Nobody Rides for Free by Sara Jay

April 12, 2022 By 2 Comments


Nobody Rides for Free by Sara Jay
Publisher: Razor’s Edge/Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In a world where Fae desires overrule those of mere humans, Sinn is consumed with passion for her soulmate, Daka. Though he refuses to break the Fae law that prevents them from having sex without the queen’s permission, Sinn finds a way to sate her sexual hunger — with the assistance of three bikers.

But nobody rides for free…

This gal knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to go for it. What a woman!

I picked up this story because I wanted something hot and short. This story delivered. It’s hot and quick, great for a lunchtime read, and just about melted my screen.

Sinn wants nothing more than to be with her soulmate, Daka, but that’s not possible. Imagine a world where the law states you can’t be with your soulmate on the deepest level without permission? What’s a girl to do when she wants to be with him but can’t? She makes a way to get what she wants until she can.

The thing I liked the most about this short story is that Sinn is capable of standing up for herself. She’s not about to wilt at the thought of being denied something. She’s also able to defend herself. She truly is going to kick some tail and take names. Have I mentioned it’s hot? It is. Oh, and the chemistry between Sinn and Daka is fantastic.

This short is good for a lunchtime read because it’s hot, short and satisfying. If you’re looking for that kind of story, then check this one out.

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

Oblivion by Kira Stone

April 11, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Oblivion by Kira Stone
Publisher: Razor’s Edge/Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, LGBTQ, Erotic
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Who said going to Hell didn’t have its rewards?

Killed in a dirty back alley by a street whore. Such an ugly way to die. But my lessons in death have only just begun.

Hell is filthy. And cold. And as soon as I fell, I found a demon waiting for me. My new Master. From spanking to whipping to painful abuse, each new lesson gives me hope — the hope of oblivion. Surely I can’t survive this long.

But the longer I’m here, the more I learn about myself and the life I wasted. And the more I crave Master’s touch. Each lesson strips away another layer of my mortal flesh. I am everyman. I am no one. I am what my Master wishes me to be. A Demon’s whore for all eternity…

Boy howdy, this one is a hot story!

I have to start this out by mentioning this is a Razor’s Edge story, which means it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s meant to be off-the-charts hot and not necessarily romance. If you’re looking for something that’s going to melt your reader, then this is the one for you.

He is killed in a dubious way and has to pay for his many indiscretions. I wasn’t looking for anything too sweet, so this story delivered. He is punished and there are moments of dubious consent, but the true thrust of this story is the journey. He goes on the journey of a lifetime – or would it be deathtime since he’s with his master in hell? He learns about himself and what he can handle. What he likes and needs. It’s crazy hot and may be a bit uncomfortable for some readers. It’s erotica and meant to be cutting edge.

If you’re looking for something hot and guaranteed to melt your screen, then this is it. Give Oblivion a try.

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

Stormcaller by Christine King

April 6, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Stormcaller by Christine King
The Murmuration #1
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

Raised in fear of her elemental power, Seren has spent her life protecting her exiled people and trying to live up to their legends. When that responsibility is brutally taken from her, she and her shapeshifting friend Atomi must enter a divided world where their very existence is treason. Axys is a land of peace and prosperity for those in the Eternal Lady’s favour, but her benevolence comes at a cost that Seren and Atomi are unwilling to bear.

A storm wind stirs the long dormant ashes of rebellion.

Their legend is only just beginning.

It is an intriguing story of shapeshifters and elemental magic weirders. Stormcaller is somewhat more geared toward YA readers, but in an interesting take on magic and how the elements and nature around us affects us.

In the start we meet a pair of best friends, one a magic wielder, the other a shapeshifter, both types of magic commonly found among the Daggi people. It’s set in a unique tribal setting, and I loved the world building and setting in this one!

I do wish the story had been just a little more polished, as the POVs sometimes changed mid-chapter and some of the scenes were a little rushed, it made reading a tad choppier than I’d prefer, but overall wasn’t hard to follow and kept my attention. I’d also have liked it better if the character relationships had been a little deeper and more developed, but Stormcaller makes for an interesting debut, and I’d love to see more of this series and more from this author in the future!

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Jimmy by Megan Slayer

April 1, 2022 By 1 Comment


Jimmy by Megan Slayer
Summon a Bad Boy 1
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

I call on the fates to bring my love to me. As I will it, so mote it be…

What if those simple words plus a name on a scroll could guarantee true love? Karey’s determined to find out if the spell, Summon a Bad Boy, works, and she knows just who she’s going to ask for. Jimmy McCreadie. The tattooed man makes her weak in the knees — he’s every naughty desire she’s had come to life. She’s nothing like the women he dates, and far too shy for her own good, but she’s not giving up.

Mix a bad boy with some magic and have faith. Anything’s possible. Karey’s desire just might come true.

You say “bad boy”, I say dream date. Karey would likely agree with me.

Although slightly skeptical, Karey agreed to her friend Sarah’s outlandish plan to follow a magic ritual to summon her true love to her. She doesn’t actually expect it to work, but once her drool-worthy crush Jimmy (that’s she’s been pining over for months) talks to her for the first time she’s left questioning everything. After all, he’s only ever dated leggy skinny blondes and she does not fit into that category. And if there was magic involved, does he really love her at all? I don’t want to spoil things, so you’ll have to read the book to find out!

Similar to Ms. Slayer’s other books, there is some established chemistry between Jimmy and Karey that’s been building for a while. Jimmy reminded me a lot of Bite Me for Christmas, in that the female main character is looking for her true love and uses magic to make things happen. Ms. Slayer did a great job with creating her characters, as I found myself quite invested in seeing how Karey and Jimmy’s relationship turned out. I want to give the author props for how well she executes all of the pairings and relationships in her books; large amounts of on-page relationship establishment are never required for such short stories, and I appreciate that she doesn’t need to bother with that.

Overall, another quick and steamy read from Megan Slayer that’s complete with a happily ever after! Readers who enjoy contemporary romances featuring a bad boy/tattooed love interest and a slight paranormal flair should definitely check out the book. If you’ve been looking for the grown-up, steamier version of How To Build a Better Boyfriend or The Perfect Date, then you’ve found it in this book. I’ve absolutely loved all of the Megan Slayer titles that I’ve read so far, and I’m looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

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

Haint’s Alive by J. Hali Steele

March 31, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Haint’s Alive by J. Hali Steele
Haint’s Misbehaving 1
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

An angry, dead spirit is useless – until it becomes the living Haint in your bed!

JD Tolliver begins research for his thesis on paranormal phenomena as a nonbeliever. He believes now. A ghost or angry spirit, a true haint, follows JD from Appalachia. His finding a suitable body so he can leave poses a problem — $it has JD by the balls@!

Coll Collins spent over a hundred years locked in silence. Suddenly freed, he discovers that gay hate crimes are not a thing of the past. The stranger he attaches himself to is sassy and, to Coll, sexy as hell. Never had the pleasure of a soft young man, and Coll plans to take advantage every single night until he returns home.

He doesn’t believe, but he sure will when Coll is done!

This is a short story and packed full of heat. It should be. It’s a Razor’s Edge story, so it delivers the hot stuff. This is great for an afternoon or lunch time read when the reader wants something hot, short and satisfying.

I liked Coll and JD. Coll is blunt and goes after what he wants. I totally understood what a haint was and I’d never heard of them before, but I knew after this story. Coll is certainly an angry spirit, but he’s not totally bad, either. I liked him. Then there’s JD. He’s rather repressed and needs to be pushed. The chemistry between him and Coll is great. It leapt off the page.

If you’re looking for something that’s short, hot and good for a quick read, then this is one to try!

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

Alpha And Bear by Julia Talbot

March 23, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Alpha And Bear by Julia Talbot
Publisher: Turtlehat Creatives
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Wolf shifter PI Mick Hartness is sick to death of being on the bad side of a criminal who wants him and his while team dead. Now, with the help of the cops and the feds, Apex Investigations Inc. is closer than ever to reeling the guy in and getting back to living life without hiding. But that means Mick needs all of his mixed pack on deck and ready to fight, including their youngest member, bear shifter Kit, who Mick has the softest spot for.

Kit is sure his skills can help not only catch their nemesis, but help take some of the stress of running the agency off Mick. Too bad Mick will never see him as anything as a kid who needs to be protected. Which is why Kit decides to strike out on his own and get a job that allows him to do more than take pictures of cheating husbands and keep the motor pool running.

The thought of losing Kit finally makes Mick ready to show Kit how he really feels; that kit his mate. Can he keep Kit with him and also catch a killer who’s becoming more and more dangerous everyday? Or will Mick lose everything he holds dear?

Mick is tired of his family and team being hunted by their nemesis. They’ve had a few close calls in recent months and Mick is determined to remove this threat so their family can finally relax and enjoy life again. Kit is certain his Bear skills can help capture the lunatic determined to destroy them, but his efforts keep being frustrated by their team – Mick in particular – still thinking of him as the slightly lost and very young man he was many years ago when Kit joined in with them. Kit is determined, and so he strikes out on his own, certain he can bring this mess to and end and have Mick finally see him for the strong, capable and fully grown man that he is.

I’ve really enjoyed the three previous stories in this series and while I believe this might be the last one it wraps everything up so beautifully I’d be happy to leave the Apex group here if needed. Equally, I’d be more than happy to read further adventures should they happen to come down the line. I really enjoyed how this book and series was equal parts fun and just a little silly, I found this to be is a great paranormal romance with a cast of vibrant and interesting characters, a good and solid plot and just a dash of fun and silliness. It’s a great, happy read and one I know I’ll enjoy again.

Mick and Kit have been circling each other throughout the series. I was fairly sure they’d end up together and happily though it was worth every moment waiting and reading through this to see the two men get themselves together and organized. Readers looking for a steamy and sexy story should find this really satisfies that aspect to what they’re looking for. In equal parts though there is a strong mystery and I found the plot interesting and not just half baked.

I thought this was a well rounded book with good pacing, great characters and a strong plot. I enjoyed it immensely and will be sad if this is the end of this series, but the four sharp and quick books will make for great re-reading down the track. Highly recommended – both this and the others in the series – and an excellent author I’ll be sure to check out again.

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

Driven To The Limit by Alice Gaines

March 21, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Driven To the Limit by Alice Gaines
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

After rehab, Lauren King returns to the only home she has… a rock star’s compound everyone calls The Pit. She also returns to her only friend… an antique German motorcycle she’s nicknamed Jake.

Little does she know that the cycles Klaus Mannhof made have the ability to shift into human men. Mannhof designed Jake especially for Lauren. Using his special brand of magic, Jake’s going to teach her to love him — and to love herself as well.

Lauren is returning to the only home she has, and to her very special antique motorcycle, Jake. Little does she know Jake is even more special than Lauren could have believed, Jake might be a motorbike, but he can shapeshift into a man – and as a man he’s determined to teach Lauren to love herself – and also him.

I was deeply intrigued by this slightly different Paranormal/shapeshifter style of story. I loved the idea of a man/bike crossover and found was intrigued enough to pick up this story and the first in the series as well. While I feel most readers will need to suspend a fair bit of disbelief at the very beginning – I don’t know many women who could calmly discuss the logistics of having witnessed an expensive motorcycle changing into a sexy man before their eyes, and mere minutes later blindly accept it was just fine – aside from this small blip I found the whole premise of the plot delightful and a lot of fun. The attraction and chemistry between Jake and Lauren was solid and steamy, and I did adore how Jake in bike form was more than compelling and in control of his and Lauren’s late night rides around the streets. There’s definitely something sexy about a gorgeous bike and I could well understand Lauren’s insta-lust.

I thought the plot surrounding Lauren’s crazy ex-boyfriend was interesting though a little over the top. It was definitely a good counterpart to the blossoming romance between Lauren and Jake though and helped keep the story decently balanced. While most of the plot threads were well tied together I thought there was definitely room left for more details to be fleshed out in potential future books. The ending clearly showed this was the start of a longer series and what I suspect is a multi-book arc which could prove very interesting.

Readers looking for a fun and sexy, slightly different paranormal romance should find this a steamy and interesting story that can easily be read as a stand alone.

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

One Owner Lady Driven by Alice Gaines

March 18, 2022 By Leave a Comment


One Owner Lady Driven by Alice Gaines
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Claire Wilcox is in for the ride of her life…

Why would a normally sane woman pay a million dollars for a motorcycle? Hard-driving CEO Claire Wilcox has found the bike of her dreams — a 1957 Mannhof four-cylinder touring motorcycle.

Little does she know that the cycle’s designer made each of these beauties for one person only. The Mannhof is sentient — and he has the ability to take on human form. He was designed with purpose, and he’s on a mission — he’s here to heal Claire’s wounded soul. If she’ll let him.

Claire is a rich CEO and she’s not afraid to spend her money for something she truly desires – like a super-rare motorbike of her dreams. The million dollars she dropped on the machine was cheap for her at the price. Only Claire had no idea the bike was even more special than she could believe. It’s sentient and can change into a human man – one who is here to love and heal Claire and start a whole new aspect to her life, one that involved them being together, forever.

I found the power dynamic between Claire and Will really interesting. On the one hand Will is a paranormal being – a powerful motorcycle that can shapeshift into a physically powerful man, but then Claire is an extremely strong and powerful CEO, more than used to having her own way and charting her own course. They are very different people in nearly opposite ways of life but add in the intensity of their sexual chemistry and their slow opening to each other and they became a formidable couple. I found this dynamic – and the unfurling of their blossoming relationship – to be really interesting and different to read. It was quite unique to me, and I feel lots of other readers likely won’t have come across something like this either.

I admit I felt that the ending to this story felt a little rushed. There was a delightful build up to the final confrontation scene, and a few home-truths exposed for both Claire and Will, but the actual conclusion to their fight and reconciliation felt a little hurried at pat to me. I’m not sure if this was because of a word-limit or restriction imposed on the author, but for such a well-paced story and what I felt was an excellent build up to this final scene, it fell just a little flat to me and left me not as satisfied as I had hoped.

Sexy and sensual, this was a really interesting and unique story that I felt showed an excellent power dynamic between the hard-core CEO and a supernaturally powerful machine/man. With plenty of baggage and hurt on both their parts, this was an interesting and vibrant read. I was pleased to find it was the first in a series and I’m eagerly looking forward to the next.

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

Venom & Vanilla by Shannon Mayer

March 16, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Venom & Vanilla by Shannon Mayer
(The Venom Trilogy Book 1)
Publisher: 47North
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

Successful Seattle baker Alena Budrene doesn’t want to die. But when she’s infected with a lethal virus spread by supernatural beings, her only chance for recovery is to make a deal with the devil—or in this case, a warlock.

Though he saves her life, it looks nothing like the life she once knew—and neither does she. Alena is a new breed of “Supe” no one has ever seen before. Even the supernatural police don’t know what she is. Now exiled to the northern side of the Wall, which marks the divide between humans and Supes, Alena is thrust into a dark and magical new world.

But just as she begins to adjust to all things supernatural, she realizes that her transformation is the least of her worries—and it was no accident. She was chosen…to be killed by a Greek hero trying to make a name for himself once more.

Alena was brought up to be subservient, preferring creating to fighting, and vanilla and honey to blood. But that was then. Now, to survive, she must stand up for herself—and this time she’s got fangs. But will she be ready to use them?

Alena had what seemed like a great life; a “nice” husband, a successful bakery, and a wonderful family. She was content in her small corner of the world, and not concerned with much outside of it. However, things drastically changed once she became infected by a virus that kills humans and spares supernaturals. After she accepts a “cure” to save her life, she’s thrown into a world she has no knowledge of. Can she adjust to her new life and find out what she’s become before it’s too late?

The humor in this book is fantastic. Witty banter and sarcasm are a hallmark of my favorite urban fantasy and paranormal romance books – Ms. Mayer did not disappoint in that regard. Remo and Alena had some particularly hilarious one-liners. Yaya was the queen of banter though (sarcastic badass grandmas are AMAZING). The humor does border on being a bit childish at times (Alena insists on referring to supernaturals as “super dupers”, which kills the intimidating factor a bit) but that aspect didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the story too much.

The worldbuilding in this book is great too. The conflict between humans and “Super-Dupers” is integral to the story – in both a literal sense (with the wall built to keep them separate) and a metaphorical sense (humans are dying in droves because of the virus that supernaturals spread). I enjoyed some of the plot twists that the author incorporated into the story (especially those related to how the virus works). This book has so many supernatural creatures there is sure to be something for even the pickiest of paranormal romance readers. There are vampires, warlocks, werewolves, shifters and so much more! It also has elements of mythology from around the world, which made it a very entertaining read. I appreciated how it wasn’t limited to just one mythology (i.e., Greek) – it borrowed multiple elements from multiple cultures and blended them seamlessly. As a die-hard mythology fan, it was fun to see figures from myth and legend in an urban, contemporary setting.

One of my favorite audiobook narrators, Saskia Maarleveld, narrated this book and it was another awesome performance. If you are a fan of audiobooks, I would recommend checking that option out. However, if you’re not already an audiobook fan then the format is up to you. There are no special effects or other aspects that you would be missing out on by not listening to the audiobook.

Overall, Venom & Vanilla is a fantastic paranormal romance read I would happily recommend to others. I look forward to reading the subsequent books in the Venom trilogy as soon as possible to find out what happens next in the story.

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

New Era by Tommy B. Smith

March 15, 2022 By 1 Comment


New Era by Tommy B. Smith
Publisher: Raven Tale Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Insomnia. Headaches. Fear.

It drove Marjorie down, cost her a career, and almost destroyed her marriage. When she and her husband Terry escaped to the quiet green countryside west of the Mississippi River, their new home, it seemed too good to last.

The snake-ridden adjoining property, bordered by a row of maple trees, hosts a deadly secret. There the blood of fiends and innocents stain the crumbling ruins of an old farmhouse, a decaying testament to a web of treachery and murder stretching back to distant times.

The horror in the ruins watches in wait. Marjorie fears the end, and the end is coming.

The past never dies.

It was nice to read about characters who are sensible and cautious in the horror genre. While they didn’t always make the same decisions I would, I understood why they made other choices and thought they were doing the best they could with the information they currently had. That’s not always something that happens in these sorts of tales, so it’s refreshing to find here.

The cast of characters was large enough that I had trouble keeping track of who everyone was and how they knew each other. It was even more of a problem for me in the 1982 storyline because it kept introducing new characters who were sometimes critical to the plot and in other cases played less prominent roles in future scenes. As much as I liked switching between this year and the 1918 plot that explained the origins of certain events, it was also confusing for me as a reader because of how many extra characters I then needed to keep track of.

One of the most memorable parts of this novella had to do with its thoughts on how curses work. This was even more true since part of the curse was placed upon a parcel of land instead of on an object or a person. I found myself wondering about all sorts of practical matters related to cursed land. For example, would an object lose its curse if it were removed from that area? Were the soil and plants themselves cursed, too? How long could someone spend on that land before terrible things began to happen to them? I can’t answer those questions in this review without sharing spoilers, but I enjoyed the author’s thoughts on how that all worked in this universe.

I did find myself wishing that the narrator had gone into more detail about the motivations of certain characters who committed some pretty violent acts. Yes, violence is to be expected in the horror genre, but I struggled to understand how those characters could switch so quickly from displaying fairly calm demeanors to attempting to kill those around them. With more development, these changes in behavior could have been truly terrifying in the best sense of that phrase for the horror fans reading it.

The ending was well done. I was especially interested in seeing how the main characters would react once they’d discovered enough clues to realistically have some idea of just how much danger they were in. Their sensible reactions only made me more curious to see if they’d prevail in the final scene. I will be keeping an eye out for any sequels that might revisit this world.

New Era was a delightfully scary story.

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