Shared Redemption by Michel Prince

November 28, 2014 By 3 Comments

Shared Redemption
Shared Redemption by Michel Prince
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (277 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rated: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Poppy

Former slave Nye ended his life in 1859 after losing his love. The angel Gabriel has offered Nye a chance at redemption by hunting demons as a member of the Frozen. With less than seven years left until his salvation, Nye is staying on the straight and narrow – until a woman gets caught in the crossfire during a demon hunt.
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After receiving devastating news, Kiriana Kladshon moves across the country, only to get caught up in the world of The Frozen. Nye and Kiriana are pulled into an attraction neither can control. Will it be their ultimate demise or their greatest salvation?

Damarion, is leading a group of female demons on a mission. During his punishment on Earth, Damarion learns of dangers within his coven trying to stop him from returning to his love, still trapped in Hell and A love he was so sure was true…

This story has a neat twist to the paranormal genre. I really enjoyed the idea of having good people who ended their own lives being chosen to become demon hunters as a type of penance and way to earn redemption. It’s also a unique look at interracial romance … usually we either have a historical story where it’s clearly forbidden by society, or a contemporary one where it’s not considered illegal or immoral, but here we have Nye, a former slave “frozen” at the age he was at his death, and in his mind he really struggles to get past the mores of his time.

This story is told in first person, which isn’t a favorite of mine, and it’s also told from several points-of-view which occasionally made it difficult to know who was speaking. It’s not that the author has made characters who sound the same–she hasn’t!–it was just a little difficult to jump from one head to another in first person, so that was a stumbling block for me. Ms. Prince also has a slightly formal voice in her writing, so I sometimes felt as if I should be reading literary fiction and not a romance.

I really enjoyed seeing the two factions here: the frozen and the demon horde and getting into the heads of Nye and Damarian was very interesting. Such completely different people with completely different goals (heaven and hell). the storyline is certainly unique in a paranormal market glutted with shifters and vampires. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to read it and I’m glad I did. If you’re looking for a story outside the norm, with a wonderful romance that will make your heart sigh and a story with the promise of more (while the romance between Nye and Kiri is pretty well wrapped up here, this is clearly the start of a series), then I can happily recommend Shared Redemption. It’s a worthwhile addition to the genre.

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Rest Thy Head by Elaine Cantrell

November 26, 2014 By 2 Comments

Cover_RestThyHead
Rest Thy Head by Elaine Cantrell
Publisher: Astrea Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (233 pgs)
Heat: Sensual
Rated: 3 stars
Reviewed by Poppy

Running away from a fiancé who betrayed her, Peyton O’Malley finds employment at a beautiful mountain inn called Rest Thy Head. She didn’t expect to live in the haunted room or to fall for the inn’s owner, a fire-scarred, war veteran who uses the inn to hide away from the world. She didn’t expect her sister to show up at Rest Thy Head either, much less her formidable mother.

Now, thanks to the aid of a friendly ghost, Peyton has a shot at true love, and so does her sister Ashley, provided the guys cooperate of course!

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Not one, but two romances occur here, which was fun. I really liked Ashley. She’s determined and strong (she has to be after her mother all but disowned her for having a child outside of wedlock) and interesting. Peyton took longer to grow on me. At the start she’s weak and spineless and lets her mother and fiancé walk all over her and I was so incredibly frustrated with her. Her mother is horrible and I wouldn’t have been as forgiving as the sisters were at the end of this book. I found absolutely nothing redeemable about the woman. To be honest, had I not been reading this for review, I might not have continued. However, I’m glad I did.

The story is sweet and romantic if occasionally somewhat predictable. Petyon catches her fiancé in in a compromising position, but it takes more than that before she finally realizes he really is a cad, and runs away. She’s supported in this by her sister, and berated by her mother, but she stands by her decision and even finds a job at the inn where she decides to stay for a bit, Rest Thy Head.

There’s a lot going on here: a scarred veteran with confidence issues, an ex-fiancé who doesn’t want to be an “ex”, and even a ghost who is funny, sweet and hands down my favorite character in the book. There’s also enough suspense to keep you turning pages.

There were some things in the book that could have been cleaned up and tightened by better editing. Some awkward point-of-view violations and a few instances of narrator intrusion. These are pet peeves of mine, and may not bother another reader. Also, the dialogue didn’t always feel natural and, when I read it aloud, was stilted. Still, the author has talent for descriptions (I could see the inn and the setting clearly, as well as the horses, stables and more) and I enjoyed the fact this story didn’t rely on sex to drive the romance. The characters had plenty of attraction, certainly, but were allowed to build a foundation of friendship and respect instead of relying on that “zing” to start with and then do the rest in reverse order.

It’s a decent story and left me with a smile. Recommended to lovers of sweet romance.

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Secrets by Lynn Crandall

October 27, 2014 By 10 Comments

Cover_Secrets

Secrets by Lynn Crandall
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full (223 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

Someone is making homeless cats disappear and Michelle Slade wants to put a stop to it. The office manager at Aegar Investigations and owner of cat rescue Cats Alive, she struggles to keep together the life she’s forged since the one she knew shattered five years ago on the night she was raped. She couldn’t have predicted that the rape’s impact would reach into her present life and put a strangle grip on all she holds dear, thanks to the evil machinations of powerful businessman, William Carter.

When Michelle’s problems with Carter escalate, friends rally to help her, with private investigator Casey Mitchell at the top of the line. When Casey finds his investigation takes him down a very dark path of diabolic and life-threatening research conducted by Carter Enterprises, he attempts to keep his work life and his private identity as a were-lynx separate. However, though he’s been trained his whole life to keep his identity and his colony of were-cats protected, he now struggles with terrible aloneness.

As they are thrown together to save the missing cats and remedy worse problems, Michelle and Casey can triumph and find true love, or lose everything.

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Secrets was a well plotted and interesting story filled with mystery and longing. Our heroine, Michelle, is a strong, intelligent women trying to rebuild her life after being raped five years earlier. She struggles with feeling safe and it’s also impacted her willingness to become involved with any man.

Casey is the perfect foil for her. He’s incredibly patient and sweet, and also just crazy in love with her. He treats her much like the fearful, feral cats they both deal with and it keeps her from running completely away. He’s such a great guy!

At first, I thought the premise in the blurb sounded a little silly. I love cats (I have cats), but basing an entire mystery on some missing cats? I think the blurb misrepresents the depth of the story, however, and I hope it doesn’t keep other readers from giving it a try. The truth is there is a much deeper, more frightening mystery in there and it’s all tied together with Michelle’s past and Casey’s past and current life.

The plot was interesting, but it’s clear there was at least one other book in this series. Not that this didn’t stand alone, but I could tell there was backstory with one couple here that I was missing. Even so, it didn’t really impact my enjoyment of this book, just made me wonder what had happened before (and I’ll most likely go check out what came before).

The story was also packed with interesting and unique secondary characters. The author did a great job creating a community here, and that always makes the story a better read for me. I adore having a group of people to get attached to. It gave the story a richness to be savored.

I also enjoyed her voice and writing skill, though occasionally some lines seemed strangely constructed. For example, “The thought hit Carter’s face, and the truth registered for a moment, then dropped to the floor.” While I understand what she’s trying to convey, the odd vision of a thought flying across the room like something tangible, hitting him in the face and then falling to the floor pulled me right out of the story for a moment.

Still, I completely fell in love with Casey and the romance in this book made my heart sigh. Michelle is a very lucky girl. Her solid group of friends were amazing, and I can’t wait to read more about them. While the mystery of the missing cats, and Michelle’s property battle are wrapped up in this story, other questions arise, which makes it clear there’s another installment coming. I, for one, am glad. I look forward to revisiting these characters and their world.

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

Under Starry Skies by Judy Ann Davis

October 21, 2014 By 8 Comments

Cover_UnderStarrySkies

Under Starry Skies by Judy Ann Davis
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical (Early American)
Length: Full (306 pgs)
Heat: Sensual
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

Hired as the town’s school teacher, Maria O’Donnell and her sister Abigail arrive in the Colorado Territory in 1875, only to find the uncle they were to stay with has been murdered.

Rancher Tye Ashmore is content with life until he meets quiet and beautiful Maria. He falls in love at first sight, but her reluctance to jeopardize her teaching position by accepting his marriage proposal only makes him more determined to make her part of his life.

When their lives are threatened by gunshots and a gunnysack of dangerous wildlife, Tye believes he is the target of an unknown enemy. Not until Maria receives written threats urging her to leave does she realize she is the target instead of the handsome rancher.
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With the help of Tye, Abigail, and a wily Indian called Two Bears, Maria works to uncover her uncle’s killer and put aside her fears. But will she discover happiness and true love under Colorado’s starry skies?

A fun trip back in time to post-Civil War era America!

Abigail and Maria O’Donnell have hit on some hard times. Their father’s death left them in great debt and have few options other than to head to Colorado to live with an uncle. All well and good until they discovered he was murdered.

I have to be honest and say I didn’t read the blurb to this story before I picked it up, and I honestly believed the heroine was Abigail. The first few chapters are from her point of view and from Tye’s and Maria is barely a blip on the radar (and it was a rather unfavorable blip for me … she came across as weak and whiny). Imagine my surprise when the story veered off from my expectations, and Maria was our heroine! Thankfully, as time passes, Maria grows a spine and by the end of the book is a woman to be admired.

There is a secondary story with Abigail and a potential beau, and I suspect she will be the lead in the next story of this series. Speaking of which, this is apparently the second book in a series, but I had no problem at all sorting things out. Honestly, had I not checked (and had Abigail’s story not been so open-ended), I might not have realized it was part of a series at all, so fear not if you worry about reading it on its own.

The mystery in this story is fairly weak, so if you’re a mystery buff this might not be the best choice. There was never any real doubt as to who killed Uncle Henry, so it’s mostly about trying to prove it and understand why it happened.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Two Bears and Millie, and I also appreciated how relatively independent so many women in this story were (which made it harder for me to believe Maria was that worried about losing her job if she married Tye). Honestly, the conflicts here weren’t that strong, but my fondness for the characters and the writer’s skill at writing kept me turning pages. Yes, the author has remarkable talent with her words. Plot blips aside, her talent for characterization, description, etc., kept me well engaged.

I might not have picked up Under Starry Skies on my own, but I really enjoyed it. More, I really liked Abigail and do hope the author selects her as the heroine for the next book. I’d truly like to see how things turn out for her!

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

Danube in Candlelight by Stephanie Burkhart

October 15, 2014 By 8 Comments

Cover_Danube in Candlelight

Danube in Candlelight by Stephanie Burkhart
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
Genre: Historical, Paranormal
Length: Full (202 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

Morgan Duma has always known she’s different. Her eyes have unusual gold rings around her irises, a trait she’s inherited from her father. She’s faster and stronger than most. Her endurance and stamina allow her to complete tasks in a quick and efficient fashion. Since she was a little girl, she knew there was only one man for her — Adam Varga.

Morgan learned to dance in Adam’s arms. They grew up playing the piano together. Adam’s calm, soothing presence was the perfect compliment to her restless soul. Not only that, he shared her differences down to his feral eyes.

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Book three in the Budapest Moon series, and the best one yet!

I really enjoyed seeing the next generation of these families who started out as enemies, but have since become very good friends and all but family.  I strongly recommend that you read the other books to understand all the nuances and intertwined relationships here.  I imagine this book would stand alone, as Ms. Burkhart does weave in some backstory, but it will be so much richer if you are following the series.

Adam and Morgan were fun characters, feeling quite youthful and impetuous… they have both completed their educations and are ready to settle in to the lives they’ve chosen.  But as in any good book, things happen to make that road a bit bumpy.  Morgan has an intense, powerful and unwelcome new suitor and both Adam and Morgan have trust issues.

I loved revisiting everyone, including Emily who was only a few years old the last time we saw her, and the only fully human offspring in this story.  She’s turned out to be a lovely, stable, admirable young woman.  And the staff of both families (who are now joined by marriage) had their moments here as well. It was like visiting an old friend.

While I didn’t always thing Morgan behaved in a manner that was completely understandable–after all, Adam is her best friend who she’s known forever.  Yes, he made an error in judgment, but I think she overreacted just a little. Of course, she’d suddenly gotten quite a lot on her plate, so it may have been a matter of overload or the last straw.

Danube in Candlelight was a bit less dark and gothic, and had a lot more going on.  With the other books, there were times I wanted to set them down and go looking for something more exciting, but this one never made me feel that way.  Definitely the best in the series so far, and if the author keeps improving with each book I’m going to be one very happy reader.  Ms. Burkhart’s strengths are her characterizations and setting as character, as well as well composed prose and clean writing.  Yes, her plots are interesting, but what keeps me hooked is how attached I become to the population in each book.

Danube in Candlelight was filled with an interesting series of events and a fascinating stroll through Hungarian history and, even more, a set up to the next book.  I’m looking forward to reading it.

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The Hungarian by Stephanie Burkhart

October 7, 2014 By 8 Comments

Cover_TheHungarian

The Hungarian by Stephanie Burkhart
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
Genre: Historical, Paranormal
Length: Full (266 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

Katherine Archibald is in search of a grand adventure.

A young woman in late Victorian England, she wants to open up a bookstore in London and travel Europe hunting down rare books. Love isn’t on her map.

Enter Matthias Duma. The Hungarian count captures Katherine’s attention like no other man before him with his unusual gold-malachite eyes, his exotic features, and his command of the night sky.
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After a night of intrigue during Katherine’s birthday, she discovers the map does include love in the legend, but will the map lead her to Budapest and the dark, brooding Hungarian she’s just met?

Quiet and dark (much like its hero), The Hungarian is a treat to be savored and not sped through.

I’ve read other books by Ms. Burkhart, but this one is different. It’s slower paced, and has a much darker, gothic feel. It started rather abruptly with our protagonists meeting in the heroine’s family library, and I was surprised at how forward both were considered the times and the fact they didn’t know each other. Still, Katherine is a bit atypical for her time being learned (she loves to read and is fascinated by astronomy and astrology) and plans on opening her own business: a bookstore.

There are plenty of subplots beyond just the romance (and its “hairy” problems), with intrigues including a custody battle and a question of Count Duma’s paternity (as well as a very angry and jealous rival, who believes they are brothers). But even with these, the story meanders a bit. I love the author’s writing ability and her voice, and I’m a big fan of her books, but this one wasn’t quite as gripping as her others have been. Still, she’s managed to create interesting and unique characters, especially those which populate Count Duma’s household and I was invested enough in them to keep reading even when the pace slowed a bit.

Moving between England and Hungary, and highlighting the difference between the countries, was fascinating. The road to our lovers’ happy ever after is not easy and certainly has its bumps, but Katherine, especially is an admirable character and I enjoyed watching her learn, adjust and accept Matthias for who (and what) he was.

The last several chapters of this book are clearly setting up the next, and I look forward to seeing Ms. Burkhart redeem one of the less admirable characters from this book.

If you like paranormal romances with a deeply gothic feel, this one would be a good fit. It’s a little outside the norm of romance and paranormal books and is written by a skilled author who knows how to turn a phrase.

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

Together Always by Mimi Barbour

July 25, 2014 By 7 Comments

Cover_Together Always

Together Always by Mimi Barbour
Publisher: Self
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full (181 pgs)
Heat: spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

A new body, a new life…

Because of a facial disfigurement, Nurse Grace Joye has never felt beautiful, and when she’s told a brain tumor will end her life within a matter of weeks, she’s devastated. Grace’s friend, psychiatrist Dr. Robert Andrews has been experimenting with spirit travel. He suggests that Grace transfers her spirit to the body of his newest patient–Mrs. Vanessa Knight, a gorgeous-looking woman who is soon to be released from life-support. Grace doesn’t need much convincing to take this drastic step. She will live on and realize her two dreams: to be a mother, and be loved by a man. Only to hear her soon-to-be husband’s whispered words just before the life-support is switched off: “Good-bye, darling. I’m glad I’ll never have to see you again.”
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Lucas Knight has been contentedly preparing for Vanessa’s death. Throughout their marriage, this volatile woman had become increasingly vicious towards him and their young son. Therefore, he’s appalled and traumatized when, miraculously, she comes out of her coma. Strangely, this girl isn’t anything like the witch he’d said goodbye to. He could love this gentle angel. But, can he trust her to stay this way?

Fascinating idea! I loved the concept of a terminally ill woman switching bodies with another woman who’s been declared brain dead, especially when the woman suffers from a physical disfigurement and has never felt beautiful, and the body she’s taking is just amazingly lovely. Since Grace is gorgeous on the inside, she deserved for her outside to match.

I also liked the idea that the husband of the brain dead woman, Vanessa, hated her passionately and wanted nothing more than to see the plug pulled. It certainly added plenty of conflict, especially when his “wife” comes back to life and has a completely different temperament.

The secondary characters certainly added flavor here. Comic relief of a sort came from Mrs. Dorn and occasionally from Grace’s dearest friend, Tobias, who’s the man behind the idea for the switch. My heart absolutely broke for Lucas and Vanessa’s son, Samuel. He’s the sweetest child and when we hear why he took his mother’s picture, and the punishment he received for the theft, well … it certainly didn’t endear Vanessa to me and helped me understand why Lucas felt as he did.

The only struggle I had came when Vanessa entered the picture. I truly hated her passionately, possibly more than Lucas did. What she did and her previous behavior was unforgiveable. Clearly Grace is a much kinder person than I am, as she strove to help Vanessa get past all the things that made her the way she was. But my negative feelings for her were so strong, it was all I could do to read through those portions where she participated. And there’s a significant part near the end where it’s all Vanessa. Had I not been reading for review, I might have been tempted to put the book down. On the other hand, it’s a testament to the author’s skill that I became so involved with all the characters and felt as strongly as I did. If they hadn’t been so realistically written, I wouldn’t have cared so much.

The author has a descriptive way with words that I appreciated and the story was cleanly edited and enjoyable. I truly think most romance readers will completely enjoy Together Always, especially if you don’t feel as vehemently as I. The romance between Lucas and Grace is lovely, and watching Samuel learn to trust again was a glorious thing.

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What Echoes Render by Tamsen Schultz

July 24, 2014 By 3 Comments

Cover_What Echoes Render

What Echoes Render by Tamsen Schultz
Publisher: Booktrope
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full (361 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

There’s a killer in Windsor intent on making Jesse Baker burn for the sins of others. But arson investigator David Hathaway isn’t about to let that happen. As the past echoes through their lives, will they remember that history, like fire, can give life just as easily as it can destroy it?

Thoroughly enjoyable, What Echoes Render is a well written story with one foot solidly in both the romance and suspense camps.
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Jesse, the heroine of our story, is a great woman. She’s strong, smart, determined. She’s a great mom, but not without her flaws or without a troubled backstory. I really liked Jesse, though I wasn’t completely sold on her reasons for keeping her budding relationship with David a mystery.

David was pretty amazing, too. Much like Jesse, he’s strong (but compassionate and caring), smart, determined, loyal and a good dad. But also with a difficult past in both the personal and professional sides. He puts up with a bit of an emotional yo-yo from Jesse, but sticks it out because he sees what’s underneath her insecurity. I liked, too, how he involved her boys in much of what was going on with their relationship. As a single dad, he really understood that area.

The mystery was intriguing and had plenty of clues, both real and the red herring type. I was certainly engaged in trying to find out whodunit and why. I suspect many true mystery buffs will figure out the villain before our protagonists do, but even so, I absolutely enjoyed this part of the book. In fact, despite being very much a romantic, I chomped at the bit when the author turned away from it and turned to the community building.

What community? Well … this is a small town story, so there are plenty of secondary characters to liven things up. However, as entertaining as they were, I admit I tended to skim past the parts that weren’t directly involved in either David and Jesse’s relationship or the mystery. Maybe if I’d read the first books in the series, I would have been more engaged in those folks, since it’s clear they figured in previous stories. But since I didn’t already know them, I just wanted to get on with the story I was reading!

Even so, What Echoes Render really sold me on the author. Her skill with prose and plot is undeniable, and I’m betting this book (and the entire series) will be a hit to other romantic suspense fans.

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