Angie's Romance Reviews (and trades) » Paranormal Reviews

Hot & Heavy – Sandra Hill

AngieZ — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:46:28 +0000

I am STILL working through some of the Sandra Hill Books I have in my massive TBR pile. Hot and Heavy is part of her Viking Series II. This series mixes time travel, vikings and Navy SEALS.

This story features Madrene Olgadottir, Ragnor’s sister whom had been left behind when her family traveled to the future (The Very Virile Viking and Wet & Wild) without her. If you have read Wet & Wild you will remember Rangnor’s brother-in-law Ian MacLean (also his commanding office).

Ian is on a mission to find a terrorist, but runs across a woman in a cave. Assuming she is the girlfriend of their target they take her into custody. Maddie finds herself transported into a strange land and decides to keep her identity a secret.

As with the other Viking series I enjoyed this book. Maddie is a great heroine. It is really funny to watch her acclimate to the future. Maddie has had a rough life after her family leaves but she manages to keep herself together. I love her sparring with Ian.

Grade: B

Cover: Love the cover…… This is my kind of hero regardless of the fact that a Seal wandering around in the desert without his shirt on would be a dead Seal (or at least sunburned), but it would be such as shame to cover up that buff, posing bod…

Author Future Releases:

September 1, 2009 – Viking Heat
December 29, 2009 – Viking in Love

Author’s website:

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Wet & Wild – Sandra Hill

AngieZ — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:36:32 +0000

I am working through some of the Sandra Hill Books I have in my massive TBR pile. Wet & Wild is part of her Viking Series II. This series mixes time travel, vikings and Navy SEALS. Is there anything better than Viking time travelers turned Navy SEAL? I guess it could get better if one of the time traveling, navy seal vikings would get turned into a vampire. But I digress…

Ragnor Magnusson has been morning life lately. He has lost his family – he thinks they are dead but they have traveled to the future (The Very Virile Viking) and he has been left behind with his sister to rule the family homestead. In a fit of boredom he decides to go a-Viking to break his slump. Suddenly facing death by drowing, he finds himself surfacing into a strange land where men called Navy Seals are training. Weirdly enough these men think they know him so he plays along to get his bearings. Things are not as they seem. It seems somehow Ragnor has been plunked down into his long lost brother Torolf’s place.

Lieutenant Alison MacLean is the sister of Ragnor’s “leader”. She is a driven woman who wants to break into the seals and has no time for these horn dog Navy men. That is until she suddenly has feelings for Magnusson whom she never felt anything before….

I enjoyed following Ragnor’s adaptation to his new world. He is baffled but fits right in with the new age warrors. The more men and woman change in history, the more their natures stay the same. Lots of witty fun moments.

Grade: B

Cover: Groan, not another John DeSalvo cover. He is so over used and definitely not Viking material….

Author Future Releases:

July 28, 2009 – So Into You
September 1, 2009 – Viking Heat
December 29, 2009 – Viking in Love

Author’s website:

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Dead and Gone – Charlaine Harris

AngieZ — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:14:59 +0000

This is book 9 in the Sookie series. In response to the successful coming of the vampires, the weres decide it is time for them to make their grand entry to society. Their grand unveiling seems to be accepted at first but several road bumps are thrown in for reading interest.

While I suppose the Were’s announcement is the basis for this book, it really didn’t factor in like I thought it could. Sam’s family reacts unpredictable, but that didn’t advance the story much. Jason’s slut of a wife is murdered in an apparent retaliation act towards the Weres, but the reality is not at all what it seemed. Sookie becomes the target of a fairy war and is running for her life throughout much of the book. Many of those close to Sookie get badly hurt, which seems to be a side effect of knowing her. Oh yea and lest we forget, Sookie is now married to Eric, but perhaps is she starting to see Bill in a new light.

I really liked Quinn so I was disappointed that he only made a brief appearance in the book. I assume that was to write him out of the future.

Overall I was happy with the story, but I thought it lacked something I could not put my finger on. I will be awaiting to see how Sookie handles her “marriage” in the future.

Grade: B

Cover: Same as the previous. Shows a hint of the men featuring in Sookie’s life. I am glad they didn’t move to a “Trueblood” cover. I hate when they use movies/tv characters on covers. It just screws with my vision of the characters.

Author Future Releases:

July 7, 2009 – Strange Brew
September 1, 2009 – Must Love Hellhounds
October 6, 2009 – A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse)
October 27, 2009 – Grave Secret (Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 4)

Author’s website:

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Touch of Evil – C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp

AngieZ — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:48:43 +0000

First in a series called “Thrall”.

The Thrall concept is yet another variation of the “vampire” theme. Instead of being infected by a “virus” the Thrall is a parasite which takes over the body and mind of its host for a few years. Eventually the body wears down and a new host is selected to receive the next queens eggs. Additionally the Thrall lives in a hive culture with a single reproductive queen leader and her drones the “hosts”. Humans all considered the “Prey” that feeds the hive the blood they need. Humans can also be Herd if they voluntarily feed the Hosts.

Kate Reilly is an internal courier with martial arts and defense training. She has previously defeated and killed a queen to try and save an ex lover, so she is given Not Prey status. This status is established with a set of rules that outline the Thrall/Not Prey status. Basically they are not supposed to use her as food, but the Thrall queens are scared of Kate and resent her status.

Tom is a calendar man sized hunk and a werewolf who comes to Kate to rent an apartment. They hit it off quickly, but Tom is not all he seems, nor are his initial motives towards Kate of his free will.

When a queen goes rogue and decides that she wants Kate to replace her as the next queen, things get ugly for Kate. Additional the local werewolf pack draws Kate into the fold.

There is a lot of action and an interesting new twist in this paranormal. I enjoyed it and plan on reading the next one in the series.

Cover: ok

Grade: B+.

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Darkfever – Karen Marie Moning

AngieZ — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:26:31 +0000

Book 1 in the Fever Series, I have had this book on my TBR pile for a long time. I can’t believe I didn’t pick it up until now.

MacKayla Lane is living a good life with manicures and clothing a key part of her life. Suddenly her sister is murdered while studying abroad in Ireland. Before she knows it she is drawn into an unbelievable paranormal world of which she plays an unknowing part. While trying to track down her sisters killer she meets Jericho Barrons. A man who is much more than he seems and recognizes that MacKayla may hold to the key to his search for an ancient magical book the Sinsar Dubh. This book is bringing about the destruction of the world as we know it.

I enjoyed this book and its Faery myth and legends. Like I said before, I wonder what took me so long. MacKayla’s development is well done, Jericho is richly dark and mysterious. This novel is very dark and a really great read. I believe this book may earn an place on my keeper shelf. Fortunately I have the next in the series Bloodfever and am cracking it open right now.

Grade: A-

Cover: Love the cover art…..

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Lover Enshrined – J.R. Ward

AngieZ — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:15:18 +0000

6th in the Brotherhood Series. This story “sort of” focuses on the relationship between Phury and Cormia. At the end of the last book, Phury had volunteered to take the place as the Chosen’s Primale in Vichous’s stead. The Primales role is to serve as head male to a harem of 40 chosen. A glorified stud and sperm factory whose sole purpose is donate his half of a generation of new Brothers. I thought Ward would make this role more interesting given that he is abstinent and all, but nay it didn’t really play much into the story..

I didn’t like this one much. I found Phury whiny beyond belief, or I guess I should say the voice in his head, (the wizard), was annoying and whiny. The wizard fills Phury with self doubt and pity so he turns to drugs in an attempt to mute him. Boo ho cry me a river, get high, then methodically fillet his enemies. Yes he has gone through a lot in his life after the kidnapping and subsequent rescue of his brother Z, but all these actions in a man usually point to a schizophrenia diagnosis, not make him romantic hero material.

Cormia was chosen as his lead mate and Phury has decided that he does not want to force her into the role of unwilling sacrificial virgin. At the end of the last book she was bland and boring. At least she grew as a character. I liked her slightly in the end. I didn’t however buy into the attraction to the two. The chemistry was just not there.

Of course the only true chemistry Phury was concerned about were his drugs – causing him to be interventioned out of the Brotherhood and hit way rock bottom before he bellies up to Narcotics Anonymous.

I felt Phury/Cormia’s plot was more of a filler to the new developing plots, which show some promise. The Omega has a secret son that was planted into the vampire world and has caused the Brotherhood (minus Phury) considerable societal damage and carnage. This twist will make the future books more way more interesting (I hope). John, Blay and Qhinn have many revelations of their own which way overshadow Phury and Cormia. I can’t wait till John and Xhex get together. Qhinn is now a full fledged bodyguard and badboy.

Revhenge also had considerable play time. Apparently he is being blackmailed and is being used as a man whore. His story is ramping up and I can’t wait. I hope he is next. I am all a shutter with the thoughts of his interesting anatomy. Sounds like the guy has some clamping barbs going on down there.

So in summary I feel like this was a transitional book with the promise of much, much more to come. I am glad that Ward has cut back on the slang and brand labeling. There were only a few “ies” thrown in, and they were only mildly annoying — (ex. freshie).

One additional pet peeve I have though is that currently the next new book coming up by Ward is an “insiders” guide. I hate when authors do that. Why not just write compelling accurate stories that don’t need a guide to keep it all together. I don’t want complexity in my guilty pleasure reading.

Rating: B-
Cover: Similar to the others in the series. Nothing to snark about.

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Kerrelyn Sparks – The Undead Next Door

AngieZ — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:46:57 +0000

I believe I read this one out of order as it is the fourth in the series and I didn’t read the third yet. It is sitting in my TBR pile here somewhere. Oh well.

The unfortunate thing about being undead is that business success in the digital age is next to impossible to hold off. Jean-Luc is a successful clothing designer who has been in the spotlight for too long. We say that men age gracefully, however it is apparent to those around him Jean-Luc is a bit too graceful these days. He decides to imbark on the next phase of his life by hiding out in Texas for a few decades and re-emerge as his son. That works for the mortal world, but his enemies are not so easily dissuaded.

Heather Westfield is thrilled to find that the famous designer Jean-Luc is opening a store in her small Texas town. She doesn’t realize it is just a front for Jean-Luc’s new compound. She attends the opening of the new store only to be thrust into Jean-Luc’s life when she stumbles upon some vampire business she should not have.

Through some quick moving plot, Heather and her daughter have to move in with Jean-Luc for protection.

I found the book quick moving and a bit funny. The plot was not overly complicated.

Grade: B
Cover: Theres nothing like a learing bad boy to make your day..

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Tempting Evil (Riley Jensen-3) – Keri Arthur

AngieZ — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:20:35 +0000

The third in one of my fav kick-ass series, Tempting evil is even better than Kissing Sin. Riley has advanced her training and is making her way up to a full guardian. She is not happy about this, but knows she has not moral choice in the matter.

Having found the compound of past nemesis Deshon Star through an inside connection, Riley prepares to go undercover as a female wrestler to gain access to the compound and eliminate Deshon and end his genetic experiments. Ok, so that sounds like a cheesy plot and perhaps it is, but Arthur has a way of building a complex world while weaving in erotic sex and interesting plots. I could not put this one down.

As usual, Quinn her past vampire lover finds out about her plot and infiltrates the compound also. Quinn has a vendetta to settle with Deshon.

Kade the horse shifter is back as well as the addition of a group of new woman shifters who are not what they appear to be. It seems Deshon has racked up lots of enemies along the way.

As with the past books there is lots of unapologetic sex and rich content. My one criticism was the final confrontation lacked much substance in regard to the evil Starr.

Grade: A
Cover: Same theme as before, nice design.

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

Kissing Sin (Riley Jensen-2) – Keri Arthur

AngieZ — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:38:37 +0000

Riley Jenkins is half vampire and half wolf. She and her twin brother Rhoan live in Melbourne and are working with an organization of supernatural beings called the Directorate. Riley has been resisting becoming a full Guardian, but Jack, her vampire boss, has other plans for her.

In the second book of the series we find Riley captured in a breeding facility to create master races of mixed DNA super beings…. Back are the past characters of Quinn, Rhoan, Jack, Gualtier. The plot turns are really quick and rich and the new characters are fascinating. Of course Riley adds another lover to her mix, but it seems to add to the story. The sex is abundant, but it seems to fit in with the story instead of becoming the story. I have to say that some of her sex lines are just plain cheezy, as the newest lover Kade is a horse shifter and Arthur could not resist the “hung like” line…. (groan…..). Otherwise the world building was imaginative and fresh. Old lovers prove to be more than meets the eye and Riley becomes manipulated and injected with a experimental drug that has long term implications upon her future. Love this new series…

Grade: A-

Cover: Hot.

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.

What Do You Say to a Naked Elf? – Cheryl Sterling

AngieZ — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:34:14 +0000

This is a new author for me. I wish I could say I liked the book, but it jumped along too fast with no build up.

Jane Drysdale is driving along in her car with tubs of erotic toys from her second job of “adult toy parties” when she runs over a rabbit and is suddenly transported to another land. She mets up with Charle who is a straight laced and sort of interesting character and is swept up in one adventure to another.

I finished the book, but can’t say that I enjoyed it much. I will give it credit for being different and very unpredictable….. I suspect that others may enjoy the fast moving story about destiny in another land.
Rating: C
Cover Art: So, So

Please remember to show support for your favorite authors by purchasing their novels new — if possible.