Review: Bishop's Queen (Endgame Trilogy #2)

Bishop's Queen (Endgame Trilogy #2)

by Katie Reus

Blurb:

He doesn’t believe in fairy-tale endings…

They used to call Evan Bishop the golden boy. He had it all and was about to close the business deal of a lifetime, then marry the woman of his dreams. But everything goes to hell when a faceless enemy wants to destroy his family’s empire and see him dead. Except the bomb meant to kill him fails. He wakes up from a coma to find his face scarred and his brother missing and wanted for murder. Now that he’s damaged, he hides away from the world—including the woman he loves. He refuses to be a burden to her, so even though it destroys him, he sets her free.

She’s about to prove him wrong…

Isla MacDonald isn’t walking away from Evan just because he’s decided to shut her out of his life. He blames himself for the bombing that got her father killed and nearly killed him—but he’s wrong. After all attempts to see him fail, with a broken heart she tries to resume her life and take over her father’s firm. Though it’s not her dream, she wants to honor his legacy and finish the deal that will save thousands of jobs. But when someone tries to kill her—twice—she needs a bodyguard. To her surprise Evan steps up and insists on protecting her, putting on a show as the caring fiancé. But he won’t let her back into his life or into his heart. To have any chance at a future together, they’ll have to resurrect the past and stay alive long enough to expose the man determined to see them both dead.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating:  4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

OMG so many feels and so much emotional pain in one story. Isla and Evan’s story picks up right where this last story left off and we finally get to see these two overcome their issues in order to be together and move on.  There is so much happening in this one, including finding out what really happened in the very beginning to lead to the death of Isla’s father and the attack that separated them in the first place.  Katie Reus has been stealing my heart and mind for a long time with her different series, but this one is getting more and more interesting, even going in knowing that it will only be three stories long, which makes me a little bit sad honestly.  Evan push Isla away in the first of this trilogy after his attack left him scarred for life, knowing she deserved better than him and that he would never be good enough for her again. Isla fought with everything in her to keep Evan, even though she was also dealing with the loss of her father, but she refused to let the man she loved leave her, until finally she couldn’t fight any more for a man that just didn’t seem to want her anymore.  Moving on with her life, to the best of her capability, she only has a few tasks left in order to fulfill her responsibilities to her late father before she can let her old life go, when suddenly everything blows up in her face.  Once again Evan is right there, determined to push his way into her life and protect her from every danger, except the danger he poses to her heart. Evan has never stopped loving Isla and now that she is in danger he refuses to let her go, but as they spend more time together it gets harder and harder to accept that he might have to let her go again someday. I loved Isla and she was one of the strongest female characters I have read in a long time, simply because despite the damage that Evan did to her heart, she never truly stopped loving him.  She was determined to release him like he demanded, but she also knew she had to protect her heart at all costs; she never stopped loving him and knew that she had to get away from him in order find any safety for herself.  When she finds herself in danger, she accepts that Evan being in her life is a necessary evil and will keep her heart safe even if she can’t keep away from him.  Evan has decided that keeping away from Isla is highly overrated and that the time has come for him to reclaim the only woman he has ever loved. She is in danger from an unknown killer and there is no way he will risk her safety, even as she fights him and their love, but he will use everything at his disposable to make her accept him back in her life.  The passion between them is beyond undeniable and the heat is enough to burn up the entire city, even when it is just them fighting the passion and each other for dominance in their relationship.  I am seriously loving this trilogy and this family of badass alphas that have captured the hearts of even more interesting people.  I cannot wait to see the last Bishop come out of hiding, face those that have set him up as a traitor, and find his own mate. Damn Katie is a true Mistress of Sensual Romance and her grasp of human nature and relationships is magical.

*ebook provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Review: Wolf Rebel (SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team #10)

Wolf Rebel (SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team #10)

by Paige Tyler

Blurb:

She let him get away

SWAT werewolf Rachel Bennett is hounded by nightmares after a vicious attack left her with PTSD. Not knowing who or what she can trust anymore, she's relieved to be assigned to a high-profile protective detail. Diving into work might be the distraction she needs, until she notices the mysterious hunk who seems to follow her wherever she goes—and recognizes him.

Now he needs her help...

After he's badly injured, former Navy SEAL Knox Lawson seeks out Rachel when he realizes he's turning into a werewolf. He'd once been part of the group hunting her kind, but he knew he had to quit when he found Rachel in his crosshairs. Now he desperately needs her help.

Rachel isn't sure she trusts Knox, but having him around keeps the nightmares—and the monster creating them—away. Knox might not know much about being a werewolf, but there's no doubt he'll do everything in his power to win her trust and keep her safe.

Themes:  Paranormal, Wolf-Shifters

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 Wow, ok I so didn’t see this one coming.  We have been waiting for a while now to find out the story behind Rachel’s nightmares and the things she has been seeing out of the corner of her eyes, but we never imagined this was coming her way.  And of course when an enemy becomes a lover it automatically becomes all that more intriguing and complicated.  This series has been getting seriously more and more complicated as the enemies and friends continue to change and grow in the most outrageous of ways.  We have been introduced to an all new group of killers and in this series the new good-guys that we are supposed to trust turn out to be total douche-bags. I really loved this story and I am dying to see what is coming next in this series, but Knox and Rachel’s story was definitely more than interesting all on its own. Knox and Rachel first met when he attacked the SWAT team with the other Hunters months ago and their eyes connected across the battlefield, despite neither of them attacking the other, they both know that something is happening when he returns to her world now a newly-awakened werewolf in his own right. Knox has been obsessed with Rachel for months since the first moments he saw her and was unable to do what he thought was his duty and kill her, but that obsession has become even more important now that he needs someone to teach him to be a werewolf.  Rachel is dealing with her own shit, dealing with nightmares, waking visions, and blackouts that leave her as a weakness to her team and herself. But as the truth is uncovered and they are forced to come together in order to overcome all they are facing and defeat their enemies, the relationship between them gets hotter and hotter. Rachel was a woman with some serious issues but I enjoyed watching her find her way with Knox and show her just how strong she truly was.  She had been dealing with a lot since she became a werewolf, and until she almost loses her life she doesn’t realize just how much. Knox is determined to find his way in this new world he finds himself in, despite knowing that he will not be welcomed with his past transgressions, but Rachel pulls him like no woman before and he won’t let anything stand in his way.  When they are both faced with a very real enemy that neither of them ever would have thought could possibly exist, Knox and team rush to find a way to keep Rachel alive so that he can have a future with her.  Despite knowing they should be enemies, the passion and love that develops between Rachel and Knox was amazing to experience and I loved every second of watching them come together.  This series just gets more and more complicated and I find myself holding my breath for what comes next, knowing that Ms. Tyler will never let me down. Another great story and if this keeps up I cannot imagine how much better it could possibly get.

*ebook provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Review: Call Her Mine (Harmony Pointe #1)

Call Her Mine (Harmony Pointe #1)

by Melissa Foster

Blurb:

Ben Dalton has always been honest, except where his heart is concerned. He’s been in love with his best friend—saucy, smart-mouthed Aurelia Stark—forever. But Ben’s a planner, and timing has never been on his side. When he finally decides to make his move, Aurelia beats him to the punch with a move of her own—to a different town.

Aurelia loves her new life in the charming town of Harmony Pointe. She has a great apartment and her very own bookstore, and best of all, the sinfully hot, commitment-phobic friend she’s crushed on for years is no longer just around the corner. Maybe she’ll finally be able to leave her unrequited love behind and move on.

But when a baby is left on Ben’s front porch—a baby that is presumably his—Aurelia is there for him. Neither one knows the first thing about babies, but how hard can it be? Ben and Aurelia are catapulted into a world of love, laughter, and tracking down the baby mama, and it might even add up to a very happily ever after… just not one either of them expects.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 3.5 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

 Well this was an interesting introduction to a new group of folks.  I can honestly say I am not really into the surprise baby arrives troupe that a lot of stories have been using lately, but this one has an interesting twist of two for sure.  Melissa Foster has her ups and downs when it comes to being one of my favorite reads, but this one is right in the middle of the back for me.  I liked Ben and Aurelia, but they were both so immature in a lot of ways and when it came to finally admitting to their relationship and accepting that their love for one another was necessary to their future happiness it took entirely too long for my tastes. Ben has been in love with his best friend for years, and she has been in love right back, but neither of them ever admitted it to one another or could seem to see it in the other. Finally, Aurelia has decided it is time to move on and give them both a chance to find happiness, even if not with each other, but then Ben’s life is thrown into complete chaos and he just cannot let her go. Aurelia is determined to be there for Ben, even though she knows it will kill her in the long run, but soon he confront her and tells her the full truth of his needs and wants.    And now they are truly together, working to build a life that neither of them ever imagined, but can they truly overcome everything that is in their way in order to enjoy their new found HEA?  Ben was a bit disappointing to me, but then I am partial to take-charge alpha guys, but once he finally came to terms with the need to step up and prove to Aurelia that he truly loves and deserves her, I began to respect and enjoy his character much more.  Aurelia is a woman with so much emotional turmoil to work through and I valued the way she forced Ben to acknowledge her needs and truly give her all she wanted in order for them to have a future.  There was certainly a deep seated and long-repressed need between the two of them that when they finally let it loose was hot and sexy, but the sweetness of their connection was even more amazing to see.  I am looking forward to seeing what is next in this series and seeing if it gets even better.  Maybe the beginning of another great series in the making, but overall this first in a series was worth every moment and groan of baby grossness to get to the HEA.

*ebook provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

ARC Review: Dark Alpha's Temptation (Reaper #9)

Dark Alpha's Temptation (Reaper #9)

by Donna Grant

Blurb:

There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I’m coming for you…

Carrying Death's orders is my sole duty. I've never had reason to question her, even if I disagreed. But Kyra's fierceness and willpower sheds light on my mission. She drives the darkness of my world away. The answers to the Others' goals lie in her past. For Kyra, I will risk going against Death's wishes. For her...I will battle the past and the future itself.

Themes:  Paranormal, Fae

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 Grant returns to the world of the Fae and her Dragon Kings, directly after the shocking events of the last Dragon King book (Fever) and we are all still in a lot of awe of the way that story went down.  That being said there was really no telling where she was going to be taking us in this next Reaper novel so we were all on the edges of our seats waiting quite impatiently to find out just what’s next. Grant has a magical skill with her ability to interweave all of her series and characters into the beautiful tapestry of the world that emerges from her imagination and with each story it just becomes more and more elaborate and amazing to readers.  Dubhan and Kyra’s story is no less than previous stories for being a bit shorter than I would have liked.  There was plenty of the expected drama and heartache, but I would have loved more time for them to build their relationship a bit more slowly.  Kyra witnessed something she never should have one chilly Irish morning at the Light palace and has been obsessed with the man—and his comrades to an extent—that she saw that day fighting the beasts she never believed existed.  Dubhan knows he’s being followed but can’t quite pin down the elusive fae until finally she slips up and he catches the female that has been haunting his steps for far longer than he realized.  Soon he realizes that she might be the key to uncovering the truth of the Others and finding a way to defeat them, but bringing her into the fold puts her directly into the path of Death and only with a bit of sneaky and well-planned action can they stay alive and together. I really enjoyed Kyra’s cockiness and her ability to lead Dubhan on a wild chase, but under all that she had a vulnerability and need to belong that made her the perfect match for him.  She was a woman that definitely needed to find her true purpose and being able to assist in the battle to end all battles is one that definitely gives her something to sink her teeth into.  Her interactions with Death were hilarious and showed that sass can be endearing at times, but I also enjoyed seeing her and Dubhan as they worked together to find solutions to the puzzles that were put before them. Dubhan was a male that has some problems, mainly that he got caught and has been followed without his knowledge for a long-time, not a good thing for a Reaper. He was an alpha badass like you would expect from any Reaper, but his warrior arrogance didn’t overpower his willingness to use his brain and recognize that Kyra was the best person for the job despite her not being fully into his world yet. I enjoyed seeing him embrace her fully and find a way to make her one of them and he shows her that she was loved and needed as more than just a resource; when her world turned upside-down, in the end she was able to lean on him and he gave her all the support she could ever need. The passion between these two was there from the very beginning, even when they didn’t even realize the other was there consciously, but when they come together the conflagration truly is a sight to see.  I loved every second of this short novella and I am DYING to see what comes next in this crazy world of Fae, Warriors, Druids, and Dragon-shifters, not to mention all the other amazing creatures that seem to cross their paths.  The battle seems to be getting only more and more complicated and there doesn’t seem to really be an end in sight (YAY!) which means there can only be more greatness to come.  

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

ARC Review: Hero's Haven (Dark Protectors #11)

Hero's Haven (Dark Protectors #11)
by Rebecca Zanetti

Blurb:

He’s her darkest fantasy. . .

 After years of struggling, Haven Daly has finally accepted that she’s nuttier than a fruitcake. Why else would she see visions of a beautiful but tormented male every night . . . and actually believe she can talk to him, even feel his touch?  But thanks to those dream journeys, she can paint images nobody else on earth can duplicate. In each brush stroke, she captures the blatant masculinity and raw desire in his eyes that promise he’s coming for her…and soon. 

 She’s the light that keeps him going. . .

 Quade Kayrs has already suffered a lifetime of pain and torture. Completely isolated, he kept his sanity  thanks to one beautiful female, a vision with kind emerald eyes. In the end, her soft voice led him out of hell. Now, naked and alone, he’s in a strange world that bears little resemblance to the one he left behind. All he knows is Haven.  All he wants is Haven.  His final mission? To protect her from the evil hunting them both—whether she likes it or not . . .

Themes:  Paranormal, Vampires, Demons, Fae, Shifters…

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

 Finally the last Kayrs brother has returned to our world and we get to see him lose his heart.  This series has morphed and changed so much over the years that from reading the first book in the series to this one you could seriously not understand what was going on, but I think that is what makes these long running series so amazing.  Rebecca has led us on a cray world changing journey and it looks like the world is about to change again.  Quade Kayrs has been trapped in his bubble world for millennia, doing his duty as a member of the Seven to keep the evil Ulric trapped in another bubble world to keep him from enacting his plan for an Armageddon on Earth.  But the worlds are imploding and he knows his death is imminent, his only consolation being that Ulric will die as well—then an Angel that has visited through the years reaches out and touches him, bringing him home.  Haven is no angel and she has no idea what she has done or how, but Quade is suddenly in her life, claiming she’s his mate, and has no idea how to function in the human world over two-thousand years after he left it.  Once she is convinced that Quade is no delusion of her broken mind, she has to accept that her version of reality is way off from the truth of the world, but she has no time to deal with that before they are suddenly under attack.  Finding a way to escape, while at the same time dealing with the crazy pull between them, Quade and Haven have to accept that their future is not going to be what they planned.  Together with the rest of the Seven and their mates, Haven and Quade have to find a way to keep Ulric trapped in his world, keep Haven safe, and once again create a stop gap to saving the world.  Only once the drama around them has passed can they really decide if they are ready to commit and deal with the emotions that they are bombarded with as their lives become more entwined and their time together gets more and more dangerous. Haven was a perfect blend of sweet and smart-ass and I loved her, possibly even saw a bit of myself in her, even if I was afraid that her compulsions were going to lead her down some seriously dark holes.  Seeing her dealing with her changed reality showed just how great she was at adapting to her surroundings and changes to life, which I definitely don’t do well, and it was hilarious to see her going toe-to-toe with the scary Quade without a single qualm.  Her past is beyond tragic and while it forced her to create walls around her heart and made her ability to trust a little bit iffy, it didn’t turn her into a hard person, instead making her willing to help and protect those in need of protection. Quade was a character for sure, but I suppose seeing anyone dealing with this very strange world of facebookers, cell-phoners, and idiotic drivers after having been locked in an alternate universe for millennia would be entertaining.  He is a serious badass, killing to protect those he loves and to make sure that his enemies know he means business, but most important to stop anyone from coming near his mate.  I loved watching him blossom as he found his footing in our world and once he was stable and settled back in with his brothers we got to see the full impact of his bossiness and greatness.  While there were certainly moments of caveman still, that I pretty much expected for any vampire, much less a Kayrs.  It was also funny to watch him denying his love for Haven even as he fell deeper and deeper until he suddenly had a lightbulb moment and understood just how much she meant to him.  Heat and Passion are definitely the words of the day when you read this story, the fire exploding between these two every minute, but the arguing and fights are just as entertaining to read as the sexy times.  I am dying to find out which of the Seven loses his heart and mind next as a woman steals his attention and of course seeing what will happen in this crazy war and seeing how the Seven will defeat Ulric. Another masterpiece Rebecca.

*eARC provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.