Love In Chaos by Sam Crescent

July 6, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Love In Chaos by Sam Crescent
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

After the world’s population is nearly wiped out, Maggie has been able to protect herself—until now. Captured in the dead of night, she is offered to a man. A leader. Only this man isn’t a stranger. Three years ago, he was the first man she ever had a crush on. Her teacher.

Clayton would recognize Maggie anywhere. In all his years, Maggie was one who got under his skin. He thought she was dead, perished like so many others. But she’s back, and he’s not going to let her go. He wants every single part of her, hoping she won’t hold back.

She always imagined love, but she must settle for what she can get. When Clayton realizes his carelessness and that his woman could be pregnant, he screws up. His fears keep him from admitting his love for her.

Heartbroken, Maggie plans to have her baby, but she’ll protect her heart from Clayton. Is it too late, or does he already have the key to her heart?

Three years ago – when she was barely eighteen – the world as everyone knew it ended. Maggie had travelled, mostly alone and avoiding men, and until now had survived far beyond her expectations. Kidnapped while she was sleeping, Maggie is dragged as an “offering” and she’s completely shocked when she’s dragged before her old History teacher – and major crush – Mr Knight. She hadn’t expected him to remember her at all, but he does, and now the world has ended there’s nothing stopping either of them from acting on their very mutual, very adult attraction.

Readers will need to understand that this is set is a very harsh, post-apocalyptic world. There are no hearts and flowers here, no rainbows and glitter or soft, sweet world and gentle love-making. Readers who want a softer or more romantic style of story probably won’t be very satisfied with this quick read. It took me a moment to adjust my own expectations of this story, but once I did I found it an interesting albeit harder read than I had expected. I was surprised how in such a harsh and forbidding world the author did a decent job of creating a sense of intimacy – albeit one heavily laced with survival and the human instinct to band together, not a more traditional style of romance – between Clay and Maggie.

While much of the intimacy – at least initially – wasn’t overly romantic to my mind, I was really pleased when as Clay and Maggie worked together to survive and keep their crew safe and fed they slowly really did begin to built a more lasting relationship together. With the world so completely different to what we’re used to this relationship and the romance/attachments that grew weren’t what anyone could feel were standard or traditional, but I slowly came to believe with more and more strength that both Clay and Maggie truly did love each other and that their bond could survive through anything.

By the end of the story I was not only convinced that Clay and Maggie were perfect for each other, but I really genuinely believed they had a healthy and loving relationship together. That was an awesome high note for me to end this quick read on and while I admit this won’t be good for all readers, those who want something completely different and enjoy post end-of-the-world style of stories I feel it’s well worth the effort to read this.

A good albeit quite different style of story.

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Kaito’s Silence by Emily Carrington

July 1, 2021 By 1 Comment


Kaito’s Silence by Emily Carrington
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Kaito has always been attracted to werewolves of the opposite gender — until he meets his new sign language tutor, a flamboyant wolf named Stefan.

As Kaito struggles with his own sexuality, Stefan starts to feel like an experiment. Can their love thrive or will Kaito’s indecision push them apart?

Kaito had always been attracted to women, until he meets Stefan. Having requested to be placed in the immersion sign language class Kaito is pleased but puzzled when Stefan is assigned to assist him and help teach him. Now questioning his sexuality, Kaito is confused and trying to sort his emotions out, but Stefan is beginning to feel like he’s simply an experiment. Can these two men learn to communicate together properly before it’s too late?

I found this an interesting and well plotted short story. Even though both Kaito and Stefan were in college and adults this story had a bit of a YA feel to me, personally. I think this was in large part because Kaito was still clearly learning and discovering who he was – for his career as well as his sexuality. I think the fact we followed along as he learned both sign language as well as the basics of being a tracker and all the responsibility and meaning that has in this story’s paranormal world meant this came across to me as a bit of a coming-of-age style of story. I found Stefan’s character to be well researched and quite relatable, and while I admit I don’t know much about the deaf community it felt to me like the author did an excellent job and had done her homework when it came to this aspect of the story as a whole.

There are a number of various paranormal creatures at the college – not just werewolves – so I feel readers who enjoy a rich paranormal world and lots of various entities should find this story quite satisfying. While the main thrust of the story is around Kaito and Stefan – and therefore werewolves – I was surprised and pleased by the other creatures and felt it really added a strong element to the story and helped really sell the world-building and paranormal aspect of the world in general. Although it takes quite some time for Stefan and Kaito to become intimate – and it mostly happens off screen – I feel that fits perfectly with the story, both with Kaito’s uncertainty and Stefan not wanting to merely be an experiment or passing fancy. If readers are willing to explore and move along with Kaito and Stefan as they both learn more about each other and themselves then I feel readers will be happy with the pacing of the story and I know I personally found it exactly right.

A good, short coming of age style of story about two interesting men discovering who they are. With great world building and a strong cast of supporting characters this was a good read and an author I will happily try again.

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Wake Me by Angela Knight

June 24, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Wake Me by Angela Knight
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Wedding Photographer Chloe Hart has just been dumped when she receives a mysterious gift — a painting of a handsome knight in a heavy gold frame worked with what appear to be magical sigils. She promptly hangs the painting up in place of her cheating ex-boyfriend’s portrait.

That night, she has the most delicious dream of Lord Radolf of Varik, the medieval conqueror who has just seized her castle. He seduces her in a red-hot encounter that makes her forget all about ol’ what’s his name. The next night, Radolf is back, this time as the captain of a pirate ship. Night after night, Radolf and Chloe act out some deliciously erotic scene from her favorite guilty-pleasure romance novels. And every single dream seems utterly real, down to the last scent and taste.

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Even as the two begin to fall in love, a new and horrible fear grips Radolf: what will the witch do to Chloe?

Chloe was determined to bounce back after a fairly brutal breakup – and when a mysterious stranger gives her an enticing oil painting of Lord Randolf of Varik the handsome, semi-naked Viking Knight whose image is captured, it’s all the distraction she could possibly hope for. The painting – and the handsome Viking – soon invades her dreams and subconscious as much as her waking hours. Will Chloe and Randolf be able to sort this magic out?

I really enjoyed this steamy and sensual romance novel. While the plotline isn’t very original, I found Chloe to be a relatable and modern character I could easily connect with. I was also really pleased that there was plenty of plot and not just sex between Randolf and Chloe. The author really fleshed out the tricky situation he found himself in and the trappings of his curse – I was so glad it wasn’t just some shady, ill-defined “cursed by a witch and the spell needs breaking” mention that didn’t really get explored. It helped me feel a better connection to Randolf and understand the misery and difficulty of his situation.

This story had a solid and well-defined plot and while it’s fairly magical and other-worldly, I feel readers who enjoy paranormal and faintly historical/magical styles of storyline should find it really appealing. While there is plenty of intimacy between Randolf and Chloe there is also a good balance of plot and discussions outside of the bedroom so I feel readers looking for a book that makes them think and sigh should really find this satisfying.

Readers looking for a fun and sexy book with a strong plot and a strong hint of magical twists should really enjoy this quick read.

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Killing the Reapers by Jeff Debing

June 22, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Killing the Reapers by Jeff Debing
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Ross is a young paramedic whose world takes a sudden tragic turn on what should be the best day of his life. Just before he can propose to his girlfriend, he suffers a massive heart attack and dies.

He awakens in the afterlife and learns that the Grim Reaper actually does exist. But not as the skeletal creature of mythology, instead it’s an organization of non-living individuals who look and act like ordinary people. Essentially undead civil servants, they walk among the living, unnoticed, as they perform their grim work of reaping the souls of people when they are destined to die.

He is shocked to learn that he died decades before he was supposed to, due to a tragic mishap. As Ross and the reapers seek a solution for his premature demise, fatal accidents suddenly begin to plague the reapers. Ross discovers that though the reapers aren’t truly alive, they can be killed.

When the growing number of mysterious reaper fatalities prevents Ross from getting his life back, he suspects they may not actually be accidents. He realizes that to have any chance to return to the life he was destined to live, he’ll first have to discover and stop whatever is killing the reapers.

Death isn’t the end.

The world building was complex and well done. I actually paused at one point to do an Internet search to find out if I’d accidentally stumbled into the middle of a series. The fact that it appeared to be something new and not connected to any other stories only impressed me even more. There were so many little details about the characters, setting, and unique rules of magic woven into every scene that I truly felt as if I’d stepped into another world. It was exciting to have this introduction, and it made me hope for a sequel.

There was only one thing holding this tale back from a much higher rating, and it had to do with how the characters were written. Mr. Debing introduced the audience to a large number of characters quite quickly in the early scenes. When combined with how little information we were given about the appearances or personalities of the majority of them, I had a lot of trouble remembering who was who. This was especially true when it came to the various grim reapers, although I would also struggle to describe Ross’ personality to anyone. Other than his love of his work and his desire to save every sick and injured person who crossed his path, I never got a strong sense of who he was as an individual.

I was pleased with how the mystery portion of the plot was written. The author did a good job of throwing a few clues out there for the audience without giving away so much information that it was easy to figure out the identity and motive of the killer. He struck a nice balance between developing this portion of the storyline and allowing the fantasy themes to take precedence when needed.

Killing the Reapers was a fast-paced novella that I’d recommend to anyone who loves urban fantasy.

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

Devil’s Own by Suzy Shearer

June 21, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Devil’s Own by Suzy Shearer
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

By 51, Miranda Fleming had become a world famous artist. She lacked nothing, except a relationship. In fact, in her entire dating life not one man had ever asked for a third date. She often joked she was the oldest living virgin.

But that was about to change and not in a way that she could’ve ever imagined—or desired.
He was The Devil. Satan. Lucifer. The Beast. So many names, the list went on and on. A taker of souls, a dealer of desires and greed, the ultimate evil.

And now it was time to collect on the deal made about Miranda years ago. He’d kept her pure since then, just so he could torment and torture her.

That is, until he tired of her.

If you are looking for romance, then I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong book. There are some soft and tender moments in it but heavily disguised amongst the sadism and masochism.

Miranda has been having dreams since her twenties about a faceless man whipping and torturing her, giving her the orgasms she doesn’t have in real life. When her grandfather dies, she finds out that it is true, and she belongs to the Devil.

Although dark, this book doesn’t go into too much detail, skimming along the surface of what S&M consists of. Time passes with the blink of an eye, first weeks, then months, then years. Because of the jumping, I didn’t feel like I got to know Miranda or Hell as much as I would like. I certainly wouldn’t name romance as a genre, but instead, say there are romantic elements.

This was a quick read, filled with dark erotica, so if that’s what you’re after, then I can recommend it.

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Glamour by Mychael Black

June 18, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Glamour by Mychael Black
Fae-ry Tales, Book 3
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Action/Adventure, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Prince Erilan is expected to do many things within Light Fae society. He is Captain of the Queen’s Guard, Queen Ivena’s advisor, and heir to the Light Fae throne. He’s always performed his duties — royal and familial — with unflinching loyalty. When he meets a Dark Fae scout, however, Erilan’s sense of duty wars with an unholy desire for the enigmatic Fae.

Lyren of House Kehru much prefers covertly spying from trees and shadows to jumping into the forays of the frontlines. He loves his job as a scout. Having far more magic than most of his Dark Fae brethren is a big plus. So when he’s ordered to do recon on the invisible borders of the Light Fae realm, he employs his magick to do just that. What he doesn’t count on is the insanely gorgeous Light Fae who nearly takes his head off with a sword.

Who needs a head when dealing with this Light Fae? Especially when the Light Fae has him not wanting to think about anything or anyone else?

I love the work of Mychael Black and am glad to find more by this author. The world building is great and the story flows well. I jumped right into the action with the characters and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. This story is hot and sweet at times, but packed with action. I couldn’t put it down.

It’s part of a series, but I didn’t feel confused or lost by not having read the others in the series. In fact, I’m ready to find the others and get to catching up!

If you’re looking for a fantasy story that rocks, this might be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s a solid read.

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Mara by the Sea by Faith Talbot

June 14, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Mara by the Sea by Faith Talbot
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Ménage, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Since her divorce, Mara has been moldering. Or at least that’s what her best friend tells her when she drags Mara to Cancun for a pick-me-up.

Mara finds more than a pick-me-up. On the beach, she meets two beautiful men who, though they’re obviously into each other, are very much into Mara, too. And when they invite her into their unique world, it’s an experience unlike anything she could ever imagine.

Two men, hot times and the ocean…what more could a woman want?

This is a hot short story. It’s truly a fish out of water story in that Mara wants to be something besides herself. When she goes on vacation, she gets what she wants. It’s hot, like I said, and moves fast, but I liked it. This story is nicely written and fun. I liked that there weren’t many complications in the tale.

I see this is part of a series and I can’t wait to read the others. This one certainly packed the heat. I liked how Mara allowed herself to be the best side of herself with her men. This does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it’s good. I liked it.

If you’re interested in a hot ménage that features love in the ocean, then check this book out. Recommended.

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Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

June 7, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen (Author) Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)
Steampunk Proper Romance
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

When Lucy Pickett arrives at Blackwell Manor to tend to her ailing cousin, Kate, she finds more than she bargained for. A restless ghost roams the hallways, werewolves have been reported in the area, and vampires lurk across the Scottish border.

Lord Miles himself is clearly hiding a secret. He is brash and inhospitable and does not take kindly to visitors—even one as smart and attractive as Miss Pickett. He is unsettled by the mysterious deaths of his new wife, Clara, and his sister, Marie. Could Miles himself be to blame for the deaths?

Working together, Miles and Lucy attempt to restore peace to Blackwell Manor. But can Lucy solve the mystery of Miles? Can she love the man—beast and all?

This might be the first book written by Nancy Campbell Allen that I’ve ever read but it sure won’t be the last. Talk about a perfectly eerie Gothic Steampunk romance with mystery, murder, foggy surroundings, large oak doors that block gardens with a secret, and paranormal beings. There is so much going on that I’ve lost count as to how many edge-of-my-seat scenes I experienced.

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Lord Miles is exactly what you’d expect – brooding, grouchy, stern, scowly, big and burdened with guilt and secrets. One thing about the narrator, Ms. Maarleveld, that I kept thinking about as she did his voice was that by the time she was done with this novel, I truly felt her throat must have been hoarse. Her vocal range seemed strained while she voiced Lord Miles, but she was able to go deep enough to differentiate the hero from the heroine. I have no complaints; I just kept wanting to offer the narrator a glass of water.

Oh, I forgot to mention the ghost. I liked how the author portrayed the ghost and by the end of the novel, I was truly sad that the person was dead. I would have dearly enjoyed this person on stage because of the strength of character, devotion, determination and love that was truly powerful, even beyond the grave.

The ‘tons that are mentioned brought to mind a movie I’ve watched at least 15 times so far, I, Robot. Think of Sonny and you’ll know how I envision the maids, butlers and garage personnel in the story.

I enjoyed watching Miles thaw the more time he spent with Lucy. The longer she stayed in his castle, the more he saw her strength, her loyalty, her love for her cousin and family, and her unique passion that propels her to attempt escapades of daring do and investigations that definitely caused the hero a heart attack, or two. When she got him to laugh, I knew he was hooked.

As far as the romance, it’s sweet. The most action were kisses but oh, how wonderfully romantic they were!

There is a villain for sure but it turns out to not be who I thought it was. I really thought I had it figured out but of course, that was a red herring. As far as I’m concerned, the actual killer was mentally unsound, clever and vicious, but unsound. I can say for sure that the climactic scene was one that had me wide-eyed and on the edge of my seat. It was the not knowing how the defeat would come about and at whose hands.

The ending was very romantic and brought to mind the scene in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. More than likely, that was the author’s intent and if so, it worked. It was special and a nice way to wrap up a very well-told story. Beauty and the Clockwork Beast was an awesome read and easy to recommend in either print or audio format.

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

His Refused Mate by Jade Marshall

June 2, 2021 By Leave a Comment


His Refused Mate by Jade Marshall
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Wolf shifters are fated with one mate. Losing your mate or refusing it causes immense pain and, in some cases, death. But what if fate gives you a second chance?

Payton has been on her own for longer than she can remember, even when she was still part of a pack. Being refused by her fated mate has her fleeing, starting a life of solitude away from any other shifters

Caine is the Alpha to his pack and although he loves his pack dearly, he longs for his true mate. When he catches her scent he will do everything to make her his. But can he convince her to take a chance?

While Peyton hasn’t enjoyed the last few years effectively being a servant in her Alpha’s house, she has the warm, loving memories of what her family life had been before her father had left and the life as Peyton knew it had irrevocably changed. On the morning of her eighteenth birthday she thought something might change, but she could never have guessed that it would have been her whole world shifting around. In a matter of minutes she’d discovered her one true mate only to have him refuse her and sever their bond, casting her callously aside without even attempting to try. Caine is rightful Alpha of a small pack and while he’s been desperately lonely the last eighteen months he’s determined to wait for his true mate – for the life partner the goddess has chosen for him. When Caine and Peyton find each other how will they manage to merge their two very different lives?

While I was a little disappointed that this enjoyable short story was quite predictable, I was impressed that the author managed to infuse the book with a few really interesting and relatable main characters. Peyton still held compassion and had a strong streak of independence that I really enjoyed. I was considerably relieved when Caine didn’t just beat his chest and let his ego or arrogance overtake his brain when Peyton refuse to submit immediately to his claim they were mates. I loved how Caine was willing to show and prove himself to Peyton, to show her he could support her and take some time to really get to know her and what she wanted from their relationship. This really helped sell me on the story.

There is some conflict in this short story and I thought for the most part it was handled really well. I felt the author put a really interesting twist on the end result of the conflict and could easily see how it could become important in the next few books as Caine’s brothers also find their own true mates. I feel readers looking for a unique or vastly different paranormal romance might not find themselves completely satisfied with this story but I admit I really enjoyed Peyton and Caine’s characters and found that reading their interactions was time well spent.

A fun and sexy short story this was a good paranormal romance.

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The Five Things by Beth Merwood

May 25, 2021 By 1 Comment


The Five Things by Beth Merwood
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

For nine-year-old Wendy, the summer of 1969 will never be forgotten.

Local kids have always told stories about the eerie wood on the outskirts of the village, and Wendy knows for sure that some of them are true. Now the school holidays have started and she’s going to the wood again with Anna and Sam, but they soon become convinced that someone is trying to frighten them off.

When a terrible event rocks the coastal community, the young friends can’t help thinking there must be a connection between the incident, the tales they’ve heard, and the strange happenings they’ve begun to witness. As glimpses of a darker world threaten their carefree existence, they feel compelled to search out the underlying truth.

Some mysteries can’t be solved in a single summer.

Some of the most interesting portions of this book involved the lingo of British English in the late 1960s. The main character used these terms under the assumption that everyone reading it already knew what she was talking about. I enjoyed the process of looking up the words I didn’t know and comparing them to how I’d refer to those items or types of food in my dialect of English. It was also fascinating to see how the main character’s voice changed as she grew older and certain words came into or fell out of style.

The plot was slowly and sometimes unevenly paced. As much as I appreciated all of the details the author included in order to immerse her audience in this time and place, those passages were sometimes distracting from the mystery storyline because of how much they slowed down key moments in Wendy’s exploration of what really happened on that sad day that she was never able to forget. I would have loved to choose a higher rating, but this held me back from doing so.

With that being said, the mystery itself felt incredibly realistic. The clues spilled out across many years. Sometimes Wendy reached an entirely new stage of life before she discovered the next one. Given the tragedy that occurred soon after the audience first met her, this made perfect sense. She was so young when it happened that I wasn’t surprised by how protective the adults in her community were of what they said around the children in their lives one bit. Of course she wouldn’t have picked up on certain things until she was an adult!

The Five Things is a good pick for anyone who like slow-burning mysteries.

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