Review: Dark Curse by Christine Feehan

Full confession time:  I have always been a big fan of Christine Feehan’s Carpathian series, so when I saw there was a chance to review “Dark Curse”, I shamelessly begged for the opportunity to read it.  I even squealed when I got it in the mail.  So why, after all that, did I then let the book sit neglected almost a month?  The simple answer is that with all the stuff going on in my life (work, school, family obligations, etc.), I wanted to be able to have some dedicated time to relax and savor the book.  To make a long story short, I had some pretty high expectations before I opened the first page.  And despite those lofty expectations, this book delivered on every single one of them. The story is a great installment in the Carpathian saga, and like all the Carpathian books, features an extra-hot, extra-alpha hero with a feisty and independent heroine.  With a combination like that, sparks are going to fly!

Review: Hex Appeal by Linda Wisdom

Shoes that bill and coo, and Monty Python’s rabid bunny slippers come to life! “Hex Appeal” by Linda Wisdom is a laugh out loud paranormal romance. With zany secondary characters and a Starbucks addicted witch in love with a smoldering, sexy vampire, this series has something for everyone. In “50 Ways to Hex Your Lover”, Jazz and Nick reunited to finally defeat a returned enemy. Now in “Hex Appeal” they’ll need to trust each other more than ever before to best whatever force is trying to either break them up or kill them.

Review: Dark Highland Fire by Kendra Leigh Castle

Goddesses, dragons, werewolves, prophecies, magic…this series has all those things that make my heart go pitty-pat. “Dark Highland Fire” is the second book in Kendra Leigh Castle’s exciting tale of an alternate world where the balance has gone horribly wrong, and its connection to Earth. I read and loved her first book, “Call of the Highland Moon” which introduced a world just like ours where paranormal creatures run amok. Although it’s not necessary to read the first book to enjoy this story, I’m glad I did. This second book continues and expands Castle’s vision of both worlds which are exciting places I really enjoy visiting.

Review: The Bride of Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta

Sometimes, for whatever reason, the main character in a book just doesn’t do it for me.  Coming up with believable characters is one of the more difficult parts of writing.  So while I loved the plot of “The Bride of Casa Dracula” by Marta Acosta, I especially loved to see the character of Milagro De Los Santos. She just has that “spark” of life that so many characters seem to lack. Milagro is a writer with a wickedly funny sense of humor.  She’s engaged to Oswald (Oz) Grant, a handsome plastic surgeon who happens to have a genetic disorder that causes him to crave blood and avoid sunlight.  Unfortunately, the Vampire Council is not too pleased with Milagro and Oz’s engagement, and impose all sorts of stringent rules for Milagro to follow before they get married.  It’s clear that planning a wedding – supernatural or not – is stressful for anyone!

Review: Accidentally Dead by Dakota Cassidy

I love paranormal romance novels, especially ones with vampires. But with so many great vampire romances out there, I wondered if it was possible to still write an original story. Well, “Accidentally Dead “by Dakota Cassidy is a fresh take on the vampire romance that results in a wonderfully fun read.

Review: Let the Night Begin by Kathryn Smith

“Let the Night Begin” is the fourth book in Kathryn Smith’s ‘Brotherhood of the Blood’ series from Avon books. This series tells the stories of a group of soldiers who found ‘Lilith’s cup’ in a Templar treasure room, drank from it, and became vampires. Now they are hunted by a mysterious organization called ‘the Silver Palm’. Apparently, the Silver Palm wants their power and they have kidnapped one of the soldiers in an effort to draw out the others. Each soldier’s story is told in a different book and in “Let the Night Begin,” we have the story of Reign.

Review: First Blood by Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green, and Meljean Brook

I’ve said before that I’m a fan of anthologies, especially when the anthology has a stellar lineup of authors. “First Blood” includes stories from four paranormal authors whose series’ are pretty well established and have a large fan base. The book will be a big-seller for those reasons and that’s not a bad thing at all as I enjoyed each story in this anthology for different reasons!

Review: Wages of Sin by Jenna Maclaine

It always gives me a thrill to discover a book by a new author…especially if after I finish their book I want to read MORE. Happily, this was the case with “Wages of Sin” by Jenna Maclaine. The author managed to strike just the right chord to create a fascinating historical tale of magic, vampires, and demons (oh my!) without leaving me feeling like I’d read it all before! I can hardly wait to see where she goes from here and I certainly plan to be taking that journey with her new characters.

Review: 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom

If you ‘get’ the play on words in this title, you are definitely dating yourself. I still know all the words to the song “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” by hitmaster Paul Simon back in the 70s! So, when I saw the title “50 Ways to Hex Your Lover,” I just couldn’t resist. I was expecting a romance with a good dose of humor and that’s exactly what I got. This was my first read by Linda Wisdom, but it certainly won’t be my last.