The Demon King’s Destiny by C. A. Worley
The Demon King's Destiny*
Intriguing Dreamworld End of Series
In this final installment of the Imperium series, daughter Evelyn meets her mate, the King of the Demons. Interestingly, this book takes place mostly in the dream world. Evelyn first sees her intended mate in her dreams when she’s just a small child. She doesn’t see him often in her dreams after that until she is an adult. The king, Marrok, needs to wait to claim her until things are safer in his land. Groups of demons have gone rogue, becoming more dangerous. Some change in their quest for power while others have it thrust upon them due to old age or infirmity. Will Marrok gain control over his land so he can bring his mate home? What about the cause of other mysterious, ruinous events happening throughout the four kingdoms of Imperium?
This book had the common issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. In particular, commas seem to be an issue, with the required one missing between independent clauses in a compound sentence. But the story was otherwise well written, so I was not overly distracted.
This world of the four kingdoms of Imperium is very complex and well imagined. The author did a fantastic job of worldbuilding over the course of the three books, and each sister was very much an individual and had a unique mate/story that suited her. I think each story could be read as a standalone, but reading each in sequence enriches understanding because it allows you to comprehend the interweaving elements of the books. If you enjoy steamy paranormal romance with a little bit of humor and danger, you will enjoy this series.
Savage Possessed by September Stone
Savage Possessed*
Reverse Harem Group on Quest at Behest of Mother Nature
In the second book of the series, Sophie and the men are on a quest. Mother Nature wants them to find Elowen. What will happen when they find the mage? Will they be safe from her magic? Will Mother get what she wants?
I found it interesting how the author was able to make each of the males very distinct. I was especially intrigued by Valor, the vampire. At the beginning, he was so withdrawn and penitent. You could sense the horror he feels at his past actions as he tries to atone in the tiniest of ways in all his actions and reactions. Hagan was also a surprise, especially at the end, but I won’t ruin that for you.
The book has some issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage, but they do not distract from the story. If you enjoy steamy RH fantasy, this book could fill the bill.
Rejecting the Rogue by Riley Cole
Rejecting the Rogue*
Delicious Victorian Romantic Suspense
We’re in a slightly fantastical Victorian England. The heroine, Philomena Sweet, has done numerous despicable deeds with her cousins at the insistence of her father. She is now determined to make restitution, one case at a time. Renowned for her safe-cracking skills, she now uses them for good and not for evil.
A client comes to the group, asking for help to retrieve a journal that contains many secrets that could be damaging and is now being held for potential future use as blackmail. This is precisely the type of work that the Restitution League does.
Unbeknownst to the group, another one of London’s underbelly is being asked to steal this journal. None other than Spencer Crane, master jewel thief and Philomena’s former betrothed whom she caught in flagrante delicto, has also been charged to retrieve this by a former associate who threatens both Philomena and Spencer’s sister if he refuses to do the job.
What happens when these two cross paths? Will sparks other than those caused by anger result? Will Philomena and her group be able to help the client?
This book was well written. While there is more than one narrator, I love the section from Philomena’s perspective. She comes across as a lady with a jaded but hopeful, slightly snarky attitude, and it is delicious to read. The book has an edgy yet humorous, not-quite-real vibe to it.
Lies and Solace by Jana Richards
Lies and Solace*
Big Dreams In Small-Town Romance
What a sweet and lovely small-town romance! The hero and the heroine have complex backstories that are revealed in a perfect dripwise fashion that show the basis for their goals and motivations, allowing the reader to easily empathize with them as they struggle with inner conflicts dealing with their secrets and what they have withheld from each other.
The book starts off dramatically with a scene from the distant past when the heroine’s parents died in a drowning accident when Harper was a child. The book then fast forwards to her at the age of 32 when she is trying to obtain investment capital to help restore the lodge that’s been in her family for three generations. Ethan, the hero, is a complex character, on the one hand sweet and caring and on the other fearful of rejection or maltreatment due to his secrets.
Now, when I said the book was sweet up above, I didn’t mean it wasn’t steamy! They have a caring bond that does carry over into intimacy towards the end of the book. Will their secrets tear them apart? Will Harper have the lodge of her dreams? Will her sisters start pitching in?
This book was refreshingly light on punctuation and grammar issues. It was a delight to read in that aspect as well as the good storytelling as detailed above.
If you like small town romance with complex characters, you’ll find this book a treat.
One Kiss From Ruin by Nancy Yeager
One Kiss from Ruin*
After Five Years of Heartache, Can They Find Happiness?
There is so much going on in this book! The hero and heroine were to be married five years ago, but the marriage never happened because the hero, Daniel, became embroiled in a scandal about the possible illegitimacy, and therefore, his eligibility for his title of marquess. Her family shunned him, lying to the couple. He was told that she never wanted to see him again and regretted everything they shared; she was told nothing, so she was left to assume he just abandoned her. As neither knows the truth, both are still infatuated with each other but hold some sadness (on her part) and resentment and anger (on his). Scandal and gossip have continued to follow him, some instigated by a longtime friend. She has decided to join the Spinster Society and help with their work. Now, he’s about come and claim his title after most of the issues around the illegitimacy claim have been resolved, but he still needs to go before a committee, so he must live a very upright and proper life. No scandals. And he needs to find the right society wife.
Of course, when they see each other again, they still have an attraction and a desire to be together, especially after they realize that they’ve been lied to for all these years. But she has a secret that can ruin it all for him. Will she help him find the proper wife he needs, or will he figure out some way that they can be together?
This book had some of the common issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage, but it wasn’t distracting. I found the heroine to be sweet and sad. The hero is definitely a rapscallion, especially the way he first treated her when he didn’t quite realize that he had broken her heart. But even afterward at times, he is unkind. But in general, their love and affection for each other shines through.
We also learn some about what the author is calling the Harrow Five, five young heirs to titles who were a group to be reckoned with when they were lads at Harrow. I’ll be interested to see where else the author takes us with the Harrow Five.
Bursting Out by Ceri Grenelle
Bursting Out*
Real Estate and Personal Mysteries in Manhattan
This contemporary romance had ongoing humor and an air of mystery which surrounded both the hero and the heroine that kept me turning the pages. The heroine, Adele, is a sassy up-and-coming real estate agent. Mr. Zelig was referred to her by a mutual friend. Mr. Z is very particular about what he is looking for in a property. He is so demanding that Adele nearly drops him as a client. They’re both intrigued by each other, but each is wary of pursuing any relationship beyond realtor-client. Will this stand? And what are their mysteries? What will Adele think when she finally learned his identity?
The book has some of the standard issues with punctuation, grammar, and usage, but it did not overly detract from the story.
If you are looking for a contemporary romance with good humor, a broody hero, and a little bit of mystery, this book might be for you.
The Claddagh Trilogy by Amanda Heartley
The Claddagh Trilogy*
A Fun Collection of Interwoven Irish Romance
What a fun collection of interwoven stories just in time for St Patrick’s Day! Characters introduced in one book become a couple in the next, and we also get to see what happens to the previous couple(s) as well.
The Irish Affair starts with the heroine, Amelia, in dire straits. She had hoped to surprise her online boyfriend in Ireland, but she is the one who is shocked when his wife answers the door! Nursing her wounds at a bar later, Amelia meets Rory Maguire, a man who is a country music star in Ireland. She doesn’t recognize him. He enjoys having someone react to him as just a person and not a superstar.
In the second book, Irish Love, we move from Ireland to Los Angeles and then on to Vegas. This story focuses on Siobhan, Rory’s sister, who is visiting him at his new place in America. He wants her there when he proposes to Amelia during a concert. This is Siobhan’s story, though, and her brother has warned her against his touring manager, Ben. So, of course, they meet, and romantic sparks fly. What happens when a nice Irish country girl meets up with a guy who isn’t known for going to bed alone often?
The final book of the set, Irish Heart, stars the bad girl who convinced Siobhan to go to Vegas on her first night in America. Will the wild girl be tamed? Can she find true love? You’ll just have to read it and see!
This set has some problems with grammar, punctuation, and usage, but the books were so fun that the mistakes did not detract from the enjoyment of reading.
If you enjoy light, funny contemporary romance with a little bit of Irish flair and music star panache, you might enjoy this delightful collection of three books.
I received a free advance copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Winter’s Dragons: Frozen Flames by Eva Brandt
Winter's Dragons: Frozen Flames*
It’s Not Easy to Be The Queen
I thoroughly enjoyed Book Two of Eva Brandt’s new Harem of the Seasons series. I enjoyed Book One, so I’m not surprised I enjoyed this as well. The dragons are still protective and sweet. Cassia/Cheimon is still her demanding, ruling self, with all the expectations due to a monarch that implies.
What makes this and the other book stand out is the author’s ability to convey humor very well especially through Cassia (which seems unexpected given her exalted status). The book starts with a series of improbable events that are humorous for those looking in but are trying (on a variety of levels) for the queen of the winter realm. The book starts with one of her Yeti subjects petitioning for help with a love triangle. Soon, her mates’ parents show up. Her dragons hadn’t sent word to their parents about the fact they still live or their unique relationship with the queen. The fathers are all quite undone when they hear about it; dragon males don’t have those types of relationships. A dragon mom soon reveals a universal human hope, asking about the potential for hatchlings!
This is a fun and humorous reverse harem read. I’m looking forward to the next books in this series.
Winter’s Dragons: Melting Ice by Eva Brandt
Winter's Dragons: Melting Ice*
The Avatar of Winter … and Three Man-dragons!
Strange things are afoot in the realm of eternal ice. When the queen of that realm, the avatar of winter, goes to investigate, she discovers three injured dragons have wreaked havoc on her land and her sister’s neighboring realm. The three dragons can shape-shift into men. Quickly, they swear to help protect her realm and repair the damage they’ve caused.
Cheimon is smart and sassy, an able ruler of her domain. She is the first narrator of the story, and I like the way she conveys has an air of authority as she bosses her underlings around. The girl’s got attitude! It was fun to watch the switch over between narrators and see how the man-dragons viewed scenes quite differently than the queen. The man-dragons were in competition before they landed in this realm, but now they decide to become allies in courting the queen.
I was not distracted by too many grammar, punctuation, or usage errors. I simply found this an enjoyable read because of the different narrators who had very distinct personalities. It was just fun!
A Gentleman’s Promise by Jane London
A Gentleman's Promise*
Romeo & Juliet in Regency England Misses the Mark
This book had potential, being based on the very interesting idea of having a Romeo and Juliet backdrop to fuel the conflict and motivations of a Regency couple. There are a few more archetypal romantic couples than Romeo and Juliet, but I found this particular story to be melodramatic, and frankly, the author didn’t develop the romantic aspect between Juliet and Christopher well enough. It was instant attraction but with little build-up or chemistry to warrant it.
Also, too, the author didn’t seem to have a sense of some of the customs and viewpoints of Regency England, or at least Regency England as we see it typically portrayed in historical romance. For instance, she called the first suitor that she had a gentleman, even though he owned his own tailoring business. He might have been born a gentleman–though this wasn’t stated–perhaps a second, third, or fourth son, but as he is actively involved in trade currently, he wouldn’t be considered a gentleman by the Upper Ten Thousand or even other gentry. More oddly, after Juliet and her friend Olivia dress as maids to return Christopher’s coat to him near midnight–it was strange enough that she and her friend would attempt to do this–he considers her actions and thinks that they might make other people of more gentle society see her acting as a thief or a “woman of ill repute.” Again, in a Regency romance, such actions of a gentlewoman or a middle-class woman would be seen as reputation-damaging if she were caught, but she wouldn’t be called a woman of ill repute! Loss of reputation doesn’t equal a woman of ill repute; the latter has a wholly different connotation.
The book also had issues with spelling, grammar, and punctuation. In the very first line, folder is used instead of folded. There were other strange misspellings and wrong words throughout the text. The conversations didn’t sound natural at all, they were definitely stilted, and everyone sounded the same. Scenes were overdramatic, tending to go from zero to a hundred rather fast in an almost melodramatic fashion. The scene where the couple’s father’s accidentally meet in a pub is a case in point.
I am a big fan of Regency romance, and I’m usually willing to cut the author’s a bit of slack if they tell me a good story. But I found this story to be silly, contrived, and overdramatic.
I did receive a free advance copy, but–as you might imagine–this did not affect my review
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