Reading Fanatic Reviews
Romantic FantasyDevil’s Dance by Jeff Altabef
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble , iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Smashwords, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Devil's Dance*
Why I Always Give an Author a Second Chance
After the end of the first book, Steven wandered aimlessly for a bit. He comes to a small town and meets up with an old friend. There has been a string of grisly murders that appear to be a part of the battle between angels and demons. Steven has signed on the for the battle on the side of the angels; he is a killer half-angel who has enjoyed killing(!), but in this battle, warriors are needed.
This book is the reason why I always give authors a couple of chances to impress me. I read Devil’s Den, which seems to be universally well-liked, but I found the writing style in that one to be distancing and a little overblown. This book had me from page one. I was able to get right into the story, and I appreciated the fast action and some of the crazy twists and turns. I like the tech/anti-tech aspect of the story as well. I like that the author has written a novel that clearly references beings and concepts from the Christian Bible while keeping the characters and narration from being preachy. It’s the classic fight of good vs. evil on several different levels, personal for Steven as well as for the paranormal world of the story.
If you’re like me and you were unsure about the first book of the series, give this one a try as you might find it a more compelling read as I did. If you’ve already read the first book and loved it, you will most likely enjoy this one, too. If you haven’t read the previous book at all, Devil’s Dance could be read as a stand-alone, but you would understand a little bit more of the world if you read book one before this one.
The Angels of Sojourn Novellas Box Set by Joynell Schultz
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Angels of Sojourn Novellas Box Set*
Excellent Set of Novellas Based in The Angels of Sojourn World
This is a set of stand-alone novellas based in the Angels of Sojourn world. I thought it was interesting that each book focused on a particular type of paranormal being, vampire, angel, and demon.
In the first novella, ten men have been murdered in such a way that they lost a lot of blood. A vampire on the Blood Board investigates and attempts to control these types of events; he is dispatched to see if there is vampire involvement. He’s only just got to town when a new, but alive, female victim shows that the MO is perhaps evolving. In the second novella, a Highest Order Angel is sent to Earth to clip the wings of an angel who has stolen miracles and revealed herself to her human half-sister. His plans go awry, first when she asks to keep her wings just a little bit longer while her sister is dying and then when she accidentally injures him with his Sword of Light. His target’s compassion in assisting with his injuries makes him question what to do. In the final book, a woman who is sent to Hell to gather the lost souls each day is sent on a mission by the Unfortunate to distract a human. The man is a CEO, and it looks like he is going to be charged with embezzlement. His supposed crimes are tied in with the devil’s request, and now the CEO and this soul gatherer work together to clear his name…but is she really on his side?
The author is able to present these paranormal stories in such a way that the emotions and reactions of the characters seem realistically human. In the first story, you have a vampire who is so appalled by what he has done in his earlier days that he seeks to prevent others from causing harm. In detail, we understand his past and current struggles. But I was particularly drawn to the second story. The female angel whose wings were to be clipped was always acting selflessly, first for her sister and then for the angel who had come to take away her power. She nurtured him back to health, even knowing that at any moment, as soon as he got stronger, he could take her immortality. The struggles in all stories felt realistic even though in a paranormal setting, evoking sympathy and compassion for what they were going through.
Last Duke Standing by Cheryl Bolen
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Last Duke Standing*
Trying to Figure Out the Mysterious Death of Previous Duke
Alex never expected to be the duke. After all, he is the third son. However, soon after he returns from the Peninsular War, he learns that his elder brother Freddy, the current duke, has died in his sleep. Alex believed his death to be from natural causes, even though his brother appeared to be in good health. But when Lady Georgiana, the former duke’s betrothed, notices a little detail, suddenly Freddy’s death appears to have been murder by asphyxiation. Lady Georgiana and the new duke team up to try to figure out who might have wanted to kill Freddy. Neither really trust each other at first. He sees her as an aloof busybody. Lady Georgiana sees him as a potential suspect, since he had the most to gain from Freddy’s death, along with others who were in the house around the time of Freddy’s death.
Will they figure out who murdered Freddy? Will they get over their dislike and distrust of each other? Is the current duke in any danger?
The author did a good job showing Alex’s discombobulation at becoming the new duke. He never really did expect to assume the title. He doesn’t like having to deal with his brother’s former betrothed but can understand her need for answers as he has a similar desire for them. Lady Georgiana is a complex character. She’s not quite like most other heroines in this type of historical romance. She’s not sweet or naive, she’s not drop-dead gorgeous, and her character is more than a little prickly. Yet she takes excellent care of her mother (who’s recovering from a stroke), and her grief about Freddy seems real, even though she didn’t really love him (was more fond of him). I found myself loving the scenes she was in because of her determination to figure out what’s going on.
If you like historical romance with murder and suspense, you might find this book enjoyable.
Dragon Unearthed by Ishabelle Torry
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Dragon Unearthed*
Marooned Dragon Shifter and Archeologist in Galactic War
The prologue takes place a thousand years ago, when a spaceship of a dragon shifter race of aliens, the Drakkonians, is making a rendezvous with others of their kind. But it doesn’t get there because the crew gets sidetracked when scans of a blue planet, our Earth, tell them that the Earth has much gold. This is something the Drakkonians need in their galactic war against the Orlin. But gold is hard to find in their part of the galaxy, so they make a detour to Earth to see if the scans are accurate. However, as they are in low-earth orbit, a solar storm erupts, and their solar shields aren’t working correctly. They crash-land to the surface.
Fast forward to contemporary times when archaeologist Jemma discovers a cave painting showing dragons. She believes it to be one of the earliest depictions of dragons in ancient art. Imagine her surprise when a naked man comes out of the cave, proclaiming that she is his mate! He is Kai, the leader of the crew who crash-landed 1000 years ago. He has been in hibernation as a form of self-preservation much of that time, but the smell of his chosen mate awakens him.
What will become of Jemma findings–both the painting and the strange man? Is there still danger from the galactic war after all this time?
I love the way the author set the scenes, both in the Drakkonian past as well as in modern times. The prologue read like the great first scene that you see in science fiction movies like the first reboot of the Star Trek series. We are immediately thrown into a dangerous situation, making us wonder how it’s going to turn out. Jemma is a realistic and empathetic heroine, as we first see her dealing with an ex-husband who was able to get the rights to the research that she did as a part of his team in their divorce proceedings.
If you enjoy page-turning alien science fiction includes dragon shifters, you might find this book a great way to spend an afternoon.
Dragon’s Aria by Kendal Davis
Dragon's Aria*
Disruption in the Horse Shifter Community
Lyric was a castaway in the foster care system, intentionally acting off so she could keep moving, but she’s now an adult living on her own. At a truck stop, after being abandoned by her friend, a rambunctious toddler bowls her over, and Lyric is able to calm her. The mother, impressed by the effect Lyric has on the young girl, promptly hires her as a nanny. Being in and out of foster homes, Lyric is comfortable with small children. She finds unexpected kindness with this horse shifter family. Soon, however, a celebrity research scientist shows up wanting to spend time on the boss’s property because he feels like there is something strange going on. Julian is genuinely surprised to hear that lyric has never heard of him. He is so wrapped up in his own celebrity that he has a hard time believing it she has no clue about him.
The scientist is right, though; changes are happening in this secluded community, and they are all threatened. Julian knows some secrets about this horse shifter community, and he even knows secrets about Lyric that even she doesn’t know about herself. What secrets are this community hiding? Why are they being threatened? Who has something against them? How does Lyric fit into all this? Will Julian and Lyric help or harm the situation?
The author did an exceptional job in the alternating viewpoints of Lyric and Julian. Often, when there is more than one narrator, there isn’t enough distinction between their voices and perspectives. It is more used as a device to see the actions of the plot from different angles. Here, though, the author has actually made these two voices completely unique. When are you read Julian’s sections, you can get a sense of his arrogance and narcissism, which makes him a fascinating and sometimes funny, although not intentionally, narrator. I enjoyed seeing this story from two very individual experiences. Lyric is a strong woman who’s lived a difficult life, but yet she still sees beauty in the world through music.
Becoming Lady Dalton by Carrie Lomax
Becoming Lady Dalton*
Potentially Interesting Novel Marred by Errors and Inanity
The last couple of years of Viola’s life, the heroine, have been a mad swirl of changing circumstances. Widowed after having been married for around 15 years, she finds herself nearly destitute, coming back to her extended family with an eight-year-old son and her sister. Soon, the sister is courted and wed by an earl. Living with her grandmother and her younger sister no longer her responsibility, Viola is now in much better circumstances, at least in terms of connections and having a roof over her head. She decides to come to town to enjoy the season. In the first scene, she happens to meet a man she knew previously at a modiste’s establishment. They banter for a bit as his young daughter is getting her clothes. Viola is, and has been, attracted to him since their earlier meeting the previous fall, but she knows she is not a good prospect for the widower as she was a farmer’s wife and is four years older than him; she also has concerns about her ability to have another child, and he still needs an heir. However, in the first chapter narrated by him, he reveals that he feels an attraction to her and actually sees her as an ideal wife. He intends to convince her to marry him.
The book had some unusual problems. I doubt the book was copyedited because there was a fair amount of repetition in the description of Viola’s background in two places relatively close to each other. There seems to be some confusion about the names of places as well; where she is from is given two different names, and one of them is misspelled. The language of both the exposition and dialogue felt stiff and stilted at times but was in other places too casual for this kind of historical romance. Some situations and ideas presented did not ring true to Regency fiction. There was even one rather bizarre phrase that was a mishmash of cliches. Ever heard of an inexperienced person describe themselves as “green-behind-the-ears”? Please, if you’re ever green behind the ears … see a doctor!
Hers From the Start (Multi-Author Anthology)
Hers From The Start*
Collection of Mostly Paranormal/Fantasy Starters of Reverse Harem Series
This is a delightful collection of reverse harem prequels or first in series books. I love anthologies like this that contain work by both authors I’m familiar with and ones who are new to me. Two of the books were by authors whom I know well, but I hadn’t read these particular works, so those were particularly fun finds.
Let me tell you a little about each book. Wolf Blessed follows the adventures of a fae princess who ran away and her wolf honor guard (who recently found her) as they struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. A demi-goddess’s power finally comes to the surface in Winter Princess, but to understand it and get to her mother’s realm, she needs the help of her Guardians. A young woman feels cursed to feel the elements in a book called Cursed, but she finds fellow students with connections to the elements who help her appreciate this gift when she goes to college.
Riley, in the first of the Unseen series, still hasn’t moved beyond the tragedy of losing her spouse and child, in part because she has no answers about how it happened. Suddenly, her life is full of danger after someone claiming to be from the FBI shows up at her doorstep. Who can help her? Tricking the Beasts is a prequel involving a maid and royal princes in the Hybrid trilogy. Finally, the last book in the trilogy is the first book of the contemporary Redline series, which sets up the relationship between Kayla and her hockey-playing harem.
As you can tell, the book is mostly fantasy and paranormal RH. I found it fun to explore new series and some new authors. If you enjoy the RH concept, you might enjoy this starter pack as well.
Authors: Laura Greenwood, Skye McKinnon, Grace White, L. A. Boruff, Aleera Anaya Ceres, T. B. Mann
Friends without Benefits by Marci Bolden
Friends without Benefits*
Care and Support During and After Bitter Divorces
Another amazingly honest book from one of my new favorite authors, Marci Bolden. In this book, she explores the pain and suffering caused by divorce. Dianna, married for over 20 years, finds her husband in flagrante delicto with a young woman. On the day of her divorce proceedings, Dianna finds a stranger on her doorstep with an interesting proposition. The man is her husband’s mistress’s husband! Paul asks Dianna to testify at his divorce proceedings, as his wife is asking for alimony on the grounds that she never had a physical relationship with Dianna’s husband. Though it is difficult for her to relive that moment of seeing her husband’s infidelity, Dianna does this, as she saw it as ironic that she got no alimony after 20 years of raising her family and running their home. She and Paul develop an unusual friendship in which they decide to be supportive of each other as each has great sympathy and empathy for what the other is going through. Although it could be awkward to create circumstances for these two strangers to become involved in each other’s lives, the author did a good job a showing an organic grown of their relationship, including awkwardness and apologies, as well as support. Some scenes are emotionally wrenching, like when she decides to be the one to tell Paul of their soon-to-be ex-spouses’ engagement. Their families don’t know quite what to make of this relationship, her younger son being angry and his family thinking she is his next relationship.
I’ve been divorced myself, so the way she depicted the roller coaster of emotions that causes rings true. I wish I had a Paul during the aftermath of mine; support can be hard to come by during that time, as families don’t want to see you wallow and friends often don’t know what to say. Paul’s and Dianna’s story feels realistic in its hesitancy, but it is lovely to see their sincere care for each other. It was another book that I didn’t want to put down, as I kept wanting to see what would happen next as they both tried to move forward and create new lives. Beautifully done!
The Middle-Aged Virgin by Olivia Spring
The Middle-Aged Virgin*
Death of a Friend Triggers Heroine to Change Her Life Plan
Sophia appears to have it all. She has a thriving public relations business and has been in a long-term relationship with a decent guy. She’s busy all the time, jetting around the world for her clients. After the death of her good friend and mentor, Sophia realizes that she is not living as full of a life as she could. She is a workaholic, and there has been no spark (and no sex) between her and her boyfriend for a very long time. She decides to change this and writes herself a new life plan.
How will Sophia’s business fare when she decides to change things? Will she find passion (one of the items on her list)? Will she be able to fulfill her new plan?
This book follows the well-trodden path of certain chick lit novels. A woman, whether by choice or circumstance, decides to strike out on a new and potentially frightening course to see what more life has to offer her. The book had interesting secondary characters, and Sophia’s new life had all sorts of twists and turns that I enjoyed reading about. Her thoughts and reactions were a little off-kilter at times, which seemed to point up that, while she may be approaching 40, she isn’t as sophisticated or knowledgeable as she’d like to believe.
There were some odd tense and voice shifts in the section where she is writing her plan for her new life. The book is written in the past tense, and this part shifted into the present. In this section, too, it felt like the wall between reader and character was knocked down unintentionally by using *you* or making it seem as if Sophia was speaking directly to us, the readers. I found these two things a bit jarring in an otherwise enjoyable book.
The Hunt: The Complete Edition by Liz Meldon
The Hunt: The Complete Edition*
A Bad Angel and a Good Demon?
This box set has all four books of The Hunt series, Prey, Predator, Stalker, and Killer. In this series, Meldon has created a complex world of angels and demons, and Heaven and Hell. Severus is an incubus who is working as an escort near a hell-gate. His world shifts dramatically when college student, Moira, becomes a client. Unlike other patrons, he is unable to take in her life force energy, which he needs to survive, yet his inner demon desperately wants to connect physically with her. Moira walks out before the end of their session, frightened of the change she saw in his eyes. Unable to shake her from his mind after the encounter, he stalks her until she confronts him. He senses that she is not wholly human, but he doesn’t know what exactly she is until they talk about her past and her parentage. Then it is clear; she is an angel-human hybrid, something that is not supposed to exist. The warrior angels are on earth to protect the humans from the darkness, no matter what form it may come in, whether demons, vampires, or witches. But they aren’t supposed to mate with humans.
Though her angel father may want to destroy his mistake, Moira wants to find out more about him. She and Severus form a team of sorts. Though he fights becoming more involved with her life, he feels connected to her and more alive than he’s ever been. He also feels a strong need to protect her. After the first book, his need to protect only grows and becomes more complex as they face dangers in multiple realms.
What will happen with Moira and her father? From what evils–and in what realms–must Severus protect her? Will Moira become strong in the presence of dangers she never knew existed–or will her naivety get her into trouble? Will Severus and Moira fall for each other, or is an incubus only capable of lust?
I found this a surprisingly compelling read. The author has created a complex world about which she only gives us the relevant information as we need it. Reading about Severus’s existence before Moira scratches the surface of what it is like to live as an incubus in this story’s world. When Moira and Severus team up, we learn more about the world as Moira does. More and more gets revealed with each book.
The writing style is smooth, making the book very easy to get into. Severus was a fascinating character right from the start, and he becomes more interesting as he gets more and more involved with Moira. Moira is harder to get to know. When she relates the changes she has been going through, the reader realizes there is more to her than meets the eye; but as she doesn’t know herself early on, neither can we yet fully understand her. She sometimes did things in the later books that weren’t in her best interest, and I didn’t feel she came into her own until the journey to hell. By that point, though, both characters had such strength and purpose that the books were page-turners.
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