ARC Review: Dragon Marked (Dragon Kings #9)

Dragon Marked (Dragon Kings #9)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

I would sell my dragon soul to possess her…

From the moment I saw her, she held me enthralled. It was more than her beauty. It was in the very way she looked at the world.

The way she looked at me.

She saw me as no one ever had. The scars I tried to bury, the wounds no one else knew about. She saw the worst parts of me—and she didn’t look away.

Together we pursue a shared nemesis. While a terrifying foe stalks us at every turn.

Whatever enemy dares to get close, I will slay. Whatever path she walks, I will be beside her.

For I am hers. Utterly. Completely.

She’s my greatest temptation. The other half of my soul.

My mate.

Themes:  Paranormal, Dragon Shifters, Druids

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The story we have all been waiting for is finally here… we get to see Merrill finally fall in love. But to say his story is an easy one would be a lie.  I honestly cried more reading this story than any other story I have ever read and truly I doubted they would get their HEA right up to the very end so be prepared with a lot of tissues and whatever support snacks (I recommend chocolate) will keep you from sobbing uncontrollably! Donna Grant takes us on a wild ride all over the world of Zora as Merrill and his future mate Katla fight against their enemies and try to bring an end to their greatest foe. Merrill has finally decided that he is done with Stonemore and he is going to return to the fold of the Kings, but he finds himself drawn to follow the enchanting druid Katla and when he finds her protecting three children he is determined to be by her side as enemies are around every corner.  Katla has done things she can never forgive herself for, but she will give her all to protect her young charges and once they are safe she is determined to avenge her bad decisions by defeating Villette, the Star Person that took centuries from her. When Katla and Merrill team up to defeat their enemy, their attraction to one another becomes harder and harder to resist, but when it becomes clear they have a bigger challenge on the horizon, they have to trust one another implicitly if they hope to survive—and have a chance at a future together.

In a story of enemies becoming friends and friends becoming deadly enemies, Katla and Merrill quickly learn that the kind of trust they have developed is much more than just friends, but is their mate bond strong enough to overcome everything thrown at them? I loved getting to see Katla find her way back from the darkness that she lived for so long after Villette led her to make the wrong choices.  She doesn’t make excuses for the bad deeds she has done, owning up to the lives she has destroyed and remorseful for all the lives she’s taken, but she also knows that she can’t atone for those mistakes but doing nothing or just giving up.  She is brave, sweet, smart, and loving for those that she offers her heart to, but she is also wary of trusting again.  When she opened her heart to Merrill they both became the fullhearted beings they were always meant to be, dropping walls and finally accepting their destiny. Before he accepts his love for Katla, Merrill doubts his own worth way too much, due to his recent actions and the pain that he is finally no longer able to keep leashed after millennia of hiding it.   He has always been a strong, caring, and loving alpha male, but now he no longer has the touchstone he has depended on to keep him level and without it he is unable to keep his balance, but luckily Katla offers his a newer even stronger focus.  The love between these two is undeniable and beautiful, though painful at times, to watch develop and I was caught up in every moment of their action-packed story.  I am dying for the next in this series where alliances seem to shift with each new installment and we learn about new heroes and new villains with each introduction.  Where else will Donna take us on this adventure through Zora?

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

ARC Review: War (Serpents of Chaos MC #1)

War (Serpents of Chaos MC #1)

Chantal Fernando

Blurb:

A biker Vice President. A sweet baker with a secret.

And a one night stand that changed everything.

I didn’t know he was the VP of the Serpents of Chaos MC.

No one knew I was the club president's daughter.

And when the truth comes out, it changes everything.

As a club princess, I should have been off limits to the men.

But War has already claimed me as his.

And now he’s going to have to fight to keep me.

After all, all is fair in love and War.

Themes:  Contemporary, MC

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

One never knows what they are going to get when they begin a new series, even one from a favorite author and that is a favorite trope, but I gotta tell you this story is one for I seriously loved. Chantal Fernando has returned to my favorite of her writing styles with this new MC series and the first in the series was filled with twists and turns and plenty of passion and drama that will keep you on your toes.  Ora never imagined that that sexy and gorgeous man that blew her mind one crazy night after approaching her at a club and taking her to his hotel room would change her life forever.  When she gave herself to the sexy beast that tempted her to be naughty, she could never have guessed that her was the VP of the local MC, the MC that her she happens to be fully aware of because her biological father is the president—even though he has no idea she exists. War saw Ora across the dance floor and couldn’t resist her, but when she was gone the next morning he went crazy looking for her and never imagined he would find her when he and some of his club brothers are escorting a club girl to the local bakery.  Now that he has her back in his life and she can’t escape from him again there is no way that he will allow another man to get near her, he’s laid a claim on her and will do whatever it takes to make her his—even when his world is thrown upside down by the truth of her parentage.  Can they get past all the secrets of their past and the outside dangers they face in order to have a future together or will they be torn apart before they truly have a chance to have a future together?

War and Ora’s story was fabulous and I loved getting to see these two falling in love.  Ora has a lot of pain in her past and even though she has also had a lot of personal and professional happiness.  She’s come to her new town looking for something, a connection to her past, but she never imagined that she would meet the man of her dreams and get all wrapped up in the MC life. She is sassy, smart, loving, and sweet and I enjoyed getting to watch her interacting with her friends, War and her father too, but even when she was smarting off to her enemies she never failed to amaze me. War was a bit harder to get to know mainly because he was so contained, but when he opened up and let himself show his soft underbelly, in order to fight for the woman that he loves, we finally see the depths of his soul.  His strength, dedication, protectiveness, and loving nature all had a darker edge, but his intelligence and determination made him a perfect match for Ora’s stubbornness.  Together their passion soared and I loved seeing how their love developed and grew the more time they were together.  I am looking forward to seeing Ora and War in the next story in the series (Haze) and as the series continues to develop because I can see this one become another long running series that will turn readers into loyal followers.  Gimme more, Chantal!

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

ARC Review: Seth (Ghost Ops #3)

Seth (Ghost Ops #3)

Lynn Raye Harris

Blurb:

Dead to their pasts. Ghosts. No family ties. No connections.

Six men with a top-secret mission move to a small town where they have to navigate local life, protect their secret, and, above all, stay single.

Software engineer Caroline Crowell is a dead woman walking. When the top-secret lab she’s working in goes up in flames and she barely makes it out alive, she knows her time is up. If she wants to stay alive and protect the only family she has left, she has to disappear.

But first she needs help. Someone to watch her back and make sure her enemy doesn’t get any closer while she plans her escape.

Seth “Phantom” King trusts no one but his team. He knows what people are capable of, and he knows how far a person can be pushed before they break. And what he sees when Callie shows up at One Shot Tactical looking for help is a woman about to reach the point of no return.

He doesn’t want to be drawn in by her fear, doesn’t want to believe she’s anything but a potential suspect in his mission. But his teammates have proven that you can’t stop feeling something for a woman even when you know you aren’t supposed to. Denying it only makes it worse.

When the danger Callie fears comes to town, Seth has a choice. Fight for the future he needs. For the woman he needs.

Or watch everything go up in smoke.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating:  4.25 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The truth will finally come out as two  people that have both lost the ability to trust have to find a way to believe in one another if they want to survive and prevent a disaster that could potentially cause a worldwide catastrophe.  Lynn Raye Harris takes us to a small town in Alabama, one that you would never think to look twice at, but that is currently the center of a dangerous experiment that puts it right in the crosshairs for spies, killers, and all kinds of danger.  In order to prevent secrets from getting out and dangerous national enemies from gaining possession of information they shouldn’t have; the Ghost Ops team has laid their lives and futures on the line.  Seth has suspicions about the beautiful computer programmer that is a member of the secret experimental team he is protecting, but when she is almost killed and comes to him for help his life is suddenly very complicated.  I loved every second of the story and I am dying for the next in the series for sure but I cannot wait to see if these boys will be able to get back to HOT in the end or if they will be staying in their new hometown.

Caroline “Callie” Crowell has been trying to find a way out of the mess her life has become, with attempted blackmail, suspicious code on her top-secret project, and high stress in her personal life, but she never imagined someone would try to kill her.  When she almost dies in a fire at her top-secret lab, she knows it is no accident and goes to the only people she can think of for help.  Seth “Phantom” King is stunned when Callie shows up at One Shot Tactical looking for help, claiming someone is trying to kill her because she refused to give into their blackmail attempts. Seth suspects that she is lying, that she is really a spy on the project and cannot be trusted, but at the same time he feels a pull toward her stronger than he has ever felt for another woman.  The more time they spend together, with Seth and Callie both slowly coming to trust and opening up, both of them come to learn that their future can only be free if they face the issues of their past.  But as the danger gets higher around Callie, Seth has to decide if he truly trusts her or if his own fears and hangups are worth losing the first woman that has ever touched his heart. Because there is danger around every corner and if they can’t fully trust one another they have no hope of surviving the danger.

Seth is the quintessential hero that has been broken in his past and has never come to terms with those issues.  I enjoyed getting to know him and seeing him at work as he accepted that his trust issues and his past were holding him back, but only when he finally opened his heart did I truly love him.  His past was definitely painful, filled with heartbreak all the way back to his early childhood, and only when he accepted that not everyone was going to reject, abuse, and mistreat him did he learn how much he was being held back by those past hurts.  Sharing his revelations with both Callie and his guys showed him that he could count on people to support him unconditionally and offer him love, but he had to be open to it.  His intelligence and strength were matched only by his dedication to caring for those under his wing. He really was a wonderful character to get to know. Callie obviously had her own fears to work through as she’d so recently gone through trauma after trauma, but the way that she opened herself to Seth showed that she wanted to be able to love him with all her heart.  The love she had for her sister also shows how big her heart can be even though she fears the loss and trauma that she’s already experienced. Callie might be scared of everything happening around her because she is out of her wheelhouse with all the top-secret danger, but she is obviously intelligent and dedicated to work and goals she believes she is working for.  I loved seeing the way she offered her help to the team and her heart to Seth, instead of hiding when she could have easy cowered in a corner like many would have, showing us her inner strength was a core of titanium. In the end she might have had her fears, but she was more than willing to fight past them to get what she felt could have been a beautiful future.

As the Ghost Ops series continues to develop, each of our heroes seems to be setting down roots in their small town in Alabama, leaving us with the feeling that their HOT lives truly have ended.  That said they are still kickass operators and there is no doubt that they are serving their country and protecting the citizens in need around them.  Seth’s story continues that as the beautiful but suspect computer programmer they have been monitoring suddenly arrives on their doorstep claiming someone is trying to kill her because she is refusing to help them get access to the top-secret project.  Seth is a beautifully damaged hero that needs the right motivation to finally get over his horrific past, and it looks like Callie is just what the doctor ordered.  Callie is determined to survive this latest threat, even if she has to take her sister and go on the run, but Seth is just as determined to help her and keep her around.  Together they are combustible and the more time they spend together the more the passion and potency of their connection leads them both to open their minds and hearts to an unexpected future they could have together.  I loved seeing them as they sparked off one another—arguing, working together, or simply finding their way through the morass of emotional pain—until they finally found a way to their peaceful and emotional balance.  I am really looking forward to the rest of the series and I suspect I know what will be coming in the next book, but will enjoy it no matter what as the series continues to its inevitable conclusion once all the guys have their stories.  Ms.  Harris certainly found her footing with this latest spin-off and didn’t let readers down when she decided to send Ghost off with his group of men on a mission like no other.

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

ARC Mini-Review: Always a Fake Bridesmaid (Clover Lake #1)

Always a Fake Bridesmaid (Clover Lake #1)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

The moment Ewan McBride entered my life, my world tilted on its axis.

When we part, I promise him I owe him anything for saving my daughter’s life.

What I didn’t expect?

Being his fake date to a wedding—in two days.

It was only supposed to be a favor, but we can’t deny the attraction.

Only he lives a state away and my life is in Colorado with my daughter and the Montgomerys.

This can only be one night that feels all too real.

Yet I know walking away will be the hardest thing I ever do.

Themes:  Novella, Contemporary

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating:   

Review:

I always love a good novella, especially one written by one of my favorite authors, because you know that the best of a long story is going to be packed into a quick read so that you get all the lust, heat, love and sweetness without too the story dragging too long. The new Clover Lake series by Carrie Ann Ryan promises to be a whole set of stories to fulfill just that need for us as she lets us get sneak peaks of our favorite Montgomerys and introduces a whole new family at the same time. Livvy
Montgomery meets Ewan McBride by chance when he saves her daughter from disaster and suddenly her life is completely changed. Ewan was instantly drawn to Livvy and when he learns she is a Montgomery, one of the family that he is acquainted with (at least several of the guys) he knows that he has his work cut out for him if he wants a chance to embrace their attraction.  But he is need of a date to an upcoming wedding that is putting him right in the crosshairs of some scary ladies and Livvy seems to be the perfect solution.  But their attraction is soon all too real and giving into their passion leads to very real feeling. Can Ewan and Livvy find a way through the obstacles in their path and have a future together or will they be forced to walk away from one another once their fake relationship has to end?  I loved every second of this story because the connection between Ewan and Livvy was palpable from the very beginning, even when Ewan was simply being a daring rescuer.  Livvy was obviously scared to make another mistake jumping in with a man that might break her heart, but when he learns to be open and trust her instincts, she finds that loving Ewan could never be wrong for her or her daughter.  Ewan knows that he wants Livvy, but he is smart and brave enough to understand that her fear can never be overcome by forcing her into a relationship she isn’t ready for, giving her the time she needs to come to the conclusion that they are perfect together.  It’s obvious I am going to love his family and seeing them each find and fall in love will make for another great series for Carrie Ann and I cannot wait for what is next (Accidental Runaway Groom).  Another great beginning to a series we are all going to be anticipating for many months to come.

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

ARC Review: Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6)

Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

The only choice is surrender .

In my world, magic and danger go hand-in-hand. It has from my earliest memory. Magic was currency, and if you have it, you have power. I was shaped by some of the most influential Druids into a lethal weapon. Their weapon.

Until the night they betray me—and I wind up in the hands of my enemy.

He’s nothing but a job for me. To him, I’m the key to finding his father. Too bad I know nothing.

But right now, he’s the only thing keeping me alive, so I’ll do whatever it takes. Yet, if we’re going to survive, it means doing it together.

I’ve never allowed myself to care, to feel. To hope. He shows me a world that was always just out of reach, one I was never meant to be a part of—and a love that burns bright enough to scorch the earth.

Together, we will bring an empire to its knees.

Themes: Druids, Magick, Fae  

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

We have been wondering for a long time where Donna Grant was going to be taking this series, but to be honest with you I never imagined we would be heading in this direction. While I cannot deny Donna has a serious way of turning longtime villains into the greatest of heroes, I certainly did not imagine that we would be seeing such a turnaround, but there you have it.  The continuing saga of the Skye Druids takes us deep into the English countryside as one of the Knights goes on a mission in order to find out what has happened with his missing father, never imagining just how deeply he is being drawn into his past and the dangerous future against his will. Carlyle and Davon/Song are pitted initially against one another and then together against their enemies as they find out that their pasts are not what they seemed and that those they have loved and sacrificed so much for have betrayed them beyond conception. I loved every moment of the story even when I was terrified and my heart was breaking for both of them and I am dying to find out what could be coming next as I hope we get to meet more of the knights and see how they handle the more and more terrifying challenges that are coming their way.

Normally I would go deeper into Carlyle and Devon/Song and the way they came together and learned more about one another  and how they fell in love, but I am afraid to give away too much of the story because it truly was nonstop from the beginning to the end. I will say that I loved getting to know Carlyle and seeing him learn the truth about his past –as painful as it was—and find himself despite those that tried to manipulate him into doing what they wanted him to do. He is brave, strong, smart, and determined to never give into the evil that he can sense around him at all times. He is also loving and giving to those that prove to him that they are worth his love and devotion, including Devon/Song in the end. Devon/Song changes a lot over the course of this story and we learn her past has shaped her in immeasurable ways, even though she too was tricked by those that should have loved her and provided her with a safe place to grow. She is intelligent, courageous, clever, and thinks several steps of those around her, even though she is tricker by those she thought she could trust. In the end these two were entwined long before they ever knew one another in person and they were made to find one another once they learned to trust one another, despite all the signs that they shouldn’t.

Blood Skye is a story of betrayals, treachery, trickery, and two people that had their trust broken repeatedly by those that should have always been their greatest allies. Carlyle has come to love and trust his found family in the Knights and the other trusted Sky Druids, but his blood family is another story and when he begins to doubt his past, present, and future, his life, and the safety and all those he loves might just be on the line. Devon/Song has been given a task, one that she doesn’t believe in, but that she has to complete in order to protect those she loves, but the more time she spends with Carlyle the more she begins to doubt her mission  should be accomplished at all. Together Carlyle, Song, and the Skye Druids have to battle their enemies, dangerous circumstances, and in the end they have to prevail against the most terrifying of their own personal fears if they have any hope of surviving together. The connection that formed between Carlyle and Song was beautiful and passionate once they found their way to forgiveness and love and I enjoyed seeing them find that together. I am dying to see what comes next in this twisty, complicated, and sometimes dark series as Donna continues to lead us deeper into the drama of the Skye, London, and Edinburgh Druids as they all battle for supremacy and fight against the ultimate evil that is trying to end them all. Let the battle against the darkness continue!

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