Wednesday, October 16, 2024

ARC Mini Review: Just One More Mistletoe (The Sterling Family Book #3)

 Just One More Mistletoe (The Sterling Family Book #3)

Carly Phillips

Blurb:

What happens under the mistletoe stays under the mistletoe...

Brandy Bloom plans to seduce the man of her dream at an office Christmas party but finds herself kissing his twin, instead. One night only is her plan but Max Corbin has other ideas. The sexy elf who kissed him under the pretend mistletoe is a special woman he has no plans of letting go.

Themes:  Holiday Novella

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

 What is better for a chilly autumn evening that a heartwarming and sexy novella from one of your favorite authors? Well, I can tell you that this new addition to the Carly Phillips lineup is one that will light your fires and keep you warm while also giving you a reminder of why we love the Sterling family and their friends so much as we wait for the next addition to their series. Brandy Bloom is the assistant to Samantha Dare and she is getting ready for a new venture in life as she moves with Samantha to the new office of their PR firm now that Samantha is happily married to Dex Sterling. But before she moves on, she is determined to finally put the moves on her sexy coworker at their office Christmas party—but little does she know that his gorgeous twin is going to be even more enticing.  When Max Corbin’s twin brother Stephen invited him to his office party, he isn’t sure why he agreed to show up, but Max’s life changes forever when he sees the beautiful and alluring elf under the tree, and he is determined to make her his own.  Brandy and Max soon discover that their attraction is so much more than just chemistry and the pull between them is going to mean more for their futures than they could have ever imagined—if they can let go of their fears and embrace the Christmas gift that has fallen into their laps. I absolutely loved this story of instant attraction, sweet lust, and a love that neither of these two ever wanted or expected that we can see is going to develop into something beautiful.  While the story might seem familiar due to familiar tropes, Carly as always makes her characters unique and gives them such life that you can’t help but fall in love with them.  Brandy has so many issues and fears that you feel for her immediately and are rooting for Max to get a chance to heal her heart even as you want her to open her mind.  Max is a great character, one of those guys that has taken far to long to see the light and is finally finding his way in the world, but that you know if going to be a great partner for Brandy.  I am looking forward to seeing more of them in future Sterling Family stories and hope their holiday passion leads to a lifelong love.  Thanks for the holiday loving, Carly.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, October 12, 2024

ARC Mini-Review: The Bastard King (The Bastard Duology #1)

The Bastard King (The Bastard Duology #1)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

With just one fiery embrace I could destroy her…or love her until the end of time.


I am fire and death. My very presence brings terror and panic. For most, I am the last thing they will ever see. For there is only one thing I live for — freeing my kin.

Every action, every battle brings me a step closer. Nothing distracts me from my purpose.

Until she crosses my path.

Brave and fearless, she holds me utterly enthralled. I have to know her. Her past and her future. But especially the secrets she keeps closely guarded.

One taste of her lips, and I’m caught. Trapped. Seized. The more I’m with her, the harder it is to leave. But I have sworn allegiance to another who promises to free the dragons.

Her or my kin. It was once an easy choice.

Before my heart got involved.

Themes:  Paranormal, Dragons

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Trigger Warning: for those of us that HATE cliffhangers, be warned, if you’re a bit of a dummy like me and didn’t realize that when Donna said Duology she meant CLIFFHANGER… yeah well she did. Moving on….

While I didn’t really know what to expect going into this story, because we are not told in advance who the H/h will be in this one I was thrilled to meet new characters and returned to the land of Zora and learn more about the challenges and dangers that the Dragon Kings and their mates have been working to overcome.   Donna Grant jumps right into the story with our heroine getting herself into trouble, but also unknowingly running into our Hero and beginning the greatest adventure of her life and kicking off the most dangerous mission either of them have ever faced.  Derek is a dragon shifter, the last of his kind free from capture and is working to free his people but he is more and more questioning his allies and meeting the sexy and intriguingly secretive Kora only makes him question more. Kora is the last of her kind and she has finally accepted her responsibility to destroy the Star Person responsible for all the woes on Zora and that issued the kill orders for her family long ago.  Determined to succeed in her mission to kill Villette finally, Kora will work with the very devil, but giving her trust to Derek is a whole other notion, but the more time they spend together giving into the instant attraction makes it harder to resist. Once her secret, her very identity, is revealed Kora has to trust Derek with all of her secrets, even though he continues to hide his own, but there is more going on in their world than either of them can imagine.  There is another player that is out there and they both have to decide if they can trust this player, or it might just mean not only their deaths, but total destruction for two worlds and the end of the Kings. 

I loved this story; despite the fact it ended in a cliffhanger that we now have to wait MONTHS to get a proper ending for—and let me tell you my biggest pet peeve in romance is cliffhangers.  Derek is one of those characters that you just feel for, so dedicated to his mission that he has kept his head down and plowed through, but now he can no longer deny that things are not adding up.  He wants so badly to believe that his allies aren’t evil, but the more he learns the more he comes to understand that he knows nothing of his world.  I loved his passionate nature; how protective and sweet he was with Kora and the way he was willing to sacrifice for her even before he understood how much he loved her.  Kora was awesome, despite her fears and hangups she is determined to help those she feels are in needs, but she really needs to learn to plan and think ahead better for sure.  I loved the truth of her identity and that when she finally accepts herself she begins to find her own footing in life and battle.   I hated seeing the way she was forced to deal with hit after hit as Derek’s secrets were uncovered, but her ability to love and forgive is obviously unlimited, along with her wit, and loving heart, making her the perfect match for her Dragon.  Donna Grant certainly took us on an all new and different kind of adventure with this story, turning the truths we knew about the past on its ear and expanding our minds.  I am dying for the conclusion to this duology to learn what happens with Kora and Derek and REALLY hope that they get their HEA, but there will have to be some serious work for all the crap that they caused to be fixed.  All I can say is Dang, Donna has done is again!

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, October 5, 2024

ARC Review: Second Chance Husband (First Time #3)

Second Chance Husband (First Time #3)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:


The First Time series concludes with an enemies to lovers romance that has been a long time coming. August and Paisley finally figure out what they’ve been missing.

The first time I got married, I watched the man I love walk away from me.

The second time around, I’m the one signing the dotted line first—this one a man who I realized I never loved.

Once burned, twice broken, I’m done looking for love.

Only my first ex-husband seems to be everywhere I turn—at my work, with my friends, and eventually…in my bed.

I didn’t mean for it to happen.

Twice.

But I know if I don’t protect my heart, there will be nothing left of me if he walks away again without telling me why he did so in the first place.

I don’t know if I can trust this new version of ourselves or if it’s merely the heat between us striking hot.

After all, second chances only exist in my dreams.

And there’s no such thing as a second chance husband.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

I am always sad to see a series end, but when an ending is one that we have been dying for, because the couple has so long deserved their happiness, you look forward to it in a way enough that its worth the ending.  Carrie Ann Ryan has such a way with her characters that it always amazes me just how invested I get in the lives of the chacacters, almost as if they are truly my friends and when they finally all get their HEAs and find their way to a future that we all want and deserve I can’t help but shed a tear.  Paisley and August have been destined to end up (back) together for almost a decade and to finally get a chance for them to have that I beyond thrilled to experience and get to share. For those that have been following the series, Paisley and August have been circling one another and hiding their true feeling ever since they were reintroduced when August’s brother and Paisley’s best friend fell in love in book one, but the more their lives were entwined and they found themselves together, the harder it has become to deny their feelings for one another, and now with their lives changing again they are faced with the decision of either admitting their feelings for one another or giving up once and for all and walking away from everything they could have.  I am sad to see the ending for them, but I hope to get glimpses of their future in coming series where their extended friend group might be mixing with other family members so we get to experience their happy times with them. 

Timing truly is everything in this story; Paisley is walking away from her marriage this time, knowing that it is toxic for her and that despite the fact that it makes her feel like a failure it will be better for her in the end.  When she finds herself single again and entangled with the Cassidy clan even more, it becomes even harder to resist the sexy, and also once again single, August, her first ex-husband and the only man she has ever loved.  August knows that it is stupid to give into the feelings that he has for Paisley, but he also cannot walk away from the look in her eyes, or the way she makes him feel when they finally give into their needs.  But when he is faced with a chance at a future he has to decide if he has enough courage to actually embrace a future with the woman he loves or if they are both better off alone.  However, this time Paisley isn’t going to let him off without a fight, because she isn’t a young girl with fear of abandonment and will push for the man she loves and the future she wants. Because she knows that second chances don’t come around every day and they are worth every moment of blood, sweat and tears.

I positively loved every moment of getting to know Paisley and August’s full story, even some of the back story of their first round of love and marriage even though it was heartbreaking. Paisley is the type of woman that most of us wish we had grown up to be, but we got to see the darkness of her past that led to the drive that pushed her so hard and I can personally tell you that pain is not worth how hard she had to fight for her success.  While it is possible that she would have just as hard a worker without her b**ch of a mother riding her back and essentially being an abuser, having to listen to Paisley relive how she was treated made me almost happy for my own mother’s narcissistic indifference.  She finally finds her bravery to push away all the toxicity in her life and take back her strength and in doing so finds that she is all the stronger and bolder for it.  I loved how sweet she was with her nieces and that she is determined to support everyone else despite so often not having the support she needs in life.  She is smart, savvy, witty, sexy and I loved watching her kick ass when she took her stand.  August was the kind of protector that some of us never know that we need, but for sure I wanted to slap him for his ridiculous insecurities and unwillingness to see the full picture of the woman in front of him.  He made an unwise decision, a few times, that almost cost him the woman he loved more than life, but when he finally comes to understand his mistakes, I forgive him his stupidity.  I loved that he was so sweet and such a loving member of his family, determined to stand as the protector, even for his siblings against his parents.  His intelligence and the way he connects with his students would definitely have made him my favorite teacher had I been one of those kids (not to mention I bet all the girls crush on him).

Second Chance Husband is undeniably the story of two people that found one another too young and made a mistake of walking away from a love that was fated, but they thankfully get a second chance, one they earn this time.  I enjoyed every moment of the push and pull between Paisley and August as they found their footing in their new romance and watching them battle it out to force one another to accept their new roles in love and life.  Paisley Cassidy Renee is by no means a weak woman and when she finally remembers that she forces those around her to accept it as well and finds a way to get her man back—the one she should never have allowed to walk away from her. August Cassidy was an idiot to have ever pushed the love of his life away—twice—but his fears and mistakes are what make him human, and when she makes him own up to the stupidity he is reminded just why he has always loved her. Together these two could have started a wildfire to threaten the very dense forest of the Colorado mountains, but that passion is obviously what made both of their marriages fated. I am so glad that they finally found a way to admit that they were destined for one another and got their second chance at an HEA, one that I can see them working hard to always protect and nurture, one that will grow and change with them and their family long into the future.  Carrie Ann Ryan for sure brought this series to an end with a tearful, loving, and love overdue conclusion that will never be forgotten.  

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Thursday, September 26, 2024

ARC Review: Power's Fall (Trinity Masters #13)

Power's Fall (Trinity Masters #13)

Mari CarrLila Dubois

Blurb:

Married, but forbidden to touch.

Dahlia McKean is living life to the fullest, while she still can. When she’s asked to use her expertise and connections to take on a dangerous mission and investigate a decades-old crime, she agrees. And this new adventure comes with not one, but two, very sexy her partners are the hottest men she’s ever seen. There’s no harm in having some fun while they work…until everything changes and she ends up married.

To both of them.

Vadisk Kushnir didn’t plan on getting married, but he long ago gave up the right to make that choice. Still, he didn’t expect to be sent to investigate a blackmailer in the company of his brand-new spouses. His attraction to Dahlia and Montana is instant, but until they complete their mission, they have to stick to their cover story. Which means Vadisk can’t touch his husband and wife…but he can watch.

Montana Kingston wants justice for his family, and if he has to get married to do it, he will. Getting to touch and pleasure his hot wife while their husband looks on is unlocking some fun new desires. Thrown into danger, he’ll do his best to protect both his new spouses, but their mission is more than just dangerous, it’s deadly.

Themes:  Menage

Rating: 4.5  stars

Heat Rating: 
Review:

An all-new world has begun for both the Trinity Masters and the Masters’ Admiralty and I for one can tell you that I am there for it! I have been looking forward to this new plotline for a long time, one that would truly blend these two societies and bring everyone together for not just a common goal or a single trinity, but into a single integrated world, even though everyone will resist it.  This story begins with some of our favorite past trinities and the leaders of both societies coming together in what can only be called a summit of epic proportions and one that leads to dangerous changes.  From this meeting a new trinity is created to look into a decades long plot that is being resurrected to blackmail members of their societies and that needs to be nipped in the bud before it can bloom again.  I loved not only the deep and twisty plotline of this story, but the sensual and emotional connections of these lovers as they learned to overcome their differences and find common ground as they came to terms with their new relationship. This story introduces the new villain, out to destroy the society(s) and we learn that the danger is only beginning for these beloved characters.  Of course the continuing saga of two of our favorite leaders gets even more deadly and we are left with a terrifying cliffhanger there is a few ways, but of course the next book with (hopefully) finally bring that all to a head and an explosive ending.  I can honestly say that I took a little bit to connect to this story, but once I recognized Montana and to an extent Vadisk I was immediately invested and couldn’t put the story down until these lovers got their HEA and admitted their forever love for one another.  Another master work of two evil mistresses of menage for sure.

Vadisk Kushnir is appalled when he learns that he has been married off to two members of the American Trinity Masters society, forced to separate from his admiral and leave her vulnerable so that he can protect two civilians in a deadly mission then most likely be forced from all her knows to make a life with them.  Montana Kingston wants to find the people that extorted his family for decades and if he has to marry a beautiful adventurer and a grumpy asshole to get the job done, well sometimes needs must. Dahlia McKean is determined to live every adventure she can, no matter the dangers, until she can no longer do so, but if she can help her society and her sexy new husband at the same time, she sees no problem with that, but her other husband’s attitude is certainly putting up roadblocks at every turn.  Now the three of them have to find a way to not only accept their new marriage, but to work together in the life-threatening situations they find themselves in or they will never have a chance to build a future together.  But the more time they spend together, the more they all come to feel for one another and the greater the risk of losing one another.  Can they truly risk one another’s lives in order to complete their mission or will they have to run for their lives and leave their new adversary with the upper hand to stay alive?

I have to tell you I seriously loved all three of these characters the more I got to know them, but my favorite was definitely Dahlia.  She is the type of woman I have always aspired to be –but never quite managed to get there—because while she might not be fearless, she certainly doesn’t allow her fears, not of the present or the future, stop her from doing what she loves or protecting her people. She is beautiful, sassy, smart, sweet, and has the type of personality that people gravitate toward, but she doesn’t use it against them, instead using it to share with the world the great beauty out there that most of us with never have the chance or the courage to experience for ourselves.  She is also determined to be treated equally in her relationships and makes it known that even though she is becoming disabled she is still able to function as a member of her trinity and hold her own in protecting her family.  She will be a fierce and loving mama bear when they grow their family and I hope to see more of her in later books for sure. Montana was also a character I enjoyed getting to know more about; instead of making him simple the basic alpha, hero that is set to save the day, he was flawed, with layer of darkness that his lovers had to peel back and help heal in order to show him that he wasn’t a bad guy but was instead one of the good guys despite having made a few bad mistakes in life.  He was also uber-intelligent and let’s be honest, on top of all those muscles, a brain on a man is just sexy as hell.  With his sweetness and ability to connect with both Dahlia and Vadisk, he was the perfect third to bridge the gap that would obviously have existed in any relationship between just the two of them.  Vadisk was a little bit harder to like, mainly because he tried so hard to remain a closed-off mo-fo through most of the story.  I understand his fears, and his unwillingness to change, but sheesh, dude sometimes change can be a good thing.  While I loved his ability to care for and protect Dahlia and Montana, he often forgot that they were meant to be a team, working together to bring down the bad guys and accomplish their mission.  Once he fully accepted his lovers and learned that he didn’t always have to be apart from them, I totally loved his character and the way he showed his love and caring for them.

Power’s Fall is one of those books that doesn’t come along every day. There is definitely a lot going on, with so many chess pieces moving all at once, that you have to wonder is this is more multiple chess games overlapping, but in the end we are left with a lot of questions that will lead into the coming stories and keep things interesting for many stories to come.  I loved the single plotline thread that was pulled by the trinity that ultimately brought them together, despite it not really having a definite conclusion, but even more I enjoyed the love that developed between the featured trinity. Montana, Dahlia, and Vadisk were such different people and their strengths and weaknesses complimented one another so beautifully that looking back you have to think, “well duh, there was no one else they could have married”. Dahlia and her adventurous spirit, sweet nature and loving ability to bring her men out of their shells were a gift to get to enjoy and seeing her find her footing in their marriage and watching her kick butt when she worked to protect her men showed that nothing could keep her down.  Montana definitely has his layers of darkness, but overall he is like a sweet puppy that you can’t help but to love and I enjoyed seeing him finally find healing for his past in the arms of his lovers as they showed him that everyone makes mistakes, but its how you handle the fallout that makes you a good person.  Vadisk is the definition of an alpha protector, but when he finally opens his heart to his spouses and shows them his trust and gives them a chance to support him we see a true trinity emerge.  The passion between these three is there every moment, even when they are forced to resist the pull for their own safety and the sake of the mission, but when they finally do let loose, lookout folks, phew. I am dying for what comes next, especially for our two favorite admirals, and certainly pray that their storyline gets a happy conclusion in the next book, but whatever comes next I know it will be a masterpiece and a story that will keep be riveted to every chapter. Your evil genius prevails again, Mari and Lila.

*eARC provided by author(s) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Monday, September 16, 2024

ARC Review: Just a Little Chase (Dare Crossover #4)

Just a Little Chase (Dare Crossover #4)

Carly PhillipsErika Wilde

Blurb:

She’s in need of a fake, friendly boyfriend to charm her family.

He’s the last bachelor up for auction and a grumpy, last-minute stand-in.

Neither satisfies the other’s requirements but they might just be what each of them needs.

With Lauren Connelly’s ex marrying her sister, the last thing she wants is to show up at the wedding without a date. Which means finding a fake boyfriend ASAP. The charity bachelor auction provides a solution to her problem, except the man she bids on turns out to be a gorgeous but grumpy executive who scowls more than he smiles.

Chase Gossard wants nothing to do with Lauren’s plan to make him her plus-one at a destination wedding and pretend that he’s in love. He doesn’t do relationships, fake or otherwise—but she paid a lot of money for the privilege. So why does their touching, kissing, and sharing one bed feel all too real?

Lauren is smart and witty and sexy as hell. A down to earth combination that somehow softens his hard edges, and somewhere along the way, he’s falling hard for his fake date. But when the truth comes out and it’s time to part ways, can the confirmed bachelor convince his pretend girlfriend to make things real?

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

We have been waiting this story for a long time, when we first met Lauren and learned that she needed this auction as a way to protect herself as she embarked on her latest family obligation—attending her sister’s wedding to her own ex-fiancé.  When Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde you can always guarantee that the results will be emotional, passionate, and dramatic, but Chase and Lauren’s story truly took the (wedding) cake (sorry couldn’t stop myself).  This story takes readers on an adventure through the pasts of two people both battered by love in the past, but we get to experience their healing as they learn that their hearts are not forever broken when they meet the right person. I loved every moment of this story and, though I believe this story wraps up the Dare Crossover series (mostly because Chase was the last bachelor to be auctioned), I understand Carly and Erika will be teaming up for another connected series soon, so I won’t cry too much for this ending.  I am looking forward to the next release for these authors—both individually and together—and know that whatever it is will be incredible.

Lauren Connelly is determined to arrive at her sister’s wedding with a date that will amaze her family and finally convince her family that she is over the betrayal of her ex—who is the groom incidentally. To that goal, she is determined to win a nice bachelor in the charity auction she has been helping plan for work, but her plan goes awry when a last-minute substitution leaves her with a grumpy but gorgeous bad boy that leaves her sweaty in all the worst (and best) ways.  Chase Gossard agrees to be auctioned for charity in order to help out his little sister who is one of the organization’s executives, but he won’t be happy about it, and he certainly doesn’t plan to actually follow through with spending and entire weekend with the woman that wins him. But Lauren refuses to let him out of his promise and the more time he spends in her presence the more he craves being around her, but he has no time for a woman like her and doesn’t trust himself not to break her heart. When they are together for the weekend of the wedding their chemistry soon explodes into something much too close to feelings and they have to decide if they can let go of their pasts or will be able to walk away from the miraculous relationship and future they could have together, if they can find the courage to get past their fears.

This couple is one that I wasn’t sure I would be able to connect with, mainly because there wasn’t a connection to them through other characters, or so I thought. Turns out that Chase is the older brother to Billie, Aurora Dare’s assistant at Future Fast Track, so I was able to feel how his past and his connection to Billie wove well in with the rest of the series.  Lauren of course was the best friend to Skye who we met in a previous novel, but overall, I didn’t connect with her until I got to know her and understood why this date was so important.  Lauren is a smart, brave, and loving woman that was betrayed not just by her fiancé but her sister and to some extent the rest of her family and friends when they didn’t side with her after her sister did what she did.  However, it seems like the break allowed her to find her true place in the world and grow into the woman she was always meant to be, so no great loss in the end.  I loved how connected she was to her grandfather and how she shared that connection when Chase when she took him home.  She really was a sweet and sassy heroine that refused to be steamrolled, instead standing up for herself and her place in the world now that she’s found it. Chase was an ass more than once in this story and I loved seeing the women in his life putting him in his place, be it Billie or Lauren, but I would have loved for him to pull it together on his own faster.  He was an alpha male for sure but come on there comes a point where you have to grow up dude.  I liked him when he forgot his pain and anger, just letting himself feel and enjoy his emotions with Lauren and when he was with Billie, he was obviously trying his best to be a good brother. He could have used one of the Dare guys in his corner to teach him how to truly open his heart to a woman, but he finally got there in the end, and I suppose that is all that matters.

This story truly is the story of two people learning that sometimes love can lead you on Just a Little Chase. I enjoyed the story even when I was crying right along with the characters and feeling their feels, but in the end, I loved that their found their way into an HEA.  Lauren was a woman that had given up on finding love and decided that settling for some fun and just getting through the tough family times was more than enough, but Chase throws her life and emotions for a loop, reminding her that we all need love.  Chase believes that he doesn’t need love and that his life is perfectly fine the way it is, women are available when he needs them, but he doesn’t want anything permanent, until Lauren begins to show him just what he is missing if he is willing to let go of his past and pain and reach for what he wants.  These two are so obviously in need of one another and their sparks fly from the beginning, but their passionate chemistry is sometimes hidden behind apprehension until its just no longer able to be fought.  Once they unleash their desires nothing will hide the need Lauren and Chase have for one another, until it becomes an out-of-control wildfire, and they have to find a way to fight to control themselves. I loved every word of their story –especially the epilogue one year into the future! —and am sorry to see the series ending, but I am looking forward to the next series planned for Carly and Erika (Sterling Crossover Series)and hope readers will continue to enjoy that and Carly’s Sterling Family series as well.  Nothing beats two well teamed authors and the magic they can create together, and they’d proven it again.

*eARC provided by author(s) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, September 14, 2024

ARC Mini Review: Tempted by Her Neighbor

Tempted by Her Neighbor

Katie Reus

Blurb:

He thinks his neighbor is out of his league…


Kyran got into a fair amount of trouble as a teenager, but after eight years in the military, he’s left his troublemaking past behind him, built a successful business and put down roots. Unfortunately, the sheriff of his hometown has a long memory. To him, Kyran will always be a loser, no matter how much he’s cleaned up his act.

And now she’s his alibi…

When he’s accused of a crime he didn’t commit, no one is more surprised than Kyran when prim and proper Lucie Miller provides him with an alibi—one that’s a complete lie. Determined to find out why his sexy next-door neighbor stepped up, he soon finds himself in danger of losing something far more important than his newfound respectability—his heart.

Author Note: This novella was previously published elsewhere years ago. It has been revised and edited.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 3.5 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

This was a sweet but fast re-release of an older novella by one of my favorite authors that is a story of two neighbors that are both surprised by the connection that sprouts between them when they finally find the courage the stop hiding their feelings.  Kyran is the Bad Boy made good from the wrong side of the tracks that has found his place in his hometown after returning from war and his longing for his sexy neighbor is quickly turning into an obsession. Lucie is the town sweetheart, and she secretly loves watching her sexy neighbor, but never seems to be able to connect with him when she is in his presence.  Then one day she is in the right place at the right time to protect him from the sheriff that is out to pin a crime on him that he just isn’t capable of, and their romance quickly blossoms into something deep and steamy.  I loved watching these two circle one another and quickly come to terms with their feelings for one another as they feel into passion and intrigue.  Kyran was the quintessential quiet alpha, a heart of gold and the intensity of any perfect hero, but I loved how sweet he was in his insecurities as well. Lucie was a darling, if a little bit shallow at times, but I enjoyed seeing her bring out the best in Kyran and finally convincing him that they would make a great couple.  I wouldn’t mind seeing more of them in future if their friends or family happened to get their own stories, but all in all a cute little read for a couple of hours of entertainment, with just the right amount of steamy. A great reworking for Katie Reus and I’m looking forward to what’s coming next.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, September 7, 2024

ARC Review: Still of the Night (Skye Druids #5)

Still of the Night (Skye Druids #5)

Donna Grant

Blurb:


Forest child
they call me. It is within the woods that I find solace and feel the magic of my ancestors. For I am a Druid. One who can trace her roots from the very first to call the Isle of Skye home.

The isle draws many to its magical shores. It drew him. Imposing, bold, and handsome. We fell hard and fast that summer. Then he left with the tide to the city.

I learned to live with the cracks and fissures on my pieced-together heart, the scars only I can feel.

Until the day he walks back into my life asking for a second chance. I yearn to give it to him. How can I not? He’s the only one I’ve ever loved.

The only one I will ever love.

But there is a darkness growing on the isle—a treacherous evil that has targeted him. I’ve lost him once.

I won’t lose him again.


Themes:  Druids, Magick, Fae, Paranormal

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Once again I am amazed by the way that Donna Grant manages to bring in the story of two people that have loved and lost and turn it into such an epic and amazing story of good vs evil, one that leaves you wanting more even as you are thrilled for the HEA in the end.  I have been looking forward to learning more about Ariah since we first met her in previous stories, her calming influence and ability to bring other peace just had to be explored, but I had no idea just how integral she was going to become to the Druid community as a whole or to the growing battle for the Skye Druid’s survival against their many enemies.  This story has many plots interwoven, to make a beautiful tapestry that leaves readers trapped in the story from beginning to end and unable to give up reading until the very last word. More and more the stories are clearly becoming a dangerously complex and terrifying plot that is being directed by a shadowy figure with a  grand plan that we have yet to see for the Druids, not just on Skye but all over the world.  I am dying to see where Grant takes us, not just with the next book, which after that epilogue I have really high hopes I know who the H/h will be, but also in the gran scheme of the whole series. The next book (Blood Skye) should be amazing and I know I will be taking a day off work to read it as soon as it hits my email.  You just can’t beat a story of second chance love, mixed with danger, drama, and epic evil getting it’s behind kicked written by a master of her craft like Donna Grant.  

Ariah, Forest Child and Druid, has made a home for herself on the Isle of Skye and is content in her life, even though her heart was once shattered.  She is concerned about the dangers facing the Druids, but she isn’t a warrior and knows she stands on the edges of the war, until her past comes back in the form of her ex and brings with him the pain and evil that has been stalking the Druids as it shifts its focus to her.   Killian Flanagan has returned to Skye determined to win back Ariah’s heart and find a way to earn her forgiveness for walking away almost a decade ago.  But almost as soon as he arrives, strange mishaps and deadly unexplainable dangers begin to unfold.  Soon Killian and Ariah find themselves in the center of the plot of the Evil that has been trying to eliminate the Skye Druids and they must work with friends, both old and new, to uncover a way to defeat this enemy or it could cost them not only their second chance at happiness, but their very lives.

As usual, these characters are fascinating and filled with hidden depths that lead readers to want to continuously ask more and more questions as we get to know them better. Killian is obviously the kind of man that grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, always being told his path and that if he strayed from said path, disaster would strike.  Meeting Ariah as a young man opened his eyes, but he was too brash and lacking in confidence at that time to buck what he’s always been told to forge his own destiny with her and instead gave up his chance at happiness with her.  Now he has come to realize that he can never be whole or happy without her, no matter what he achieves in life, and has moved away from everything he’s known and trusted in before to build a life with her if only she will trust in him.  Determined to win her forgiveness he jumps feet first into her life and finds himself in an all-new world, filled with magick—Druids, Fae, Dragons, and so much more—and fighting for his life around every new corner.  But even with all the danger he has never been more sure of his path and his love for the woman that has never left his heart. He is sweet, sexy, kind, and smart, and even when he is trapped it what seems a hopeless situation he never gives up fighting to get back to Ariah—Honestly what more could a girl ask for in the mate of her heart?  Ariah has for so many years underestimated herself and let others underestimate her as well. She has simply been the calming influence and tea provider of both the Druids and the humans on the island, convincing herself that her magick is weak and she could never fight alongside those like Rhona or Elodie. When Killian suddenly returns to her life, turning everything upside down she is forced to face the truth that after her heart was broken she simply allowed herself to hide and give up living, but now with attacks around every corner she has to either learn to fight and defend those she loves or risk losing them forever.  I loved watching her find her inner strength and come to realize her true ability and important to her people, remembering her lessons and understanding her own truths as she found her way to peace and understanding.  She is charming, loving, caring, and calming, but also cunning, and when she connects with her elements has the patience and strength of the Earth at her disposal as she thwarts and ultimately defeats their enemies.

Still of the Night is one of those Donna Grant novels I have been dying for, a long story I could really sink my teeth into instead of some of the shorter ones we’ve had recently, filled with plot development, drama and character growth.  Killian is the perfect wounded hero, looking for redemption and willing to work to earn it as he steps through the veil and finds himself in a world of magick, danger, loss, and love.  I loved his adventure as he worked alongside his new friends battling enemies and protecting the Skye Druids and the love of his life as he found a way back into her heart once and for all.  Ariah is the perfect foil to Killian’s brash and wounded hero, calm and serene on the outer layer, but inside still broken and trying to live with part of her heart missing as she too is faced with the new dangers that are seemingly directed at her.  Ariah must face several truths as she journeys out of heartbreak and back into the arms of her soulmate, and she must find her footing as both protector and warrior if she has any hope of surviving the coming war for the lives of all Druids. Passion is not a problem for these two former lovers as their love and chemistry seems to have survived their decade-long separation, apparent the moment they set eyes on one another and almost combust.  I truly loved every moment of this second-chance love story and I am dying for more to come in this series as the peril heats up and the secondary plots continue to become more complicated.  I have no idea how Donna keeps it all organized (I suspect tiny gnomes whispering each plot to her) but there are so many plots knitted together that sometimes even I can’t keep it all straight.  I suspect someday we will see the pattern, but for now I am just enjoying the ride and can’t wait for what comes next!

*eARC provided by the author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.