Lisa Shearin - Magic Lost, Trouble Found

Title : Magi Lost Trouble Found
Series : Raine Benares # 1
Release date : May 27, 2007
Publisher : Ace Publisher
Genre : Fantasy / Urban Fantasy

My name is Raine Benares. I’m a seeker. The people who hire me are usually happy when I find things. But some things are better left unfound…

Raine is a sorceress of moderate powers, from an extended family of smugglers and thieves. With a mix of street smarts and magic spells, she can usually take care of herself. But when her friend Quentin, a not-quite-reformed thief, steals an amulet from the home of a powerful necromancer, Raine finds herself wrapped up in more trouble than she cares for. She likes attention as much as the next girl, but having an army of militant goblins hunting her down is not her idea of a good time. The amulet they’re after holds limitless power, derived from an ancient, soul-stealing stone. And when Raine takes possession of the item, it takes possession of her.

Now her moderate powers are increasing beyond anything she could imagine—but is the resumé enhancement worth her soul?

Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin is the first novel in her Raine Benares Series, and I have to say this book was very interesting; so interesting that I think I have another addiction on my hands. A friend of mine suggested that I should give this new author a try and see if it was something for me, well I have to say it was definitely a great surprise.

Raine Benares is an elf and a seeker; she can find any object or people by using her powers. The family on her mother’s side are well known as smugglers, but she doesn’t know a lot about her father’s side.

Raine’s friend Quentin steals something that will get him in trouble and he convinces Raine to hold onto the stolen necklace until they can figure out what it does and means. Raine knows she is in trouble when she cannot remove the necklace and every powerful citizen is after her to claim that necklace.

Besides Raine, who I really love; this book is full of other interesting characters. Raine’s cousin Phaelan is fabulous and he put some smiles on my face with his comments and humour. Mychael Eiliesor is the head of the Elven Guard and is after Raine to collect the necklace and hide it from all evil. Piaras is a real sweetheart, his talents are tremendous and I believe he will be a great and powerful guardian someday. And last but definitely not least is Goblin Tam Nathrach, an old friend of Raine but he has a dark side to be wary off.

You already sense the attraction of Mychael and Tam towards Raine and I’m already wondering who she might ends up with. Of course I have my preference, but for now I’m happy to see both men fighting for her attention.

This novel is well written and very addictive, the moment you start reading you’re pulled into the story and won’t be able to stop reading. I really enjoyed this book from the first pages and I know this series is going to be a keeper.

Jenna Black - Dark Descendant

Title : Dark Descendant
Series : Descendants # 1
Release date : April 26, 2011
Publisher : Pocket Books
Genre : Urban Fantasy

From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she's an immortal huntress.

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can't die. . . . Crazy as it sounds; Nikki's man hunting skills are literally god-given. She's a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki's new 'friends' include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she's a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she'll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . . .

Dark Descendant by Jenna Black is the first novel in the Descendant Series and I have to say that I liked this novel. Although I have some other books on the shelf by this author, I never read any of them but that is going to change. The way she wrote this book made mu curious to see how these other books are.

Nikki Glass is a strong young woman and a great private investigator, but her last assignment turns out to be one hell of a job. Not only get she involved in a major car accident, she is also in the middle of a war between descendants of the Gods and it appears both teams wants to recruit her in their team. It appears Nikki is the last mortal descendant of Artemis, goddess of the hunt.

The characters in this book are amazing, although some of them I just wanted to strangle but if you read their story you can understand their attitude. I just haven’t figure out if the other descendants are really Nikki’s new friends and fellow warriors, or just befriend her for her powers. So I would love to see Nikki grow into one fine warrior, who can control her new powers and use them in their quest.

This novel is well written with a fabulous world and some amazing characters to make it all complete. It definitely took my full attention from the beginning and held it through the whole book. I’m definitely curious to see what Jenna Black has in store for Nikki Glass in the future novel.

Anthology - Merry Christmas Baby

Title : Merry Christmas Baby
Release date : November 15, 2011
Publisher : Harlequin
Genre : Contemporary Romance

Who will you find under your Christmas tree?

A cowboy?
Ranch hand Tucker Rankin isn't crazy about the holidays…until a wintry night before Christmas, when Lacey Evans shows him how much fun it is to be nestled all snug in her bed….

A wealthy New Yorker?
Stockbroker Jared Martin needs to get away, and Alaska's the perfect place to unwind. Especially once actress Theodora "Teddy" Monroe gets him to loosen his tie—and take it all off!

Or maybe even a man in uniform?
Soldier Silas Davenport is on Christmas leave. But when he arrives at his parents' home, no one is there…except for the irresistible Delphie Moreau. And she's one gift he won't be exchanging!

Merry Christmas Baby by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jennifer LaBrecque and Rhonda Nelson was a fabulous anthology to get in the holiday spirit. The three different stories are about three lovely couples who found their loves at the most wonderful time of the year.

It’s Christmas Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Lacey Evans doesn’t feel like celebrating Christmas, especially now she left her boyfriend. But when Tucker Rankin has a little accident right before her cabin, she thinks it is time to leave the past the past and start looking at the future, starting this Christmas with Tucker.

Northern Fantasy by Jennifer LeBrecque
New Yorker Jaren Martin needs a break from the city life and leaves for Alaska to attend the wedding of his best friend. Never would he have imagine to meet Teddy Monroe; the woman who turn his world upside down.

He’ll be home for Christmas by Rhonda Nelson
Soldier Silas wants to surprise his parents for the holidays, now that he finally got permission to go home. But it turns out that his parents aren’t home for the holidays and their neighbour Delphie is just the right person to spend some time with.

I really enjoy reading this anthology, right after the holidays and I have to say that the third story was definitely my favourite, although the other two are very close behind the first. All three stories were well written and very entertaining. All the characters were great and the couples were definitely right for each other. I would love to read some more of these authors in the near future.

Rachel Vincent - Blood Bound

Title : Blood Bound
Series : Unbound #1
Release date : August 23, 2011
Publisher : Mira
Genre : Urban Fantasy

As a blood tracker, Liv is extremely powerful. And in a world where power is a commodity that can get you killed, Liv's learnt to survive by her own rules.

Rule number one? Trust no one.

But when a friend's daughter goes missing, Liv is bound by a potent magical oath. She can't rest until the child is safe. And that means trusting her dangerous ex, Cam.

A sinister prophecy tells that she and Cam will be the death of each other, yet Liv's tired of being a slave to destiny. She's ready to play the forces controlling her world at their own game.

No matter what the cost

Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent is the first novel in her new Unbound Series and I have to say I was happily surprised. I’m already a huge fan of her Shifter and Soul Screamers series and it’s real hard to keep it up with those two. But I really think this series will be another great addition to my bookshelves.

She created another fabulous world where “skilled” people are living among the normal humans. One of the skilled people is Olivia “Liv” Warren; she is a tracker who can find anyone by following the pull of blood.

One of her childhood friends Anne pays her a visit, it appears Anne’s husband was killed and she wants Liv to track down the killer. At first Liv doesn’t want to do it, but because of a childhood binding, she and her three friends are bound together by a promise and have to help one of the others when they ask.

But that is not all the trouble she is getting, her ex-lover Cam Caballero is back and he wants to help her find this killer. Since Cam is a powerful name tracker, it’s wise to accept his help. But Cam also wants some answers, as in why she left him al those years ago without any explanation.

From the moment you see Liv & Cam together you know those two belong together and that makes you wonder what happened between them in the past. They both went through some difficult time since their break-up, but I believe they are stronger now than ever. I absolutely love Cam’s determination to get Liv back in his live, no matter the reason why she left in the first place.

Even though this is the first novel in the series and you know it will be full of background information and world explanation, it grabbed me from the beginning. The characters are fabulous; there wasn’t one character I dislike, even the bad guy Cavazos has his great moments and I’m curious to see what bad things he will be doing in the next novel Shadow Bound and if he will give Cam and Liv a hard time. It seems I have to wait and find out.

Veronica Wilde - Hollywood Ghosts

Title : Hollywood Ghosts
Release date : October 1, 2007
Publisher : Liquid Silver Books
Genre : Erotica / Paranormal Romance

High in the Hollywood hills is a beautiful Spanish revival mansion that is one of California’s most sinister secrets. Over the decades, its luxurious rooms have witnessed multiple movie star deaths and scandals from suicides, to cult rituals, to brutal celebrity slayings. And the ghosts who loved being famous in life don’t like getting ignored in death.

Rachel Dentley, a UCLA student who’s been hired to house-sit for four months, doesn’t know any of this. To her, the mansion is simply her beautiful new home for the semester ... until phantom bloodstains and ghostly parties scare her senseless. Luckily for her, not one, but two, experts in shining armor offer their assistance--gorgeous filmmaker Lorenzo Cortez and free-spirited parapsychologist Dr. Zane Sullivan. Lorenzo wants to film a documentary about the house that will launch his career. Zane wants to gather enough evidence of the hauntings to validate his field. And each man wants Rachel for his own.

As the days pass, the haunted house grows more menacing--and the sexual tension between Rachel, Lorenzo, and Zane reaches fever pitch. When all three indulge their cravings in a scorching ménage, the murderous ghosts intercede with their own agenda--to make Rachel one of them.

Hollywood Ghosts by Veronica Wilde is a erotica ménage à trios, which includes a house sitter, a movie maker and a ghost hunter.

Rachel Dentley has found her boyfriend in bed with another woman, so she left him and their life behind and is desperately in need for a place to stay. So she decides to take a house sitting job of a fabulous mansion for a few months. It appears some of Hollywood greatest actors lived there, but also died there.

In the first few days Rachel experience some weird things in the house that she cannot explain, luckily for her two extremely handsome men show up on her doorstep and convince her that they can help her ghost problem.

Lorenzo Cortez is a film maker and has been attracted to Rachel since she met her ex-boyfriend and now that she is single he won’t stop until she’s finally his. Dr. Zane Sullivan is a professor of parapsychology and wants to study the mansion for awhile, so when Rachel moves in, he sees the opportunity to finally investigate the ghostly activity in the house.

The attraction between Rachel and the two men is huge from the moment they enter the story. She has a hard time to stay away from both of them, cause she doesn’t want to choose between them. But when the main ghost turns his attention towards Rachel and wants her to join him, both men know that they have to work together to keep the woman they love save, even if that means sharing her with the other.

This short novel is well written and very enjoyable to read. I loved the triangle relationship between Rachel. Lorenzo and Zane and was glad to see they decided to overcome their differences and both choose for the same woman. Okay, they hop into bed way too soon, but I know this is a short story and there isn’t much time to wait until the time is right. But the storyline was great and I love the ghost-thriller theme.

Kristen Callihan - Firelight

Title : Firelight
Series : Darkest London # 1
Release date : January 31, 2012
Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
Genre : Historical / Paranormal Romance

London, 1881
Once the flames are ignited . . .
Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity . . .
Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

Firelight by Kristen Callihan is the first novel in her Darkest London Series and this was another novel that blew me away in the last couple of days. I loved it; the fact that it’s a historical romance with a paranormal twist is a big bonus for me.

Lord Benjamin Archer meets Miranda Ellis for the first time when she’s facing two bullies, he is totally captivated by her. He is determined to make her his, so three years later he made arrangement with her father to marry her. But will Miranda accept him when she discovers what he really is.

Miranda doesn’t recognize Archer as the same man from those years ago. But she is intrigued by his personality and the mask he is wearing on his face. It seems nobody knows what lies behind the mask, but she hope to find out.

What I love about the two main characters is the growing attraction between them. Because Archer wears this mask, Miranda slowly get to know the man she married and the more she discovers, the more determined she gets to help him in every way, even if it means putting herself in danger.

This is a good example of a love story, the damaged hero slowly introduce his beautiful bride into the married life by starting with a kiss....oh boy, what a kiss it was. It really made me want to skip a few chapters just to see the final love scene between them, but of course I couldn’t do it because I didn’t want to miss a thing.

This novel is well written and is really a book for all the historical and paranormal lovers out there. If you decide to read this book you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with this ARC eBook.

Tes Hilaire - Deliver me from Darkness

Title : Deliver me from Darkness
Series : Paladin Warriors # 1
Release date : February 7, 2012
Publisher : Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre : Paranormal Romance

A STRANGER IN THE NIGHT...

He had once been a warrior of the Light, one of the revered Paladin. A protector. But now he lives in darkness, and the shadows are his sanctuary. Every day is a struggle to overcome the bloodlust. Especially the day Karissa shows up at his doorstep.

COMES KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

She is light and bright and everything beautiful—despite her scratches and torn clothes. Every creature of the night is after her. So is every male Paladin. Because Karissa is the last female of their kind. But she is his. He may not have a soul, but he can't deny his heart.

Deliver me from Darkness by Tes Hilaire is the first novel in the Paladin Warriors Series. This author was new to me, but her debut novel blew me away, it’s a fabulous mix of paranormal and romance. It has one determined kick-ass heroine, a tender but dangerous vampire hero and many other fabulous characters I would love to read more about.

Karissa just lost her last family member; well that’s what she believes and she is on the run for her grandfather’s killers. She turns to Calhoun for help, she doesn’t know him but his name was the last thing her grandfather said to her. But Calhoun cannot protect her against her enemies by himself, so he takes her to his best friend Roland.

Roland, a former Paladin warrior was changed into a vampire nine decades ago. The Paladin council ordered his death but his best friend and former partner Calhoun couldn’t do it and helped him disappear. Now his friend shows up on his doorstep with what it seems the last unknown female Paladin and Roland knows he is in trouble.

The relationship between Karissa and Roland starts off with a lot of bumps. Karissa knows about the supernatural but actually meeting a vampire who fights on the good side is something new, so she doesn’t really trust him. Then the whole story about Paladin warriors, who are descendants of angels fighting against fallen angels and Lucifer is another thing she has trouble to believe. But she cannot deny her own abilities and her attraction towards Roland, because at the end he is the only living being she trust completely.

I really have to congratulate Miss Tes Hilaire with her debut novel in this series. The concept of the storyline about Paladin warriors fighting evil is well known, but she created her own world with some fabulous characters. I was drawn into this story from the beginning and wanted to be part of it.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the next novel because there are some Paladin warriors I would love to read more about and I’m really curious to find out who it will be.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with this ARC eBook.

K.K. Ross - Daughter of the Centaurs

Title : Daughter of the Centaurs
Series : Centauriad # 1
Release date : January 24, 2011
Publisher : Random House Books
Genre : Young Adult

Malora knows what she was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But when her people are massacred by bat like monsters called Leatherwings, Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them.

Kate Klimo aka K.K. Ross has masterfully created a new world, which at first seems to be an ancient one or perhaps another world altogether, but is in fact set on earth sometime far in the future.

Daughter of the Centaurs by K.K. Ross is the first novel in the Centauriad Series and I’m not sure what to think of this book. You definitely can sense that this is a first novel in the series, but I’m missing a lot of background information that you need to really understand some parts of the book.

Malora is a young human girl when she looses first her father and not much later her mother and the rest of the village. Her only companions are her beloved horses, but she is about to loose them too when they are captured by her enemy the centaurs. But time has change and when she lives by the rules, she can have a normal live among the centaurs instead of living alone in the bush.

It was fascinated to see how twelve year old Malora survive three years alone in the bush with only the horses and her reaction as a fifteen year old to civilization in the town where the centaurs live along with some other creatures.

I loved Zephele, the female centaur and the sister of Malora new friend; she is fun to be around and definitely has a sense of humour. Wes was definitely someone I would love to see more off, he is loyal and friendly, someone Malora could depend on in the big city.

Overall this book was good and enjoyable to read, but I’m not quite sure if I want to read the next one in this series, it didn’t have the “hold the attention” vibe for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC ebook.

Karalynn Lee - Demon's Fall

Title : Demon’s Fall
Release date : October 25, 2010
Publisher : Carina Press
Genre : Paranormal Romance / Erotica

She was an angel at the gates of Hell.

When Kenan, an incubus, finds a caged angel for sale in the Hells gate marketplace, he sees her as a challenge. Certain that his skills in seduction will work as well on a heavenly creature as they do on mortal women, he buys Jahel, intent on having her soul as a novelty in his collection.

Knowing he must gain Jahel's trust if she is to come to his bed willingly, Kenan treats her more as his guest than as his slave. When she reveals what brought her to the mouth of Hell in the first place—retrieving the soul of a young girl she was guarding—he even offers to help her complete her mission.

Though he has promised Jahel freedom, Kenan soon realizes she has captured his heart instead. And as their passion for one another grows, they find themselves caught in a struggle between Heaven and Hell, one that will lead them to the very edge of the apocalypse...

Demon’s Fall by Karalynn Lee is a short paranormal erotica novel and I have to say that it is a little too short to really get to know the main characters.

Jahel is an angel, who has been caught in the city where mostly demons and lost souls live. She is caged and is waiting to be sold; luckily for her she is bought by a demon who doesn’t want to hurt her, like most of the demons.

But Kenan has a plan of his own, he is an incubus and he’ll do anything to get this beautiful angel in his bed and try to capture her soul. But everything turns out the other way when she let him promise her to help find the soul of her protégé.

The plot is definitely interesting and I really think the story would be much better if it was longer, so the characters would show more of themselves and the danger they are in. Now it’s mostly sexual attraction and some steamy scenes, there is nothing wrong with that, but I do love some story behind all of it.

Angeline Kace - Descended by Blood

Title : Descended by Blood
Series : Vampire Born Trilogy #1
Release date : Augusts 26, 2011
Publisher : Accendo Press LLC
Genre : Paranormal Romance / Young Adult

Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. Thrown into a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.

Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace is the first novel in her Vampire Born Trilogy and I loved it. Not many novels can grab my attention from the first page, but this one did.

Teenager Brooke is finally living a normal life after moving around for years with her mother. Now she goes school, she has her best friend Kaitlynn and a new boyfriend Jaren. But when this stranger starts following her and one night demands her to go with him, she knows her life will never be the same. In a fight with this stranger Brooke discovers her speed and strength and knows she has to talk to her mother and “uncle”.

It appears Brooke is half human, half vampire and her father is a very powerful vampire, his enemies want to get rid of him and they need Brooke to complete that task. So now she needs to go into hiding and her friends Kaitlynn and Jaren are coming along, although her boyfriend isn’t too happy about her heritage.

I love the friendship between Brooke and Kaitlynn, they are really best friends because no matter what happens or what Brooke appears to be, Kaitlynn accept it without any questions and support her in every way. You cannot say that from her boyfriend Jaren, in the beginning of the book he’ll do anything to have her as his girlfriend, but the moment he sees her fighting this other vampire and discovers what she is, he says they need a break.

That is why I love Mirko, Brooke’s new bodyguard and her trainer. Mirko doesn’t hide that he really like Brooke and that he will do anything to make her his...and it helps that he is already a vampire and knows what Brooke is going through.

The attraction between Brook and Mirko but also between Brooke and Jaren is great and the competition between the two different men is fabulous. Brooke doesn’t really know who to choose, because she like them both....bet I can give her some advice.

This novel was an amazing read and I desperately want to get my hands on the second novel, especially with that little cliff-hanger at the end. This is definitely a book I would recommend to vampire/young adult loves.