Review: "The Darkest Night" by Gena Showalter

Title: The Darkest Night
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: The Lords of the Underworld, #1
Publisher: HQN
Published date: 1 May 2008
ISBN: 0373772467
Source of my copy: I purchased it.


About the book (from Goodreads)

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love . . .

Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful . . . Don’t miss this incredible new paranormal series from Gena Showalter!

My review

Ashlyn Darrow is tormented by the voices she hears, wherever she goes she hears every conversation which has ever taken place there.  She travels the world helping the Institute to find out about paranormal creatures, but she knows little beyond her own work.  Having being given to the Institute by her parents at only five years old, she has never really know any different until she ascends the hill towards to strange and mysterious fortress where the locals says angels or demons live.  Ashlyn hopes they may have “gifts” like hers and be able to help her.   Her first encounter with the Lords happens when she sees Maddox kill four Hunters and come towards her.  Terrified as she is still she realises the silence around him.

Ashlyn is a sweet and innocent character despite being tormented as she is by the voices.  As soon as she meets Maddox she is attracted to him and even more to the silence she has when around him.  So relaxing yet she is desperate to leave at first, not for long of course being and romance!

Maddox is the keeper of violence, twice cursed since he killed Pandora after being possessed by the demon of violence,  he is condemned to die at midnight everyday and spend the next few hours reportedly burning in hell.  His curse also curses Lucien (death) and Reyes (pain) to kill him each day.  Cursed by the Greek gods they see no way out, that is until Ashlyn and the take over by the titan  gods.  A huge sacrifice would be needed, can it be done?  Should it be done?   I can’t tell you with out a huge spoiler!

Ashlyn and Maddox seem a very odd couple at first but end up loving each other and needing each other.  A romance with a few steamy encounters and lots of problems.  

The fortress in Budapest is a prison for the Lords of the Underworld.  The Lords are each cursed to have a demon inside them after opening the box containing them and angering the Gods, they objected to Pandora being given the job of guarding the box.  Maddox as the keeper of violence errupts and kills Pandors, condemning him to his curse.  The Lords hold the demons of violence, pain, death, disease, promiscuity etc, each bringing with it different issues and problems.  

Maddox and the other Lords assume Ashlyn is bait at first, she does not tell them her story for quite a long time, even Maddox after he has started to possessively defend her in a way the rest of the Lords simply can not comprehend.   He sees her as beautiful and at first just wants her body, but ends up feeling something much deeper despite still being suspicious of her for quite a long time. 

The rest of the Lords are introduced to us and their various demons explored to varying degrees as required for Maddox’s story.  Enough so we know which demon they carry and a little about them to help us understand their actions, as well as have plenty of anticipation for future books featuring them.  

As the Darkest Kiss is the first book in the Lords of the Underworld series there is inevitably quite a lot of world building and background detail, but I enjoyed that and made me interested to know what the stories of the rest of the Lords are.  I enjoyed the book a lot and will definitely reading the rest of the series.

Find out more about Gena Showalter and her books:

Website, blog, Facebook, twitter, goodreads.

Buy a copy:

Amazon US, Amazon UK, Book Depository

Review: "Alien Mate" by Eve Langlais

Title: Alien Mate
Author: Eve Langlais
ISBN 13: 978193679203

I won this ebook from Eve Langlais and Danielle @ Romance Book Junkies

About the book (from Goodreads)

What would you do if an alien materialized in your living room and told you he was your leader?   

Plump Diana is ironing her underwear when the hottest blue babe in all of the galaxy appears in her living room. Did she forget to mention he was naked? Abducted, decontaminated, and dressed like a harem girl, she’s been chosen to become his mate. 

Kor asked his ancestors to find him a biddable, docile mate. Instead they found him Diana--a curvy, argumentative earthling who sets his pulse pounding and his loins on fire. He might be an alien who doesn't understand the meaning of love, but he sure knows what he feels is more than lust. 

Genre: Erotic Sci-Fi Romance

Series: Alien Mate (novella) #1
Published: 14 May 2010
Publisher: Amira Press
Website: Eve Langlais's Website
Excerpt: Excerpt (18+)

My review

Diana is plumper than you average girl, her last boyfriend had a fetish about her size but refused to be seen in public with her.  Then when she’s ironing in her underwear while wearing her worst outfit a sexy naked man appears in her living room and announces her has come to be her leader - which it turns out means her mate.  Oh, and he’s blue!

Kidnapped onto Kor’s spaceship Diana begins her journey to his planet and her new life, not that she’s very happy about it at first.  She eventually falls I love with Kor (no spoiler there, it’s a romance with an HEA so we expect that!)  and finds although he’s an alien he is not much different to her.  

Kor is surprised to find his mate does not simply accept her fate, instead she is argumentative and difficult, but he finds himself falling in love with her anyway!  He loves her body, he is very happy he wasn’t given a too slim mate like some.  

Kor is everything we look for in a sexy hero, he’s strong, good looking and an excellent lover.  He’s blue but otherwise very human like so we can easily relate to him.  His language has no word for love in it and he does not understand what he feels for Diana, he dare not yell anyone on his planet in case he is mentally ill and has his precious and rare mate taken away from him. 

I really liked the way plump is seen as the ideal in Kor’s world, it makes a change to the usual beautiful, tall or athletic heroine usually found.  Thankfully she is not a pushover, I was very happy to see Diana stand up to Kor and even more so that he actually seemed to like it!

The world created by Eve Langalis for Kor’s home planet is very similar to ours, yet more advanced in technology and no longer using water to wash, cleansing is done at a molecular level and has an unexpected side effect, read the book to see what I mean!  The fate of Kor’s people’s women was very sad and gave the reader an instant way to sympathise with the actions of Kor when he took Diana.

I enjoyed Alien Mate and would recommend it to anyone who likes erotic romance with a bit of Sci-Fi thrown in.  I will definitely be reading the follow up book Alien Mate 2.

Review: "Bound By Blood" by Danielle Bourdon & Kimberly Hoyt

Title: Bound by Blood
Author: Danielle Bourdon and Kimberly Hoyt
ISBN 10: 0982831714
ISBN13:  9780982831714

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Published: 20 September 2010
Publisher:  Wildbloom Press
Website: Danielle Bourdon

** I received an ebook copy from the author in exchange for an honest review**

About the book (from Goodreads)


He was willing to give up eternity to have her, but would he die to keep her?

HER IMMORTAL SAVIOR

Prince Sebastian Thorn is known in the vampire world for his protectiveness of mortals, but when he helps the all-too-human Laurel Mayfield escape a stalker, he is unprepared for the humanity and the passion she reawakens in him. Would she want him if she discovered his secret?

HIS MORTAL PASSION

Laurel Mayfield is a small-town girl with big-city dreams and a cautious view on men … until she meets Sebastian in a cemetery. Sophisticated, drop dead gorgeous, controlled and chivalrous, he's every woman's Prince Charming, but with a dark edge she can neither understand or resist.

THEIR TIMELESS LOVE

Drawn to each other with inexplicable heat, can their desire survive the truth of his nature, and the scheming vampires that seek his power? When they revisit his past, will she choose the hot-blooded mortal man he once was, or the dark Prince he has become?

My Review

A story of love, attraction and emotion about a mortal woman and a sexy vampire, just right for paranormal romance. Bound by Blood focuses intensely on the developing relationship and love between Laurel and Sebastian, everything else in the story is to illustrate their unfolding tale of all consuming love. We hear the point of view of Laurel and Sebastian, clearly they both love each other with all their heart and soul.

Laurel is an easy character to like, she seems genuine and like someone you might meet where ever you go. That makes Sebastian all the more of a contrast to her. Handsome, sexy and a little distant he is always wonderful with Laurel, he treats her like a princess (or should that be Dutchess?) which makes sense for a man who “died” in Henry V111’s court in the sixteenth century!
 
Sebastian is a Prince of the vampires, his territory being Europe where of course there are various problems he has to solve and ends up getting injured just as his relationship with Laurel is developing. Even at home he faces a close ally plotting against him which is not full resolved in this book so I’m hoping there will be a sequel!

Laurel wants to see Sebastian as he was when mortal so they travel back to the Tudor era. Once there however he actually is mortal and Laurel is left to find a way to get him back though the portal to their present. Like any good heroine she ins her man and finds a way!

Mortal Sebastian remains in the present, will Laurel choose the man she fell in love with but is a vampire? Or will she choose to keep the energetic and very much alive Sebastian who is out of his time? I’m not going to tell you! Read the book!

Find out more about Danielle Bourdon: website/blog, twitter, facebook
Buy a copy: Amazon, Amazon UK, 
 

Review: Amethyst Bound by L. Shannon

Title: Amethyst Bound

Author: L. Shannon

About the book (from Goodreads)

Toni Giovanni is a thief although she prefers to call it the high-risk recovery business. Her current job feels suspiciously easy until a mysterious artifact draws her into an ancient prophecy and binds her soul to a spirited dragon named Amethyst.

But Toni isn’t quite ready to be taken over by a dragon, even if Amethyst’s appetite for sexy archaeologist Dr. Ben Davis mirrors Toni’s own. And she’s got a big problem on her hands: turns out the prophecy predicts that dragons will end the world and there are many more dragons out there.
Toni’s going to need all the help she can get.


Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Series: Amethyst Series #1 (trilogy)
Published: 7 June 2010

Publisher: Carina Press

L. Shannon's website: L. Shannon
Excert: Excert

*Received for review form Netgalley*

My review

Toni Giovanni is an international thief with a hard exterior who has had a hard life when we meet her about to steel an ancient artefact from an archaeological expedition. Turns out it’s not just a another assignment when she tries on one of the pendants from the ancient box and can not remove it again. Toni’s connection with Amethyst is born.

Amethyst is an ancient purple dragon who has been trapped in the pendant, once bound with Toni she is very happy to be free and surprisingly straightforward, friendly and helpful. Luckily she shares Toni’s attraction to Davis. Amethyst is actually a really likeable character in her own right and seems to form a trio with Toni and Ben despite being inside Toni.

Archaeologist Dr. Ben Davis has been obsessed by dragon myth and legends from various cultures for years. He manages to translate fro the box the prophecy that nine dragons will bring about Armageddon. Ben is a wonderful celebration of the geek, he’s also adventurous and good looking.

Toni greats her new destiny with confusion and reluctance causing us to empathize with her and understand how she thinks and feels. The relationship she has with Amethyst is amusing and feels very real.

L. Shannon has created a world full of magic and myth that is easily woven into the story and never feels over done. Mix this with bad and dangerous enemies and a love blossoming, you find a potent and powerful story.

I enjoyed Amethyst Bound, an interesting, passionate, action filled and well paced novella. The outcome of the dangers the trio find themselves in is far from clear and keeps you reading. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy.

One final thing, just take a look at the cover - it’s great and it’s really purple!!

Review: The Devilin Fey by Jess C Scott

Title: The Devilin Fey
Author: Jess C Scott
ISBN-10: 1453718958
ISBN-13: 978-1453718957

About the book
A paranormal romance novella of two stories, featuring an incubus and succubus. Story #1 features a demure young woman unleashing the "devil in" her, through the intimacy with an incubus. Story #2 features a voyeuristic succubus driven by jealousy and a dangerous fixation. GENRE: Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy / 33,000 words REVIEWS: "Devilishly delicious." - Horror Author, Andy Love "I really enjoyed this story of an incubus and the woman he transforms...the author really hits her stride in paranormal stories." - Review @ Bitten by Books "A very passionate and strong paranormal love story that ignites the feeling of intimate sensation that heats up the room. [The pages] were filled with passion, adventure, mystery and a love that pulls at the heart strings." - Review @ Addicted To Romance.

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: 27 May 2010
Publisher: CreateSpace
Source: Received from the author for review
Website: Jess C Scott
Excert: Excert

My review
The Devilin Fey is a novella made up of two stories - “The Devilin Fey" and “Tongue Tied”. Both focus on life as a succubus in one way or another. (Note there may be a couple of spoilers below)

The Devilin Fey features Catlin Fey who at the start of the book is planning on a scathing article about Zac Walsh, best selling author of “Seduction 101: All The Dirt on Women”, she want’s to highlight the damage his ideas are doing to society. However she ends up falling for all his lines, and nothing like in her dreams. The man in her dreams is so different, she finds out why when she goes for a walk to the beach and see Lucius in his true incubus form, wings and all. She should not have been able to see him like that!

Catlin gradually notices some strange changes after a few encounters with Lucius, she can read peoples desires and know their love history. She goes on a journey which lets out her inner devil, human by day succubus by night, having revenge on Zac on the way.

I enjoyed The Devilin Fey, I like the way Catlin took becoming a kind of succubus in her stride, simply adapting to it and finding Lucius along the way!

Tongue Tied is a short story about a lesbian succubus who finds something different about Adriana and watches in on her life to find out if her instincts are right. This is the only story I’ve come across so far with a gay succubus, I’d kind of expected the usual going after men but Tongue Tied made a refreshing change. However, if you don’t like F/F stories then this one may not be for you.

Review: My Love Eternal by Liz Strange

My Love Eternal is the first part of the The Dark Kiss Trilogy where Rachel is drawn into the world of Giovanni. Liz Strange's vampires are unappologetic, forceful, dark and ready for whatever is thrown at them. This book is quite different to many other vampire romances around; it's dark in places yet full of love in others. Bloodlust taken in stride yet much of the possitve aspects of being human are never totally lost.

The dramatic twists and turns towards the end of the book will have you needing to read the next instalment!

Giovanni is described on the book blurb as:-
"Tall, dark, and sexy, as well as fabulously wealthy, Giovanni is everything a girl could ask for in a lover. There’s only one catch. He’s been undead for more than three hundred years."
Rachel is drawn to him from the outset and her love takes her to many places, emotionally as well as physically.

Rachel and Giovanni's love should last for an eternity but he is hunted by the Desmarais family, who carry a centuries-old vendetta against Giovanni. They travel to the ends of the earth to escape and hold onto their love, but can it survive? You'll have to read My Love Eternal to find out if their love endures for eternity.