Latest in series but book can stand alone, relationships ok & confusing
928681
Reviews here told me the main sister character finally gets somewhere with her off & on boyfriend Mick. Still that wasn't as clear as it could have been.  I skipped books 4,5 to read this one.  The mystery interesting yet the one sister with all the obnoxious kids drives me nuts. But not as nuts as all the wandering parts of this book.  Too much about bratty kids & their mother, too little about the usually drunk other sister, no full resolvement about the parents. Who return & are really whacko.  So many boring offshoots of too many characters.  I like a lite mystery.  But I also like somewhat of an escape from kids, annoying relatives, unfinished characters experiences, etc.

I'm sure some like the glimpses into so called old money high society lifestyle & fashion name brands but checking out red carpets on tv or hearing about the new monied of today is far more interesting than the boring descriptives of history.  I didn't learn anything new. I got no giggles & the main sister wasn't a compelling strong or changed character.  To me in all the Blackbird series books it took far too many pages for the drama & the mystery to get solved.  I can only rate this book low.

Unless I read raves for the next book in this boring series & things are more focused with main sister doing some growing,not so wimpy, I won't get  any more of this writers books.  Evanovichs Plum series ok but thus far nothing compares to Chrissy & steamy sex, snappy talk & better vocabulary than in Lois Giemans Un & One series.
3436298
The series is a great one, but this particular book is not the best of the lot. Spending time with Georgie Rannoch is always a treat, but sometimes her mother becomes annoying, if not downright hateful, as do other minor characters. I even felt that Georgie herself was borderline hateful in her attitude towards her inept maid. I realize that the '30s were a different time, but Georgie comes across as not likeable in several scenes. Also, her relationship with Darcy O'Mara is becoming tiresome with the lack of romance, as well as his and her inability to plan for the future. In short, I love this series, but perhaps it's time to think a bit more about Georgie becoming more of a modern girl, for her time.
3023991
It is probably best to read the previous books.  But not necessary.  This was a somewhat weird book.  An 800 year old man travels from the 24th century back to the second century.  He is supposed to be looking for info on The original Atlantis.  That thread is never really pursued in this book.

Instead the book focuses on this time traveler's instant love/lust for what he believes to be a 14 year old former African slave boy that is living on the streets of Alexandria in the 2nd century.  In the end it isn't quite as bad as it sounds.

The problem is the formula hasn't changed from the last book.  The focus is on the instant love/lust, sex, angst and misunderstandings (she doesn't really love me; he doesn't really love me; oh we really do love each other; happy ending).
3330342
Review by Cassandra from Book Talk

My Thoughts
This book didn't go along like I thought it would. It's still a good book but not as good as the last two. This book starts before Noelle or Ava became A.I.R. agents. It starts when they first arrive at A.I.R. training camp. We learn that Noelle and Hector's relationship started long before she became an agent yet has still gone nowhere. Noelle is still her funny and vicious self but we also get to see another side of her. She has her own vulnerable side and a horrible past that has shaped her into the person she is today. Hector has his own brutal past that still haunts him plus an ability that is dangerous to everyone around him. Noelle is determined to make Hector her own, yet he constantly resists her and pushes her away due to his fear of hurting her. Hector's strength is put to the test when he is partnered with Noelle on an A.I.R. case. He knows he has to keep his distance from her for her own safety but he also has another reason. His relationship with Noelle may end up killing his best friend and fellow agent, Dallas. The only problem is they don't know whether his acceptance or denial of a relationship with Noelle will be Dallas's destruction. With the threat of this best friend's life plus the harm he could cause Noelle himself, Hector is determined to push her out of his life piece by piece. Will the bad guys let him though? I have few problems with this book but for me they are big. The funny banter I came to expect from Noelle is still there but sparingly, it was also one of the reasons I liked her so much. I also became frustrated with Hector for his constant confusion and his yo-yoing of his relationship with Noelle. My biggest issue is that this is the last Alien Huntress book. There are many answers we are still missing and there seems to be no help in sight. This is still a good series by Gena and it is one of my recommended reads. Warning: adult content and violence.
50357
I just finished reading this in its unabridged audiobook format on my way to and from work. First, I must disagree with a previous review that stated this book stands on its own.  I didn't realize this was book three in an ongoing series and found it a little rough going.  Alanna had obviously been through a lot before this book and I continually felt like I had missed out on big important chunks of her past (especially her past relationships with others) and her knighthood.
In this book Alanna is a knight in a world where most tribes believe woman aren't meant to be a warrior (and how she became a knight? well, I still have no clue).  The story begins as Alanna, along with her feline friend (whom she can communicate with) and her man-at-arms are attacked by Hillmen.  Following the battle (of which Alanna and her crew are victorious) Alanna is forced to stay with the desert Bazhir tribe where her troubles begin in earnest. The local Shaman does not want Alanna around and causes her no end of trouble.  Eventually a battle leads to Alanna's new position as Shaman of the tribe and her days are spent tutoring three gifted youngsters, two of them girls (much to the tribe's dismay) in the ways of magic.
Further complicating things is her relationship (which is surprisingly sexual, though not explicit, for a book marked 7-9 grade!) with Prince Jon.  She sleeps with him nightly but as she spends more time with him comes to realize that he's a bit too spoiled (boy, is he ever!) and that she's not quite ready for the marriage he wants.  She's also most definitely not ready to birth him a few babies just yet!  Prince Jon is not pleased when she voices her opinion on their future together.  Soon after Alanna meets up with yet another romantic interest George, the King of Thieves, who I guess is an old pal who becomes oh-so-much more.  Finally, there's some trouble with Alanna's twin Thom who seems to be swaying over to the "darker side" of magic.
This is an okay book, as Pierce is a skilled world-builder, but I felt at a loss through the majority of the story and things didn't get moving until midway through.  I also never felt a connection to any of the many characters which is a shame because I typically enjoy this author's people and their humorous insights (Trickster's Choice & Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book are two I enjoyed thoroughly).  The Woman Who Rides Like A Man is very much a "middle of the series" type of book and should not be read independently of the others in this series.
650383
3.75/5 Stars

This book begins right where the last book ended. J.C. Morrows comments at the beginning that she tries to write these as standalone books-however, I feel that one should just read them in order.

Kayden is an assassin sent to kill Prince Dvarius-however, she finds that she has fallen for him and vice versa. This novel was the continuation of their love story, and how she would tell Dvarius who she really is.

The book is a rather quick read. The most aggravating part of this book was the first half. The author reiterated in several different ways how the prince finds out what is wrong with Kayden. First it mentions how she was put into an induced coma, then it mentions her injuries and that the doctor decided her treatment, then it tells you how he found out about that while esplaining all her injuries and such again. It seemed like it was just trying to fill a word count.

After Kayden finally wakes up, the book really starts progressing. We get to see a new character develop while also seeing how Kayden's and Dvarius's relationship grows. I have to say, it's rather entertaining reading the sexual tension between the two. J.C. Morrows tries to stick to the Christian YA aspect by (not so subtly) wording their kisses and actions in a way that younger readers would not interpret as sexual. However, it was quite obvious (from an adult standpoint) that she was showing readers that they have sexual desires for each other.
3623778
This is the last entry in Fresina's series which takes place in the 1500s, with Elizabeth I on the throne.  It's actually my favorite of the three, with its "Taming of the Shrew" theme and William Shakespeare as a secondary character but I'm sticking with a 3.5 rating for the whole series.

What we have in all three is a Failure to Communicate.  In the first two the H and h are not even quite aware of each other's real identities and who their families are, and the misunderstandings go on far too long, IMO.  These stories would have been better as novellas, with some good editing to keep the plot from being so repetitive and slow-moving.

All can be read as standalones but the first one,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Seducing-the-Beast-Taming-the-Tudor-Male-in-Three-Easy-Lessons-Book-1/dp/B00HK1BLM8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Seducing the Beast (Taming the Tudor Male in Three Easy Lessons Book 1)</a>, has a Maddie Carver and the Earl of Swafford as h and H, the second (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Once-A-Rogue-How-to-Tame-the-Tudor-Male-in-Three-Easy-Lessons-Book-2/dp/B00HSDS7B6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Once A Rogue (How to Tame the Tudor Male in Three Easy Lessons Book 2)</a>) features Maddie's brother and the sister of the earl's bodyguard, while this particular one has as h the daughter of Maddie and the earl and as H the earl's bodyguard.  It's fun to read them all in order and connect with old characters in the new books.

So why the 3-star rating when I'm a huge Fresina fan?  Mostly because, as said, of the excessively drawn-out plots.  The extension of pages did not make for a superior read.  A judicious editing would have improved the flow.

BTW, if you've only read Fresina's Regency HRs, such as&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Once-Upon-a-Kiss-Book-Club-Belles-Society-1/dp/B00IJEVNQY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Once Upon a Kiss (Book Club Belles Society 1)</a>, you need to know that these Tudor stories are much heavier on the sex between H and h.  Lots of pages of physical interaction.  I'm not that fond of too much sex in my romances but I did not find it a turn-off here, nor did it seem excessively gratuitous.
3342334
I have read every one of these books and while this one was better than many of the recent ones, it was not the addicting funny story we used to get in this series. It was not bad, it was just not good, it was poor in comparison to those first 5-6 books in the series.  I will keep reading since there are some unfinished things that I want to see how it plays out but the humor and romance was pretty much missing.  I think the problem is that it was a pretty good "adventure" type book but that is NOT why we buy this series, we want that humor and quirky romance.  It was not here sadly

The couple of Sarita and Domitian was good but the romance was almost missing I felt.  The story was told with glacial slowness I felt and if I did not love this series so much I may not have finished it at one point BUT it does end up pretty nicely if rushed in comparison to the rest of the book.

Bottom Line:  The story kept your attention for most but not all of the book.  The mad scientist thing is really old but done well enough.  The humor and romance that used to be the mark of this series was almost nonexistent.  I started to give it 4 Stars but dropped it to 3 after considering all the things that we did not get to see in this book.  3 almost 4 Stars.
2496319
I have enjoyed the Hell's Eight series, and looked forward to reading this latest installment.  The principal characters were all introduced in earlier books, and the first pages of this book were promising.  Then Caden, who keeps announcing that he never breaks his word, breaks his word throughout the book.  It is confusing to me, never mind how it affects Maddie.  Speaking of Maddie, I am still unclear about where her fantasy world controls her and where she controls it; I'm not convinced the author knows.  I understand her difficult and abusive background, but her actions, inactions, thoughts, and lack of thought do not make a cohesive character to me.  The fact that no one ever explains how they feel allows all the misunderstandings to form some kind of plot, but the characters remain so confusingly underdeveloped that the eventual happily-ever-after simply fueled my final, "Huh?"

If I had never read the other books in the series, I would have rated this lower than three stars.  The glimmers of familiarity from the other books kept reminding me that I was reading Ms. McCarty, whether this one measured up or not!
1000718
3.25 Stars

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I LOVE this series and I LOVE Ty and Zane. I think they are amazing together and I have thoroughly enjoyed their journey. And I even enjoyed this book, though I don't think it came close to the last two in quality. I hate to give this book 3.25 stars, but I feel I must, for a couple reasons.

1) The serious lack of Ty and Zane sexytimes. Seriously -- there was one complete scene (that would have been better without Nick & Kelly in the next room) and one potentially hot, but interrupted oral scene. These two normally go at it like bunnies and after being apart for 6 months, you'd think they would have some catching up to do.

2) And this is the biggest reason, really.  The murder mystery on the island was disjointed and more than a little far fetched. It felt hurried, kept changing directions and made very little sense - especially the part where they figured it out and resolved it.

As others have mentioned, this didn't really feel like a Cut & Run novel. It felt more Sidewinder. That isn't a deal breaker for me, as I enjoy both, but I would have preferred Ty and Zane be more prominent in the story, since it is their series after all. Nick was stealing too much story time when it came to the suspense parts of the plot.

All that said, there was plenty that I did really like. I liked that the secrets that Ty had been keeping that were revealed in NOLA affected Nick and that they had some serious stuff to work out. Trust is a huge thing, especially for these guys, so that was good. I loved that Ty chose Zane over the Bureau. That was beautifully done. I loved that Ty kept proposing to Zane and that he kept saying no. The advice that Nick gave Ty regarding that was spot on. And I really loved how the book ended. It gives me hope.
4052290
I have stayed true to this series continuation but something about this book just felt off.  Perhaps the series is getting just a bit too convoluted.  Yes, convoluted kind of sums it up.  I'm sticking around for a least one more and hopefully it will pick back up.
65571
Personally I found the last couple of books that focus on Fiona, Xhinna, and the others have gotten a bit weird (notably Dragongirl, Dragon's Time, and Sky Dragons).  Anne always talked about how how the Dragonriders tend to be more polyamorous and yet her characters would always end up in monogamous committed relationships- if that ever bothered you, then you might enjoy these books because most of the main characters are involved in multiple relationships.  Personally I wasn't really a fan of the group love type of relationships.

This one is kind of interesting because it focuses on a bisexual (or lesbian) rider that rides a male blue dragon (she is mainly paired with a woman that rides a green dragon).  But the novel drags on a bit and the focus is a bit more domestic (raising a Weyr, trying to find a place for dragons to have eggs, etc) that I found it a bit boring since there was almost no action.  I wouldn't really recommend this novel to people.
3818580
2.5/3 Stars

I basically could read about the Merrick brothers all day long. ;) However, the focal point of this one is Hunter, who is a fifth (deals with all five elements) and a frienemy of the Merricks. It also is the story of Kate who is somewhat in a similar situation.

Hunter isn't my favorite character and either is Kate. Hunter is a very interesting character and I liked him. I just wish that he would have figured things out, picked a side, and stuck with it. He is dealing with a lot and is definitely lost, but I felt like he owed the Merricks a lot more than he gave them in some parts. Kate was super aggressive and not necessarily wise. I thought she would have been just a little bit better prepared. She is fierce and willing to do what she can, even sacrificing for what she believes in. Having said all that, I still liked their relationship. There is a lot of give and take and trust issues, but under the circumstances it played out well.

The plot was extremely active. The Merricks are being targeted from more than just one direction and there is a lot more at stake than there was in Storm. Each of the brothers are dating someone and then you have other family involved as well as Hunter. There are also some surprises and, again, I didn't know exactly what was going on and who was going to make it to the end.

This one didn't rate as high as the other books because of the content, but also because I didn't like the two main characters as much either. I'm hoping the next book in the series will be better.

Content: Some consistent language, heavy making out, and some sexual content (which I really could have done without).
4310251
The latest in Sara Bennett's Husband Hunter Club, Wicked Earl Seeks Proper Heiress is not her greatest in the series.  It's not a terrible novel but there is something lacking in this story, it's a combination of chemistry between the leads and character development.

Rufus Blainey, the Earl of Southbrook (admittedly I was not overly fond of the name Rufus) has inherited a Castle with no money thanks to his spendthrift family.  He and his son and eccentric uncle are all that is left of the family.  Rufus's uncle encourages him to marry for money since it seems to be the only solution to their problems.

Heiress Lady Averill Martindale, has always been fascinated by Rufus and when he comes to her rescue in a gaming Hell she is even more infatuated with the Earl.  Averill though feels she cannot marry until she locates her half sister and her search leads to nefarious places.  Rufus, who is good at finding people, agrees to assist her in this endeavor.

At first the leads are busy in the search for Averill's sister and investigating some problems at the home Averill sponsors for prostitutes.  Rufus truly likes Averill and is rightfully worried for her safety.  Their conversations are centered around the home and her sister for a goodly portion of this book.

It isn't until the middle portion of this story that the leads discuss more personal issues.  Rufus has a sweet son and he is well liked by Averill.  Rufus supposedly has a reputation as a wicked aristocrat but it is never evident in this story, never.  This is a considerate, thoughtful and overall upstanding citizen who worries about what people think of him.  I just never bought that this man was in any way wicked.  He wrestles with his conscious (should he tell Averill that he needs her money or keep quiet)?  These are not the musings of a rake.

Averill is stubborn and brave, this combination can make her impetuous and this occurs a few times in the story.  She is very loyal to family.  She is one of those heroines who is nice but not outstanding. Averill spends much of her time thinking Rufus is the one for her but takes a long time to act on her feelings.

I felt this couple had a great friendship but the romance was a little too uneven, kind of like a car that gets revved up only to stall a little later.  The leads second guess themselves too much and this dampened their chemistry.  I did not feel any overwhelming passion existed between them.
806232
2.5 not a 3.0 star Cons. More shopping, sleeping,eating,  crying and buying gifts. That is mostly what she does. Two we as readers see a more in-depth relationship with males who are not her mates then the males she married. Which brings me to those relationships. Many of the males you  will hope is one of her mates are  only there for you to meet so they can marry someone else. Three skimmers, the author tells you more than shows you. It's more the case of be on the surface area of something great be not being able to touch it. Which lets me know of the author's inexperience but the second book is better than the last. I hate weak crybaby women. I know I know she is pregnant but still stop it it's not cute which shows your age. Pros. It's a great storyline which is why I will read the next but if there is a continuous process of no improvement I'm done with the series. PS. The author sure rewrite the series. Show me more of her life before stop telling me over and over again. Describe the people on the planet's and how they like and behave not a conversation. If something is new show me in dept with words. Feeling is what your are missing explain it to the reader because we does see their body language. Stop changing name with Nick names on people NOT the main characters and leave out characters not important to the relationship between the main characters ( confusion). I don't need to know a bout a marriage or person if they are not continually in the storyline. Stop bring them up. Those words are junk lines to fill up the page no use. Focus on the main characters that's it.
1059881
I think it has a good plot but it moves somewhat slowly at the beginning . Also, if you have not read the first book in the series, you will be lost (as I am).  I am somewhat surprised because most authors, when writing a series, will find a way to help readers know the characters and how they relate to each other from the prior book(s).  This book assumes that you've already read the first book and that you already understand the relationships and history of the characters.  As a result, it is a bit hard to follow or understand the connections.
1627779
3.5 stars. This was a hard book to review because a) I liked the story and enjoyed reading it, and b) I had real difficulty with the behavior of the hero. When an author sets up the conflict of a book and it is the main issue of the story she must make readers genuinely believe that the conflict is real and serious. In this story our hero, Simon, has loved his best friend's sister, Meg, for years. She is also in love with him. So what's the problem? Her brother, in an effort to be super responsible, arranged for her to marry another one of their friends. When Simon and Meg are found in a compromising position (nothing happened) they are forced to wed. Sounds like a great solution, right? No! Simon feels so guilty about the change in circumstances that he just can't move forward with Meg. The reader is not given a great deal of insight into Simon's self-torture. It is not until the end of the book that I really understood what was bothering him. Plus, there was quite a bit of ruminating going on for large portions of the story. It was a likable book and a nice next installment in the series, but these issues really bothered me.

Review provided after reading ARC.