Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Moon-kissed : Within the Darkness by Amelia Hutchins


 Synopsis

Alexandria Helios is on a mission to find her brother. Landon disappeared on his quest to find the Sacred Library that holds the cure to the moon sickness affecting their people. There is one problem. Her journey will take her through the Kingdom of Night and directly into Torrin’s path as the head of the Night King’s army. He’s egotistical, sexy, sin incarnate, and everything she knows she shouldn’t want, but his whispered promise of dark desires awakens something deep within her that makes him hard to resist.
Torrin didn’t expect the lead assassin of the Moon Clan to walk into his trap. Alexandria has ignited something within him he thought was gone, and he knows he shouldn’t crave her, but he does. She’s a fire in a world of ice, bathed in blood and moonlight that calls to the darkness within him.
Secrets are unraveling as both are tossed into a ploy that neither is destined to survive. Can they find common ground and work together to defeat the darkness? Or will the world come crashing down around them as they tear each other apart?

 

 Review

 If you want tension, anger, sex, death, murder, sorrow, angst, hopelessness....it is all there in this book.

Alexandria and Torrin burnt up my pages. This is not your cookie cutter romance where the hero and heroine fight for their love - this is enemy vs enemy with sexual tension riddled all through it. Did I mention there's magic and a prophecy as well? 

If you've read this author's previous works then you know that there is a slow, taxing, painful burn between the main characters. At times they hate each other as much as they care for each other. At their core they are enemies and are constantly trying to outthink the other.

Just a warning - there isn't a HEA this is where you see Alexandria slowly morph into the bad ass that she is meant to be.

Friday, July 17, 2020

ARC: The Unseen by Thea Harrison (part 1 of 4 novellas)






Summary:

Saying goodbye to their old life in the Wyr demesne in New York may be hard, but Dragos and Pia are determined to create a new life in the Other land of Rhyacia.
At first, everything seems idyllic. Rhyacia is paradisiacal. Accompanied by old friends and new allies, the future looks safe and bright for Dragos, Pia, and baby Niall.
But strange things are happening beneath the picturesque façade. Items move unaccompanied, buildings collapse without justifiable cause, and even the most Powerful residents of Rhyacia can provide no logical explanation for the events transpiring. Whispered rumors point to something called the unseen.
As Dragos and Pia investigate, they uncover a greater mystery than they could have imagined, and they realize the startling truth…
They’re not alone in Rhyacia. The land Dragos had thought was uninhabited hides many secrets, a shocking history that’s not quite ready to be buried, and something more.
Something ancient, evil, and hungry. Something that wants to consume Dragos and take everything he holds dear.
Something that just may be powerful enough to overcome the dragon…

Review:

I think a lot of us forget that Pia is not even 30 years old yet nor have her and Dragos been mated even 5 years yet. Though, they are devoted to each other and have gone thru some heavy stuff they're relationship is still developing. As this story begins, Pia is coming to grips with another major chapter of her life ending as well another beginning. 

We also see nuances of Pia and Dragos's relationship as well as their interactions with other characters (sentinels and others). As the Unseen is  introduced we also get a glimpse into the growth that Pia's character has experienced and is experiencing. Dragos himself points it out. He follows it up with a gentle urging of allowing herself the room to be more of a leader and confident in her own skin.
 
Now enter the true idea of the Unseen. I knew going in that the book was going to end in a cliffhanger, but oh my goodness - did it ever. Dragos is gone now and Pia is in charge. My heart literally ceased to beat correctly as she laid out her directions to Graydon. It all became clear why the author chose to have Dragos give her such a pep talk. She would need it now as she is now the head Wyr in charge. She has to be confident in herself and trust her orders and choices as they all seek to get Dragos back. 
 
Rating: High and should be talked about
 
 
Wanna read it yourself?