan. Their relationship is incredibly strong, both of them finding love in each other’s arms. They are not embarrassed to show the world how they feel.

The second relationship is Fliss and Saul, who is a bellhop at the hotel. They are not allowed to show their wedding rings or their feelings. Then there is the third relationship between Burma Evans, a rich socialite who has plans to marry Frederic Vanderoosten, a handsome young man who is full of charm until he gets what he wants.

I really enjoyed this book because of the wonderful characters and the wonders of the environment and the culture. It’s enjoyable being able to see the different relationships and knowing that each one has its own problems but the way each one supports the other will determine how things will turn out. If you enjoy a sweet romance book this is a great book for you.

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The Avant Champion: Rising by C.B. Samet

July 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Avant Champion: Rising by C.B. Samet
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Genre: Fantasy
Length: Full (280 Pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Dryas

All things considered, it was a good day to die . .

When Marrington Castle is overtaken by a dark and ancient evil, Abigail Cross finds herself in the precarious situation of protecting Queen Rachel the Fourth. Her journey to safety quickly transforms into a quest to save Queen and country. Charged with finding the artifacts to raise The Champion to defeat the world’s most powerful enemy, Abigail finds herself traversing the perilous continent—from the roaring waterfalls of Aithos to the scorching heat of the Optato Desert to the freezing fog of Mount Karn… Will Abigail succeed in uniting the kingdom and summoning the Avant Champion to save them all?

Meet Abigail Cross, a University student studying for a geology major. She was forced to take a leave from her studies because she didn’t have enough money to finisShe becomes one of Queen Rebecca’s assistants until she has enough money.

As her parents had been killed in a shipwreck when she was young, her older brother Paul was the one who took care of her. What she doesn’t know is that her brother and the queen have hidden important information from her that will change her life forever.

Things change quickly for Abby and the rest of the world on a summer night where everyone is celebrating an important holiday. As the queen is leaving the ball, she commands Abby to ride in her carriage back to Marrington Castle. As they are on their way Abby watches in horror as her brother is taken out of his carriage and eaten by a creature called a Swallower. As Abby learns, these are not the only evil creatures released into the world to attack and kill humanity. Their leader and enslaver is Malos, a creature created from all the evil in the world. Malos arises every 1,000 years and a champion is chosen to destroy him and send him back to his island. If this tradition does not take place, evil overtakes humanity and chaos reigns.

Abby reluctantly takes on the responsibility for the quest to retrieve the items needed to summon the champion.  She is also in charge of the queen’s safety. Along the way Abby gathers friends around her. The first is Joshua, her brother’s roommate.

Each of the cultures of the different countries of the realm are extremely well done. The author’s skill in world-building brings me into the environment like I was there. Standing in the pastures of the horses, the cold and snowy beauty of the Mountain and the heat of the desert. Also, each country has a different culture, with their own values and greetings. Abby had been in most of the cultures during her studies, which made the gathering of an army and the objects easier then it could have been.

Abby does manage to shoulder the burdens placed against her will with aplomb most of the times. Her love for queen and country is a driving force for her.

I believe the trope is a bit overdone. There many books where a female character goes on a quest to save lives. If there had been a twist, I would have enjoyed the book more. The characters are well developed even though Abby does seem to go out of character at times. This has the unfortunate ability to bring me out of the story. I can see what the author is doing, trying to show Abby’s development from a child to a strong woman. Joshua is a wonderful character who balances her. He is a steadying influence and the author made a great choice by making him a healer. His personality is suited to it, as he doesn’t panic in emergencies.

The battle between good and evil was too quickly done. With all the lead up I would have thought the battle would have gone on longer. There were only a few pages of the battle and the end somewhat predictable. Although the after battle action was much better.

This was a light novel with periods of suspense and intriguing characters. The scenery is well done and Abby’s growth as a person and her relationship with Joshua is the main focus. I hope to read more about this world.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Novice by Isabella Jordan

June 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Novice by Isabella Jordan
Dark Kingdom Book 1
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal (Vampires), Fantasy
Length: Short story (62 pages)
Other: M/F, M/F/F, Menage
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review by Dryas

When Gail Kimball lost her lying, cheating bastard of an ex-boyfriend she thought she’d lose everything. On her own and working as a waitress, she can’t seem to make ends meet, let alone get ahead.

Drew offers Gail a simple arrangement. He’ll pay her rent for the use of her apartment and an occasional taste of her blood. That’s all he’s asking. But the ancient vampire is all kinds of sexy, claiming her with such finesse, she’s left a needy mess. Gail wants more every time.

But Drew’s enemies are coming for him. Will Drew see Gail as a liability, or is his little novice lover too precious to let go?

Gale Kimball has lost her cheating ex-boyfriend and thought she would lose everything. Her luck changes as she meets an enigmatic man named Drew at the restaurant. Drew follows her home and offers her a deal that she can’t refuse.

I like the character of Gale. She doesn’t let her circumstances get to her. Most people would freak out if thrust into her circumstances, but she seems to meet them with courage. When Drew enters her life, she considers him a life saver. He pays her rent and gives her money for other bills.

Their relationship is quick but not very deep since they have only known each other for a short time. Drew is a mysterious figure that we don’t get to learn much about yet. He is a vampire and asks Gale if he can drink her blood and sometimes sleep at her apartment. For that he will pay her rent. Not a bad deal, really.

There are a few things that bothered me a bit. For one, I think the way that Gale reacted to Drew being a vampire and the deal he offers was a little odd. I would have liked to see more character development and find out more about their past. The ending is rather sudden and is a cliffhanger. That might not appeal to many readers, but might be perfect for others.

The cliffhanger is going to draw readers to pick up the second book, I know I will. A short but good story with vampires that are different from the norm. Hopefully the second book comes out soon so we all can find out what happens next.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

True Love’s Kiss by Rose Wulf

June 14, 2019 By Leave a Comment


True Love’s Kiss by Rose Wulf
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (106 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Dragons are extinct. Creatures of myth.

Or so Audra believed, until one snatched her mother up off the ground before her eyes. Were it not for Griffin’s timely arrival she would be dead. At her insistence, Griffin took her in and began to train her, bringing her along to see the hunt through. She expected the road to be tough. She didn’t expect to fall in love along the way.

He wasn’t a knight. His armor didn’t shine. But he was her hero.

Would he be enough to kill the dragon before it burned down her hometown? Or would she need to draw on the mystery magic her three aunts said flowed through her veins?

What would you do if you saw a dragon eat your mother and the same dragon kidnapped you and your father for a later time? That’s what happened to Audra when she was on a picnic to celebrate her birthday. While in his cave, her father died trying to save her from Malik. the dragon that took her for lunch. The only reason she lived was because she ran into Griffin.

Griffin is a real-life dragon hunter and happened to be at the right place at the right time to save Audra’s life. He had been hunting Malik for a year but the dragon’s canny ability to escape every time they meet has made it difficult to kill him. When they are in a safe environment, Audra begs Griffin to go with him on his hunt. She knows that she won’t be able to help but she wants to see that Malik is dead.

The story is more character driven instead of plot driven. Audra is the typical young woman before her world turns upside down. Yet, she finds out that she has a spine of steel as she recovers quickly after the shock of finding out dragons are real. She also starts to learn the basics of self-defense every day and she finds it harder than she thought. She does these exercises every morning in the woods on their way to find Malik again. This is a great scene that shows her practical side. Her trust in Griffin is absolute, for example she allowed him to provide medical attention with the minor burns she received from Malik with berries she never seen before.

When Griffin and Audra share a kiss, it shows the both of them that they have a great deal of chemistry. He tries to ignore their attraction but he doesn’t have much of a chance.

There a few things that I thought could be changed or expanded upon. I would have loved to learn more about Griffin’s life before Audra met him. As he had a magic sword and shield, I would have loved to know how they were made and how his family acquired them. It would have been nice if we had more background about Malik and Griffin’s relationship. Audra’s past would have been nice to know, too, especially as she learns that she has magic.

I really enjoyed watching Griffin and Audra’s relationship blossom. He allowed her to learn how to fight even though she was the only one that he had ever taken under his wing.  He helped her to grow into herself and also opened his heart. I enjoyed this sweet read with a different plot about dragons and dragon slayers. It’s full of fun characters that are well developed with some humorous parts.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Flip by Linda Palmer

June 12, 2019 By 1 Comment


The Flip by Linda Palmer
Publisher: Uncial Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/suspense
Length: Full Length (219 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Emily Storey has just flipped her entire life: new town, new apartment, new roomie, new job. She has also gone blonde and lost some weight. What Emily hasn’t managed to do is kick other people’s random thoughts out of her head. That’s no easy feat for a psychic, especially one who has spent the last three years training to enhance her abilities, not suppress them.

Emily soon volunteers to feed the homeless one night a week, hoping she can help change other people’s lives, too. But her good intentions are annihilated when Detective Bastian Rossi, a cop who speaks at her orientation meeting, warns them all against giving rides, loaning phones, or offering shelter to the street people they’re feeding. Homelessness, he tells them, is a chronic problem that no single person can solve. All they’re supposed to do is hand out sandwiches.

In spite of all that, Emily’s first night on the street with her assigned partner goes very well until she begins intercepting random thoughts of the people they’re feeding. She quickly learns that some of them aren’t that needy while others have family willing to help out. But it’s the scattered thoughts of a mystery male presence that bother her most– “…blonde passing out sandwiches …thinks she’s saving lives…maybe I’ll do her next…” Is she the “blonde” and if so, what, exactly, is this creep planning to do to her?

Though Emily could easily confide in the dashing homicide detective who has somehow found a place in her heart, she hesitates. Bastian already has his hands full with a local serial killer. She can definitely take care of herself…unless the guy inside her head is actually the evil murderer he’s trying to find.

Emily ‘Jai’ Story had decided to flip her life around. After she left a job at the World Security League due to a new supervisor that she could not stand she moves to a new place, Oklahoma City. Her job was more eccentric then most, she was a recruiter for psychics to join the World Security League. Now she became an Emergency Room Triage Nurse at Mercy Hospital, moved into a new apartment that she shares with a woman, Sam, who she had met at work, and she changed her looks. The most important thing that she was trying to avoid was using her psychic gifts.

She meets Detective Sebastian Rossi at a meeting for volunteers of the Feed the Street Initiative. He was the cop who was giving the volunteers rules to follow to remain safe and seemed to be drawn to her on first sight. Both her her roommate want to help the homeless as much as possible with food and water. During her first day of handing out sandwiches to the homeless with her partner Cory on their assigned area on Homestead Street. What she didn’t expect was how pag hard it would be not to become overwhelmed with the thoughts of the homeless. This shows how much compassion she feels for the less fortunate by still helping every week. Her psychic gifts start to come back to her with a vengeance.

On the second trip she ‘hears’ a voice that sounded like he hates women, although she cannot be sure if it means anything. When she learns later that there is a serial killer on the loose and he seems to be going after women of the streets she realized that she may have heard the killer.

Sebastian always seem to be where Emily is just to make sure that she is all right. It was sweet watching him worm himself into her heart one step at a time. He makes sure that she is safe as possible by driving her home when he can and giving her his jeep to drive wherever she needs to go. She tries to let him know that she doesn’t need it as she has learned self-defense, but when she sees how worried and stressed he is, she gives in.

The love they experience helps them both cope with the stress and horror of the killer. They support each other and one of my favorite scenes is when Sebastion comes to her apartment exhausted and drained. There had been another murder and he needed the comfort she could provide.

Their relationship is kept on the sweet side, with gentle kisses and cuddling. She also had to struggle with what she wanted with her life when the case is solved: should she go back to her former job and leave him behind or stay in Oklahoma City and see what happened with their relationship.

This was a sweet, exciting book I completely enjoyed reading.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Playing with Demons by Cally Edwards

June 10, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Playing with Demons by Cally Edwards
Publisher: MoshPit Publishing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal
Length; Full Length (167 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Dryas

In a world where humans are unaware of the demons that roam amongst them, it’s left to the Nephilim to keep it that way—or at least that’s what Grace Campbell was brought up to believe. Grace might have been born half-Nephilim and half-demon, but her loyalty is wholly on the side of the good guys. She’s dedicated her life to protecting the innocent, and her mixed linage only makes her better at her job. Unfortunately, her blood also makes her the only one capable of entering Hell’s hidden wards.

Now her latest assignment will see Grace endure the trials of the seven deadly sins in order to win a barbaric tournament to secure an important prize for the Nephilim. To survive, Grace will be forced to embrace her dark side and accept the help of her greatest opponent yet, Lucifer’s son. The very sexy Prince of Hell, Zadeon, will have Grace questioning just how bad, the bad guys are.

Grace Campbell is part of an organization full of special and rare humans who have been gifted with special abilities from angels, called the Nephilim. Their mission is to kill the demons who prey on human souls. Grace is also part demon, and was informed that her father raped her mother and then a year later killed her. So, Grace was raised by the Nephilim.

She became one of the strongest agents and is given a mission that could end up in her death. They want her to enroll in a demon Tournament which is held every 50 years in hell. It’s an evil competition that allows the most sadistic demons to show what they are made of. The winner receives a momentous prize. The prize this time is a weapon called the Spear of Destiny.

To qualify she needs to fight several demons to show that she can hold her own. She meets the seven elite soldiers of Lucifer: Zadeon (Lucifer’s son), Azazel, Semyaza, Beelzebub, Penemue, Gadreel, and Armaros. She is immediately drawn to Zadeon, their connection was felt by both.

The challenges are based on the seven deadly sins, each one getting harder and harder. Each challenge teaches her more about demons and her perception starts to change from what she had been told her entire life. She makes friends with some of the competitors and her heart break’s seeing them suffer.

Grace is a complex character whose life seems to be going the way she expected. She is incredibly loyal to those who earned her trust.

The interaction between Grace and the elite is sweet and supportive. They treat her like a little sister, watching over her every step of the way.

As she accepts her demon side her relationship with Zadeon becomes hot, spicy and tender. Watching him teach her how to use her demonic abilities to make it easier for her to win was cute. A great example of how much he loves her is when he puts a guard on her two friends from the organization.

Lucifer is a complex character full of contradictions. He is strong and ruthless one moment and then teasing and happy the next. You can’t help but feel the sorrow that blanket’s him when he thinks about his human wife whom had died. That is the reason he was cast out of heaven and it’s interesting that he still considers the Lord his master. The challenges seem to be testing each competetors morals and strength.

Grace does not understand where she fits in and who she really is. Her willpower and inner strength, along with the help and guidance she receives from the elite and the other demons that she made friends with help her get back on her feet.

The only thing I would change is that there are times when the plot slows down. The ending will drive you crazy as the author leaves you on the edge of your seat.

This is a novel that makes you think. It shows how society is becoming closer to the deadly sins without knowing it. It also shows how love and friendship can help Grace realize people do care and that she has a family who will not betray her. If you enjoy a different kind of Lucifer and hell, this is the book for you.

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