K.J. Wignall - Blood

Title : Blood
Series : Mercian Trilogy #1
Release date : September 27th, 2011
Publisher : Egmont USA
Genre : Young Adult / Paranormal

The story begins when Will wakes up from a hibernation sleep and needs to feed. Almost 800 years ago, he has been bitten by someone he didn’t know and turned into a vampire. His master left him all alone without any guidance, rules or answers.

Now he wakes up in the 21st century and his body needs nutrition, so he looks for a victim who can be missed in the world and finds Jez, a man in an abandon building. Before Will can take Jez’s life, the man tells him to find the girl. Not knowing what he means, Will takes Jez notebook and leaves the old warehouse. When he reads the notebook and finds a lot of riddles and a drawing of a young woman. Is this the girl Jez was talking about?

Blood by K.J. Wignall is the first novel in the Mercian Trilogy and I have to say I found the story very interesting. This author is new to me and because of the many vampire stories out there I’m a little sceptic, but I had nothing to worry about.

This story is about a “sixteen” year old boy, who has been a vampire for almost 800 years. All he ever wanted to do is to find the one who turned him and gets some answers. After a hibernation sleep of twenty years he wakes up in the 21st century, where he finds a young woman Eloise. It appears she isn’t afraid of what he is and is even determined to help him on his journey.

They are not alone when café owners Chris and Rachel join their quest. It seems the couple were always interested in the paranormal and this is just a way to find out more.

The characters are fabulous, Will is not the typical vampire, he only kills when the needs to and of course takes a life that could be missed. Eloise is an orphan and was raised by her uncle and aunt, but is bored with her life and decides to drop out of school and starts living on the streets. Neither of them could have known their destiny.

This story is well written, the history behind Will’s turning, his journey from then till now has been explained so readers understand his background.

This book has captured me from the start and that tells a lot about a book. I’m curious to see where this is going, so I’ll watch out for the next novel.

Trinity Faegen - The Redemption of Ajax

Title : The Redemption of Ajax
Series : The Mephisto Covenant #1
Release date : September 27th, 2011
Publisher : Egmont USA
Genre : Young Adult

I received this novel as an ARC, commissioned by NetGalley

Alexandra “Sasha” Annenkova wants to know who killed her father and she knows she has to do this on her own, because the authorities stopped the investigation. She has been invited to a meeting of the Ravens, a group who follows Eryx. It appears Eryx can arrange things that nobody can; in exchange you have to pledge yourself to him. Sasha doesn’t know this man is pure evil and that you have to sell your soul to him in order to get what you want.

Her invitation is a set up and her visit isn’t welcome by the other Ravens. Her life is in danger because it appears she is Anabo, a huge threat to Eryx and his followers, but she is saved by this gorgeous guy Jax DeKynos. From that moment her life is like a rollercoaster, learning about her connection to the daughter of Eve, Jax and his brothers are Mephisto aka sons of hell. They captures Skia, the shoeless shadows and the lost souls whom called themselves Ravens in order to stop Eryx from taking over Hell.

The Redemption of Ajax by Trinity Faegen is the first novel in her Mephisto Covenant Series and I have to say I have mixed feelings about this book.

The author has written a good storyline with some great characters, but the balance is a little off. To me it seems all too black and white; the characters are good or evil, not in between.

Sasha is a young woman who cannot feel negative emotions, because she is a descendant of the daughter of Eve. It means she is pure of light and all good.
Jax appears to be her hero and is a son of the dark angel who works for Lucifer. He and his brothers are destined to go to hell when their time is up; the only way to have a shot at heaven is to find an Anabo woman.

I miss the whole falling in love between the two main characters. Jax “claim” Sasha the moment he sees her, because she is his change to heaven. He cannot really claim her, because she has to choose him out of her own free will, but a little persuasion isn’t illegal.

I liked the fact that Sasha didn’t fall for Jax right away, she knew that she was his ticket of redemption, but didn’t let that get in her way to get to the decision she made.

The storyline is something I like, six brothers fighting Eryx and his followers and in the mean time trying to locate Anabo women, so they have a chance of heaven too. I’m definitely curious to see what will happens in the next novels, so even though I had mixed feelings about this book, especially with the kind of ending, I’m going to continue this journey.

Jill Monroe - Lord of Rage

Title : Lord of Rage
Series : Royal House of Shadows #2
Release date : September 20th, 2011
Publisher : Harlequin Nocturne
Genre : Paranormal Romance

The story begins when a Blood sorcerer kills the king and queen of Magical Elden and has plans to kill their four children next in order to get the throne. But never underestimate the love and strength of parents, their mother had enough strength in her to combine her power and send them away to survive and deal with their enemy later.

Breena is the princess of Elden and was getting ready to choose a suitable husband. But during an attack on the royal family by the Blood sorcerer, in order to keep her and her brothers save her parents send them away by magic. Now she finds herself alone and lost in the forest, she is drawn to follow this path that leads her to this small cottage in the middle of the forest. She cannot remember what happened to her in the last couple of days, but she does remember the mysterious warrior from her dreams and knows she needs him.

Osborn is the warrior of her dreams and the owner of the small cottage in the forest. He was a member of the proud Berserker Clan. On the night of his Bärenjagd, a journey from boy to man, there was an attack on his village. Osborn lost everything that night, only his two younger brothers survive the attack. Now he is raising them in the forest and planning his revenge on the people who murdered the entire village.

Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe is the second novel in The Royal House of Shadows, which he is co-writing with Gena Showalter, Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh.

I loved the fact that these four authors combine their writing skills to create this amazing series. I really like it that they based it all around four of their favorite fairy tales. Jill Monroe has chosen “Goldilocks and the three bears”.

Breena is a wonderful character, although she is a princess who’s used to have things her way, she is not spoiled. She’s kind, caring, has compassion and a determination to get her memory back so she can plan her return. She is slowly recovering the magical transport her parents arranged and knows she has to train her fighting skills to survive.

But then she meets her dream warrior Osborn and his two younger brothers Bernt & Torben. Osborn is a cold stubborn man when he first meets Breena, he recognize her from their shared dreams and know she will endanger their hiding place in the forest. But her kindness melts his heart and he knows he has to train her in order for her to survive.

I’ve heard of Jill Monroe before but never read any of her books, but that is going to change. This book has captured me from the beginning and held that till the end. This book was well written with some action, great characters and teasing to read the other books in the series.

I cannot wait to read more about the last two siblings Dayn and Micah and hope they all reunite at the end.

Anthology - Obsessed

Title : Obsessed
Release date : Augusts 15th, 2011
Publisher : Cleis Press
Genre : Erotica Romance

Silent Treatment by Donna George Storey
When a woman leaves her busy life in the city for a weekend of silence in a meditation Centre, she couldn’t imagine seeing her ex-lover there. It seems the chemistry between them is still there, but he has some explaining to do and because of the silent treatment the only way to communicate is by body language.

One night in Paris by Kayla Perrin
Vivian is obsessed by her boss Aaron since the one night stand they have. Aaron has been avoiding her ever since, but Vivian wants another night full of passion. So when she arranges his business trip to Paris, she is planning to follow him and convince Aaron to see her in another way then his assistant.

Concubine by Portia Da Costa
When Rick is recovering from a broken ankle, he asks his wife to tell him one of her erotic stories. She cannot deny her husband anything, so she tells him the story about Prince Alaric and his concubine Merry.

Love and Demotion by Logan Belle
Cat is the assistant of Declan Guinness at the publishing house and has the hots for him. He asks her to join him to a book party one night, she loves to go with him but have to leave early. It appears she has a second job and for four nights a week she performs at the Crushed Velvet, a burlesque club. This night turns out different then the others, because Declan followed her and is in the audience. Now is the time to let him see the real Cat.

Mephisto Waltz by Justine Elyot
Twelve years ago Lily Arliss was a student of Leonid Gorodetsky. Now all grown up she won a competition and has a master class with her old piano teacher. She plays an excellent piece, but is missing the passion and Leonid is just the right man to teach her that.

Then by Emerald
Valerie and Chris are together for three and half years, when she tells him she’s attracted to another man. When the three of them meet each other again on a birthday party, Valerie couldn’t imagine that her sexual fantasies is about to come true when her boyfriend invites Hayden for a one night stand.

It’s gotta be fate by Jennifer Peters
For once in her life she wants to dominate a man in the bedroom, her ex-boyfriend was always in charge and the men behind him were just the same. So when she places an ad, looking for a man she can dominate with no string attached, she wasn’t ready to see her ex Kevin again. But fate brought them together for a reason, so maybe this role playing in the bedroom is just what they needed.

Hooked by Ariel Graham
Ricki and Jody just moved to Reno, so their sex life is on hold for a while. Then one morning Ricki discover a hook on the ceiling corner of their bedroom. Ever since that discovery she has daydreams about Jody tying her up and has his wicked ways with her. When Jody finds out her fantasy, he cannot get to the store fast enough to get everything they needed.

Aftershocks by Bella Andre
Celeste and Darren Maclean are about to get a divorce when they both appear in the storage to clean out their stuff. Their relationship has always been good, but Celeste wants the firework. When Darren demands an explanation why she leaves him, she cannot hold back her fantasy. She wants a dominate man and she’s is surprised when Darren tells her he has been holding back in the bedroom. It appears he is one hell of a dominate man and he wants his wife back.

Secret places by Adele Haze
Marian and Dan meet each other at the subway where Dan plays his music. Not long after their meeting, they are going out for drinks and spend the night together. During their relationship Marian discovers that Dan is holding back and she is determined to find out his secret.

Loser by Charlotte Stein
Mallory and Billy are having a sexual relationship with no strings attached. Then one night Mallory visits Billy to have one of their fabulous nights, not really knowing it will change their relationship forever.

Here in between by Kristina Wright
When a woman gets a flat tire in the middle of the nowhere, she is afraid to spend the night in her small car. But then this gorgeous stranger in his truck pulls over, he drives her to a nearby motel and gives her the night of her life.

Spellbound by Garnell Wallace
Kia Monet is in Haiti to shoot a documentary film when she meets Jonah. The attraction between them is huge from the beginning, but they know it will be brief because Kia has to go back to the US. On the morning of her leaving, an earthquake is disturbing her plans, demanding they realize the true meaning of their relationship.

Raven’s flight by Andrea Dale
One morning a woman wakes up to a noise, only to discover this architect tearing down the house next to her. She wants to give him a piece of her mind, but the only thing she can think off is the lick every line of his tattoo.

Raindrops and rooftops by Elizabeth Coldwell
Keeley Carter works for a travel magazine in London and has been send to New York to over the opening of the latest boutique hotel. When she meets the owner of the hotel, Adam Dunbar she knows her short stay could be a ride on the rollercoaster.

Topiary by K.D. Grace
Aden is a landscaper and is full into his work. Bess is his partner and he takes his job seriously when he even landscape a private part on her body, hoping it will spice up their sex life.

I want to hold your hand by Rachel Kramer Bussel
Shelly and Ron are married for quite some time now. Ron lost some weight in the last couple of months and has been attracting the gazes of women around him Shelly doesn’t like it and is afraid to loose him. So Ron has to show her that she’s the only one for him, no matter the size of his body.

Storm Surge by Teresa Noelle Roberts
A couple has huge cravings for big weathers, so when a tropical storm is roaring the sky, they rushed to their summerhouse at the beach, to add another mind blowing experience on their sexual list.

Undercover Kink by Louisa Harte
Nathalie has one obsession and that is kinky underwear, nobody would’ve expected her naughty underwear under her business suit. When she picks up her latest outfit, her usual lingerie manager isn’t there, but this gorgeous guy Brad is. She might ask him for a second opinion.

Obsessed Anthology has quite a few short erotica stories and I have to say all has been well written. They all are hot and steamy, just the way I like it when I read erotica.

It’s normal that one story is better than the other, but I only have a weird feeling with one of the stories, but I liked all the others.

I have to say those authors done an amazing job with these very short stories, some of them had me right from the first paragraph.

Now I know why I enjoy reading anthologies, those short stories are easy to read and very entertaining. So if you are looking for some small hot sexual stories, then this is definitely the book for you.

Bella Andre - Tempt me, Taste me, Touch me

Title : Tempt me, Taste me, Touch me
Release date : January 2nd, 2007
Publisher : Pocket Publisher
Genre : Contemporary romance

Three friends are heading for the Wine Country in California to spend the weekend. They are all dealing with some issues in their lives and never expected to find true love on this journey.

Tempt me
Carrie just broken up with her boyfriend after he proposed to her during a wonderful dinner. It appears he wasn’t Mr. Right for her after all, so this weekend with her two best friends is just what she needs. After their arrival at the hotel she decides to take a walk and gets lost in this huge vineyard. So when this stranger Tyson Green appears to “save” her and is immediately attracted to him, so she decides to take a walk on the wild side.

Taste me
Rose is the second friend who just broken up with her boyfriend after this scumbag suggested she lose some weight. Rose knows that she isn’t big, but decides to lose some weight starting this weekend. But at arrival she finds out that she is the lucky one that was randomly drawn to take some cooking lessons from hot top chef Jack Gerard. When she learns that Jack loves full-figured women and finds her attractive, she dumps her diet and let him lead her on this bumpy road full of food and pleasure.

Touch me
Vanessa is the last friend on this road trip and the bold one. She enjoys life and all the men within, but this weekend she is all about relaxing and taking care of herself for once. During her walk through the town, she discovers this art shop and wants the painting in the window. But the artist Sam Marshall has other plans for Vanessa, he wants to paint her nude and he won’t take “no” as an answer.

Tempt me, Taste me, Touch me by Bella Andre is a great book with three novellas, where three friends finding Mr. Right when they at least expect it.

Carrie and Rose both just broke up with their boyfriends and need some time to heal, when Vanessa just want to take a break from all the male attention in her life. Never in their life would they imagine finding Mr. Right on this short trip to Wine Country in California.

What I love about Bella Andre is that she uses women in her books that a lot of women can relate to. I’ve read some of her other books too and love the fact that she isn’t afraid to write about women who aren’t the skinny model type.

I cannot say that I liked one story better than the others, because all three were fabulous. Great characters, steamy scenes and lots of sparkles flying around between the couples. I’m definitely going to check out more of her stuff.

Jeaniene Frost - This side of the grave

Title : This side of the grave
Series : Night Huntress #5
Release date : February 22th, 2011
Publisher : Harper Collins
Genre : Urban Fantasy

Wherever Cat goes, troubles will follow her but luckily for Cat she has gorgeous Bones at her side to help her. This new trouble is a Ghoul who is using the threat of the “Red Reaper” to create a war between the Ghouls and the vampires. It will take everything Cat and Bones has to find a way to stop this war.

So they visit Majestic, the voodoo queen of New Orleans and that is one thing Cat isn’t looking forward to. With Majestic you never know if she will help you or have plans against you, but there is only one way to find out on which side she is now.

This side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost is the fifth novel in her fabulous Night Huntress Series. I cannot believe Miss Frost did it again, her novels are getting better and better. I think everyone knows by now, that I’m a huge fan of this series, so it was great to see Cat and Bones getting closer to each other. Their relationship is growing into something solid further along in the series.

I believe Cat has finally grow up, we all know she has a thing to run off on her own, because that is what she’s used to do. But now she realize that whatever she goes, Bones will follow her and have her back when she needs it. She cannot protect him all the time, because it is time to be equals in this relationship. And let’s face it; Bones don’t need protection it seems he’s getting more power with each book.

Bones has really grown into his leadership; yes he has the same issues as Cat and wants to keep her save on the sideline to protect her. But I think he finally accept it that, that is one thing she can never do.

Cat’s bond with her old team is still strong and I loved it when they are popping in and help them with any case they have. The situation with Cat’s uncle Don has broke my heart, I never would expect this out come and I really hope Cat can give it a place in the next book.

If you still need to read this book then be prepared for lots of action, great and steamy scenes and one heart breaking situation.

Ted Dekker - Forbidden

Title : Forbidden Series :The Books of Mortals #1Release date : September 13th, 2011
Publisher : Center Street
Genre : Fantasy

The world as we know doesn’t exist anymore, in exchange there is a world where every person is “dead”, and meaning people who are just shells without having any emotions. Humanity was nearly destroyed 480 years ago, so scientist discovered genes that could control the human emotions, the only emotion people can feel is fear. For more than five centuries people lived in peace, but that is about to change.

Rom is a funeral singer and lives in Byzantium, the governing center of the world. When Rom walks home after work he is witness of a murder, which is unusual. The old man appears to be a friend of Rom’s father and gives him an ancient vial of blood before his is killed by the Citadel Guards. Now
Rom is on the run from those same guards and has to learn the secret of this vial of blood.

Every person Rom is in contact with dies by the hands of the Citadel guards, first the old man and then his beloved mother. The only one he can trust is his friend Avra. He somehow convinces her to run with him before they find her too. Together they examine the vial and the written parchment along with it. Rom decides to drink some of the blood to see what happens, but couldn’t imagine the change in emotion.

Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee is the first book in the Books of Mortals Series and I have to say it was surprising. I’ve never read anything by Ted Dekker and was a little afraid what I would think of his genre, but this book was definitely a lovely surprise. I even might go to check out his other books.

This first book has a lot of explaining about the war 480 years ago, how scientist changed the emotion in the humanity and how the people live now, but that all is about to change when Rom gets his hands on a vial of ancient blood. In the vial there is enough for five people to drink from, but when they do they will feel all the forbidden emotions. Rom and Avra are the first two to drink from the blood and be back under the living.

But they need help in their journey and decide to turn to their friend Triphon and Neah, Triphon willingly drinks from the vial, but they have to force Neah to let her see their side of the story. But they need someone highly educated to translate the written parchment, and the Sovereign-to-be Feyn is just the right person to ask. Rom kidnaps her and give her the last blood, because it’s not a full portion they have to work fast to translate before she loses the emotions. It appears Rom has to find a boy, whose blood would restore all the emotions to the world.

But Feyn’s half-brother Saric will do anything to stop Rom and his friends. He wants the Sovereign spot and power for himself and he will kill for it.

Will Rom find the boy in time? Who will survive the journey? Can the prophecy be fulfilled? Some of those questions will be answered and some you will have to find out in the future novels.

Although there was a lot of information in this book, I found it intrigue and definitely worth my time. I loved Rom from the start and my heart cried when I read his situation. I really hope he has better luck in the future books, I for one cannot wait to read the next book to find out.