Review: Conquer the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #15)

Conquer the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #15)

by Alexandra Ivy 

Blurb:

On the edge of the Mojave desert, out of the lights of Las Vegas, even a werewolf can expec

t a share of peace and solitude. For Ulric, the last surviving member of a pack hunted through centuries, it’s one of few places he’s willing to drop his guard. Until he spots Brigette, a beautiful wolf-woman he thought dead long ago. When he gives chase, he loses her—and discovers he’s being followed himself.

 His pursuer is a zephyr sprite, Rainn, on the trail of a frightening prophecy she can’t predict or understand. All she knows is that Ulric is at its center. If he’s determined to find Brigette, she’ll do what she must to keep him with her.

 When the search leads them to a place where Ulric’s ghosts and Rainn’s portents intertwine, a lurking evil waits to swallow them both. But as they fight for survival, their need for each other will become impossible to deny . . .

Themes:  Paranormal, Shifters, Magick

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

This series keeps getting more and more interesting as we meet new characters and dig deeper into this world of crazy shifters, fae and vampires. I am loving every moment of the experience and Alexandra Ivy never fails to give us an experience to remember when we read.  This series has slow evolved into a complicated and twisted maze of a plotline that just keeps crazier with each installment.  Ulric is the right-hand man of a new character that was introduced a few stories ago and we’ve gotten to know him a bit, and I really loved and wanted his story, mainly because I was so interested since he was the last member of his pack and wanted to understand why.  Not to be outdone on the scale of interesting, Rainn is a zephyr sprite, which is a type of being that hasn’t been delved into in previous stories in the series.  The chemistry and obvious connection between these two is alternately sexy and sweet but always intense and watching them banter, spar, and finally come together was thrilling.  I loved getting to know Ulric, despite him being a typical idiot male a few times as he went through his adventure in the desert. He is very much a strong alpha male determined to protect those he loves and considers his own, and once he takes Rainn into his heart fully he refuses to let anything destroy her.  Rainn has a destiny, one that she has been following and fearing since she was a young woman, but she knows the time is rapidly approaching where she will have to make a choice and it will hurt.  She was a sweet and sassy female for sure, and seeing how she refused to back down from any altercation with Ulric reminds me that a strong woman can be soft sometimes and hard others and still maintain her womanliness. In the end only by coming together in full love and trust, revealing all their secrets and understanding that the bond between them is special and eternal, are the able to conquer the dark enemies chasing them and bring an end to their battles.  I am really looking forward to the next book in this series and to meeting the next group of lovers that will be falling in love, because there is no way this series is ending anytime soon.  Bring it on, Alexandra!

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

ARC Review: Chasing Tail (The Dogmothers #3)

Chasing Tail (The Dogmothers #3)

by Roxanne St. Claire 

Blurb:

When firefighter Connor Mahoney decides to run for mayor, he's confident of victory because of his brilliant idea to put Frank, a local canine hero who saved a drowning child, on the ticket with him. Then Connor gets some unwanted help from the Dogmothers, who think a pretty new arrival from Washington DC would make the perfect campaign manager for their highly-eligible bachelor grandson. But no matter how much Connor likes the idea of working with the gorgeous Sadie Hartman, she's doing her best to keep him at arm's length.

Disillusioned by politics after working in DC, Sadie doesn’t want the job, no matter how smoking hot the sexy firefighter is or how much his sweet grannies push. But then she learns that the race has another candidate – a man who was instrumental in wrecking Sadie’s family. Uncertain the “dog and firefighter” can win, she launches her own campaign to be mayor of Bitter Bark.

But Connor and Sadie are both in for a big surprise when a two-hundred year old law is unearthed to upend the entire election. Then, the only way for Sadie or Connor to save the town from a terrible mayor is to join forces in a way no one is expecting. As Sadie and Connor discover that the best part of running against each other is literally being against each other, it doesn't take long to figure out that sometimes winning the race means losing your heart.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating:  4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The saga of the amazing North Carolina canine royals continues with another story in the Dogmothers series.  I have been wondering for a while now just who would grab Conner’s attention and hold it long enough to steal his heart and Sadie was certainly the perfect woman for the job.  Roxanne St. Claire has an intriguing way of making her couples so disparate that you just can’t imagine how they could ever find a way to their HEA, but in the end she manages to bring it all together in the most perfect ways. If you have been following this series a while you have also been on pins and needles waiting to see Conner’s story and get to know him more, mainly because it has looked like his family underestimated him and we wanted to see his true greatness shining through. Sadie and Conner are both trying to find their places in the world and build new lives, but neither of them think that being part of a couple is part of that future. I am dying for the next story, which I understand might be one of the Santorini cousins, and see the Dogmothers in action again, but in the meantime I might just enjoy Conner and Sadie’s story again for the fun and romance of it.

Conner is stuck in a rut and he knows that its time for some changes in his life, despite his family’s view about him. While he enjoys his life, he is much more serious about his goals and plans than anyone believes and when the opportunity presents itself to prove it to everyone he jumps on it, much like Frank the canine jumping on him. Sadie has returned to her hometown of Bitter Bark to lick her wounds after becoming disillusioned with her life in Washington DC and she is determined to keep Conner at a distance, despite the fact that he draws her like no man before him.  Unexpectedly they are drawn into intrigue and forced into close proximity in order to protect the town they both love so much from being threatened by the bastard that is running against Conner/Frank for mayor. As they work together the heat between them builds and they learn that sometimes the passion that burns is enough to sustain a love of a lifetime, if they let go enough to let it run away with their heart.  But a danger lurks from an unexpected corner and Conner has to find a way to keep Sadie safe in order for them to ever have a chance at a future.

I loved this story and getting to know both Sadie and Conner much better.  While we have gotten glimpses of Conner in past stories, learning his motivations and the depth of his fears made him into a truly rounded man instead of just a sexy one-dimensional character. He was a hero to be sure, but he was also the wounded young man that lost his own hero—his father—way too young and it left him with emotional scars to overcome before he could offer his heart to Sadie. He is devoted to his family and his town and determined to win in order to give his all to making the town he loves into an even better place to live. While there were a few moments I wanted to knock him in the head for being a dummy, overall he gave me a warm and welcome sense of love and sweetness that made me wish for a man just like him for my very own. Sadie has just gone through some serious knocks in both her professional and personal life, but she refuses to let it keep her down, just like she refused to let her past keep her from reaching for her goals. I loved seeing her sparring with Conner, the sparks flying as her serious nature and determination beat against Conner’s sometimes immature and silly actions. Like Conner she is unwilling to allow the town to be broken by the villain that is trying to take over as mayor, but for a much more personal reason, and she uses all her knowledge and experience to prove that she is the woman for the job.  I loved seeing her in action as she proved to everyone, even herself, that her future really was in Bitter Bark, even though she never imagined it until she returned, and her future certainly was going to involve Conner once she allowed herself to trust him.  Once they both gave up on the futile fight to resist their love, the heat between Conner and Sadie was raging and at the same time long-burning, showing us that these two were going to be together and passionately devoted to one another forever.

Readers of the series certainly expected Conner’s story to be filled with laughter and passion, from the glimpses of his playful personality in previous novels, but Chasing Tail was much more than just a fluff story to be sure. The story begins with heat and sparks between two strangers that turn out to be much more than simply that to one another and evolves into a story that truly proves the skill and ability of this author. Conner shows us an entirely different side of his personality as he makes life-changing decisions and begins to show those around him the secrets he has been keeping inside.  While he enjoys life and refuses to lose at anything he tries, he can be as serious and determined as any of the Kilcannon/Mahoney Clan and when he goes after something he won’t fail, especially if what he is going after is the woman of his dreams. Sadie shows of us the meaning of “beaten but not broken” as she returns to her childhood home to find her new path and begin to rebuild her life.  Once she meets Conner there is a whole new dimension in that direction as she tries to resist the sexy fireman and his ridiculously irresistible dog, Frank, but ultimately the pull between them is too much.  Oddly she finds a new direction in local politics as well as she fights back against a bastard that destroyed her family and life when she was a teen, but that fire of anger and heat fuels her passion for kicking butt and finding a way to win. I loved seeing Conner and Sadie working together against a common enemy and as they did they discovered a passion and love that surprises them both—even though it was obvious to the Dogmothers. I am looking forward to the next story in the series and cannot wait for whatever direction the series takes, mainly because I have no clue what type of woman would be perfect for John Santorini, but I know that the Dogmothers will score a win as they always do. Rocki scores again with Chasing Tail and I loved every second of the chase.

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

ARC Review: The Billionaire in Boots (Princes of Texas #3)

The Billionaire in Boots (Princes of Texas #3)

by Julia London 

Blurb:

As the firstborn son, it's been drilled into Nick that he is the heir apparent to the Prince family empire. But cattle ranching has never been his true passion. Nick wants to be a pilot. However, when his father dies, leaving Nick to clean up the mess, he knows he must do his duty before following his heart.

Charlotte Bailey can't believe that Nick is back to run the ranch. As the office manager, she knows it's her responsibility to help him. If only he wasn't so brooding and cranky--and so hot it's a wonder his chaps don't melt right off him. But when sparks fly between them, she's adamant about staying away from a cowboy on his way out the door.

Nick knows the ranch's pretty, smart, and capable office manager is off-limits, but he needs her. And working in such close proximity to Charlotte every day is making Nick crazy. She smells good, she looks good, she makes him laugh, but most of all she makes him want to stay....

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

The oldest and final—legitimate—Prince son has finally met his match and the time has come for him to decide what is most important for his future and happiness. I can still honestly say that while I am enamored of Julia’s skill as an author and her ability to spin a tale, my preference lies still with my first love of her work which is her historical romances. While I enjoyed reading this series and can certainly see the appeal overall, there is just something missing for me that she never seems to be lacking in her historicals. This series has revolved around the Prince family, Texas royalty or in other words cattle people, who have recently had their world shaken when the patriarch of the family dies and the secrets he has long kept buried are brought to light.  The first two stories about the younger siblings were interesting and gave me a few laughs along the way, but were definitely not my favorites either, and I knew going in that Nick and Charlotte’s story was going to be a tear-jerker. But for anyone that likes some silliness and sadness alongside their romance, this story would be right up their alley.  I also assumed this story would be the end of the series, but apparently there is another coming and I suspect I know who will be the hero of it, but there have been no details released just yet. I will definitely read the final story just to see what happens next, but I am truly dying for whatever Ms. London releases next in her historical line and gives me back for my favorite branch of romance.

Nick and Charlotte have been dancing around one another for a while now, ever since the fateful night almost two years ago when they made an error in judgment that landed then in bed together.   Now they are forced to work side-by-side running the cattle company, one that Nick resents with every fiber of his being and just simply wants out from under.  Charlotte wants Nick and knows it is mutual, but there is something keeping him at a distance and she enjoys needling him at every turn, but at the same time she has a true desire to move forward with her goal of a family and an HEA.  When they both decide that the dancing is better together, the sparks fly and soon they are in way deeper than either of them could have imagined initially. Now Nick has to decide if there is a place for Charlotte and a future with her in his life goals, or if letting her go is the best thing for them both in the long run. And Charlotte has to decide if Nick’s mistakes are too big to ever forgive and forget to give him another chance at her heart.

Billionaire in Boots is a deceptively simple story on its surface.  Two people that have been rubbing along for years finally decide to give it a go and see where life leads them, but there is so much more going on that sometimes it becomes a bit too much for one story.  Nick has dreams that he has had to put on hold in order to fulfill her duty to his family, but he knows that it is time for him to go all in or he will never find an ounce of happiness for himself.  I hated seeing how he was always put down by his family, even in subtle and maybe unintentional ways, and I could certainly see how he felt like he was the son that was left with a forced future instead of the chance to be himself. His resentment made him into an even more broody guy than he is by nature, but he definitely had his light moments with Charlotte and his niece which were fun to watch. Charlotte takes an entirely different view of life, trying to inject life and love into every moment even if she is working.  Fun can be had in all moments to her and I can appreciate her view, even if I can’t live it personally.  She was a perfect match, or I guess foil would be a better term, to Nick’s personality and made them perfect together.  I hated to see the angst between them in the rough patches they went through, but in the end I think they will succeed and find their true happiness as they move forward with their future together.  HEA doesn’t always end up like the characters or the readers imagined, but sometimes it is perfect nonetheless and that was the case here. There was plenty of passion once they gave into it, but the story really revolved around them dealing with the emotional drama they had to overcome. I enjoyed the story overall and would have loved it had there been a few little differences here and there but that’s just my personal little glitch with some motifs. I am wondering what will come next in this series and dying for the next in London’s historical series to be sure.  Seems like I am never going to be a true convert for the contemporary branch of her writing, but the series is enjoyable and has its moments of greatness for certain.

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

ARC Review: Black Out (Black's Bandits #3)

Black Out (Black's Bandits #3)

by Lynn Raye Harris 

Blurb:

Angelica Turner’s life is in danger. If she wants to survive, she’ll have to turn to a man with violence in his eyes and death in his soul. A man she desires… yet desperately needs to resist.

Hardened mercenary Colton Duchaine has wanted Angie since he first laid eyes on her, but he’s the wrong kind of man for an innocent woman like her.

Until someone wants her silenced. Colt will do whatever it takes to keep her alive. And when it’s over, he’ll walk away for good.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Angie and Colt finally find their way into one another’s arms and the story is everything I’d hoped it would be. For anyone that has been a fan of this series since it branched off the HOT series you have been watching with baited breath for Angie to finally get over her trauma and let Colt into her heart. Ms. Harris has such skill of bringing these truly unreal characters down to earth and making us love them, while leaving a bit of mystery and fun for us to experience as we truly get to know them. This story picks up right where the second in the series left off, with Angie finding herself in a bit of trouble and in need of her new friends’ help, despite her dedication to never finding herself in danger again.  Colt has been waiting for a chance to get closer to Angie, but he never wanted to see her in any danger that’s for sure.  When she comes to him with suspicions about her work, he knows that he needs to investigate further so that he can reassure himself – and her – that she is truly safe. Things start to heat up for them, but danger is just around the corner too and only with the help of Black’s Bandits will Colt be able to save the woman he loves.  I am dying for what comes next in this series for sure and cannot wait for whoever falls in love next, but the biggest story of all will be what comes next for Ian and Natasha, because I can already tell that is going to be a seriously interesting story to read.

Black Out lets readers get into the minds and hearts of two individuals that are used to living life alone, even when they are dependent on others at times, because they never truly give their full trust to those around them anymore.  Angie was burned badly by the man she thought she was building a life with and since then has only found bad luck with the opposite sex, until Colton Duchaine strolls into her life. He truly terrifies her because she knows that if she opens her heart, he will have the power to destroy her once and for all.  I loved getting to know Angie and see her come out of her shell, especially in quiet moments with Colt, as she begins to understand that offering her trust and ultimately her heart to Colt makes her strong not weak.  She finds her backbone and learns that she is a match for him and that making him her own is the only way she will ever truly be whole and happy in her life.  Colton has his own reasons for his solitary life, secrets he is keeping from even his closest friends, but Angie draws him like no woman before her and there is no resisting her anymore. Watching him fall under her spell and seeing how he treated her like a princess, reminds me that there are in fact men out there that will put the needs and wants of their woman first in life.  Sometimes it’s not even the big things that matter, but the little things like caring for us when we are ill or just telling us that we are perfect the way we are, and Colt understands the power of that and gives it to Angie at every turn.  While he is certainly a badass in all the best ways and alpha to the core when it comes to protecting his woman and getting shit done, he shows his love and caring and is not afraid for others to see his devotion and love for his woman. There is definitely heat and passion but my favorite moments between Angie and Colt were when they were just together and quiet in their love and devotion. I want a love like theirs for myself someday for sure. This story hits all the right notes with love, sweetness, action, drama, and a plot with enough twists to keep you wondering until the end.  I am looking forward to more in their series as well as the two HOT series currently underway.  If you aren’t a devoted Harris reader yet, Angie and Colt's story just might make you one!

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

ARC Review: Dragon Lost (Dark Kings #16.5)

Dragon Lost (Dark Kings #16.5)

by Donna Grant

Blurb:

Destinies can’t be ignored. No one knows that better than Annita. For as long as she can remember, it's been foretold she would find a dragon. A real-life dragon. She’s beginning to think it was all some kind of mistake until she’s swimming in one of 
the many caves around the island and discovers none other than a dragon. There is no fear as she approaches, utterly transfixed at the sight of the creature. Then he shifts into the shape of a thoroughly gorgeous man who spears her with bright blue eyes. In that instant, she knows her destiny has arrived. And the dragon holds the key to everything.

All Royden wanted was to find an item his brother buried when they were children. It was supposed to be a quick and simple trip, but he should’ve known nothing would be easy with enemies like the Dragon Kings have. Royden has no choice but to trust the beguiling woman who tempts him like no other. And in doing so, they unleash a love so strong, so pure that nothing can hold it back.

Themes:  Paranormal, Dragon-Shifters, Fae

Rating:  4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Damn, that story was so not long enough. This series has gotten really intense as it moved on and it was nice to see a simple story where the focus was on the couple falling in love and the passion between them.  Donna Grant’s magic with romance and skill with story-telling shines even in this simple story, but I really do wish it had been longer, because Royden and Annita were interesting characters I would have liked to see more of. Annita has known her whole life she was destined to meet a Dragon, though what that really means for her future and in the long run is a mystery to her. She has lived her entire life on her family’s estate in Crete, awaiting her destiny and wondering how her life would change, until one day it happens in the most surprising of places and ways.  Annita’s always been pulled to the underwater caves below her family’s island estate, but one day the pull is truly undeniable and she walks into the dark only to come face to face—if only for a single second—with a huge dragon, until suddenly he’s replaced by the sexiest man she has ever met. Royden has returned to his old stomping grounds searching for a family heirloom lost for millennia hoping to reconnect with his dragons and family.  When Annita stumbles across him in dragon form, resting in his family caves, he is totally surprised by her acceptance of him and her story of her destined fate to meet a dragon. I loved getting to meet these two and see them find love, the sweetness of their emotional connection not cluttered by the danger and drama of recent stories in the series and see the simplicity of their deep connection. Royden was a sexy beast with a lot of emotions to work through and internal turmoil that Annita was able to help him come to terms with as they fell in love deeply and quickly.  Annita was a sweet and simple woman.  She showed her courage and strength in many ways as well as in how she pushed and pushed to make Royden accept her presence and explain his truth to her, so they could have a chance to learn about one another and have a future together.  The passion that flared as they accepted their fated love was hot enough to heat the ocean around them as they frolicked, while the depth of their connection shows that sometimes the length of time you know someone doesn’t mean anything to the strength of the love that develops. I am dying to know what comes next in this world and find out more about Rhi and her King in coming stories.  I understand that this main arc is ending in two more stories (OMG I am DYING for Con’s story) but that the series will continue with more Kings finding their mates and possibly another new arc beginning.  Donna Grant will always be one of the Queens of Paranormal Romance for me and will remain one of my favorite authors, earning herself a place on my shelves and in my heart. Another masterwork of love, despite my wish for it being longer for my personal enjoyment. ;)

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

ARC Mini-Review: Unforgettable (Always #2)

Unforgettable (Always #2)

by Lexxie Couper

Blurb:

Sometimes being an optimist is hard work.

Brendon Osmond’s an optimist, a fitness geek, a man with a plan and the drive to achieve it. He’s sure he knows everything there is to know about his life and where it’s headed—until he gets one brief text.

A text from her.

Amanda. The girl who broke his heart.

‘Thinking of you.’

Just three little words, but they’re enough to make Brendon drop everything and head half way around the world to see her.

Acting only on gut instinct, nothing can prepare Brendon for the truth he’s about to learn.

A truth Amanda kept from him for almost two years. A truth who has Brendon’s eyes and claims his heart in an instant.

A truth that comes with a devastating diagnosis with the power to destroy everything he never knew he wanted or held dear.

Themes: Contemporary  

Rating: 3 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Ok I’m gonna have to be honest here, while I have loved just about everything ever written by Lexxie Couper, this one was nowhere near my favorite and I am not going to be going back or finishing this series.  To my understanding this series was written a while ago under one of Ms. Couper’s pseudonyms and I can honestly say that I would not ever associate this story with her current writing style or any other story of hers I have read.  Yes, other series have had seriously heavy themes to overcome in the love story as well, but this one was just too much and there was too much going on in way too short a time for me to find it either believable or enjoyable.  The premise of the story is that a young man is called to make a long journey back into the arms of the girl that broke his heart once, only to have his world turned upside down again and again as he is forced to come to terms with secrets and drama.  I couldn’t relate to Brendon at all, being that I am pretty much the opposite of an optimist, but I was intrigued at the way he was able to roll with the punches (and there were a LOT of them) and find a way to put himself back together again.  Amanda on the other hand was one of those girls (sorry I just can’t call her a woman) that I can’t bring myself to like.  I can understand her fears, but keeping the secrets she did and then springing everything on Brendon the way she did multiple times... that level of immaturity was just unforgivable in my opinion.  The passion between them was undeniable and it was obvious to see that they loved one another despite all the issues they were dealing with. This story has so much going on in really less than a three-day time period, that it’s just too much to comprehend and process for the reader and to expect Brendon to either.  The fact that there was so much against Brendon and Amanda, more than just the obvious, makes it just too much and had it been spread into perhaps a few months, I might have been able to believe the story better.  I will say that some readers will love the story, but it was just not my thing.  I am looking forward to what comes from Lexxie in other series, but I doubt I will be back for the last in this one.

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

ARC Review: The Bear's Forever Mate (Borealis Bears #3)

The Bear's Forever Mate (Borealis Bears #3)

by Vivian Arend

Blurb:

He’s got the perfect mate in mind, for five years from now…

The final title in a light-hearted shifter trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Vivian Arend.

Cooper Borealis is fully onboard with the concept of fated mates. Except mating the woman he wants—his tempting, complicated, human secretary—is not an option. Or not yet anyway. Still, he’ll keep the vow he made to his brothers, with a few loophole caveats, mating fever be damned. He’ll be with Amber Myawayan at the place and time of his choosing.

Amber has spent the past two years in the north looking for her missing brother—and falling in love with the big, growly polar bear at the helm of Borealis Gems. More than once, she’s caught him looking at her with hungry shifter eyes. But getting him to admit it? Ha! Luckily, mating fever is a thing, and she’s happy to cooperate as nature forces the issue to the forefront.

But when their mating bond is unexpectedly blocked, Amber and Cooper find themselves in a race against time. She needs to track down her brother while somehow proving she’s tough enough to be with her favourite bear. Cooper plans to protect her at all costs, even if it means secretly stifling his stubborn shifter side.

Somewhere in the wilderness they’ll find the answer…or lose their chance at forever.

Themes:  Paranormal, Shifters

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The trilogy comes to an interesting and amazing ending as Cooper finds himself captured by the woman that has been teasing his senses and stealing his heart for the last two years. I love pretty much anything that Vivian Arend writes, but my heart was first stolen by her shifters many years ago when I stumbled across them by accident one day.  Each time one of them finds their mate and begins getting into mischief, I fall more and more in love with her skill and imagination as a writer, but this trilogy was beyond fun and sexy and I cannot wait for whatever she dreams up next. The premise of the trilogy is that the family patriarch has decided it is time for his grandsons to settle down and find their happiness with their mates—and he puts a deadline with some serious consequences on his ultimatum.  The two younger brothers have both found their mates, though in unlikely places,  and Cooper knows the woman he wants for his mate as well, but the problem is he knows the time isn’t right to claim her yet. Amber is a human that has come north into the wilds of Canada seeking the truth of the disappearance of her foster parents and brother, and she has found her place with the Borealis family and their friends, but she is no closer to the truth she sought than when she arrived.  Amber is in serious lust with Cooper and knows it can grow into something much more if the stubborn polar-bear-shifter would just drop his protective guard long enough to give them a chance, and when she sees her opening she is not willing to let anything stop her. Cooper tries to keep himself from Amber when the mating fever strikes, but she’s having none of that bullshit and soon they are tearing up the little cabin he ran to.  But the mating bond can’t click into place until all three parts of their future are aligned—Amber, Cooper and the stubborn bear spirit that shares his soul.  Now they have to find a way to solve all their problems and track down her brother while proving to his bear that Amber really is the only one strong enough to be their mate. 

This was one twisty and fascinating story, with so much going on in such a short time that one might fear there wasn’t enough filler to build the relationship for Amber and Cooper, but Arend’s skill once again proves she is a mistress of romance for a good reason.  Fact is that no one else could have truly done this story the justice it deserved.  Amber was the kind of strong and determined woman, with the backbone of steel, heart of gold, and patience of Job that I wish I could be.  She is the match that Cooper needs to keep him in line, laughing at the ridiculousness that life can sometimes be, and just mischievous enough to keep their future mated life from being boring. Cooper is one of those people like me with a list for everything in life, one that doesn’t adapt well to change, and that has to think through everything little piece of a decision before he can commit, which is ironic considering he shares his spirit with a wild polar bear.  That dichotomy leads to some hilarious internal dialogue between the two and of course some decisions that require Amber to work all the harder to overcome his obstinacy.  I loved seeing these two balance one another and find a way to make their lives perfect just by being what the other needed at the most important moments.  The heat between them was of course off the charts leading to passionate moments that even melted the snow protecting them at one moment (nope, not a metaphor).  I also loved seeing the family togetherness and the ways that Arend shows how two cultures and families can come together to make a whole that is so much greater than the parts combined, reminding me a little bit of her contemporary series that are so family focused.  I loved this story for each and every second, and while I, of course, wish it had been longer just to prolong the enjoyment, there wasn’t a single thing lacking from the plot or the romance and I cannot wait to spread the word about this series and this trilogy specifically, not to mention now I can binge reread all three. Another masterpiece Vivian!

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