The Devil's Pearl - Short Story Review

The Devil's Pearl (House of Trent #0.5) 
by Jennifer Haymore

Publication date: 07 May 2013 by Forever Yours

ISBN 10/13: 1455548006 | 9781455548002
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Category: Adult Historical Romance
Keywords: Historical, romance, second chances, revenge
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook
Source: e-ARC received from Netgalley

Synopsis:

Sir Devlin Vaughn will never forget the sweet, sensual pleasures of his beloved “Jewel.” Charmingly naive in the ways of love, she had blossomed under his guidance to become the most skilled lover a man could ever desire. And desire her he did—especially after she disappeared, leaving him alone and longing for her touch. Now, Devlin will do anything to get her back. Even kidnap her…

Julia Beaumont will never forget the man who unlocked her deepest desires and made her crave things no decent woman should. Fearing she would never be more than his mistress, she left, vowing never to see him again—until one reckless night, when a stranger in black appears from the shadows and sweeps her away to his bedroom chamber. Now, she will be his courtesan, his captive, his slave. Can she free herself from Devlin’s thrall, or will their passion be her ultimate undoing?

Review:

The Devil's Pearl is a prequel novella in the new house of Trent series by historical romance writer Jennifer Haymore. While I enjoy Haymore's writing style, this novella didn't do much for me. Neither of the main characters were particularly compelling and the kidnapping element pushed the romance into creepy and not sexy.

Devlin Vaughn is furious for Julie Beaumont. The two start a passionate affair which is cut off when Julie suddenly leaves Devlin in a very public and humiliating manner. A year has passed but Devlin hasn't forgotten Julia and he still wants his revenge. When he finds that she has returned to London, he decides to kidnap her and in the hopes of rekindling the physical passion that they once shared without the emotional attachment.

I feel like this story could have been called "Poor Communication" because that's really the root of Dev and Julia's problems. Both of them failed to communicate their feelings and fears during their brief affair, leading to pain, embarrassment and public ruination. Now I know misunderstandings are quite common in romances and that they are great catalysts for drama and emotion. However, it just didn't seem very believable to me in this case.

I blame Devlin more than Julia for their initial demise though. He was older and much more experienced. We don't learn too much about their initial romance but it sounds like he pursued Julia (not unwillingly) then met with her secretly once a week to continue their affair. He never told her he loved her or talked about the future. His excuse is that he assumed that she knew his feelings were. This seems a little naive on his part. I just can't believe that he wouldn't understand that he was treating Julia like a mistress and not someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. I don't really blame Julia for leaving while she could. Sure, she could have handled it better but Dev didn't give her much hope to begin with.

I also did not approve of Devlin's method of revenge on Julia. Kidnapping's not cool, even if you love the person. He fully planned on locking her in a room (which he actually did for a bit) and forcing her to become his courtesan. Julia didn't seem very upset about this, which also bothered me.

There were a few really tender moments between Dev and Julia and I am glad that they sorted everything out in the end. However, the elements of this story never really came together for me and I finished the story feeling pretty ambivalent about the whole thing. There is quite a long excerpt for the first full length book in the series, The Duchess Hunt, at the end of The Devil's Pear which seemed pretty interesting. I still want to give Haymore a chance but I've only read her novellas thus far. I think a full length novel will showcase her talents better.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

 

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Visit the author online at www.jenniferhaymore.com and follow her on Twitter @jenniferhaymore and Facebook.


Please note that this post contains affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here. 

Lord Of Darkness - Review

Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane #5) 
by Elizabeth Hoyt

Publication date: 26 Feb 2013 by Grand Central Publishing

ISBN 10/13: 1455508306 | 9781455508303
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Category: Adult Historical Romance
Keywords: Historical, romance, second chances, revenge
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook
Source: e-ARC received from Netgalley

Synopsis:

When Strangers In The Night

He lives in the shadows. As the mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St. Giles, Godric St. John's only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless young lady pointing a pistol at his head—and realizes she is his wife.

Become Lovers...

Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St. Giles—the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and to the man she hasn't seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognize the man behind the mask. Fierce, commanding, and dangerous, the notorious Ghost of St. Giles is everything she feared he would be—and so much more.

Desire Is The Ultimate Danger

When passion flares, these two intimate strangers can't keep from revealing more of themselves than they had ever planned. But when Margaret learns the truth—that the Ghost is her husband—the game is up and the players must surrender...to the temptation that could destroy them both.

Review:

I am pretty new to the Maiden Lane series and became a fan of Elizabeth Hoyt after reading Thief of Shadows last year. Full of mystery, adventure, and passionate romance, this has quickly become one of my favorite historical romance series. As such, I was very excited to receive an e-galley of the newest book Lord of Darkness.

Fans will recognize Megs and Godric from Thief of Shadows, where Meg's secret lover was killed - supposedly by the Ghost of St. Giles. In the wake of that tragedy, Godric marries Megs to save her from scandal. Megs has remained in the country for the past couple of years but now returns to London with two goals in mind. One, she must seduce her husband and get with child and second, she must get vengeance for her lover's death.

While I enjoyed Lord of Darkness, it didn't grab me like the other books in the series. Megs and Godric were both admirable, if somewhat stubborn characters. Both have felt love before and have felt its terrible loss. And both are determined never to betray that love by feeling it again with each other. I wanted to shake both of them at times because they kept pushing each other away. I think Godric came around quicker than Megs though and I was somewhat annoyed at her for waiting until the last possible moment to tell her she loved him.

Once they started coming around though, I really enjoyed their romance. Hoyt definitely knows how to write a steamy love scene and Megs and Godric are quite a passionate pair once they let down their guard. I also liked that this wasn't a conventional romance. It was hard watching Godric and Megs struggle with the  guilt over their new feelings. This book is about second chances and embracing life. I think Godric's wife and Megs's lover would have been happy that they found love again.

Though this wasn't my favorite Maiden Lane book, Lord of Darkness is a solid entry in the series and is an engaging and entertaining read. I enjoyed getting to know Megs and Godric and was glad that these two found their happy ending. The book can be read as a standalone though you'll probably enjoy it a bit more if you have some back story on the series. Or you can be like me and start in the middle and then go back and read everything else (because you'll want to). Lord of Darkness also includes a brief excerpt from Duke of Midnight, the next book in the Maiden Lane series. It stars Artemis Greaves and the Duke of Wakefield and sounds fantastic. I am already looking forward to it. :)

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

 

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Visit the author online at www.elizabethhoyt.com and follow her on Twitter @ElizabethHoyt


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Grave Peril - Audiobook Review

Grave Peril (The Dresden Files #3) 
by Jim Butcher, ready by James Marsters

Publication date: 01 September 2001 by Roc/audio by Buzzy Multimedia

ISBN 10/13: 0979074975 | 9780979074974
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Audible

Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Urban fantasy, warlocks, ghosts, revenge, vampires
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook, audibook
Source: Library

Synopsis:

*This review may contain spoilers for previous books in the series.*

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden has had a rough couple of weeks. As the only openly practicing professional wizard in the Chicago area, he has squared off against a multitude of supernatural bad guys. Harry has won the day against demons, poltergeists, sorcerers, trolls, vampires, werewolves, and even an evil faerie godmother. You might think nothing could spook him. You would be wrong.

Something is stirring up angry apparitions all over town. Something that can break all the laws of supernatural physics. Something that doesnt like Harry.

His closest friends are being targeted. The net is closing in. Harry must find a solution soon or find this is one Nightmare from which he will never waken.

Review:

The Dresden Files is one of those series that everyone seems to love and I feel like I should love it, too. I diligently listened to the first two books and, while I found them entertaining, they didn’t wow me. I never wanted to rush out and read the next book and I always felt like something was missing. But I kept seeing the reviews and people said that it just took a little bit of time for the series to hit its stride and then you’d be hooked. With that in mind, I decided to give the third book in The Dresden Files a chance in the hopes that it would be the book that would convince me of this series’ awesomeness.

The book starts off well enough with Harry and Michael, a new character, fighting off an angry ghost wreaking havoc in the maternity ward of the hospital. Looks like someone powerful is going around and pissing off a bunch of ghosts, causing them to act out destructively. The mastermind of these attacks is more powerful than other demon Harry has ever encountered and he has a grudge against Harry.

At this point, I am on board and it seems like this story could be pretty fun and interesting. Then a girl, Lydia, appears and Harry loses all his common sense. This is a reoccurring theme for Harry and there seems to be an endless queue of damsels in distress just waiting to take advantage of him. Then Harry gets a call that Johnnie Marcone has been attacked. Then some vampires come and threaten Harry and invite him to a ball. And then Murphy is also attacked in the same manner as Marcone. Oh and did I forget to mention that Harry’s evil fairy stepmother is after him as well?

Sounds like a lot of crazy stuff, right? Well it was too much for me. I felt like there were 3 or 4 storylines going on at once and I didn’t care about any of them. The plot just kept getting more convoluted and ridiculous. Seriously, why is everyone trying to kill Harry and how does he manage to survive? I don’t think it’s by his awesome detective skills because he missed a lot of things that were staring him right in the face. And while I normally enjoy Harry’s somewhat martyred air, he comes off as pretty whiny in this one.

The one bright spot was Michael, whom I really liked and wouldn’t mind seeing more of. I also really liked his wife Charity. She had a razor sharp tongue and wasn’t afraid to use it.

As you can see, Grave Peril was not the book to put me on the Dresden Files train. While I like most of the characters and many elements of the books, they just don’t wow me enough to continue on with the series. This last book especially was very tedious for me. Even James Marsters’s wonderful voice is not enough incentive to continue.

 

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Visit the author online at www.jim-butcher.com and his blog.

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later - Review

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal
Publication date: 29 March 2011 by St. Martin's Press
ISBN 10/13: 0312667574 | 978-0312667573

Category: Adult Contemporary Fiction
Keywords: Contemporary, revenge, romance, realistic, siblings, high school
Format: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

From goodreads:

Now with this striking new adult novel from author and creator Francine Pascal, millions of devoted fans can finally return to the idyllic Sweet Valley, home of the phenomenally successful book series and franchise. Iconic and beloved identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are back and all grown up, dealing with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal, and sisterhood.

Thuy's review:

Let me begin by staying that I didn't have very high expectations for this book. I picked it up mostly for nostalgia's sake. Like many, I was a fan of the original Sweet Valley High series. I felt like I grew up with the Wakefield sisters and, when I saw Sweet Valley Confidential at the library, I couldn't resist the chance to find out where their lives had taken them.

The books begins 10 years after high school and we find Jessica and Elizabeth estranged from each other. 8 months earlier, Jessica commits the "ultimate betrayal" and Liz is still trying to cope with it. 10 years hasn't done much for the twins. Jessica, older but not wiser, is still in Sweet Valley and is much the same, hanging out with the same high school friends, who she still doesn't like very much and who don’t seem to like her much either. She’s still shallow, though we do get to see a more vulnerable side to her than usual. The book is told from both Jess and Liz’s points of views. Jess' narrative was littered with a ridiculous amount of so's and like's and I was grating my teeth whenever it was time for one of her segments. I felt like I was listening to Clueless, but not in an ironic way. Liz has left Sweet Valley to move to NYC and is working as a journalist for a small theater publication. Unfortunately, she has changed. After the incident with Jessica, she has become bitter and resentful. She spends most of the book brooding and thinking of ways to get back at her twin. The kind, sweet Elizabeth from high school is gone and has been replaced with someone I don’t recognize.

When the situation between Liz and Jess is finally resolved, it's very anti-climactic. Most of the book is spent going over the history and details of the betrayal and Liz and Jess' feelings about it only to have the whole thing resolved in few pages. I was expecting something bigger - a fight, a scene, anything really, but the whole thing sort of fizzles. But maybe this is where Liz hasn't changed, as she always forgave her twin much too easily.

I was also extremely disappointed in the futures of the other SVH alums. Lila Fowler is still superficial and snobby and is the original frenemy. Winston Egbert has become a total jerk. Liz’s former best friend Enid is mean and unlikeable. Todd, bless him, is still as bland as he was in high school. The only saving grace is Bruce Patman who, while in high school was the poster boy for conceited jock, manages to become a decent person. I was rolling my eyes at the epilogue that included what had happened to some of the other, lesser SVH characters. It felt like Pascal didn't know these characters or her audience at all.

This book doesn't do any justice to Sweet Valley High. If you were or are a fan of the original series, I would skip this and keep your fond childhood memories intact.

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Visit the author online at www.sweetvalleytenyearslater.com and follow @SVConfidential on Twitter

Lord of the Abyss - Advance Review + GIVEAWAY

Lord of the Abyss (Royal House of Shadows #4) by Nalini Singh

Publication date: 22 November 2011 by Harlequin Nocturne
ISBN 10/13: 0373837755 | 978-0373837755

Category: Adult Paranormal Romance
Keywords: Parnormal, romance, revenge, magic
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook

From goodreads:

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…

As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

Thuy’s review:

Lord of the Abyss is the fourth book and conclusion to the Royal House of Shadows series. This is the story of Micah, the youngest Elden prince, who has no memory of his life before becoming the Lord of the Abyss. Liliana, the daughter of the Blood Sorcerer, endeavors to find him and bring back his memory before time runs out and Elden is lost forever.

This is the book I had been waiting for - the whole reason I started the Royal Book of Shadows series. I admit that I had high expectations for this book and Nalini Singh did not disappoint. I loved, loved, loved the story of Micah and Liliana. Lord of the Abyss is a take on Beauty and the Beast but, in this case, it’s Liliana who is the Beast to Micah’s Beauty, at least on the surface. Born with a hooked nose, straw-like hair and a limping gait, Liliana is no beautiful maiden. Micah, on the other hand, looks like the prince he is. But though she is not beautiful on the outside, Liliana shines with beauty from within. It is her pure and good heart, her generous nature and intelligence that are able to capture Micah’s interest and tame the wildness in him.

Micah and Liliana are such rich and unique characters. Romance novels are often rife with cliches but this was delightfully not so with these characters. Neither has had an easy life. Liliana has been the target of the Blood Sorcerer’s cruel games and punishments since she was a child. But instead of becoming dark and twisted like him, she’s developed an inner strength that would rival that of any warrior. Lilian is willing to risk everything to right the evil that her father has committed. People make cruel jokes about her looks and whisper behind her back. It hurts but Liliana knows that outer beauty does not equal inner beauty. She is kind to all of the creatures and people of the castle, and isn’t afraid to stand up to Micah’s autocratic ways. And Micah, oh Micah. Big and handsome and covered in armor, a shield for both his body and his heart. He never had a chance to be a child, the spell his parents cast flinging him to the bowels of the Black Castle, in a sleep state until he was old enough to take over as Guardian of the Abyss. All he has ever known is the castle and his grim role of Guardian. Used to getting his way, Micah is demanding and sometimes a little spoiled. But he is also very generous and fair. Naive about the ways of the world outside of the castle Micah has an air of innocence about him. Neither Liliana nor Micah has ever had any real friends and both lead a lonely existence. An unlikely pair of kindred spirits, they are able to see something good and beautiful in the other that no one else does.

The halls and grounds of the Black Castle really come alive in this book. Singh has created a vivid world in which to set Liliana and Micah’s love story. All of the books have been different in their setting and Singh did a great job of creating the unique and believable world of the Black Castle. From the dark stairways and dungeons to Jissa and Bard - all of these elements came together to form a new and interesting world. For the final journey to Elden, Singh conjured up a whole host of dangerous creatures for Liliana and Micah to battle. Some are scarier in looks than personality but all of them are strange and different and add to the rich landscape.

The only slight, very slight, criticism that I have for the book is that the ending seemed a little rushed. Because all of the books had been leading up to this battle with the Blood Sorcerer, I was expecting an all out epic fight. What happens is still satisfying but isn’t as grand as I was expecting. I also thought that the siblings would play a larger part in the battle. It ends up being Micah’s fight though they all lend their powers to defeat the Blood Sorcerer. This is a very minor complaint, as the ending is still awesome and everything wraps up nicely. This is easily my favorite book of the series and I still sigh a small sigh when I think about Micah and Liliana.

Lord of the Abyss is a great book and fitting end to the tale of the royal heirs of Elden. It’s a unconventional fairy tale that is sweet and passionate and utterly captivating. It’s a story that makes me believe in happy endings and I know that I will be coming back to it again and again.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book. 

GIVEAWAY

Because I love this book and want to share the love, I am going to give away a copy to one lucky winner. I will even spring for the fancy version that includes a copy of Desert Warrior. 

CONTEST RULES:

1. Please do not enter any personal information in the comments section - the Rafflecopter widget collects that, so don't forget to fill it out!
2. The contest runs from November 8 to November 22, 2011 (the book's release date)
3. You must be 18 or older to participate in this contest.
4. If you are selected as a winner, I will notify you by e-mail. If you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.
5. This contest is open INTERNATIONALLY, as long as book depository will ship this book to your country, so please check. 

6. MANDATORY ENTRY: Comment on this post--what's your favorite fairy tale and why?

All the other entries are optional. The winner will be chosen on Nov. 22. Good luck!

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Visit the author online at www.nalinisingh.com and follow @NaliniSingh on Twitter

Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Anderson - Review

Lord of the Wolfyn (Royal Book of Shadows #3) by Jessica Andersen
Publication date: 18 October 2011 by Harlequin Nocturne
ISBN 10/13: 0373618700 | 9780373618705

Category: Adult Paranormal Romance
Keywords: Paranormal, romance, vampires, weres, revenge
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook (e-ARC received from Netgalley for review)

Thuy's synopsis:

Lord of the Wolfyn is the third book in the Royal Book of Shadows series and continues with the sage of the heirs of the royal family of Elden and their quest to find vengeance for their family and save their kingdom from the evil Blood sorcerer. Dayn, the second prince of Elden, finds himself in the Wolfyn realm after he’s cast from his home by his parents’ warped deathbed spell. The Woflyn realm is a realm with both magic and technology, with features of both the human realm and the kingdom realm. There, Dayn learns to live with the wolfyn (werewolves to us humans) and wait for the guide that his father said would lead him back to Elden to defeat the Blood Sorcerer.

Meanwhile, former cop Reda is recovering from a robbery that left her partner dead. With shattered self confidence, Reda is trying to put together the pieces of her life when she is drawn to a fairy tale book from her childhood that was lost a long time ago. The book brings her face to face with her greatest fear as well as her greatest desire. Chanting an old spell, Reda is transported to the wolfyn realm and to Dayn, the woodsman from her book. Now Reda must find the strength to accept her fate and lead Dayn back to Elden to reclaim his birthright.

Thuy's review:


Lord of the Wolfyn is another fun installment in the Royal Book of Shadows series. While this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, I enjoyed Jessica Anderson’s writing and had a hard time putting it down.  Like the other books in the series, Lord of the Wolfyn is a retelling of a classic fairy tale. This one is based on Red Riding Hood and is probably the most literal, as the fairy tale book actually plays in role in the plot.  The book is what draws Reda into the wolfyn realm and foretells her journey with Dayn.

Dayn is probably the least alpha of the males we’ve seen so far in this series. That’s not a bad thing - it’s actually kind of refreshing. There’s a lot of chest beating in romance novels and it is nice to have a hero who doesn’t say “mine” all the time and proclaim eternal love after five minutes (not that there’s anything wrong with that). After the trauma of her partner’s death, Reda has become very withdrawn and unsure of herself. Dayn is very careful of her feelings and tries to protect her.  However, he’s torn between his obligation to his family and his feelings for Reda. This leads him to do a lot of back and forth with pushing her away for her own good and the good of his mission but also clinging to her because he loves her. It gets a little frustrating because he can’t seem to make up his mind.

Unfortunately I didn’t care much for Reda. She seems to be very emotionally unstable at the beginning of the book. I do feel for her.  She blames herself for her partner’s death and hasn’t been able to forgive herself. When she meets Dayn, she convinces herself that she’s in a dream and goes along with it trying to wake herself up. Once she figures out it’s not a dream she has to deal this weird fixation and fear she has of being brainwashed. She’s very wary of the wolfyn because, in her book, they are portrayed as being able to enthrall women to do their sexual bidding.  When she finds out that Dayn can become one of them, she freaks out and accuses him of entrancing her.  She second guesses her own feelings and assumes the worst about every situation.  She does eventually herself together becomes a pretty badass warrior, but it takes her awhile to get there.

I thought the back story about Reda’s mother was really interesting but, unfortunately, the story doesn’t delve too far into what happened to her. I am not sure if we’ll come back to it but I hope we do. Since this is the last book before the end of the series, there’s a lot of buildup in this one and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. The time difference is as confusing as ever and I have no idea where Dayn’s timeline is in comparison to his siblings. Perhaps I should make a chart.  

This is my first Jessica Anderson book and I liked her writing style. The story was fast paced and flowed nicely. And even though I didn’t fall in love with the characters I was thoroughly sucked into the story. This has been a fun series so far just because it’s introduced me to several new authors.  The next book is the one I’ve been waiting for, though, because I love Nalini Singh.  I am excited to see how this series wraps up!
 

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book. 

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Visit the author online at www.jessicaandersen.com or visit the website for Royal House of Shadows here. 

Lord of Rage - Review

Lord of Rage (Royal House of Shadows #2) by Jill Monroe

Publication date: 20 September 2011 by Harlequin Nocturne
ISBN 10/13: 0373618689 | 9780373618682

Category: Adult Paranormal Romance
Keywords:Paranormal, romance, shifters, revenge
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook
Source: e-ARC received from Netgalley for review)

Thuy's synopsis:

Lord of Rage is the second book in the Royal Book of Shadows series and is the story of Princess Breena, only daughter of the royal family of Elden. Like her brother Nicolai in Lord of the Vampires, Breena is flung from her home when, in an attempt to save her life, her dying parents cast two spells on her and her siblings - one to survive and one to seek vengeance on The Blood Sorcerer. The spells cause Breena to be whisked away during her attempt to escape the castle and she finds herself in unknown woods, with a patchy recollection of who she is and what she is doing there. She’s also without her magical powers, which were always weak at best. Unlike her mother, who can speak to people in her dreams, Breena’s only ever been able to find one person in her dreams - a dark and dangerous warrior who knows her body like no one else. Starving and exhausted, Breena stumbles upon a small cabin in the woods after wandering the woods for several days. She breaks in and steals some food before she collapses into one of the beds in the house.

Osborn is one of the last of his people. An Ursan warrior, he has secluded himself with his two younger brothers in the small cabin at the edge of town. His people were wiped out 10 years ago by a group of vicious vampires in the colors of the Elden guard. He’s sworn revenge against Elden and has become a mercenary in order to survive and support his family. When he finds Breena in his bed, he is furious until he realizes that the woman from his dreams is real and is in his home. Breena pleads with Osborn to help her avenge her family as she tries to piece together what’s happened to them and fights her attraction to the gruff warrior.

Thuy's review:

I didn’t love the first book in this series, Lord of the Vampires (see review here), and went into this one cautiously. I am glad I did, though, because I really enjoyed Lord of Rage.

Breena’s your typical princess - bred to be a political asset and a good wife, she has been sheltered and is somewhat naive about the ways of the world. She is a stark contrast to Osborn, a fighter who is adept at surviving any way he has to. Breena’s no wilting flower, though. She has a rebellious spirit and strong will. She isn’t afraid to stand up to Osborn or seek the vengeance she feels her family deserves. Osborn definitely has a dark side to him. Being one of the last members of his race, he’s very isolated. He is also consumed with guilt still seeks revenge. He comes off as rude and moody at times but it’s tempered with humor and tenderness. His feelings for Breena confuse him and he doesn’t handle it very well at first. I love antagonist romantic relationships, though, so I enjoyed the verbal (and physical) sparring between Breena and Osborn. There’s plenty of sexual tension between the two. When they finally succumb to their feelings, watch out! Their love scenes are HOT and also surprisingly sweet.

I also loved the mythology that Monroe created around Osborn and his people. I am not sure how much of it, if any, is grounded in any real mythology but I found myself captivated by it. The spiritual connection that Osborn feels towards the bear is profound and quite beautiful. Even though the ritual and its accompanying power are violent, there is also a great respect for the spirit of the animal and a sense of partnership vs dominance.

A fun twist on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Lord of Rage is an entertaining read and a solid installment to the series. This is my first Jill Monroe book and I enjoyed her writing very much. All of the characters were well developed and the story furthered the overall plot with the siblings and The Blood Sorcerer. I am still a little confused about the timeline of this book - where Nicolai’s story comes and if Brenna jumped time at all. Also unsure about the importance of the magical timepieces that each of the siblings have but hopefully this will all be explained soon. Overall I had a lot of fun reading this book am looking forward to reading the next one.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

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Visit the author online at www.jillmonroe.com and follow @JillMonroe on Twitter

Lord of the Vampires - Review

It's October and officially fall, my favorite season and one of my favorite months. Halloween is right around the corner and I've already stocked up on my fun size candy. There will be lots of book reviews featuring vampires, werewolves, ghosts and other creatures of the night. To kick it off, I have a review of Gena Showalter's Lord of the Vampires. Happy haunting!

Lord of the Vampires (Royal House of Shadows #1) 

by Gena Showalter

Publication date: 23 August 2011 Harlequin

ISBN 10/13: 0373618662 | 9780373618668

Category: Adult Paranormal Romance
Keywords: Paranormal, vampires, romance, revenge
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook, audiobook 

Source: e-ARC received from Netgalley

From goodreads:

Once upon a time...the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with a need for vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs...and time is running out.

Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate "The Dark Seducer" has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina - stripped of his precious timepiece and memory. all that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge - and the only woman who can help him.

When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey. She's dawn to his dark sensuality and into his magical realm. But for this human, all is not a fairy tale. For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she's ever craved...

Thuy's review: 

Lord of the Vampires is the first book in the new Royal House of Shadows series which will be written by 4 different authors. I'd heard great things about Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series and was excited when I found this book on Netgalley.

The king and queen of Elden are slain by the Blood Sorcerer in a bid for power. But before dying, they each cast a spell on their four children to help them survive. One spell got them to safety and the other instilled in them the need for vengeance. The first book is about Nicolai, crown prince of Elden. Nicolai takes after his father's side of the family and is a blood drinker. He is also a notorious lover, bedding a different woman each night. In a cruel twist of fate, Nicolai finds himself as a sex slave to the cruel princess Odette. Having lost his memory, all he knows is that he has to escape and seek vengeance on the current king of Elden. To accomplish this he secretly casts a spell to bring back a human female, Jane, from another world to help him.

Let's start with the good things about this book. The premise is interesting and original. Jane and Nicolai have great sexual chemistry. There's plenty of fighting and action, in full bloody detail.

Now for the bad. Unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me. I never felt a true emotional connection between the characters and, therefore, was never able to invest in their relationship. Nicolai's plan is to use Jane to escape and then ditch her but he does an about face shortly after Jane appears. Suddenly all he can think is "Mine" and is willing to risk everything for her. Jane, likewise, is ready to risk her life for a man who kidnaps her and plans to leave her high and dry. She's even ready to kill for him, offering to accompany him on his quest to murder the Blood Sorcerer. Though they get to know each other a little more as the story goes on, I still found myself puzzled over why they were drawn to each other.

I wanted to like Nicolai. I really did. Normally I love the dominant alpha male types. Unfortunately I didn't find him very charismatic or memorable. Jane was interesting though not particularly compelling. She accepts her predicament way too easily, even for a scholar of fringe science. Her guilt over surviving a horrible car accident is an interesting facet but it's never fully explored. And, while I admire her survival instincts, I find it hard to believe that she can make a hut from leaves, fashion tools from rocks and fell ogres after six months of self defense classes.

The dialogue also felt off in this one. Nicolai often spoke in short, caveman-like sentences peppered with modern words and phrases. And don't get me started on the ogres. Their comical and cliche one word statements actually made me laugh while reading.

The plot was also hard to follow at times. With the various spells, memory wipes and time/world travel, I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on. And Nicolai's ultimate mission was never resolved. I am guessing it's going to continue on into the next book?

Despite the problems I had with this book, I am going to stick with the series. I am interested in the fates of the other siblings and in seeing what the other writers can do with these characters.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

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Visit the author online at www.genashowalter.com/ and follow @genashowalter on Twitter

The Taming of the Rake - Review

The Taming of the Rake (Blackthorn Brothers #) by Kasey Michaels 

Publication date: 26 July 2011 by Harlequin

ISBN 10/13: 0373775911 | 9780373775910

Category: Adult Historical Romance
Keywords: Historical, romance, revenge
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook

Source: e-ARC received from Netgalley for review

From goodreads:

Meet the Blackthorn brothers - Three unrepentant scoundrels infamous for being mad, bad and perilous to love.

Charming, wealthy and wickedly handsome, Oliver "Beau" Blackthorn has it all…except revenge on the enemy he can't forget. Now the opportunity for retribution has fallen into his hands. But his success hinges on Lady Chelsea Mills–Beckman—the one woman with the power to distract him from his quest.

Desperate to escape her family's control, Lady Chelsea seizes the chance to run off with the notorious eldest Blackthorn brother, knowing she's only a pawn in his game. But as Beau draws her deep into a world of intrigue, danger and explosive passion, does she dare hope he'll choose love over vengeance?

Thuy's review:

The Taming of the Rake is first in a series about the three Blackthorn brothers. The oldest son of a marquess and an actress, Beau's parents never married, leaving their sons with the unenviable title of bastard. After a marriage proposal goes sour, Beau leaves England to make his fortune. He returns years later wealthy and successful with a plan to get back at the man who humiliated him years before.  As the younger sister of the woman whom Beau's attentions were the focus of all those years ago, Lady Chelsea was there the night that Beau left England after her brother Thomas shows him exactly what he thinks about a bastard asking for his sister's hand.  Years later, Thomas is set to marry Chelsea off to the detestable Reverend Francis Flotley. To avoid her fate, she goes to Beau with a plan that will satisfy both of their desires. By marrying her, Chelsea can escape her family and Beau will have his revenge.

There wasn't anything particularly bad about this book but neither does it stand out. It was a quick read, and the characters are ok. It was an interesting twist that all the brothers are bastards but that it was a choice by their parents not to get married and make them such. They were educated and brought up well but in a very unconventional household. Beau is smart and charming but I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed in him. Given the title of the book, I was expecting more rakish behavior. He is, however, is quite the gentleman. He accepts Chelsea's proposal when he doesn't really need to and tries to keep her reputation in tact as they head to the altar. His brother Puck is one of the highlights of the book. He is hilarious and provides some levity to the proceedings. Jack, the middle brother, also makes an appearance, though he is a bit of a mystery.

Unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of Chelsea. As a child, Chelsea shows signs of being intelligent and kind.  Fast forward a few years and that child is gone, replaced by a young women who, though clever, is immature and selfish. She comes up with the crazy scheme of running away with Beau because she wants to escape a bad marriage. While I don't blame her for not wanting to go through with the marriage, it is obvious that doesn't really think about the consequences of her plan. She shows up at Beau's house and forces him into a corner with her proposal. Though he does get revenge on Thomas, he also has to enter into a marriage that he wasn't prepared for with a woman he barely knows. There is also the possibility of a fight or duel happening if Thomas catches up to them. But Chelsea doesn't think about any of this when she runs off to Beau's house in the middle of the night. By the end of the book, she does become a bit more bearable, but not by much.

In the end I think the main problem with the story is that I didn't feel any real connection between Beau and Chelsea.  Besides their shared past, they don't have much in common. Chelsea is childish and bossy most of the time and her feelings towards Beau feel more akin to a girlish crush than true love. As for Beau, I can't figure out why he would fall in love with Chelsea.

Though I am interested in the other two Blackthorn brothers, I probably won't be continuing on with this series.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

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Visit the author online at www.kaseymichaels.com