One Cursed Rose (Grimm Bargain) by Rebecca Zanetti

 

Summary

Information is power, and those who control it live like gods.
In my world,
billionaires play deadly games of insult and influence where magic is the dirtiest weapon of all. Here, even a powerful princess can be swallowed by the darkest of shadows . . .

My name is Alana Beaumont, and due to a recent tragedy, I’m the sole heir to Aquarius Social, a family business being systematically dismantled by an unseen enemy. My father’s solution is to give me in marriage and create a coalition with a competing family, so I’m torn between my thirst for revenge and my duty. Now I just have a week to finish my hunt before the wedding.

There’s nothing like an assassination attempt to cut short the best of plans—even worse is my unwanted rescue by Thorn Beathach, the Beast whose social media empire is driving Aquarius under. The richest, most ruthless of them all, he protects his realm with an iron rule: no one sees his face. When he shows himself to me, I know he’ll never let me go.

Thorn may think he can lock me in his castle forever, but I’m not the docile Beauty he expects. If the Beast wants to tie me up, I’m going to take pleasure from every minute of it . . .and we’ll just see who ends up shackled.

 

Review

I didn’t know what to expect of this story, but I was open. I knew it was a spin on the Beauty and the Beast fairytale and was curious to see how this author would handle it.

This is a new series and she is off to a great start!

We’re in a world parallel to that of the Dark Protectors as a Kayrs is mentioned. In this world there are four powerhouse families that run social media, but no one (except them) know that likes, follows, hearts, etc grant these families literal power. Each family has a stone (diamond, garnet, aquamarine, etc) and popularity online generates power that feeds their family stones. These stones allow for the four families to amass wealth, health, and power. Each family has someone who feeds the stones and starts the process. The four families are competitors.

Thorn Beathach is the head of the family whose stone is garnet and is also the stone feeder for the family. Alana’s family stone is aquamarine and she is the stone feeder for her family. Unfortunately, her family has fallen to the bottom of the tier of four. Her father has plans for a merger to the Sokolov family through marriage of her and the youngest Sokolov heir. Little does anyone know that Alana is being watched and coveted by a mysterious man who has plans for her that do not include her marrying anyone but him.

I enjoyed this book wholeheartedly. There are multiple side stories running at the same time as the overall “love story” between Thorn and Alana. There is a mystery surrounding Alana’s childhood. There’s a mystery surrounding the recent death of Alana’s brother. And most importantly, there is a mystery surrounding Thorn Beathach and his beastly ways.

I will definitely continue with this new series of Zanetti’s.

 

*thanks to Netgalley for an ARC 

 

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Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles 1) by Ilona Andrews

 

 

 Summary

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

 

Review

I've been in a sort of reading slump and so I started diving into my tried and true author's catalogs for something I hadn't read.

Innkeeper Chronicles enters the picture.

I was introduced to the idea of magic, Innkeepers, vampires, werewolves, shifters, etc. Dina is the Innkeeper, a neutral entity that protects her inn and those inside of it. When neighborhood animals are dying to a creature, Dina must step out of her neutral position and help out. That is when she meets and teams up with Sean (the closest werewolf in the area). I didn't know what to expect, but I enjoyed the rapport between Dina, Sean, and the other characters in the book. I definitely enjoyed the author's take on vampires, their clans, the rules, etc. Who thinks to make vampires sensitive to coffee?! :)

Anyway if you love a good murder mystery with action, humor, and a budding attraction between two main characters - you'll love this.  

Leopard's Scar (Leopard 14) by Christine Feehan

 

The moment Meiling sees Gedeon she knows he’s a leopard shifter—just as she knows she can’t trust him. Meiling doesn’t take chances, life has taught her better than that. So why does she find herself rescuing this deadly, gorgeous man, when she knows she’d be better off leaving him to die?

Gedeon is used to women throwing themselves at him, not throwing his injured body over their beautiful, deceptively strong shoulders and carrying him to safety. He might be embarrassed, if he wasn’t so aroused by the very thought of this feisty lotus blossom.

As they strike up a working relationship that suits them both, Gedeon starts to rely on Meiling for just about everything. But when her hidden nature rises to the surface, the connection that links them shifts into an all-consuming desire. And neither will escape unmarked. . . .

 

Review

  I will start this review by saying that I absolutely love Feehan’s leopard series. Only one step behind the Ghostwalkers series. Some of this review may be a bit spoiler-ish so continue at your own risk.
I do have to be honest that there were a couple of things that bothered me about the story, but I do not know if these same things will still be valid once I reread the book for the second time.

1. Time jumps: There were at least three. Maybe more. Personally, this is more of a point of information and not so much a con. I am just pointing it out. It allows for more information and for the story to progress without tiring out the reader so I am okay with it, but I did notice them. I suppose I am sensitive to it because HBO’s House of the Dragon season one had a lot of them as well. The more material - the more time jumps.
2. Clarity of the abilities of the uber shifters: This idea that there were shifters with more specialized powers and were eradicated because of them is good. Early on we see that strength and speed are two of the most prominent abilities. (more so than a normal shifter). If I remember correctly we are told that there were communities of uber shifters, but there were three specific families that had more powers than the regular uber shifters. And so that made them targets. These three families that were destroyed were from Russia (Gedeon), China (Meiling), and North Korea.
It isn’t till the middle of the book that we are told that Meiling’s entrancing effect on leopards has more to do with her uber shifter genes than the usual effect of female leopards on male leopards. If you’re familiar with the series, you’ll recall that Evangeline had a calming effect on the Amurov leopards as well. I felt that could’ve been introduced a bit better. To piggyback off this at the tail end of the book we are told that these uber shifter groups can produce fire. Once again I felt like that could’ve been presented much better. It seemed very last minute and I remember saying to myself ‘wait what’.
3. The training status of Meiling: At the start of the book, I got the impression that Meiling was not trained and was a bit timid. [Her thought processes and such at the Venezuelan camp] Further on in the book as she is fully Gedeon’s partner we are given little nuggets of information that says she is faster and can handle herself to the point she could do damage to trained shifters like Timur and Joshua Tigre’s bodyguards. I truly was flabbergasted like – wait when did she get this type of training? How is this possible? As I think it through now – I suppose she is not trained per se but her uber shifter strength and speed puts her on level footing.

The following are pros, in my opinion, that helped me to appreciate the characters and the entire series more.
1. Friends before lovers: The fact that Gedeon and Lotus blossom (I love this nickname) were friends first. What started off as possible enemies led to these two characters having a great working relationship and then finally a good personal relationship. Gedeon noticed early on that Meiling would make the perfect partner. She was low-key, but had his same skillset (outside of killing people). They were both fixers.
2. Teaching shifters (male and female) about bonding: I loved that this book incorporated multiple fixer cases and that one of them allowed some of our favorite male shifters to see that the way that shifter culture is very much one-sided. The males fool around extensively and are not honest about the distinction between sleeping around with shifter women without the intent to mate and sleeping with shifter women with the intent to mate. This case made it clear that the leaders of the lairs (Joshua, Drake, etc) needed to have conversations [and teaching moments] with their male members about transparency with sexual partners (human or shifter) and with their female members about true mates and how it really works. The general idea is that transparency and education needed to make its way through the lairs to protect all members – male and female.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it and the entire series to anyone. The sexual interactions are steamy and a bit rough, but that goes part and parcel with the animalistic nature of these people. They are not human. They have animal counterparts. The relationship development between Gedeon and Meiling was smooth and easy to follow. I didn’t find the story predictable and I always enjoy when previous characters make a cameo in the current story. Nine out of ten, A-, do recommend.

 

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Shadow Music (Highland Lairds #3) by Julie Garwood

 

Summary:

For Princess Gabrielle of St. Biel, Scotland is a land of stunning vistas, wild chieftains, treacherous glens, and steep shadows--skullduggery, betrayal, and now murder. Prized for her exquisite beauty, the daughter of one of England's most influential barons, Gabrielle is also a perfect bargaining chip for a king who needs peace in the Highlands: King John has arranged Gabrielle's marriage to a good and gentle laird. But this marriage will never take place.

For Gabrielle, everything changes in one last burst of freedom--when she and her guards come upon a scene of unimaginable cruelty. With one shot from her bow and arrow, Gabrielle takes a life, saves a life, and begins a war.

Within days, the Highlands are aflame with passions as a battle royal flares between enemies old and new. Having come to Scotland to be married, Gabrielle is instead entangled in Highland intrigue. For two sadistic noblemen, underestimating Gabrielle's bravery and prowess may prove fatal. But thanks to a secret Gabrielle possesses, Colm MacHugh, the most feared man in Scotland, finds a new cause for courage. Under his penetrating gaze, neither Gabrielle's body nor heart is safe.

Review:

I am such fan of this author's romance books! When I was a little young one in the romance fiction game, she was one of the first authors I read. I love her romance books! I love them so much that I reread all of her romance fiction yearly. I was making my way through the Highland lairds when I noticed Amazon was pointing me towards a book called Shadow Music. Long story short - I cannot believe this book has been out for so long and I never knew about it. Utter shock!

I grabbed it and it did not disappoint. I was able to revisit characters that I love i.e. Broderick, Ramsay, the Maitlands, etc. We are introduced to Princess Gabrielle and all of the greedy Englishmen that are lusting after her and her kingdom's treasure. We are also introduced to Laird MacHugh who is an ally of the Sinclairs, Maitlands, and Buchanans. By fate (more likely the machinations of a greedy king and his barons) - Gabrielle ends up finding sanctuary with Laird Colm MacHugh. Colm, alongside Gabrielle's cousin by marriage Broderick Buchanan, are searching for enemies of the MacHugh clan and happen to witness Gabrielle being mistreated. They rescue her and decide the best way to protect her is for Colm to marry her.

This book is more than just a story about a Princess and her interactions with a greedy England. The author finds a way to spin a tale about a monarch guarding the secret of her once rich nation, a strong Laird bent on avenging his brother, a greedy lustful King John, two obsessed English barons, and sprinkling in prior characters with a nice love story. Sad it took me so long to read it, but glad I did.

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Wild Lover (Magical Lovers 3) by Michelle Howard

Summary:

Danger threatens...
Christine Jones never imagined that becoming connected with the paranorm world would bring danger to her doorstep. But with her best friend married to a warlock, his enemies have now targeted her as an easy means to strike against him.
Hope found...
Ben Griffin never thought he’d find his mate. Centuries had gone by and he’d resigned himself to a lonely future. Nothing could have prepared him for someone like Chrissy Jones. His boss’ enemies think they can get to him by using her? That’s not going to happen.
One night...
Can a one night stand lead to a love everlasting?

Review:

I'm going to be honest and say that I read this series out of order. I started with book 3 and I am definitely going back to read the first two.

I will say that it was not difficult to follow the story even though I was unfamiliar with some of the characters mentioned. In fact, it only whetted my appetite for more. I thought I had a good idea of where the story line was going, but I am happy to say that as the story moved along I didn't. It is the nature of the romance fiction beast to most often be able to predict the path a book will take. The interesting part is, of course, the journey. 

In this book, those familiar with the characters, know that someone is out to get the warlock Drake who just so happens to be getting married to Christine's (main character) best friend.The night before the wedding Christine and Drake's bodyguard, Ben, have a fling. Ben disappears and at the wedding he acts as if he has no idea who Christine is. After a huge altercation between the two at the wedding, Christine becomes a target because of her relationship to Drake's wife. 

This book was so much better than I thought it would be. Its fast-paced and sexy, and definitely worth the read.

 

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Broken Skies (Dragon's Gift: The Storm #4) by Veronica Douglas and Linsey Hall

 

Broken Skies by Veronica Douglas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So now we come to the end of Neve and Damian's story.

Neve is now a full blown genie and her and Damian are still battling Matthias. We have Neve trying to resolve her missing parents, her new status as a full-blown genie, and figure out her and Damian's relationship.

Damian is a fallen angel with a (view spoiler)[ Firesoul nature (hide spoiler)] that makes it exceedingly difficult for him to be around Neva safely.

Matthias is out of control and is seeking the creation of a new plane with the help of enslaved genies and demons.

There are so many issues that Neve have to deal with as a couple and between themselves. Each issue had its own moment for resolution so that when the series finally ended - I was satisfied.

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Linsey Hall Shadow Guild Vampire Bride Series

 

Drakon and Mac. 

Let me say that I enjoyed this couple's story. I am not new to the writings of the Shadow Guild (Mac's friends Carrow, Eve, Seraphia, Beatrix, etc). I will say that you will appreciate these two characters more if you're 'familiar' with the stories of her friends; however, it's not necessary. 

This trilogy starts off completely different than other books in the Shadow Guild series. Book 1 (Bite Me) starts with Drakon accusing Mac of burying him alive and that he is there to exact revenge by killing her. Mac negotiates her life by selling her skills as a seer in order to help him locate a hidden treasure amongst a secret shadow group's Hunger games. Throughout this book Drakon and Mac are fighting for their lives (Mac twofold) while at the same time Mac is trying to discover who actually locked Drakon away.

Book 2 (Suck It) continues the story of the evil sorcerer Ludovic and the continuous threat of his next plot for power while trying to acquire Mac. The plot turns out to be attacking a mass of shifters and using their souls to fuel his power. It is now up to Mac and Drakon to help the shifters against their new foe. In the background lurks the truth of Drakon's immortality and its connection to Mac.

In Book 3 (Kiss Me), Drakon has turned to stone because of his connection to Mac. The relationship between the the two is complicated. Cue the angst. The truth of Mac's power and background are becoming clearer and clearer. With the help of witches, Drakon is returned to flesh for one week. So now Drakon and Mac must find a solution to the flesh to stone issue while still going after Ludovic while still trying to learn Mac's true history. Its a lot going down and oh so worth it. 

I can say that this series moves quickly. As the author presents questions  you do not have to wait long to get answers.The story arc's are fast-paced. Most of the three book ending's have a resolution wrapped up in a pretty bow and initially it was hard to deal with, but I dig it now. 

I give the entire series a B+ for enjoyment and yes I will be moving on to the next Linsey Hall series that I haven't read yet.

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