Not His Mate by Jade Marshall

November 22, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Not His Mate by Jade Marshall
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

When a wolf shifter finds their fated mate their entire world changes. There is nothing on earth they wouldn’t do to keep their mate by their side. But what happens when your fated mate is already mated to someone else?

Calum Beckett, Beta to the Katu wolf pack, has finally found his fated mate in Talon Quinn. The only problem is that she already has a mate. Trying to stay away from Talon is pulling him apart and driving his wolf to the brink of insanity. But what choice does he have?

Talon has moved to the Katu Pack with her mate Parker, but Parker isn’t her true mate, but someone she was forced to mate by her previous Alpha. When she finds her fated mate her life is thrown even further into chaos. Difficult choices lie ahead, and no matter which path she chooses, pain is inevitable.

How much pain are you willing to cause? How will either mate react to choices that Talon makes? Can anyone have their happily ever after?

You’ve got a mate, but it’s the wrong one!

That’s what happens to Talon when she is mated to a shifter called Parker in her previous pack. He is not her mate but was ‘given’ her as a reward for being loyal. So when that pack is taken over and some of them integrate into a new pack, you can be sure of trouble when her real mate shows up.

This was a quick read with all the parts I love in a shifter story. There are fated mates where the path is anything but smooth, humour, steam, and most importantly for me, a HEA! I just wish there had been more of it!

This is the second book in the Katu Wolves series and although I read this as a standalone, I’m not sure if reading book one would have been more beneficial to me. At least then I would have had some idea about Slade’s pack and how the takeover worked. Still, maybe that’s me wanting more… again!

On the whole, this was a great read for a coffee break. If you like shifter romances, I see no reason why you won’t like this!

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

Finding Nikki by Jamie L. Biggs

November 15, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Finding Nikki by Jamie L. Biggs
A White Mountain Pack Novel
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Nikki always knew she was different. What she didn’t know was that she isn’t entirely human.
Nikki discovers after her mom dies, why they never stayed in one place. She is now determined to make Mesa, Arizona her permanent home.

But when the broody, tall, dark, and handsome stranger shows up in her diner, Nikki realizes that if she is ever going to stand a chance at making a home for herself, she will have to go on the run again or fight like never before.

Now Zack has tipped his hand by letting his wolf out to protect her. Nikki’s hands are tied – or are they?

As fate approaches, only one question remains: Will Nikki accept Zack and what he has to offer her, a real home and family, or will she go on the run?

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. The trope has been done before, true, but the way Ms. Biggs wrote Finding Nikki totally entertained me and left me feeling very happy when the story concluded with its well-rounded epilogue.

This book was the first one I’ve ever read by this author and I liked her style. I enjoyed the flow of the story, from Nikki’s first meeting Zack, to finding out why her mother was so paranoid, and why it was nothing like the heroine anticipated. Yes, there is the ‘fated mates’ plot but I appreciated the fact that the connection and relationship actually started when they were kids. It may have seemed sudden to the heroine, but it actually wasn’t. Another aspect of the novel was its being told in first person POV. The author did it well. There were no awkward moments or lengthy internal narrations. The pace was perfect for this story.

As with most paranormal stories with werewolf cultures, there are the violent, passionate natures, claws, rival packs and political plots and conflicts. What I found to be a breath of fresh air and is one hundred percent appreciated by me was the author’s decision to keep me out of the bedroom. I was spared the announcer-type-moment-by-moment details to the nth degree about what happens between Zack and Nikki. I found the kisses, the touches, the eye-to-eye contact and the sensual atmosphere more than enough for me to get the picture that the chemistry between them is hot, satisfying and wild. True, it made the story move a bit faster but that was okay by me. I didn’t have long to wait for the good stuff.

My emotions were affected, especially the part about Nikki’s dad. I didn’t expect that to happen and it got me in the heartstrings. When it came to the dramatic and climactic attack amid all the growls and violence, again, the author didn’t need to go into graphic detail. I understood. I comprehended the ramifications. In this novel, less is more and again, I felt it to be a strength because I focused more on the characters, their emotions and the end results. As a reader, I was given everything I needed to fall in love with the main characters, feel emotions for them, worry and celebrate with them when the epilogue revealed a wonderful future and happy-ever-after for Nikki and Zack. I also thought her nickname for the hero was genius – cute, adorable, and ever so accurate. What starts off as annoying to the hero turns into a label of love and affection. That’s how I knew they had a strong and positive relationship.

I looked for more from this author and it doesn’t look like there are additional stories specific to the White Mountain pack, but if there ever is one, I’ll be one happy reader. I’d snap it up in a heartbeat. This story was an utter joy to read and has a complete happy ever after with all the threads that matter tied up with a wonderful, happy bow. I can easily recommend this to paranormal romance readers like me who are more into the romance and the story than the bed.

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

Autumn Breeze – A Tale from Halloween Night by Michael Ahmadi

November 10, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Autumn Breeze – A Tale from Halloween Night by Michael Ahmadi
Publisher: raubdruck
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Once a year, evil is allowed to return to the earthly world.
And if it is on the prowl for a victim, there is no escape.
It will lurk in the dark. Year after year.
Every Halloween night.

Trick-or-treating has never been so dangerous or so rewarding.

The horror elements were subtle at first but grew much stronger later on in the plot. I appreciated the hints about what was to come that were included in the beginning, especially when they were included in the quotes that were sandwiched between each scene. It was a wonderful way to build anticipation and keep me guessing about how each hint would build on the ones that came before it. Once I’d finished the final scene, I was also impressed with how gradually these moments became slightly more violent or scary over time. They were never gratuitous, but they definitely made this something I’d only recommend to fellow fans of the horror genre.

This story would have benefited from another round of editing. Some sentences were written vaguely, while others switched between the present and past tense. While I understood what most of them were trying to say, I was confused at times and sometimes needed to read them multiple times to figure out what the narrator was communicating. If not for these issues, I would have chosen a much higher rating.

I must admit that it took me a while to figure out the antagonist’s motivation for his actions. There were clues sprinkled along the way, though, and I was pleased when I finally put them all together. This was the sort of tale that does require some effort from the audience, especially since the most important elements of it were not necessarily spelled out directly. Figuring it all out was rewarding, however, and I was pleased with

Autumn Breeze – A Tale from Halloween Night was a deliciously spooky read.

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

Other People’s Things by Kerry Anne King

November 3, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Other People’s Things by Kerry Anne King
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Jailbird. Klepto. Spectacular failure to launch. Nicole Wood’s sticky fingers have earned her many names, but it’s not that she’s stealing—some objects just need to be moved elsewhere, and the universe has chosen her to do it. Still, being a relocator of objects isn’t easy. With her marriage on the rocks, no real-world skills, and the threat of prison hanging over her head, Nicole is determined to change her ways.

Things seem to be looking up, thanks to a godsent job with her sister’s housecleaning business—until she encounters a seemingly harmless paperback that insists on moving from one client’s home to another’s. Nicole hopes no one will notice, but the action stirs up long-hidden secrets and triggers a series of fateful events that threatens to destroy the life she’s creating and hurt those closest to her. She’ll need to embrace her unwieldy gift and take a chance on love in order to unravel the mystery and fix what’s gone wrong.

She relocates things. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes, it’s not. What’s a girl to do when her good intentions go…sideways?

I’ve not read anything by Kerry Anne King before, so I was happy to pick this one up. The premise is interesting. The heroine, Nicole, has a propensity of moving objects from one place to another because it’s where they belong in the world. I like the idea. It’s unusual. I’m beginning to think she might be at my house moving my keys and phone from time to time.

I wanted to really like this book. I did. The plot is fascinating. The thing that was a bit of a trip up for me was the overall book. I wanted more dimension in the characters. I wanted to know what made them tick more. I wanted to get inside Nicole’s head more. She’s been through some heavy stuff, but it’s sort of glossed over. I did like Nicole and her fortitude, but other readers might like it more. It’s still a good read and one to be picked up.

This is a good afternoon read and great for when you want something cute for an afternoon.

Why not try it?

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

The Gingerbread Lodge by Vicky Burkholder

November 3, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Gingerbread Lodge by Vicky Burkholder
Christmas Cookies
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Holiday
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Gisele Reid returns to the Gingerbread Lodge to help her aunt, but without paying guests, she’s afraid the lodge will have to be sold. An event she vows to stop. When an old friend shows up, she is astonished to find Max has turned into a man who makes her knees and heart tremble.

Max Oakley, a developer, has a client interested in buying land around the lodge. He has fond memories of the resort, as well as the girl who left him behind. When he runs into Gisele again, she’s even more beautiful than ever. A woman who could make him forget everything—even his job.

Plumbing problems, electrical outages, and the return of Gisele’s family throw a wrench into Max’s plans to woo Gisele. But when the truth comes out, she believes he’s betrayed her trust, and it will take a Christmas miracle to make everything right again.

It’s never too late to start over again.

One of my favorite things about this novella was how it included the paranormal elements of the storyline. They were hinted at here and there without ever becoming the focal point of the plot. This was the perfect approach to the topic given how logical Gisele and Max were in their daily lives. A touch of something otherworldly was all that was needed to give this tale a little Christmas magic.

I would have liked to see a bit more attention paid to the ending, especially when it came to conflict resolution. Some of the subplots were resolved much more quickly and easily than I expected them to be based on the amount of attention they’d received in earlier scenes as well as the length of time the characters had mentioned being bothered by them. As happy as I was to see how everything turned out, it would have been helpful to see more examples of the work the characters needed to put into those issues in order to fix them for good.

Gisele and Max’s relationship was delightful. Not only did they have wonderful chemistry, their shared history explained so many about why they each behaved the way they did and why neither of them had found anyone to settle down with yet. I also liked the fact that the author gave these two characters such a slow-burning romance. Stretching out the placements of those scenes made me anticipate the next romantic moment between them as the plot moved forward.

This is part of a series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone work.

The Gingerbread Lodge was a cheerful Christmas story that I’d recommend to anyone who is counting down the days until December finally arrives.

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

Battle for the Throne by E. J. Willis

November 1, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Battle for the Throne by E. J. Willis
Tales From Falyncia Book One
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Historical, sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

The sword quivers in Alaina’s hand. With one final stroke she can slay the gladiator, win back her freedom … and lose the trust of her people forever.

The Kingdom of Falyncia is caught in a war between a guardian spirit and a powerful demon. Alaina barely escapes with her life, yet she vows to one day claim the throne. When she finally returns home, the enemy has her in his grasp. Now she must choose between freedom and staying true to her people. If she fails to kill the gladiator, torture awaits. Can she find the courage to face it? Or will the demon triumph again?

A lost princess must face powerful foes and lurking demons if she ever hopes to reclaim her throne and free her kingdom in this fun YA fantasy!

While this story was a bit slow to start, things quickly picked up and it turned out to be a delightful read! Well written, and I loved the world-building and fantasy elements in this one. Aliana is rescued by a winged-wolf who turns out to be her guardian spirit of sorts, and must learn to fight the darkness that haunts both her past and future.

I really enjoyed seeing her journey, and look forward to the sequel in this duology! I loved the lore around the Wildlands and enjoyed getting to meet the various characters along the way! While the MC is 17 through most of this story, I can see younger teens or even adult readers enjoying this one as well.

There is the typical violence with the medieval theme and a war to be fought to win back her kingdom, plus the mention of demon like creatures who serve the evil king, but reads much like any other fantasy and is a good fit for the more traditional YA fantasy like seen in Narnia, Eragon, or Percy Jackson.

Overall a quick and fun read, and one that I’m sure many readers would enjoy!

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

Exiled Alpha by Amber Morgan

October 29, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Exiled Alpha by Amber Morgan
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Rachel Jacobs is a wolf on a mission. To save her pack from destruction, she’s turning to the werewolf who nearly destroyed it once before. Arkady Gusev is everything her father ever warned her againstso why does she find him so irresistible?

Arkady Gusev isn’t looking for a pack or a woman. But when Rachel walks through his door, she throws down a challenge he can’t resist. Is this exiled alpha about to come home?

Rachel had driven a long way to get to the Sandbox – a shifter-run club where pretty much anything was possible, for a price. Rachel wasn’t interested in any side entertainment though, she had one purpose, to convince Arkady to return to their pack – the same pack he’d been exiled from a number of years ago. Can Rachel and Arkady work together to solve each of their problems?

While I thought Arkady – and Rachel in a different way – were both rough and ready characters I enjoyed how they clashed with each other and both were not ashamed of themselves or their desires. Both headstrong and determined, it was fun to watch Rachel and Arkady circle each other and snap and snarl. Readers looking for an intense and hotly written story with plenty of sizzle and a bit of bite should find this really suits what they’re after.

Readers looking for a redemption style story or something a bit on the sweeter style definitely won’t find that here in this short story. But I was pleased with the strong, almost fierce and very modern take on the werewolf pack, the ousted Alpha and in particular I was pretty impressed with the deal Rachel and Arkady struck at the end.

With a very different – but undeniable – Happy Ever After, this was a fun and strong, sharp and toothy quick read.

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

Wolf In Heat by Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

October 20, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Wolf In Heat by Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

What male would be interested in a vegan werewolf?

Heather resigned herself to life without a mate. She’s always been a freak, unable to fit into either the human or shifter world. When her broken family joins a new pack, she’s suspicious and reluctant to accept her new fate. When David starts showing interest in her, it’s hard for her to believe his feelings are genuine. She tries to give him the cold shoulder … until she goes into heat.

David strikes out time and time again with Heather. The new female in their pack refuses to acknowledge they are meant to be together. He’s not one to give up hope, determined to win over the curvy vegan wolf at any cost. When the mating heat takes hold of Heather, he’s the only one who can satisfy her. He’s ready to give her exactly what she craves, but he wants more than just her body.

When Heather runs into danger, will she accept David’s help or sacrifice her own life?

It hadn’t been that long ago Heather lost her parents and even though she was grateful she, her sister and Uncle had been accepted into Caleb and Bethany’s pack it didn’t ease her sense of loss and loneliness much. Heather hated change and the new pack, new home, new surroundings had pushed her as far as she could bear. Accepting David might be her mate was not an option Heather was willing to give time or thought to. Only now she feels she might be entering her heat phase and the full moon is drawing close. Can Heather and David find a way to make this work?

I found this to be a very emotional and highly sexual story. Readers looking for an intense and character driven story should find this really appealing. For the first part of the book, I was at times a little confused with Heather, who really seemed to blow hot and cold to me. I felt a deep empathy for David trying to work out where he stood with Heather. At first he went slow, trying to get to know this shy and timid woman, but then when the heat hit her Heather became this sex-starved she-wolf, but who then once again turned timid and tried to push David away when the heat passed. I thought he clearly showed his love and compassion for her and (particularly at the start of the book) I felt Heather acted a little bit unreasonably toward him. The authors did a good job of explaining what Heather’s feelings were and how/why she was so confused and changeable, but for the first part of the book I struggled to like or connect with her. Pushing someone away while knowing you were mated to them just because you were confused felt pretty silly and childish to me.

I was pretty relieved when Heather finally got her head screwed on right and accepted she was bonded with David. I could appreciate the fact that even though she was scared, she had made her decisions and stuck with it and tried to hold up her end of the relationship and not simply run, avoid or stick her head in the sand about it all.

After this the story moved a lot smoother and better to my mind. There was also a fairly interesting sub-plot revolving around some bear shifters and a rogue. I can totally understand why the authors made this subplot secondary to Heather and David – this is a steamy erotic romance and they’re the main mating pair, but I was pretty pleased that the werebear and other shifters subplot wasn’t just half-baked or added in as a sort of side note. I felt that got plenty of time and was a solid addition to the story. While not overly gory or descriptive there are some captive animals and blood-sport style of humans in the plotline that might not suit the taste of all readers wanting a more romantic/erotic style of story and less intensity to the non-romantic aspects of the plotline.

With a solid cast of interesting and varied secondary characters, a decent plot revolving outside shifters and others around the pack and a steamy mating relationship growing between Heather and David this is a good and solid story that I feel most readers should find something to enjoy within it.

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

Friends to the End by C.L. Colyer

October 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Friends to the End by C.L. Colyer
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Twelve-year-old Zach is convinced he’ll never be happy without his best friend Jeremy by his side. But both of their lives changed with a bang five months ago, and as far as Zach’s concerned, it’s his fault Jeremy will never see his twelfth birthday.

When Zach moves with his family to a Chicago suburb, he quickly becomes friends with a group of thrill-seeking kids trying to find a disappearing haunted house. But Zach’s not worried. He doesn’t believe in ghosts, so he follows them into a wild, dangerous encounter that becomes a battle to decide what’s real and what’s not.

Dying with unfinished business is no laughing matter.

The spirits were well written and generally sympathetic characters. While there were a few frightening ones that I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to meet in a dark alley, I was pleased with the wide range of personalities and backstories they had in general. Getting to know characters like these and learning what might have kept them tied to earthly matters after their deaths is one of the things I enjoy the most about paranormal stories. It was utterly delightful to have so many opportunities to do so here.

I would have liked to see a little more attention paid to world building. For example, some ghosts in this world seem to be much more powerful than others. Certain beings also appeared to have some special abilities that aren’t commonly seen in this genre. As much as I liked the plot in general, all of these pieces of information never quite gelled into a coherent explanation of how the afterlife works in this universe. If it had, I would have happily chosen a full five-star rating.

The narrator had some poignant things to say about grief, friendship, and regret. These scenes did a wonderful job of rounding out Zach’s character and exposing the audience to portions of his personality that many preteens his age would probably keep to themselves in most other situations. Every time he revealed another fact about his past and the heavy grief he was trying so hard to hide from his new friends, I grew to like him even more than I already did.

Friends to the End was a heartwarming read for anyone who loves the paranormal side of the fantasy genre.

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

Merry Little Wishing Spritz by Cherie Colyer

October 7, 2021 By 1 Comment


Merry Little Wishing Spritz by Cherie Colyer
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal, Holiday
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Modern-day witch Cassie Moore’s cozy life turns upside down when her friend foresees the wrecking ball that threatens to destroy Cassie’s home and workplace. But Cassie isn’t giving up without a fight. She casts a well-intended spell meant to save her apartment and her job. But magic is unpredictable, especially when her friend casts a little charm of her own that has Cassie lusting after the man she desperately wants to despise.

Jack Quinn has had his eyes on Lakeside Books for years. He has big plans for the cozy waterfront property, but he didn’t expect to care about the store or its employees. And he never imagined he’d be drawn to a certain brown-eyed saleswoman.

Almost as if by magic.

This novella is the perfect story for when a reader is short on time but needs a quick fix of romance. Merry Little Wishing Spritz made me smile, grin, giggle and thoroughly entertained me. It kind of reminded me of Samantha in Bewitched, and when Cassie spoke to her cat, Smudge, it brought to mind a fond memory of Bell, Book and Candle when Gillian, the female lead, talks to her cat, Pyewacket. The thing is with this story, it’s more upbeat, sweet and playful with a happy ever after ending that left me happy and content.

I’m of the opinion that this story would make a delightful holiday movie which could be watched not only at Christmas, because of the mistletoe, but Halloween too, because good solid romance movies can span the holidays that happen towards the end of the year. I would really enjoy watching all the little pranks Cassie played on Jack. He was a good sport about it all – not suspecting a thing, of course. The scene with the reindeer made me grin.

The supporting cast is pretty much one person, Peyton, Cassie’s best friend. She’s the heroine’s cheerleader, confidant and conspirator in getting Cassie to open up to the possibility that Jack may not be like all the other losers Cassie had dated in the past. She was a perfect best friend and I liked her personality.

It was a stroke of genius to include the topic of gift giving to those in the community that had no one to give them gifts. Cassie and Peyton dressed up as adorable elves and that’s another reason why I could see this book being made into a film. There were so many details that touched the heart, coaxed emotions and feelings, and brought to life their little part of the world.

Merry Little Wishing Spritz is a happy romance story that includes a little paranormal zing of witchy wonderfulness to spice up the fun as Cassie and Jack fall in love. I’m glad I found this little gem and I believe a lot of readers are in for a treat when they read this book for themselves.

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