Tag Archives: werewolves

Lion Her Ass Off: Blue Valley Shifters Book 2 by Sarah Marsh (Book Review)

Just like any other shifter, Julie always imagined meeting her mate and living happily ever after with the charming male of her dreams. Nothing could have prepared her for the shitstorm that was about to become her love life. With her luck though, shouldn’t she have expected it?

Hector has lived his life knowing that he’d become Alpha of Blue Valley one day. Turns out, acting like you always have it together and living it? Well, those are two very different things. He panicked when he first realized that his sister’s best friend was his mate, now he must rise to the occasion in hopes that he can salvage the rest of his life—but no pressure.

Deacon had no idea what fate had in store for him with a new start in Blue Valley, meeting his mate and her ‘plus one’ wasn’t it. These two are so mixed up in the past it seems almost impossible to make things right and move forward. Good thing he’s a professional.

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 


Julie, Deacon, and Hector had undeniable heat in Lion Her Ass Off. Their mating sessions were off the charts hawt. However, those scenes didn’t steal my breath like the exchange between Hector and Julie in Chapter Twelve

 

(Hector to Julie)   “…I don’t want to ever be the reason that you have to be strong. I want to be one of the reason why you are strong.”

If that doesn’t make your heart skip a beat, then I don’t know what will. 

Strong dialogue + strong chemistry +well-balanced characters + humor = a mighty, fine ass read with mighty, fine ass looking shifters. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score:  ❤❤❤❤1/2

 

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Sarah Marsh was born in British Columbia, she’s only recently began her writing career finding it the perfect outlet for taking the edge off a nine to five job. She’s a science fiction and romance junkie and when her imagination started to take the characters she’d read about even further in their adventures she decided to try writing something of her own.

Her biggest weaknesses are animals of any kind…she even loves the ones that wake you up at four in the morning because they can almost see the bottom of their food dish.

When it comes to life in general she’s a big believer that laughter is the best medicine and that there’s no such thing as too much love, which is why she’s such a sucker for a happy ending.

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Sights on Her: Shifter Clans Book 2 by Laura M. Baird (Book Showcase)

Hawk shifter, Brennon Underhill is on a mission to shut down rogue labs and take down those responsible for experimenting with humans and shifters. A startling connection ignites within him after one look at Mikki, the only survivor of horrific deeds, and he knows he’ll do anything to save her and make her his.

One moment Mikki Babineaux is celebrating with friends, the next she realizes she’s been kidnapped and put through torture. Her savior comes in the hulking form of a gorgeous stranger named Brennon who sparks decadent desires. But learning he’s a shifter, and she may now be one as well, throws her world into a tailspin.

Can they rise above the chaos to find love and balance with one another?

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Excerpt:

Brennon hooked the radio to his pants. He then raised his hand to the glass and flattened his palm to the window. The glass wasn’t any thin, two-pane panel that might be easily broken. It looked to be solid, nearly the same thickness as the door, at close to two inches. So what had caused the cracking? On the inside, no less. He looked to the woman with wonder, staring, beseeching her with his eyes to approach the glass again.

She looked at his hand, then his eyes, and took a hesitant step forward. Slowly, cautiously, she raised her hand but held it away from the glass.

“Come on, trust me,” Brennon whispered.

Her gaze locked with his as she pressed her palm to the window opposite his hand. When she made contact, Brennon could’ve sworn he felt her heat radiate through the thick barrier. And she must have felt something too because a tiny gasp escaped her mouth, causing the glass to fog with her breath. Her breathing increased, her chest moved rapidly, and her eyes dilated, becoming almost completely black from her wide pupils.

Brennon slung the rifle across his back while continuing to keep his sights on the woman. He began speaking in a normal tone. “I’m not here to harm you. I’m here to help.”

She blinked several times, a beautiful bright gold replacing the black as her eyes returned to normal. Her breathing remained a bit elevated, but at least she was breathing. And upright, as opposed to either passed out, drugged, or dead like the others.

“I want to open the door and get you out of there, but you’ve got to promise to remain with me. Can you do that?”

The woman nodded once as she quickly glanced to the doorknob then back to Brennon.

“I’m Brennon.”

She smiled, showing brilliant white, straight teeth. “M-Mikki.” Her voice cracked, its low tone barely above a whisper as it was muffled by the obstacle between them.

Brennon returned her smile. “Mikki.”

She nodded several more times before attempting to speak again. “The door, locked.”

The raspy sound of her voice shouldn’t have sparked something inside Brennon, but it sure as hell did. Turning his concentration to the door, he did indeed find it locked. With nothing around to bang on the knob, and not wanting to damage the rifle any further, he figured he’d have to bust it open with his body.

“You’re gonna have to step back.” He spoke louder so she’d be sure to hear him. “Can you shield yourself with the mattress? I’m gonna have to bust the door.”

Mikki nodded and scrambled to the bed, easily lifting the pitiful mattress and holding it in front of her as she put herself in the corner.

Brennon lifted the rifle off and set it along with the radio on the floor beyond the door jamb. He backed against the opposite wall, giving himself about four feet of distance before launching his body at the door. It easily burst open from the force, banging against the wall. Brennon stopped it from swinging back at him, and when his hand slid around to the inside, he felt dents on the metal. As he started to look at what he was feeling, Mikki threw down her shield and began running toward him. He had just enough time to react as she jumped into his arms. Her body shook as he easily caught her petite form and held her close. Even with the smell of dirt and sweat coating the gown and her skin, he detected an underlying scent of something sweetly musky. A heady combination.

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As one who grew up with a love of reading, I’ve turned that into a love of writing.  And one day (soon) I hope to make that my full-time endeavor.  I continue to practice dental hygiene – a career I’ve enjoyed for nineteen years.
 
I’ve been married over twenty-eight years to my stud of a husband, and had the pleasure of raising two sons who make us proud. Recently, we’ve joined the ranks of grandparents, with the addition of a precious grandson.

Growing up on the East Coast in Florida, and after meeting my husband in Georgia while we both served in the U. S. Army, we call the West our home.  After living in Idaho for many years, where hubby is from, Washington State is where we now reside.  Traveling is a dream for us, as we have passports just waiting for stamps from Canada, Scotland, New Zealand, and Fiji!

Besides reading and writing, I enjoy music and movies, art and tattoos [both admiring as well as personally getting], staying active, watching football [NFL and Boise State], dark chocolate, and stalking my favorite authors on social media…. authors such as Donna Grant, Rachel Grant, Toni Anderson, Anna Durand, and so many more. You can see what I’m reading and recommending at Goodreads and BookBub.

I write what I also enjoy reading; stories that range from heart-warming to body-blushing, filled with emotion, suspense, humor, and contemporary issues.
 
To be in the “know” about all the latest, click over to my contact page and follow me on my social media sites.  I love engaging, so join me for the fun and memorable moments on this journey!

 

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Gaelan’s War by Thaddeus McGrath (Book Review)

Book one of the Gaelan Kelly Trilogy

WHEN GAELAN KELLY RETURNS FROM WAR, physically and emotionally scarred, he tries to piece a normal life back together. But the horrors of war couldn’t prepare him for the terror he discovers, thrust into a world he never knew existed. Dealing with the trauma of combat and plagued by nightmares of a monster that shouldn’t exist, Gaelan finds himself embroiled in a battle to protect humanity even as he struggles to preserve his own. 

He fought a war of men. Now he fights a war for mankind. But Gaelan’s greatest war will be within.

 

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

Hunters love the thrill of the chase but what if the hunter suddenly becomes the hunted. In the introduction, a deer hunter finds himself in this very predicament. He suddenly understands the fear animals face in the wild and the pain of dying that follows. As I read the gory scene in “Hunting Grounds,” I knew this book was going to be highly descriptive in future encounters with various monsters. As a reader, I love when an author holds nothing back. In Gaelan’s War, Thaddeus McGrath pulled no punches in delivering many gruesome, finely detailed battle scenes.

Gaelan, a Marine, faced many horrors on the battlefield and more when he retuned home. In the Middle East, he watched many comrades die in battle. At home, he witnessed his parents savagely killed by a beast. At the time, he had no idea it was a werewolf or that he was about to become one. With the assistance of Father Denny and Master Oonishi, he had a second chance at life. Instead of dying, he trained to control his beast and fight the monsters feasting on mortals.

Every battle scene was exceptionally written. Gaelan’s most memorable supernatural fight scenes involved him battling a vampire, cobalus, and a pack of wolves.

Gaelan was no ordinary werewolf. He wasn’t a complete monster. He can do something extraordinary…. He can control the beast instead of the beast controlling him. 

No one can truly understand why and how Gaelan is different than other werewolves. Maybe he carried over some of the traits he had as a mortal man: strength, honor, loyalty, and compassion. He was a respected soldier; a man his fellow soldiers could rely on during battle. As a werewolf, nothing’s changed. He’s still a fierce warrior. 

I recommend anyone who loves supernatural/horror stories to read Gaelan’s War.

 

Heart Rating System:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤

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Thaddeus McGrath is a former U.S. Marine Corps fighter/attack pilot, a veteran of the War on Terror and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy.  He has loved writing since he was a boy. His debut novel, Gaelan’s War, was inspired by a desire to continue the discussion about PTSD, and a love of all things supernatural.  In his world, werewolves aren’t big dogs and vampires definitely don’t sparkle! He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, kids, and oversized dogs.

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Moon, Mist, & Magic: A Paranormal Romance Anthology (Book Review)

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  • Five fantastic tales of paranormal romance woven with moon, mist, and magic…
  • Get ready to be enchanted by mythical beasts, magical creatures, and moonlit nights.

COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Maureen L. Bonatch, L.A. Kelley, J. C. McKenzie, Abigail Owen, Sharon Saracino

Cover Artist: Abigail Owen

 

Anthology Blurb:

Get ready to be enchanted by mythical beasts, magical creatures, and moonlit nights. Enjoy your favorite author, and perhaps discover someone new, in these five fantastic tales of paranormal romance woven with moon, mist, and magic…   

 


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A Ghost of a Chance by Abigail Owen

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What’s a girl to do when her brother’s ghost appears asking for help? If that wasn’t bad enough, finding her not-dead-yet brother’s body before he becomes permanently spectral isn’t her only problem. Josie can’t save him on her own. The only person who can help is the last person who would want to. Bryce Evans, a man she once wrapped hopes of her future around, can’t stand to be near her. How can she convince him when her evidence is a ghost he can’t see?

 

View More: http://photos.pass.us/headshot2Dangerous Dreams, by J.C. McKenzie

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As a dragon shifter in hiding, Lara Stone wants nothing to do with others of her kind or finding a mate. No way, no how. She’s perfectly content to work for a security company, masquerading as a simple mage. When the leader of all the dragon clans personally requests her as a bodyguard, Lara fears her secret is blown, or worse. What danger could possibly make Rafael Dragoi, the powerful Astarot, seek protection?

 

zMlNHt4W_400x400Myths and Legends 101, by L.A. Kelley

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Flickering lights. Strange drifting shadows. Unnatural cold. Anthropology professor Jim Calloway is convinced the recent eerie phenomena at Octavian College are due to his overactive imagination until he meets Keilana Yamada and her eccentric grandfather, Toshi. Dazzled by the beautiful Keilani, Jim volunteers to help hunt for an ancient evil roaming the ivied halls. Can a mild-mannered academic find his inner demon hunter and a way into Keilani’s heart? Or will a supernatural predator with an insatiable hunger destroy them first?

 

3ee70839fa03cbe60796a049d9c9d0db_400x400The Keeper, by Sharon Saracino

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When a stranger lands on her slab, poisoned with silver and reeking of vampire, Medical Examiner Olivia Duncan fears someone’s discovered her dangerous secret. Enter Nick Alexios, a mysterious man with a hidden agenda of his own. Olivia ignites his passion and challenges his loyalties, making him question his duty. Nick might be Olivia’s salvation…or her downfall. Will honor-bound promises drive them apart or unite them against threats from both near and far?

 

IYj220Rm_400x400Witch You Were Here, by Maureen L. Bonatch

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Lucy is a witch with a successful business righting magical mischief. A call for help from her high-school heartache, Shane, prompts Lucy to manage his magical mayhem herself. No longer a nervous, hormonal, teenager, Lucy takes the case to force an apology and bury her past humiliation. To her surprise, Shane insists he couldn’t forget Lucy—because she hexed him ten years ago. Will Shane and Lucy put their past behind them, or will the spell prove permanent?

 

 

review(review request submitted by the authors for an honest critique) 

If you enjoy stories of the paranormal persuasion, then you’ll be pleased with your purchase of  “Moon, Mist, & Magic”. First of all, you get five (5) short stories by five (5) talented writers for about a dollar (kindle price). That’s truly a bargain! Second, you will be treated to a variety of supernatural beings including ghosts, witches, shifters, demons, vampire so you’ll definitely find something or someone you like. Probably more than one. 🙂 Really, I can’t imagine anyone not finding at least one short story they didn’t enjoy. For me, I found some stories sticking out in my mind more than others.

Let me break each down for you.

1) A Ghost of a Chance by Abigail Owen: Ok, I will admit on several occasions I found myself whispering, “I see dead people.” You all know the popular phrase and if you don’t you MUST WATCH The Sixth Sense (1999). It’s an amazing, spooky movie and one worth watching at least twice. Like the movie, I found myself wondering what would I do if I could see “dead people” and how life would be for myself and for my love ones. Josie became closed off to the world. Not an uncommon or unfathomed reason to her gift. But, I like how Abigail demonstrated the usefulness of the gift and set us up for more ghostly adventures.

2.) Dangerous Dreams by J.C. McKenzie: I love dragon shifters and wish I read more tales involving them. They are magical, majestic creatures who possess great power and command respect. And in this tale, we find out they are very horny too. There wasn’t any explicit sex scenes but you could feel their sexual nature through heated words and body language. In most cases, the promise of what to come is HOTTER than reading the actual “deed”. (There love story concludes with “to be continued”)  

3.) Myths and Legends 101, by L.A. Kelley: Out of the five paranormal tales, I found this story the least memorable. Yes, it had a nice twist when they finally met and battled the obake (succubus). I did cackle at Dickenson’s reaction to “it” because he was a d!ck and d!cks need to be taken down a notch or two. However, everything leading up to the explosive ending was just blah. It didn’t wow me, Jim and Keilana didn’t impress me, and whom the obake targeted/possessed didn’t surprise me at all.

4.) The Keeper, by Sharon Saracino: Leopard shifters, a gryphon who resembles a Greek god, werewolf, a vamp, and a couple other surprise shifters. My, oh my, how I loved this story. Why? Because I didn’t expect Olivia to be a ………… Oh, I am not going to tell you. I will say she’s something very special and not “something” I’ve read about in a long while. Bravo Sharon!! 

5.) Witch You Were Here, by Maureen L. Bonatch: Crossing a witch is never a wise choice. Teasing a witch in high school is doubly stupid because they can’t control their emotions, say things they might regret and YOU might get a magical tattoo right on your tight little tushy. Oh yeah, that’s what happened to Shane. Hilarious idea and a great ending tale to a wonderful collection of stories.

 

Congrats all around!! 

 

Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤

 

 ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND

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A Witch’s Journey by Tena Stetler (Book Review)

June 15, 2016
  
Pepper McKay comes from a long line of powerful witches. Unfortunately, magic brings her nothing but trouble. She learned the love of wildlife rescue and rehab from her Aunt Ashling. After graduating from college, Pepper works for Salem Wildlife Sanctuary and lives from paycheck to paycheck until she inherits the McKay property in Lobster Cove. With the family land and resources, she dares to dream of starting her own wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.

Lathen Quartz, a former Navy SEAL turned handyman maintains the enchanted McKay property for the McKay estate. But someone is trying to steal the McKay magic. Lathen offers to help Pepper achieve her life-long dream of building a wildlife center. During the long hours spent together on the project, their mutual attraction can’t be denied. But each harbors a deep, dark secret. Will they overcome their demons and give love a chance?


 
 
Pepper hopped out of the truck and took a deep breath. The ocean breeze brought a mixed scent of brine, sand, sun and kelp. Seabirds whistled and screeched through the air diving into the white crested waves, proudly emerging with dinner. Turning her attention to the land, she noticed beyond the barn, the pond was still there, even a bit bigger than she remembered. Caught up in the smells, sights, and sounds, she didn’t hear someone approach.
 
“Ms. McKay?”
 
“Sssshit,” she yelped and whirled around to see a muscular man, well over six feet, with surfer blond hair nearly to his shoulders, tousled by the ocean breeze. Rounding the corner of the cabin, he waved at her as he approached walking with a slight limp. Deeply tanned, he appeared to spend a lot of time outdoors.
 
“I’m Lathen Quartz. Glad you made it before dark. The road up here can be treacherous after dark if you don’t know where you’re going.  I finished up the enclosed aviary and was getting ready to leave. But now that you’re here, I’d be happy to show you around. Help you get settled.”
 
“Pepper McKay, call me Pepper.” Extending her hand towards him, she met his gaze. His large aquamarine eyes were mesmerizing, set above the high cheekbones, full lips and a butterscotch five o’clock shadow. She gave her head a shake. “Wait. You built an aviary?”
 
He shook her hand and smiled, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans and rocking back on his heels.
 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
For a story featuring witches and werewolves, I expected more shifting and magical moments. A ghostly aunt did appear occasionally and there were small uses of magic (lighting a fire or cleaning a stovetop) but, for the most part, magic really came into play in the last chapter. This is also where everything is explained (clarified), too. 
 
It’s great Tena left no loose ends; however,  I think she should’ve utilized Benjamin’s dark side more. In doing so, I believe the book would’ve lived up it’s title and scored much higher. 
 
Besides the lack of witchery, a few other things nagged at me and caused me to score it low. 
 
1.) Werewolves have a great sense of smell yet Kolby didn’t scent his brother, Lathen, and was startled when Lathen placed a hand on his shoulder. He should’ve smelt him, knew his scent anywhere. I couldn’t get past it and saw Kolby more as an ordinary man than a werewolf. 
2.) Tena seemed more interested in detailing what they were eating, had ate, or discussing food in general. I swear it was starting to feel more like a cooking show than a supernatural book.
3.) With Kate’s (waitress) infatuation with Lathen and her apparent dislike of Pepper, I assumed we’d see some Fatal Attraction craziness. I assumed wrong. 
4.) Tena had Lathen wondering “Do I have kink?” after a waitress mentioned the BDSM club (Red Club). I thought she might be leading up to something down the line, but nope. Now looking back, the namedrop seems pointless. 
 
High points:
Chapter 21 and 23 are worth reading. 
If I liked cold temps, I would visit Alaska because it sounds breath-taking. 
Also, this story had me wondering what I would do if a deceased relative left me a load of cash like Aunt Ashling did for Pepper. 
 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5
(highest) 
Score: ❤❤
 
 
 
 
 
Tena Stetler is a paranormal romance and cozy mystery author with an over-active imagination.  She wrote her first vampire romance as a tween, to the chagrin of her mother and the delight of her friends. With the Rocky Mountains outside her window, Tena sits at her computer surrounded by a wide array of paranormal creatures telling her their tales. Colorado is her home; shared with her husband of many moons, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-year-old box turtle.  Any winter evening, you can find her curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a mug of hot chocolate and a big bowl of popcorn. 

 

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