Archive for Paranormal Romance
Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade
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Title: Seduced by Shadows
Author: Jessa Slade
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Pages: 400
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade is a unique new take on the paranormal urban fantasy and it had me entranced after the first chapter. Sera Littlejohn is an isolated survivor, having come out of a horrendous car wreck with a severe limp and a crippled spirit. When she meets a mysterious stranger who accosts her on the street, and he knows her name, Sera doesn’t realize that her life is about to be changed forever because she is going to be introduced to a world that she cannot believe truly exists – and given a revitalized body to boot.
Archer is a demon-possessed fighter who battles daily to keep his humanity alive and whose mission it is to keep the evil demons of the other worlds at bay. He is drawn to Sera, knowing that she is next on the list for possession by an emerging demon, and that she will be the first demon-possessed female to fight alongside his men in their demon-fighting entourage. An undeniable attraction develops between Sera and Archer but they both fight it, especially since Sera finds the whole concept of a group of demon-possessed fighters saving humanity just too hard to believe, let alone trust.
I loved this story.
Jessa Slade makes Archer ultra-tough yet vulnerable. Sera is damaged both physically and emotionally, yet Archer is able to complete her by allowing her to gradually awaken and find her true calling in life. While reading the book I could totally connect with the characters because the author seamlessly takes you from the normal, everyday world into a strange, unknown place that runs parallel to our reality. It’s a place where an unusual religious order is fighting to keep humanity safe while also fighting to maintain and control the demons inside themselves.
If you like urban fantasy (and you know you do) pick up Seduced by Shadows. I just found out that the sequel Forged of Shadows is now available. Sweet!
Evermore by Alyson Noel
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Title: Evermore
Author: Alyson Noel
Release Date: February 3, 2009
Pages: 320
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Sample Book Passage: “I nod, refusing to look any further than his sleek, black motorcycle boots. The kind that are more GQ than Hell’s Angels. The kind that look very out of place among the rows of multi-colored flip flops that are currently gracing the green-carpeted floor.”
A sixteen year old high school girl who can read the thoughts of others – sounds like a gift, right? Well, not really for Ever Bloom, a young girl who had a near-death experience and she now knows people’s thoughts, learning all of their life story simply through touch. Why is that a bad thing? Well, in Evermore, by Alyson Noel, knowing people’s innermost thoughts is not nearly as entertaining as one would think – people hide a lot of disturbing information from others while maintaining a ‘respectable’ façade.
Hiding behind her iPod and a hoodie, afraid to touch anyone, Ever does whatever she can to block out the psychic energy flowing around her. When a gorgeous new kid, Damen Auguste, shows up in school, every girl wants to be with him – except Ever. Keeping to herself, she avoids looking at him until she finally can’t avoid eye contact any longer and what she sees shocks her – he has no aura and she can’t hear his thoughts. What’s going on? How can this walking, talking hunk have no aura . . . is he dead?
Ever avoids Damen but she can’t run from him, he tracks her down. Hooking up with him at a party, Ever is sure her life is about to change. But, the next week, Damen neither calls nor texts – he’s a grope-and-run. And when she sees him giving a white rose to her top tormentor in class, she can only think that he must be playing some kind of sadistic game – jerk! But, there’s a whole lot more to this story than meets the eye and Ever is in for a wild ride as she finds out just what Damen is and what’s in store for her future.
Evermore is available in paperback, Kindle format and audio format.
Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker
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Title: Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker
Author: Syrie James
Release Date: July 20, 2010
Pages: 480 pages
Genre: Vampire Romance
Best Book Quote: “I will never forget the magic of being held in his embrace, the compelling magnetism of his eyes as he gazed at me, or how it felt to whirl about the dance floor in his arms. I still shiver with delight when I recall the dizzying sensation of traveling with him at the speed of light, and the way his slightest touch could make me gasp with unimaginable pleasure and desire.”
What is it about vampires that women love so much? If you had asked me what I thought about vampires when I was a teenager, I wouldn’t have had much to say. By then I’d read the original Dracula and I certainly didn’t end the book wishing a vampire would rescue me from my boring life.
I recently read “Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker” by Syrie James. When I decided to read it, I half-heartedly thought back to my boring experience reading the original Dracula novel.
My experience with this book was COMPLETELY different.
As with the original Bram Stoker novel, this story introduces us to Jonathan Harker, a solicitor that’s been sent to Transylvania to finish a real estate transaction with the wealthy and mysterious Count Dracula. The horrors that befall Jonathan during his stay at Dracula’s castle drive him temporarily insane and leave his fiancée Mina back home fretting about what may have happened to him. Meanwhile, Dracula learns of beautiful Mina through Jonathan and decides to travel to England to court her. He successfully uses his charm and his special powers of persuasion on her and she does indeed fall for him.
If you’ll remember, in the original novel Dracula was evil and not the kind of character you would want to spend the rest of your days with. In Syrie James’ version, the story is written from the point of view of Mina. The author skillfully constructs a story that lets us understand why Mina fell so hard for Dracula. We enter Mina’s psyche and fully understand her wants, her fears and her desires. We likewise develop an understanding of Dracula’s motivations. This insight explains why a human woman and a “monster” would literally ache to be with one another.
Dracula, My Love made me feel the way I did when I first watched the Frank Langella Dracula movie from 1979 and the Gary Oldman Dracula film from 1992: exhilarated, enthralled and completely mesmerized. Reading the classic story from a woman’s perspective adds an element of sensitivity to the tale that greatly enriched my reading experience.
Vampire book lovers will absolutely love this book. If you read it I think you’ll agree that Syrie James’ retelling of the story is brilliantly executed and deserves to be added to your “to be read again” shelf of books.
Chick With a Charm by Vicki Lewis Thompson
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Title: Chick With a Charm
Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Pages: 336
Genre: Fantasy Romance
If you’re familiar with books by Vicki Lewis Thompson, then you are going to be excited by her latest book, Chick with a Charm. If you haven’t read her before, then you have a whole new author to begin enjoying. With a series name like Babes On Brooms, you know you are in for a great ride. Witches and gorgeous men are just the beginning of the story in Chick with a Charm.
Lily Revere is a witch who does not like to wait for what she wants and who has no compunction using a little magic to make things go her way. Lily has her eye on a hot lawyer, Griffin Taylor, but for some reason he doesn’t seem to notice her interest. She has her sister’s wedding coming up and needs a date. So, what’s a good witch supposed to do?
She decides to give Griffin a little “push” in the right direction.
With the help of Lily’s extremely intelligent dog and a potion of adoration, Griffin not only gets a little nudge in the right direction, he gets bulldozed – he literally cannot get enough of Lily. Ever heard of too much a good thing? Well, Lily is just beginning to understand this particular problem when love knocks at her door and she realizes that small changes can lead to big consequences.
This titillating supernatural romance will leave you breathless and very glad no one else is in the room while you’re reading it. The sexual chemistry between Griffin and Lily starts on page one and never lets up. Vicki Lewis Thompson has one heck of an imagination, especially in the bedroom. While reading the book I kept thinking – how can they keep doing that? Have I ever done that? Hmmn, maybe I should try that . . .c
One thing is for sure, after reading this provocative and captivating novel, sleeping will be the last thing on your mind.
I’m off to find my hubby . .
The Last Princess and the Cup of Immortality by D. R. Whitney
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Title: The Last Princess and the Cup of Immortality
Author: D. R. Whitney
Release Date: November 1, 2009
Pages: 374 pages
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Best Book Quote: “Vivienne drifted above the desperate scene until the warmth of strong arms embraced her. The handsomest young man she had ever seen with black hair and the most penetrating golden eyes, was comforting her as he held her in the fine wool of his purple cloak.”
Imagine a girl who dreams of a handsome boy with golden eyes. In the dreams, he is madly in love with her and shows her places so beautiful she cannot believe they are real. But real they are and with this, you have the makings of a great new teen fantasy series, The Last Princess and the Cup of Immortality by D. R. Whitney. This is the story of Vivienne Le Faye, a normal American 16-year old girl who lives in a boarding school in Manhattan. Her grandmother has recently died, leaving her an orphan. She inherits a family heirloom, a beautiful ruby necklace, and immediately begins to have vivid dreams of a golden eyed boy who professes his eternal love for her. The hardest part for her to believe is that the dreams are also telling that her she is the Lady of the Lake, the last princess of an alternate world.
This alternate world is filled with magic and mystery but absolutely no technology. Her dreams tell her that evil people are coming for her and Vivienne is determined to find out what the heck is really going on – it seems her dreams are saying that if she does find her way back to the fantasy world then both her world and theirs are going to end. What is a sixteen year old girl to do with all that responsibility? The only thing she knows for sure is that the golden eyed boy is there for her and she must find him.
D.R. Whitney has crafted a wonderful fantasy world where any adult or teenager can lose themselves in magic and wonder. It is a wide-ranging story filled with mystery, eternal love, and the fulfillment of a destiny that has waited thousands of years to reach culmination. This is a tremendous treat for any fantasy lover and I am especially pleased by the author’s ability to draw the reader into her spell and keep us wanting more.
New Paranormal Romance Book-Strange Neighbors
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Title: Strange Neighbors
Author: Ashlyn Chase
Release Date: June 1, 2010
Pages: 384
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Best Line From Book: “What a minute, are you telling me that because you couldn’t hail a cab you had yourself turned into a vampire?”
Ashlyn Chase has written the quintessential supernatural romance with her new novel Strange Neighbors.
Merry Mckenzie, a nurse, rents an apartment in Boston from the hottest baseball pitcher to hit the circuit in recent years. As you can imagine, she’s not complaining. Especially since she was hoping that a move to Boston, away from her loving but overprotective father, would put her in the path of some really hot guys. You see the small town she grew up in did NOT have what she needed and she realizes just how lucky she is when her landlord, Jason Falco, turns out to be one of the hunkiest guys she’s ever met.
As far as Merry is concerned, everything is working out great; she loves her new apartment and her social life is improving. She starts settling in to a nice, normal way of life.
But of course, things aren’t normal AT ALL.
First, there’s a chance that her apartment might be haunted. Then, there are the odd characters in the apartment building:
-witches who run a phone sex business
-a vampire in the basement
-a shape shifter. Or two.Taken together you have the makings of a playful, hilarious story.
I enjoyed reading about Merry’s antics and was inspired by her general outlook and openness. And although the book contains several supernatural characters I love Ashlyn Chase’s approach for embracing this segment of society; she makes “life amongst the monsters” entertaining without wasting too much time on the mythology associated with the paranormal characters in the book. She keeps it light and moves the story along at a good pace.
I hope Ashlyn Chase continues writing supernatural stories of this nature because I really enjoyed laughing at (and along with) the quirky characters in the book. Job well done!
Strange Neighbors is available in paperback and Kindle formats.
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There’s Good vs. Sexy Evil in Masked by Moonlight
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Do you like books that have a strong woman battling wits with a sexy bad-boy villain? If so, tighten your belt because you’re in for an exhilarating ride because Masked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon fits the bill!
Meet New Orleans detective Charlotte Caissie who is doggedly pursuing an underworld crime boss implicated in lots of murders – including her father’s. Each time she visits the evil crime lord, Jimmy Legere, Charlotte is confronted by his bodyguard, Max Savoie, and his constant sexy, but a bit belittling, regard for her. Although Max is always polite to him and tolerant when he comes on to her, she senses something deep inside him that’s always teetering on the edge and about to lose control. Even worse she can’t understand why she’d drawn to him – a man that’s the hired killer for a New Orleans crime lord.
As Charlotte and Max dance around their attraction to each other, they’re inevitably pulled together when he saves her from a vicious attempt on her life. And that’s when she starts to suspect that there’s something not quite right about Mr. Max Savoie. Her attackers are savagely killed– how could a mere man do that?
Nancy Gideon gives us two very strong characters that constantly fight to maintain their independence – a characteristic that pulled me further into their story. One the one hand there’s Charlotte who has a sad and ugly history to overcome, something that causes her to carry baggage into every relationship. Then there’s Max who was adopted at an early age by a crook and knows nothing about life except what exists in the criminal world.
Until he meets Charlotte.
Kudos to the author for giving us a new spin on the good vs. evil tale. Her rendition of how a cop and a villain fight their attraction and the inherent obstacles around them kept me glued to every page. If you like strong women and hot men overcoming complicated life situations then you’ll love Masked by Moonlight.
