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.

Linda Wisdom - Demon Does it Better

Title : Demon does it better
Series : Demons #2
Release date : January 1, 2011
Publisher : Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre : Urban Fantasy

A Madhouse Is No Place For A Curious Witch...

After more than a century, Doctor Lili Carter, witch healer extraordinaire, has taken a job at Crying Souls Hospital and Asylum, where strange and sinister things are happening. Patients are disappearing, and Lili wants to know why.

And Doubly Dangerous For A Demon...

Lili finds herself undeniably attracted to perhaps the most mysterious patient of all - a dangerously demented and seriously sexy demon named Jared. What’s behind the gorgeous chameleon demon’s bizarre disappearances?

Before long, Lili and Jared are investigating each other - and creating a whole new kind of magic.

Demon does it Better by Linda Wisdom is the second book in the Demon Series and another amusing novel. Just like the first novel I found myself drawn into the story from the start.

Lili is a healer witch and works at the Crying Souls Hospital where she can help all paranormal beings, but she also came back there to investigate the disappearing of a good friend. Her suspicious that the head doctor has his own agenda is confirmed when she starts working in the basement where the dangerous mental patients are locked away.

Her attraction to Jared, a shadow demon that has been a “guest” of the good head doctor is not something Lili would have thought could happen. Little by little she learns to trust Jared and he might be able to help her find her missing friend.

I fell in love with Cleo from the start, she is Lili’s cat and her behavior and funny comments are fun to read. I can never look at my own cats again and not see a drunken Cleo.

I hope there will be a lot more in this series, because those witches are fun, determined and powerful. At least Miss Wisdom has enough characters to choose from.

Linda Wisdom - Demons are a Girl's Best Friend

Title : Demons are a girl’s best friend
Series : Demons #1
Release date : April 1, 2011
Publisher : Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre : Urban Fantasy

A bewitching woman on a mission...

Feisty witch Maggie enjoys her work as a paranormal law enforcement officer-that is, until she's assigned to protect a teenager with major attitude and plenty of Mayan enemies. Maggie's never going to survive this assignment without the help of a half-fire demon who makes her smolder...

A hotter-than-sin hero with an agenda...

Declan is proprietor of an underground club and busy demon portal. No way he'll allow his demon race to be blamed for the malicious acts of some crazy evil Mayans. But he's already got his hands full when the sexy witch offers him a challenge he can't refuse...

Demons are a girl’s best friend by Linda Wisdom is the first book in her Demons Series. I’ll not run around the bush I liked this book, it has all the great things I loved to see in a good read; fabulous main and secondary characters, good storyline and some great humor.

Maggie is a strong witch and part of the Hellion Guard, a paranormal enforcement group. During her last assignment she meets half breed fire demon Declan in his night club and the attraction between them is huge. They both know that a relationship is not something they seek, but tell that to their hearts.

I loved Elle, the little spider that can transfer herself on Maggie’s body or clothes as protection. Her comments and action are hilarious.

I love her writing and I know Linda Wisdom has another great series, so I’m definitely going to check those out. She has a way to amuse readers when they are deep into the story and I liked that.

I also loved the fact that this is an Urban Fantasy novel mixed with some humor.

Juliet Dark - The Demon Lover

Title : The Demon Lover
Series : Fairwick Chronicles #1
Release date : December 27, 2011
Publisher : Random House Publishing Group
Genre : Paranormal Romance

I gasped . . . or tried to. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t draw breath. . . . His lips, pearly wet, parted and he blew into my mouth. My lungs expanded beneath his weight. When I exhaled he sucked in my breath and his weight turned from cold marble into warm living flesh.

Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of writing her bestselling book, The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. After all, Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she finds herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.

But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: He’s not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the incubus, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this demon lover from her heart.

The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark is her first novel in the Fairwick Chronicles and I have to say it was a surprise. It was not what I expected it would be, but definitely in a good way.

Yeah the book started off a bit slow but when you keep reading it really turns into one fascinating story.

When Callie McFay accepts a teaching job at the College of the small town Fairwick, she never could have imagined that her life would change so drastically. It appears this town is full of paranormal creatures and she is about to learn her own part in this matter. Her dreams of a handsome seductive stranger turns into an addiction, but with the help of her friendly neighbours she discovers he is an incubus and why she is dreaming these sensual dreams. This particular incubus has been banished to live in the shadows and will become more human from feeding off his victims and the love of a mortal will make him a man from flesh.
With the help of her new friends and colleagues Callie finds a way to cast out her dream lover, but will she be able to do it?

Although some parts of the book were slowly developing and I really wanted some answers straight away, I really enjoy this book. Juliet Dark has written a great story with fabulous characters. I hope she continues writing more novels in this series, because I want to see how Callie is doing after all she’s been through.

So I keep my eye on this author and definitely keep my fingers crossed for some more great novels.