Another good installment in the Night Prowler series
581081
Not sure why but the previous installment, Rapture's Edge, disappointed me. Up until then I had been eagerly following the world Ms. Geissinger created with the Ikati. This novel however hooked me back in. I loved everything about Christian and how he was both drawn to and unsure of Ember. I also enjoyed the plotline of Ember's personal story. A good addition to a wonderful series.
4780455
Jaz and Vayl are trying to enjoy a little alone time (with a sexy game of hide and seek) when an assassin strikes at their doorstep. Jaz's "kill first ask questions later" technique is superseded by some surprise information from Cassandra and Raoul. However the assassin is not the last surprise that Jaz and Vayl receive as the team gathers together one more time to help Jaz save the day - and herself.

This book is the eighth and last of the Jaz Parks series, due to Rardin's untimely death last year. Luckily for fans it gives an tidy ending to Jaz and her group and answers a lot of the questions that have been asked through the series. There is no let down in the action as Jaz, Vayl, Bergman, Cassandra, Cole, Dave and even Raoul gather together to take on demons and ghosts, along with a wedding, a baby, and a few family members in between. Rardin delivers a strong story and balances the fights and mayhem with a lot of humor.

I have enjoyed all the books in this series and am sorry to see its end. These books definitely build on each other and there is little backstory given so readers will want to start at the beginning with Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Urban fantasy enthusiasts who like a sharp and funny heroine that knows how to kick some butt will enjoy this series.
602734
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book picks up in the same world as the previous ones, where the Para Unit has tasked Connor with protecting their latest oddity - Chloe, the woman who can't die.  There was a lot of action, some animal attraction, and more insider information on the Para Unit itself.

Chloe is on a mission to escape her life in prison.  She traded her father (well, ok, she killed him in a blaze of phoenix-like rage) and his prison-like existence for one that is controlled by the Para Unit, in the form of one overprotective werewolf named Connor.  Her werewolf scent has ramped up since her first death scene and now she's attracting all kinds of wrong attention.  Fortunately for her, Connor seems mostly immune to her scent, but not so immune to falling for her the old fashioned way.  They play this little cat and mouse game for a little bit, but there is a bigger story at play.  Turns out the man that Chloe's father was working with had a second in command who is working to steal Chloe away as his.

This book read really quickly because of the amount of action jammed into a very short amount of time.  We get to see all the previous stars, watch them all kick some butt, and end up with a nice HEA.  There are breadcrumbs leading to the next story where we hopefully get all our answers about Mr. Grumpy Para Unit Leader.  All in all, this series is relatively light and quick to read, making a good match to all paranormal romance fans.
1598047
Embrace the Darkness is the second book in the Guardians of Eternity series. Following the events in When Darkness Comes (Book 1), Viper (chief of a vampire clan) buys the Lady Shay (last of the Shalott demons, though technically she's half human) at auction. This annoys her more than a little as in the previous book she did save his life. Though Viper's motives may appear nefarious, he actually wants to protect Shay. However, unknown to both of them, she's actually in a lot more danger than they suspect. To survive, they'll not only have to depend on each other, but also their friends - both old and new.

I have a problem with this book, it was just so nice. Too nice. The bad guys were bad (or misunderstood), the good guys were good. It was well written. There were nice (there's that word again) comic touches from Levet, the heroine's gargoyle companion. But I don't think it's quite for me. I'm finding I prefer urban fantasy with its darker undertones, over paranormal romance.

Having said that, Shay and Viper have some strong dialogue and a great chemistry. I found Viper to be the more well-rounded character of the two, Shay was not quite so interesting. Levet is a little gargoyle with a big heart. He works as both a sidekick and a conscience and has some of the best lines.

There are some inconsistencies in the plot, or maybe I didn't pick up on all the subtleties. Specifically relating to Shay's curse. There's also a tendency to pull back from things, for example when Viper talks about the time before he was a clan chief how terrible things were for him. Shay questions him, but he just says - 'you don't want to know'. Also about the powers of each vampire clan chief - it's confidential. I'll make allowances for this once in a story, but more than that and it starts to annoy.

Alexandra Ivy does know how to keep her readers interested. New vampires are introduced here - Styx and Santiago. And there's mention of a 'young and fierce werewolf'. She puts in just enough to keep you interested in where the story is going. I also like that she makes the bad guy a little more three dimensional than your standard evil overlord. We get a glimpse of the hero he might have been in the past.

It's a nice story, well written with engaging moments. Slightly too light for me. The humour, and chemistry between the characters lifts it above a lot of the other paranormal romance out there. Recommended for fans of Jacquelyn Frank and Alyssa Day.

Book 1 - When Darkness Comes (available)
Book 3 - Darkness Everlasting (May 2008)
1354190
Always good to catch up with Nick Lupo, homicide detective & werewolf. I liked the previous books and this was a good, quick read.
Since some elements in this book harken back to previous books, you might want to start there if you are new to the Nick Lupo series.
Good addition to a very good series.
2403891
If you like this series, I think you will enjoy this one.  It pretty much followed the direction the author hinted at in the previous books with the H realizing the h is his mate, but not wanting to pursue her for a couple of reasons. There was a ton of action in this one, and I really liked the way the h was able to handle herself in these situations.  I think it would have been a 5 star read for me if the h would have made the H work for it--just a little--after the way he hurt her.  I'm all for "fated mates" and I REALLY need my HEA, but a little "I'm sorry, I've been a jerk" from the H after getting a cold shoulder (for longer than 5 minutes) would have really made the book for me.  I did enjoy the interaction win the secondary characters we met throughout the series.  It's ok as a standalone, but the reader really benefits from reading the previous books to fully get the story.  Nice set up for the next installment.
2726154
Mandy Harbin has written another exciting book in her Bang Shift series. Hunter is tasked with protecting his sister's best friend from her stalker ex-boyfriend. But of course there is more to the story than just the boyfriend. Throw in some bad men from Hunter's past and some other surprises, and you get a story worthy of the 4 hours or so it took me to read. Hunter's one of those bad boys that feels that love will ever happen to him, and even if it did he would deny it's existence and live his life alone due to his past. It was a well written story with very few typos that always distract from the flow of a good book. Hunter works with other bad boys whose characters and personalities add to the series as a whole. If you like men who are mush when it comes to their women, you will like Hunter, as well as the rest of the series.

I did feel the ending came a little too fast and that the author could have fleshed out the book to be even more enjoyable by giving us more after Maya was kidnapped. It just all seemed to be wrapped up too quickly. Everything was explained but it could have had lots more details.

 I also read Brody, the first in the series, and can't wait for all the boys to have their own stories. Was hoping for Roc next but it seems Blade and Anna will be the lucky characters to get their story told next. Keep writing Ms. Harbin, waiting is very hard!

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4632184
I thoroughly enjoyed the latest book in Jeaniene's Night Huntress series. What I really liked was the growth of the characters: personal growth on Cat's part, and the growth she shares with Bones in their relationship. Hats off to the author for her consistently entertaining writing. I'm a fan of other writers of this genre, but usually each book is about a new couple (not that that's a bad thing), so the arc of the relationship is basically the same. I think it takes some fancy footwork to produce a romantic couple - hero and heroine - who are both strong and wonderful, and are featured in each new story. It hasn't gotten old!

Many characters we've met before are very involved in this book. Vlad Tepesh always cracks me up! Great story. I'm very pleased, and am looking forward to the next book to be issued later this year. For now, I'm going to re-read books 1-4 just because they are so darn good! :)
2904604
I had been waiting for the next book in the series for months, and was not disappointed.  Picking up quickly where the last book left off, you can feel the tension mounting.  I stayed up way too late to finish this book because every time I thought I would get to a good place to stop for the night...yeah right.  So I finished it in one evening.
We are rewarded in this book with some new characters, new mysteries, and a lot of action.  The characters seem to come alive and it is easy to see this becoming a long lasting series of books.  Glad to see some movement in some of the personal stories.  Cannot wait for the next book!
2241404
I've enjoyed this series by Kendra Elliott.  Didn't realize this was the last one.  Hope the author will continue it.  The main characters, Callahan and McLane are an FBI/cop combo.  Their relationship is often complicated but it adds dynamics to the book.  This time they are looking for cop killers.  Good story.  Didn't want to put it down.  If you want to know their relationship start with book # 1 but you can pick it up in any of the books.
2650432
Vane Kattalakis is a Were Hunter with no pack. Bride McTierney is a normal human being. In this installment of the Dark Hunter series, Kenyon gives us a better understanding of the Katagaria and Arcadian worlds.

I enjoyed this novel, as I have the other Were novels. I thought the plot was well crafted and the action paced well. The supporting characters have a depth themselves, especially if you've read the other books in the series.

Bride is a a sensible heroine and I appreciated her size. Vane is a lovable sort of hero and despite him being described as feral and dangerous on numerous occasions I had trouble seeing him as anything else than a big, loving puppy.

I enjoyed their story and look forward to reading Fury's, which I hope Kenyon will write soon.
830582
So glad to be back in The Dark Protectors world!!! This was a good book. Not my favorite one out of all the Dark Protectors series but an enjoyable read none the less. There is a lot of new information and new characters to learn about. I feel like this book is basically setting the scene for future books. I have a feeling this arc of the series is going to just better and better as we go along. Can't wait for the second book and more of Garret and Logan!
4620445
Darkness Unleashed is book five in this series about eternal guardians, vampire warriors who lurk in the shadows, keeping law and order even though they walk a fine line themselves. The latest guardian in this tale is Jagr, a former Visigoth chief turned recluse who prefers to have no ties to anyone, but in order to stay alive and have protection if there is a need, has joined forces with Viper, the powerful vampire clan chief of the Chicago clan. Viper calls on Jagr to do a special deed for Styx, an Aztec who is the current king of the vampires. His mate Darcy has a sister who is missing and must be found before it is too late. Darcy's sister, Regan Garrett, has been freed after thirty years of being imprisoned and tortured by a greedy and selfish imp. Regan and Darcy are non-shifting pureblood werewolves who have been genetically altered and never knew of one another, including their two other sisters because they were stolen from their werewolf clan when they were very small. Regan has gone off to kill the imp that held her captive for so long and her actions could get her killed. Jagr is the only one Styx trusts to track her down and bring her back so she can be under his protection. Jagr is less than thrilled with this obligation but has no choice because it would be foolish for him to anger his new liege.

What Jagr doesn't know is that Regan is being hunted by a band of rogue Curs, werewolf type creatures who kill without any regards to the consequences. Jagr must find Regan before she can come to harm. Also, Salvatore Giuliani the current king of the weres, wants Regan safe because she was once meant to be his mate. Jagr won't let any man or creature near Regan unless it's him. The moment Jagr meets Regan, he knows she is special even though she pushes all his buttons. He would love nothing more to hold her close and hide her away in his lair, not only for safe keeping but as his lover who can break through his icy heart and shields he has placed around himself.

Darkness Unleashed is a typical paranormal series with supernatural creatures, action packed fighting scenes and two main characters who have a great amount of issues to deal with before they can find their happily ever after together. I wish I could say that Jagr and Regan really impressed me, but unfortunately I found their personalities and dialogue flat. These two are very much like every other paranormal romance couple I've read before in the past. Jagr is written in such a way where he should be dark, brooding and sexy, as well as a he-man type warrior. I found him to be whiny and very one-dimensional. Regan didn't fair much better and her reasons for things, as well as placing herself in danger for no reason grated on my nerves. These two banter back and forth, which should be a nice form of foreplay, but came across as very weak and didn't interest me in the least. And when these two come together and have sex there was more fizzle than sizzle.

The villains in Darkness Unleashed are very comical and almost eye rolling. Their actions and reasons for certain things didn't make sense either. I really couldn't understand their motivations.

Fans of this series by Alexandra Ivy will probably be interested in the somewhat boring and tedious adventures of Jagr and Regan. When reading a book like this makes you want to stop finishing before the end, perhaps it's a sign of series fatigue and things should be wrapped up sooner than later.

Katiebabs
1316570
Over the last week, I read the Sunset Vampire Series off and on, though I did not review either of the first two books.

The series surprised me at first. Normally, urban fantasy is written in First Person Point-of-View and does not feature a normal-ish human male. But neither detracted from the story in the least.

I enjoyed the story between the normal Caleb and the vampire Kat. It's an unusual pairing, but it works.

My only complaint on the series at all, though this goes for the first two books more than the last, is that Caleb feels too inferior when compared to the girls of the series. I like tough chicks in urban fantasy just as much as the next guy, but I've always been a fan of pairs that are more equal.

Apart from that, the series has a good flow and the author is progressively getting better at writing each book.

I eagerly await the next installment in this series.
3706486
This is the first book of the Nightside novels by Simon Green. I think as of now there are 12 planned books for this series. The most recent book is book 7 "Hell to Pay".

I read somewhere that this is Simon Green's homage to the detective stories of old. I suppose that is a good description of this book but with a lot of twists.

The main character John Taylor is a finder, he can find things, anything. When Joanna Barett shows up requesting that John help find her daughter Catharine, John accepts the job. The only twist is that rumors are Catharine has been seen in the Nightside; the twisted evil center of London. John fled from the Nightside 5 years ago to save his own life. For some reason though the return back there feels like home to John.

This book was a fun and quick read. I liked the character of John Taylor; he has a lot of depth and some interesting abilities. There is a lot of history hinted at in John's past that will make some interesting fodder as the series continues. The descriptions of Nightside are very dark and horror-like. I would classify this book maybe more as a horror novel; although it still is part of the alternate reality fantasy genre. Some parts of this book reminded me of the Sonya Blue series; although this book wasn't quite as vicious as those books were.

There was a ton of well written action, some fun twists and surprises. This book is not for the faint of heart though as all the gore in the action scenes is visited in ...well...gory detail.

My only complaints with this book would be that 1)It was a really short book and 2) sometimes descriptions got a bit wordy and kind of took over the story. Otherwise it was a great book and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
4946436
Those Who Hunt the Night was a fine introduction to the James Asher series. It suffered from the same problem which afflicts many first volumes in a series: the characters are not fully fleshed-out because the author intends to develop them over the course of subsequent volumes. I read Those Who Hunt the Night, and will be reading Traveling with the Dead, Blood Maidens, and Magistrates of Hell, in preparation for my NetGalley review of the upcoming Kindred of Darkness, so I will see whether Hambly succeeds in rounding out the characters of James, Lydia, and Don Simon.

Nevertheless, Hambly did an admirable job of sketching out James's and Lydia's relationship so that I was immediately invested in their safety. Lydia has the makings of a strong female character, not just James's sidekick, so I am hoping she has a larger role in his subsequent adventures. Hambly also provided enough teasers about Don Simon's past that I am looking forward to learning more about him, as well.

My only complaint was that it was hard to keep all of the various vampires straight, particularly when the London vampires started traveling to Paris. However, my confusion over their names did not prevent me from following the storyline and being surprised by the identity of the murderer.
3728830
Ok each book  in this series is longer than I like for night reading but I can't put it down.  I finished two overnight and wouldn't put three down til it was done.  Yikes. If I didn't HAVE to go somewhere, I'd read four before bedtime too.  Love the twists, complexity and insights of characters in this series.