Review: Enslave by Felicity Heaton

Enslave (goodreads.com)

By: Felicity Heaton (author website)

eBook, 109 pages per Kindle

Expected publication: August 4th 2012 by Felicity Heaton

ISBN 13: 9781909306004

Source: Author, for the purpose of an honest review

Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance

Series: Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series, book #4

Best read in order: mostly, but can also work as a stand-alone

Stars: 5

Flames: 4

I do believe that Felicity made a great series even better with this installment of her Vampire Erotic Theatre series. I loved Andreu and Varya. This novella is so appropriately titled with how their relationship began and grew and how they affected each other. Felicity was amazing in how she squeezed so much emotion and passion into these few pages.

Varya a succubus has let her curiosity get the better of her and ventured into the Vampire Erotic Theatre. The one that drew her interest is not even aware that he has done so. She had hopes of finding a place to feed. She found that, and so much more when she sees Andreu. His dark aura tells her to stay away. Her clan has rules and he is of the forbidden, but isn’t it always the forbidden fruit that tastes the best.

Andreu has gone to the theatre to assist his brother and to also learn. He has dreams of opening his own erotic theatre someday. He knows that his time there is temporary and that he will soon return to Barcelona. The trespasser in the theater is about to shake up all of his plans. Andreu is aware that there is an unknown presence in the theatre almost immediately. He wants to know what it is and why it is there. He knows that whatever it is it should not be there.

I enjoyed that a new supernatural being was brought to this series. Varya was an easy character to love. I think anyone can relate to following their curiosity into a bit of trouble. Andreu like most males thinks he is immune to the love bug. He is under the impression that many various lovers are far better than being tied down to just one. There is an irony in just how Varya tied him down.

Varya and Andreu are hot together. There is this one scene that stands out to me. It is one hot sexual encounter. I can assure you, had Andreu known that work could be so pleasurable he would have signed on at the theatre for the long term. I love this sexy vampy series!

Review: Keeping Paige by Michelle M Pillow

Keeping Paige (goodreads.com)

By: Michelle M Pillow (author website)

eBook, 186 pages per Kindle

Publisher: The Raven Books; 2 edition (February 27, 2012)

ASIN: B007EKXYAW

Source: Publisher, for the purpose of an honest review

Series: Divinity Warriors, book #3

Genre: Erotic Alternate Reality Romance

Best read in order: no, each works as a stand-alone

Stars: 5

Flames: 5

Aidan and Paige’s story is by far my favorite of the Divinity Warriors books. I absolutely fell in love with Aidan the moment he stepped onto the page. He has always been the best Starian warrior that he can be. He has done everything in his life to honor the Starian gods. Now he impatiently waits for them to honor him with a bride from one of the fairy rings. His king has ordered him to go to Battlewar Castle to participate in the breeding ceremony. He does not want one of the otherworld brides that are being sent to them by the Divinity Corporation. He wants what his planes traditions should honor him with, a bride from the fairy ring.

Paige is from the Forestter dimension. The tribes on her plane are very superstitious. They see her differences as a curse. In an attempt to get rid of this cursed woman they offer her to the Faerian’s. They Faerian’s believe in making sacrifices. Paige is the sacrifice they have chosen to toss into the fairy ring. No one comes to Paige’s rescue. She is on her own and too outnumbered to fight them when they drug her and commence to their sacrificial beliefs.

When Aidan finds Paige naked and overly aroused in the woods he immediately knows that he has finally been blessed with a bride from the gods. Paige tells him that she came to be there through a fairy ring, so he just knows he is not mistaken. The drugs that were forced upon Paige have multiples effects on her, one is an aroused euphoria. She welcomes all of Aidan’s advances. There problems arise when the drugs wear off and Paige is saddled with a husband who does not understand her customs and she finds that his customs are a little too domineering for her tastes.

This installment in the Divinity Warriors series actually begins chronologically before the first two books. Readers are over half way through Keeping Paige before they find Paige in the cell at Battlewar with Lilith, Jayne, and Karre. I did not get the sci fi feel with this book as much as the others. Paige’s dimension has a fantasy historical feel to it just as Staria does. There are still dimension jumps, but they are not done through the technological advances as with the previous two books. I do want to point out that each of the books works as a stand-alone, so readers can dive into this series beginning with any book. 

Review: Fighting Lady Jayne by Michelle M Pillow

Fighting Lady Jayne (goodreads.com)

By: Michelle M Pillow (author website)

eBook, 186 pages

Published February 6th 2012 by The Raven Books (first published 2009)

ASIN: B0076OCDVM

Source: Publisher, for the purpose of an honest review

Genre: Erotic Sci Fi Romance

Series: Divinity Warriors, book #2

Best read in order: no, books can be read out of order

Stars: 5

Flames: 5

The second book in Michelle’s Divinity Warriors series starts at the same place the first book did. Readers follow Jayne instead of Lilith from the point of waking in a prison cell. I liked how the two books ran parallel to each other following the same time line and events, but through two different relationships. This also allows for readers to pick up either of the books to begin their journey into this series.

Jayne is the type of heroine that I like to read. She is a fighter, literally. She had a rough life growing up and it lead her into a career as a boxer. She is a very successful boxer. The rough life has left her with some emotional problems though. She doesn’t let people get close to her. She has also created some impenetrable walls around her heart. Life has made her learn to keep her freedom at any costs. She has always lived by the motto to stay free or die trying.  

Ronen believes that the gods have cursed him and his brother. The women that come into their lives seem to want to run from them. Ronen couldn’t believe that a female claimed him at the breeding ceremony. Males do the claiming in Staria. Ronen is a pleasant mix of dominant alpha male and gentle warrior. He does what he thinks is best to keep Jayne happy. The problem with that is his world has never had a female like Jayne. Females are supposed to be docile, gentle, soft and caring.

I absolutely love the futuristic sci fi feel of this series. Jayne comes from a very technologically advanced world. Traveling through dimensional planes has taken her to a plane that a fantasy historical like feel to it. So readers get many different sub genres in one book.

Favorite quote and it also sums up their courtship, Jayne to Ronen.

“It is in me to run and it is in you to capture.”

Review: Lilith Enraptured by Michelle M Pillow

Lilith Enraptured (goodreads.com)

By: Michelle M Pillow (author website)

eBook, 183 pages per Kindle

Publisher: The Raven Books; 2 edition (January 15, 2012)

ISBN: 1419959492

Source: Publisher, for the purpose of an honest review

Genre: Erotic Sci Fi Romance

Series: Divinity Warriors #1

Stars: 5

Flames: 5

The first thing that I have to point out about Lilith Enraptured is the world. The concept behind it grabbed my attention from the very beginning. The book has a futuristic sci fi feel to it with a slice of historical fantasy. This world consists of numerous different planes/dimensions. Some are very technologically advanced while some are extremely primitive and medieval feeling. It is all one world. Each dimension has just evolved differently. There are even some similarities between the different planes.

Lilith’s job within the Divinity is to go to different planes and study them. She then compiles her data and analyzes it, compares it to others and moves on to another dimension to observe some more. She loves her job. It allows her to introduce new technology to multiple dimensions. There is just one problem with her most recent jump into a new dimension, she did not take it willingly and she has no clue as to where she is.

Sorin is a royal warrior in Staria. Staria is a dimension in constant battle against a monstrous war mongering evil. The dimension he calls home can be looked at as very primitive in their lifestyle. Their mating/marriage ritual can definitely be considered barbaric compared to modern standards. He is one of the few men that will be allowed to pick one of the otherworlder’s that has been presented before him and a few of his fellow knightly warriors. Lilith soon finds herself with a man claiming to be her husband in a faraway place that she does not belong.

I liked everything about this book. The characters all fleshed out very well. Sorin and Lilith work well as a couple. They both put forth a tremendous amount of effort to make their seemingly impossible situation work out. Readers are introduced very briefly to the heroines of the other three books, along with the males that have taken them. I cannot wait to read the next books in this series and I am ecstatic about the fact that they are on my Kindle waiting for me.

Please note that this is an erotic romance. There are numerous scorching hot sex scenes between a chest pounding alpha male that wants his hesitant bride to want him as much as he wants her. Lilith has some self-doubts about her desires. She wants to go home, but she wants Sorin even though it goes against what she thinks she wants. They make some intense reading. 

Book Review: Jack and Djinn by Amber Sweetapple

Jack and Djinn
By: Amber Sweetapple

eBook: 242 pages

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

ISBN/ASIN: B0085H8DJA

Source: author for an honest review

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Series: The Houri Legends Series

Stars: 5

Flames: 3

Summary from Goodreads
Miriam's life is a hot mess. Her boyfriend Ben is no longer the man she fell in love with, and he won't stop knocking her around. And Jack? He's kind, handsome, and sweet: everything she could ever want and more. As her passion for Jack ignites, so does the rest of her body...


Review

Oh my goodness! What can I say about this book except I absolutely loved it? I could not put it down. I read it as fast as I could so I could know how it would end. I give the book 5 stars.

The story is written in present and the past tense every other chapter so that you know the background and what is happening right now. It is a murder investigation as well as following Miriam’s life with Ben and how she met Jack. There are some occasions of Miriam getting beaten up and almost dying.

This was a well thought out story, paced just right with real to life elements that make it believable. Basically after years of building walls around herself, Miriam has to show the strength it takes to control what is happening with her as well as not shutting everyone out of her life. She also has to learn to believe in herself, Jack and her new friends. The ending of the story lets you know that there will be a sequel but didn’t end on a cliffhanger. Nevertheless I still can’t wait to read the next in the series.

The characters in this story are well written and lovable except Ben. You definitely learn to hate Ben. Miriam has had a hard childhood and even harder adult life. She is a survivor though. She starts out as a weaker character in this story but then you start to see her inner strength shine through. Miriam doesn’t stand up for herself and as a result Ben treats her terrible sometimes even beating her. Jack happens upon one of these beatings and stops it then takes Miriam away to get her cleaned up. She feels comfortable around him as he takes her out for food and starts looking for excuses to see him again. You slowly start to see some paranormal elements start to show up as Miriam interacts more and more with Jack. Jack was a very likable character as well as his grandpa.

I am anticipating the next in the series Djinn and Tonic. It will be drawing in more characters and sounds like it is building towards something bigger in a later book. I don’t want to say anymore because I will end up giving the book away and I hate doing that. I hope I haven’t given to much already with my gushing.

Review: When You Wish Upon a Duke by Isabella Bradford

ebook: 320 pages

Expected publication: July 31st 2012 by Ballantine Books

IBSN: 0345527305 (ISBN13: 9780345527301)

Source: Netgalley.com

Genre: Historical Romance

Series: Wylder Sisters, book #1

Stars: 5

Flames: 3

Synopsis:

     Raised in the Dorset countryside, Lady Charlotte Wylder doesn’t care one bit about well-bred decorum. The dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty would rather ride a horse than attend a stuffy ball. So when Charlotte learns that she is to leave immediately for London to wed the Duke of Marchbourne, a perfect model of aristocratic propriety, she is less than enchanted with her arranged marriage.

      But to her delight, their first encounters are brazenly flirtatious, and their wedding night burns with passion. March’s broad shoulders and dark countenance make Charlotte want to rip every button off his waistcoast. She may even be falling in love with her new husband. Yet whenever their desire boils over, March reluctantly pushes Charlotte away. Will past secrets and present misunderstandings mire their marriage in scandal, or serve to strengthen a bond that is destined to last a lifetime?

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My Review:

     OMG this book was toughly amazing. In the times this book takes place it was very important to stay out of the gossip channels. For that and other much greater reason the Duke of Marchbourne is dead set in staying above all this. But when faced with the country mouse that is his wife, he might not get his wish.

     Charlotte tries very hard to be the perfect duchess for her husband. Even going so far as to withhold her bodies response to the pleasure her husbands touch brings her. But in trying to please and make each other happy, they are miserable and making the other so. But in the end not even society's rules of property and decorum could keep this couple from expressing their love in the baser of forms.

     I love the way that Charlotte no matter how much refinement and instruction stayed true to her heart and was made happier for it. What happens behind closed married doors, should stay there. No body needs to know of it. And I applaud her for not faulting an eleven year old for the sins of his father.

     And although March has a long way to go in accepting the nature of his reactions to his wife are his and not because of his blood, he has taken the first step. It takes a real man to know his faults but a real gentleman to deal with it.

     This truly is an amazing book with romance(of course), gossip, an duels of honor. A great start to a new historical trilogy.