ARC Reviews

30/06/2020

Tempest Heart (Hearts of the Highlands #5) by Paula Quinn. Historical Romance Release & ARC Review.

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He’d learned many ways to stay alive, but he never lived.

Tristan MacPherson is a killer for hire. He is elemental, primal, savage, and determined to uphold his reputation that if he agrees to kill a man, the man will surely die. He has seen so much death both on the field and off that he has grown detached to its effects. Until he finds a lass on the brink of death, about to be set aflame as one infected with the terrible sickness, and his heart begins to beat again.

After losing six years of her life protected from a fire-breathing madman outside the walls of her father’s castle, Lady Rose Callanach is allowed the freedom to spend the winter with her cousin. When she is infected with the plague on the way and left in a village to die, she is saved by a beautiful masked man. A man infamous for showing no mercy, and yet, it is the very first thing he gives her. She will never forget it. She will forgive him anything because of it.

But can she forgive him when she learns that he has been hired to kill her father? And can Tristan save her when the fiery monster finally returns for her and sets her world up in flames? 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Lady Rose Callanach has not been outside her father's castle for six years because the person who killed her mother is probably after her as well.  Her uncle has at last persuaded her father that she will be safe with him and her cousin.
Tristan MacPherson is a legendary assassin known for bringing justice to those who think they are above the laws of decency. 
The black death is ravaging the land wiping out whole villages,  everyone is scared of catching it.  Sometimes they take extreme measures to stop the spread.  
This is an emotional and action packed story filled with vicious battles and danger for everyone.  Our unlikely hero will have a life changing experience.  Our brave, but incredibly innocent heroine will learn that not everything she has been told is true.  
A very exciting book that is part of a series but easily read on it's own.  
I loved it.


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Paula Quinn is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of medieval, Scottish historical, and paranormal romance. To date, four of her books have garnered a starred review from Publishers Weekly. She has been nominated for Storyteller of the year by RT Book Reviews and every one of her books from the Children of the Mist series have garnered Top Picks from RT Book Reviews. She also writes fantasy romance under the pen name of Genevra Thorne. 




Flame (Dark Kings #17) by Donna Grant. Paranormal Romance Release & ARC Review.

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If she believed in destiny, she would believe they were meant for each other.
But that fire was put out long ago. . .

Living among the Dragon Kings, Cain has spent lifetimes learning to distrust both mortals and Fae. He is a warrior born—and every instinct demands that he fight to keep his own kind safe. But when a fringe member of the Dark Fae contacts the Kings with an urgent warning, Cain is torn for the first time. How can he trust this beautiful creature when resisting his primal attraction to her is battle enough?

Noreen is horrified by what her kind and the malevolent Others are planning for the Dragon Kings. Dark Fae or not, there are lines she will not cross—even if it means risking her life. But she never imagined that she would risk her heart until she meets Cain. She wants him with a soul-deep desire that frightens her…and endangers them both. Is saying goodbye to everything Noreen has ever known worth a love that will span time and realms?

⭐⭐⭐⭐



Noreen is a Dark Fae who is really worried about what the "Others" and in particular the woman who has been her mentor have planned for the Dragon kings.  If she can get some information to them without being killed on sight,  maybe she can stop it.
Cain is the Dragon King sent to investigate what the email is about.  
There is a high risk of treachery from all sides.  Although death is not necessarily a possible outcome,  somethings can be worse. Personal relationships between the different factions make trust the key element. The history between the Dragon kings,  Fae and Druids is violent and humans can get caught in between.  Because of this history it's better to read this series in order.  
An exciting action packed story.


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 KOBO



Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, three cats, and a dog.

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Stolen Wife, by Carina Blake. Romantic Suspense Release & Excerpt.



Title: Stolen Wife
Author: Carina Blake
Genre: Romance Suspense w/ Dark Elements
Release Date: June 30, 2020

I’ll do whatever it takes to get her in my arms, even kill my brother.
I’ll do everything in my power to destroy all who came between us.
The second I held the wedding photo of Giada with my brother, my revenge became tainted with possessiveness so profound that I grew colder. Calculating. Obsessed.
I’d do anything to get my desire. To taste her.
Giada is mine, and it didn’t matter the how or why, because she just is. I'll play her name in my head—my sirens song—as I remove her from my brother’s grasp and take her for my own.
One by one, I’d get my vendetta on those who sent me away while claiming what was never theirs.


I wake up groggily with my head fuzzy, but from the looks of it unharmed. Maybe last night had all been a dream. Did I really dream about Santino kissing me? I’m glad Rafael didn’t come in and hear me if I did. I roll over onto my back when I hit a large frame. A frame much larger than Rafael’s. I reach out and feel a muscular chest. I open my eyes and see Santino with his elbow propping him up as he looks at me.

“Good morning.” The smile on his face almost makes me forget the danger we’re in.

“Good morning? Are you nuts? What are you doing in my bed? Rafael will kill you. Oh my goodness. I wasn’t dreaming.” My heart’s racing as fast as my mind is. I can already picture Rafael and his goons busting down the doors and shooting up the place on principle alone. Or maybe they’ll just torture us to death. I look into his eyes and all I see is mirth, which pisses me off as much as it turns me on.

“You thought you dreamed of me, baby?” He slides his hand over my hip and under my nightgown. My skin tingles from the gentle grip he exerts. God, how am I getting turned on?

It makes me mad how hot he is, and I become flustered with his touch. I shove his hand away and glare at him. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re not in your bed at the compound. You’re in our bed in my home.”

“What?” I flip around and look. This isn’t my room. The room is made of clean lines, greyish-blue walls with a large television mounted to the wall. I’m confused and taken aback by this. Slamming my eyes shut, I take several deep breaths and then pinch myself.

“You’re not dreaming. I took you, and you’re here. End of story.” He sits up in the bed, and it’s the first time I notice that he’s ripped from his shoulders down to his…oh my goodness. He’s extremely hard right now. I turn to look away. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m not sure,” I respond with a barely audible whisper. My confusion has only grown. I stand to get some space between us and then it dawns on me that I’m not in my nightgown anymore. Instead, I’m in a big tee shirt with my hard nipples pressing against the letters.

“You took off my clothes? Are you trying to get us killed?” I cover my chest, like it does me any good. The man took off my clothes last night. Did he do anything else to me?

“I’m not afraid of any of them. And yes. Do you think I’d let you wear something my brother probably has fucked you in? I don’t want anything of his tainting my home.” I’m seeing a change in his mood. His temper’s slipping past that cool, calm, sexy façade. It’s as if my heart’s breaking, which makes absolutely no sense since I’ve never had a chance for love to come and tear it apart.

I glare at him and test his actions. I have to know who I’m dealing with. “Well, then, I should go, since I’m his.” He jumps off the bed and crosses the distance between us. Unable to stop myself, I flinch, waiting to feel the sting. He’s much larger than his brother and father, and I know this will hurt more, and not only physically.

“I’m not him and you’re not his,” he growls, dragging me with one arm around my waist and the other in my hair. His mouth slams down on mine. God, that kiss had been real. Before I can melt into him, he pushes off of me.

“That was wrong,” I say as I watch him get dressed. Santino slips on a white undershirt and a pair of grey dress slacks before sliding on a crisp white dress shirt.

He turns around to face me with the shirt still wide open. I’m amazed by the feral look in his eyes. From head to toe this man is perfection, but his mouth on mine was the most insanely sexy thing in the world I’ve ever experienced.

He stalks toward me, but this time I don’t flinch because I’m ridiculously hoping for another kiss. He tips my chin with his thick thumb, pulling my bottom lip from under the grip of my upper teeth. “Felt fucking right to me.” My body heats up and I breathily look up into his eyes that are trained to my lips, waiting for more. Instead, he steps back and says, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a call to make. Please eat.” He points to the trays on the table that’s in the middle of the room.

“So you’re going to leave me up here locked away?” I ask, changing one cell for another.

“Damn right,” he growls, nodding his head as he grabs his phone and gun.
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A Deadly Affair (Glacial Blood Series #7) by Anna Edwards. Paranormal Romance Release & Excerpt.



Title: A Deadly Affair
Series: Glacial Blood Series #7
Author: Anna Edwards
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Cover Design: Charity Hendry
Jessica Raven is a powerful witch and loyal member of the Glacial Blood pack. Her only regret in life was devoting so much time to her ex-lover Ciaran, who’s now beta to a tyrannical polar bear shifter. Did she unknowingly help him set in motion a chain of events, which looks set to destroy the world as she knows it? Or is she the only one who holds the key to stopping him? 

Ethern Lennox is a member of the shifters’ Council with a hidden loyalty to the Glacial Blood pack. He’s been preparing for war with the human world for several years now, both in his role on the Council and in quiet behind the scenes. He knows more about the supernatural powers out there than anyone else. Will he be able to use them in time to stop Nuka Lincoln’s pack taking over? Or will he fall short and possibly even lose his own life? 

As the fight between good and evil takes a dramatic turn, Jessica and Ethern find themselves under increasing pressure. Can they find a way to stop Ciaran before he reveals the existence of shifters to the human world? 

Welcome to the bestselling Glacial Blood series, a world of shifters and witches, magic and mayhem, unforgivable lies, and unbreakable love. A world where family is born not only through blood but through a bond of friendship and loyalty. With plenty of threats to come—and a secret that remains untold.

“You will get there. Jessica. Your magical abilities are amazing. I learn something new every time I watch you.”

Ethern was in awe of her skills. His own magical abilities had come to him because he touched a witch, and he didn’t know how to use them like Jessica did. Most of the magic he did manage was a matter of guesswork and following his instincts. Whereas Jessica had practiced for so many years now it had become second nature to her.

“Thank you.” Jessica bit her lip, and Ethern found himself reaching out to touch her on the shoulder. 

“Trust me.”

“I do, Ethern. I lost my way for a while, but my confidence in my abilities is growing again. I do worry, though. Sometimes the power surging through me is so strong I fear losing myself to it.”

“I think we all do. You’re probably unaware, but multi-shifters possess a power that could leave us lost to all we know if it’s not controlled. The most important thing is to trust yourself and those around you to keep you grounded.”

“I often forget my support network is one of the strongest in the supernatural world. The things some of those people in the other room have been through are so shocking—I can’t imagine coming out the other side and then being able to laugh and joke about the world at large while sitting down for a meal.”

Ethern let go of Jessica and picked up the book she’d been looking at. He flicked through the pages as he thought about how to respond to her.

“The Glacial Blood pack is like no other. It’s an inclusive mix of shifters and humans and an example of what the world could be like without intolerance. I may not be a member, but I’m glad I’m allowed to be a part of it even in a very small way.”

Jessica took the book from him. 

“I wouldn’t say you’re not a member of the pack. It’s unofficial, but you’re with us when we need you.”

“Thank you. I would do anything for my friends here.”

Jessica looked up at him, and the air heated in the room. Was he overthinking it, or did she have feelings for him as well? They fell silent for a few moments while Jessica stepped away and began to look through the book in her hands.

“Let’s cast a spell together, Ethern. I’ve got one I’m not sure you know. I want to try it with you.”

“Ok.” He chuckled and allowed his skin to display the green hue and markings of a witch. 

Jessica lifted her gaze from the book and took in his new appearance.

“I would love to see my true form one day. I’m jealous multi-shifters get to change and I don’t” she said wistfully, tentatively reaching out and tracing the pentagram tattoo on his hand. “ I wonder what symbols I’d have. You and Selene both have different markings, and I don’t even recognize some of them. It’s intriguing.”

“I agree. It’s a fascinating ancient language. I don’t know the meaning of a lot of the markings, but I feel them when I use my magic. Each one gives me a different power.” He pointed to a small star on his face just beneath his left eye. “This one is where my teleportation comes from. It heats up whenever I teleport.”

“The wandering star.” Jessica reached up to touch the small tattoo on his face. “Maybe when the war is over, we can spend some time exploring them. See what they do?”

Ethern fell quiet. He knew already he wouldn’t end the war in this form. Sacrifices had to be made — and it was the reason why he’d been raised from the dead as a multi-shifter. 

“Anyway,” he said, changing the subject. “What is this spell?”

Jessica handed the book back to him and pointed at a page. He started to read while she began searching around on her desk for something. The spell was a little mundane, turning coal to a diamond. It seemed a silly spell to him and had the potential of being a dangerous one if it fell into the wrong hands. Jessica handed him a lump of coal. He looked down at it like it was burning his hands.

“Why this spell?” he asked.

“It’s different, and it’s good way to practice when learning to change the shape and properties of objects.” 

Jessica placed her hand over the coal, and it changed into a spectacular diamond. It took his breath away with its beauty. He looked at it more closely, admiring the line of the precious stone. Its cut was exquisite and its carat would be very high. It would be worth a fortune. He looked up and noticed Jessica was watching him intently, her brows deeply furrowed in the center of her forehead.

She placed her hand over the stone again, and it turned back into a lump of coal.

“Your turn,” Jessica challenged as she started to walk away from him. 

Her shoulders were slumped, and if he guessed correctly, she was deflated and worried about something.

“Jessica, wait.” He stopped her with his free hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Your turn,” she repeated, her voice cracking as she spoke. 

She pulled away from him and took a seat on a nearby chair while he stared down at the lump of coal. This was a test. He felt it deep inside. He didn’t want to turn the lump of sedimentary rock into a diamond. It wasn’t him. Precious stones weren’t what he wanted or even needed in his life. Money had no value to him. 

He felt a burning on his back from another of his tattoos, and he gasped causing Jessica’s eyes to widen. He knew exactly which marking it was—the one of a black raven. He placed his free hand over the lump of coal and allowed the magic within him to work. When he pulled his hand away, instead of a diamond there was a black feather resting in his hand—a large tail feather of a raven. Walking over to Jessica, he handed it to her. 

“I don’t need diamonds. This raven’s feather is of more value to me than anything else. It represents all that’s in my heart.”
 
All I am a British author, from the depths of the rural countryside near London. In a previous life, I was an accountant from the age of twenty-one. I still do that on occasions, but most of my life is now spent intermingling writing while looking after my husband, two children and two cats (probably in the inverse order to the one listed!). When I have some spare time, I can also be found writing poetry, baking cakes (and eating them), or behind a camera snapping like a mad paparazzi.
I'm an avid reader who turned to writing to combat my depression and anxiety. I have a love of travelling and like to bring this to my stories to give them the air of reality. I like my heroes hot and hunky with a dirty mouth, my heroines demure but with spunk, and my books full of dramatic suspense.
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