The Beginning (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Two): Sherrilyn Kenyon

***This book is actually not a book at all (and therefore doesn't have an actual cover, so bear with me)! It’s in the back of the book Sins of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It lists this as the next book to read in the series on Kenyon’s website. It’s supposed to explain the rest of the series and how it relates to Julian from Fantasy Lover.***

This was really short and very well-written. It’s so hard to make readers care about characters in thirty-one pages, but Sherrilyn Kenyon did just that. She introduced Acheron and his role with the Greek gods and goddesses. It showed more of the selfish side of the gods that was previously exhibited in Fantasy Lover. This was a really creative way to write a series and I am so excited to read the next book!

A Reckless Beauty (A Beckets of Romney Marsh Novel, Book Five): Kasey Michaels

“The jaded and rebellious innocent…

“Fanny Becket has adored her adopted brother since the day they both lost their parents and became part of the Becket family. Where he goes, she has always followed. But pursuing him into battle, Fanny quickly finds herself in the line of fire and quite unexpectedly... in the embrace of a handsome stranger.

“Valentine Clement, Earl of Brede, has seen enough of fighting to know there is no advantage to be found at Waterloo. Yet the moment he spies Fanny he is duty bound to save the reckless beauty, most especially from herself. Although with a woman such as Fanny, it may very well be his lordship who is in need of true protection.”

This book was sweet. It was a touching story and the reader can feel the characters’ pain it was written so realistically. I will, however, bring up the reality of “typos”. You know how you will be reading a book and there will be a not-too-significant word missing or a misplaced apostrophe? Well, this book was missing actual important words in some of the sentences—and I’m not talking about one or two mistakes…there were like five of them. It was hard to read some of the sentences because of some of the missing words. I’m not blaming Kasey Michaels—as a writer, I know how easy it is to do—I’m saying that the editor was fairly lax in their duties to the author. This is what they get paid for and the editor couldn’t do it.

Anyway, I LOVED Valentine's character and Fanny—who was pretty much excluded from all of the other books and was thoroughly underdeveloped—was definitely explained more. I also enjoyed how Rian was elaborated on. The readers saw a more determined, serious, mature side to him and they felt for how he wanted to prove himself and have his “turn”. All in all, this was a decent book and I liked the historical aspects a lot.

Fantasy Lover (Book One, Dark-Hunter Series): Sherrilyn Kenyon

"Dear Reader,
“Being trapped in a bedroom with a woman is a grand thing. Being trapped in hundreds of bedrooms over two thousand years isn’t. And being cursed into a book as a love-slave for eternity can ruin even a Spartan warrior’s day.

“As a love-slave, I know everything about women. How to touch them, hot to savor them, and most of all, how to pleasure them. But when I was summoned to fulfill Grace Alexander’s sexual fantasies, I found the first woman in history who saw me as a man with a tortured past. She alone bothered to take me out of the bedroom and into the world. She taught me to love again.
“But I was not born to know love. I was cursed to walk eternity alone. As a general, I had long ago accepted my sentence. Yet now I have found Grace—the one thing my wounded heart cannot survive without. Sure, love can heal all wounds, but can it break a two-thousand-year-old curse?
“Julian of Macedon”

Well, this book was absolutely amazing! This was the book that I had been waiting for and it finally came! I was so happy that I immediately started reading it and I was NOT disappointed in the least. Julian was an AMAZING character and I COMPLETELY related to Grace—no lie, I saw so much of myself in her! There were so many witty moments and I laughed out loud and loved every moment of it! Julian was such a heart-wrenching character and the readers learn how troubled he really is and they bleed for him. It’s hard not to when the readers find out how hard he really has had it. Not to mention that whole part with Grace’s books—but I don’t want to give too much away!

As you probably know, I don’t usually read “modern” romances, but this had the PERFECT amount of history to make me happy as a kid in a candy store! : ) I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THE REST OF THE SERIES! YAY! I totally recommend Sherrilyn Kenyon to EVERYONE! (As well as her Dark-Hunter Series!)

*****UPDATE*****

Those of you who follow my reviews know that I really do not care to re-read books. Sherrilyn Kenyon, however, is a long-time favorite author of mine. I needed a good, entertaining book to take on vacation with me - something that didn't take itself too seriously because I've just finished my Master’s program and my poor brain needed a break. Kenyon’s writing seemed like the perfect choice. I remember laughing a lot and finding the romance very sweet and touching the first time I read this book almost ten years ago. I read this long enough ago that I knew there would be some dialogue and situations that would be fun and “new” and I looked forward to that. After finishing this book, I will say that, while still HIGHLY creative and fun, I found this book to be very clearly one of Kenyon’s early works. There were a few awkward moments in the dialogue and I felt like some of the self deprecation was a bit over the top, so much so that it sometimes made me struggle a little bit. While I liked Grace, I preferred Julian; however, even his borderline self-loathing hindered the flow at times. One other thing I will say is that I found it odd how Kyrian wasn't mentioned until the second half of the book, almost as if Kenyon decided upon writing a second book in the series once she was through a great deal of the story and didn't/couldn't go back and write him in sooner. Up until halfway through, Iason was the only one of Julian’s comrades mentioned. I would have thought that Kyrian would have been mentioned earlier on instead of ONLY Iason. Other than that, I still liked the book. It is s great introduction to the rest of the series and I'm excited to read back through these books and contiue from where I left off. Kenyon is incredibly creative and she really has created an amazing world. I think it was even more fun because I have traveled to New Orleans now and my friend and I made a point of visiting a lot of the most important places from the series. I recommend a trip to New Orleans for everyone, but especially for anyone interested in Kenyon’s books (or anything by Anne Rice) because it's so exciting to see these places in person.

I still recommend this book and will say that Kenyon remains, in my mind, a creative and talented author. My tastes have clearly changed over the last (nearly) 10 years, but I still enjoy Kenyon. I am certainly looking forward to moving on in the series and seeing if my opinions on those have evolved as well. Happy reading!!!

A Most Unsuitable Groom (A Beckets of Romney Marsh Novel, Book Four): Kasey Michaels

“The Beckets of Romney Marsh saga continues...

“Beware the bridegroom...

“Hot-blooded Spencer Becket went off to war in America, full of passion and young ideals, only to return older, wiser and with part of his memory missing.

“Beware the bride...

“Fiery Mariah Rutledge arrived at Becket Hall one stormy night, heavy with child and more than willing to refresh Spencer's lost memory.

“Beware the battle...

“Forced to the altar, Spencer and Mariah have little time to explore their attraction before they uncover a plot to restore the recently vanquished Napoleon to power in a most unusual--and deadly—way. Bound by the secrets that keep the Beckets safe from harm, Spencer and Mariah must battle the world and their own devils in order to prevent a tragedy... but what will be the price of their victory?”

I actually finished this book a few days ago, but with college starting and everything else, I just got a chance to sit down and review it. (What’s funny is that this was the first book that my friend showed me that got me interested in this series.)So, as the next in this series by Kasey Michaels, this was pretty good. I have to admit that this was the best in the series so far. It seems like the writing and storylines get better with every book and I am pleasantly surprised with Kasey Michaels. I found myself laughing at the wonderfully written awkward moments and I loved how Spencer FINALLY found his match. The characters were witty and feisty and it made me really enjoy the book.

The Dragon Lord: Connie Mason

“THE DRAGON

“Renowned for his prowess on the battlefield and in the bedroom, the Dragon Lord had no desire to wed an heiress he had never before seen. But a landless knight had few opportunities to win a barony, and a faithful subject had no choice but to obey his king. Yet how to select a wife from the three women offered to him? He had no taste for the grieving widow or the sharp-tongued shrew, so the meek virgin it must be.

“THE ROSE

“Confronted by their new lord and master, the women of Ayrdale prepared to accept their destiny. But high-spirited Rose knew she was no thornless blossom just waiting to be plucked. Her gentle twin longed for a cloistered life, whereas Rose had never been known as a shrinking violet and was more than capable of standing up to a dragon. A clever deception would allow her sister to enter the nunnery while an unsuspecting bride awaited her unsuspecting husband for the most unforgettable deflowering of all.”

I have never read Connie Mason before and I think I have just found a new author that I would happy to read more of! This book literally started off with…a “bang” to say the least. The word “cock”—though not necessarily in a vulgar way all of the time—has to have been used at least 100 times (no exaggeration, believe it or not…) and there were no fewer than six sex scenes. In fact, if I had to guess, there were probably around nine or ten of them. However, they were not poorly written or repetitive as one might expect from such a quantity.

The characters were wonderfully written and I was very impressed with the way their personalities were written. There were fantastic aspects of history to the story and only enriched it further. I found myself smiling and thoroughly enjoying the plot. I will most certainly read more of Connie Mason in the future!

Beware of Virtuous Women (A Beckets of Romney Marsh Novel, Book Three): Kasey Michaels

“The perfect daughter…secrets within secrets, lies within secrets, lies within lies

“Adopted daughter Eleanor Becket is dedicated to her family and its welfare. She is also a commendable commander, and a keeper of secrets, most especially her own. Who would ever expect this fragile beauty, with her quiet ways and her unfortunate limp, to be capable of anything more than her accomplishments at embroidery and her mastery of musical instruments?

“Only Jack Eastwood feels the need to look more deeply at this self-proclaimed spinster, and what he sees — and the long-ago crime he suspects — lead both Jack and Eleanor to the very edge of desire and danger. As the Beckets feel the outside world looking ever more closely at the nocturnal activities taking place in Romney Marsh, as the Black Ghost rides yet again, Eleanor Becket is forced to risk her family, her chance at love, even her life, in one desperate gamble.”

Again, this book took me much longer to read than it should have… I will, however, say that this book was the one that made an amazing amount of sense to me. FINALLY, Michaels has decided to shed some light and help her readers out! It was wonderful to finally be able to tell what the heck I was reading! There was more character development—which I really appreciated—and it was better-written. This book wasn’t perfect, but it was easier and more pleasant to read by leaps and bounds.
Again, I think I’m going to take a break from Kasey Michaels and read another book before reading the next in the series: A Most Unsuitable Groom.

Man of My Dreams (Fire and Ice: Sherrilyn Kenyon)

“MAGIC OF THE NIGHT…

“Every woman dreams about meeting the perfect man—the one whose power will spark her fiery passion and make her tremble with desire. Now, in this spellbinding collection, today’s hottest authors present four devastatingly handsome heroes who can possess a woman’s heart and satisfy her late-night yearnings. Let yourself indulge in their mesmerizing stories, and travel into a seductive world where—when it comes to love—anything is possible…”

So, on a recommendation of a really good friend, I read one of the short stories in this anthology. I’ve been wanting to read Sharrilyn Kenyon for a few weeks and—to tide me over while I wait for my friend’s birthday present for me to come—I read her story entitled Fire and Ice.

In short…I LOVED IT! It was only about seventy pages long and I don’t know many authors who would be able to make you love her characters in such a short amount of time. I was nearly in tears and I could feel every one of Adron’s pains. (I was told that this is a stand-alone short-story that relates to a series of hers and I cannot WAIT to read it!) I love how Kenyon names her characters and I am enamored of the name “Caillen”.

I am SO excited to read more of her works and you can be sure that I will write more about her in the future!

The Dangerous Debutante (A Beckets of Romney Marsh Novel, Book Two): Kasey Michaels

“What makes a lady? Morgan Becket wouldn't know. The scandalous debutante is being sent off to London to have her first Season in hopes a gentleman will finally tame her. Yet shortly into her journey she meets Ethan Tanner, Earl of Aylesford — of noble blood, but surely too wild, too unprincipled, too unsuited for Morgan. Or perhaps too well suited.
“Since Morgan has always wanted anything everyone else says she can't have, Ethan is perfect for her. But upon arriving at Morgan's Romney Marsh home where Ethan wants to ask for her hand — he's already had her body — she realizes her suitor may have an ulterior motive for making her his wife. And a deceived debutante is a dangerous debutante ... Lord Aylesford, beware!”

This book took me a while to read (I actually finished this a few days ago) because I am so hesitant to continue reading Kasey Michaels. As a good friend of mine pointed out; Kasey Michaels’s writing sometimes seems to be forced. She uses long, run-on sentences that could be broken up into nearly three separate ones.

I will admit, however, that this book read much better than the first in this series. The beginning—like the first one—grabbed me and made me want to read more. It didn’t drag on nearly as bad as the other one and I enjoyed it more. I found myself smiling and pleasantly happy with the characters. I must say…though I’m not entirely proud of it…that the “love” scenes were not some of the best I have read. There is all of this build-up and then…wow…not as good as the last book… Of course, being as OCD as I am, I HAVE to finish the series and I have already started the next book in this series.

Marrying Mischief: Lyn Stone

“HE HAD PLAYED HER FALSE ONCE…SHE WOULD NOT TRUST HIM AGAIN!

“Inheriting an earldom had obviously gone to Nicholas Hollander’s head. After he’d left Emily’s reputation in tatters years before, how could he expect that she would ever agree to marry him? Yet still he insisted that her rash efforts to find her missing brother had left them no choice but to wed, and straightaway.

“THE PRODIGAL SON HAD BECOME THE HEIR…AND BEEN GIVEN THE CHANCE TO REDEEM HIMSELF

“Nick’s youthful defection had ruined Emily Lovenye’s prospects. So it was no wonder that the vicar’s daughter wanted nothing to do with him. Unwittingly compromised into a hasty marriage, his courageous Emily was giving him the devil of a time as he struggled to win back her trust and turn their inconvenient union into wedded bliss.”

This book was genuinely short, sweet, and to-the-point…and I genuinely enjoyed it! I had never read Lyn Stone before and saw this book as a quick read. I’m not going to lie. I nearly devoured the book in a span of a few hours! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the situations they were placed in were fantastic! I loved how their strong wills warred with one and other and how—though they never stopped loving each other over the years—they had so much difficulty showing their true emotions. There were twists that kept me on my toes and dynamic characters that made the story interesting.

The readers want to think the best of Nick, but his attempts at showing Emily his love seem to be thwarted at nearly every turn. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will more than likely look up Stone in the future!

The Vampire Who Loved Me (Sequel to After Midnight): Teresa Medeiros

“Julian Kane is back in town.

“Once a girl of seventeen, beautiful headstrong Portia Cabot saved the cursed life of the dashing vampire Julian Kane—who marked her forever, then left to go in search of his soul. He returns five years later to find the enchanting young girl he left behind grown into a bewitching woman with a woman’s heart…and a woman’s desires.

“Portia quickly discovers that Julian’s seductive and forbidden kiss can still make her crave the night…and his touch. But the Julian who has returned to London is not the vampire she remembers. His fruitless pursuit of his stolen mortality has reduced him to drunken debauchery. And a recent spate of murders makes Portia fear that the man she has always adored may truly be a monster.

“Julian knows he must drive Portia away—but his passion and hunger for her grow more irresistible every time they touch. For years he has fought the temptation to embrace his dark gifts, never realizing that Portia’s love may give him the most dangerous gift of all…a reason to live.”

What can I say about this book…? Well, for starters, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! This book was a perfect sequel to After Midnight and I couldn’t have thought of a better way to end this “series”.

There were new depths and facets to Julian that were barely scratched in the first book and I really, truly appreciate how well Teresa Medeiros wrote him. In addition, there is a new maturity to Portia while she maintains a bit of her fanciful nature.

I must admit that I laughed until I cried on several occasions while reading this book. One of which—not to give too much away—was when Julian was supposed to be sleeping and Portia plays the part of a nosy little girl. Then, at the end of the book, tears came to my eyes and I sat up in bed and all but yelled “NO! It can’t end this way!” (You shall see what I mean when you read it!) All in all, I was happy with the ending and I loved how Medeiros continued her “mysterious” style of writing in this book. She kept details secret and revealed them at precisely the right moment when they would create the greatest impact. I very much enjoyed this book and—of course will read more of her works in the near future!

After Midnight: Teresa Medeiros

“The eldest and most sensible of the three Cabot siblings, Caroline is naturally concerned that her sister Vivienne has lately been keeping company with the infamous Adrian Kane, Viscount Trevelyan, the enigmatic nobleman whom most of the ton firmly believe is…a vampire! Surely, it is nonsense. And yet…

“The brooding gentleman inhabits a dark castle and is never seen in the daylight, embarking nightly on mysterious excursions to who knows where. And from the first moment Caroline encounters the handsome, hypnotically compelling viscount, she is shaken by a fevered desire for the man that borders on the unnatural. “She must know Adrian’s secrets! Buts each step that draws the inquisitive beauty deeper into his shadowy world pulls her closer to a sensuous surrender, for the power of his passion in impossible to resist. Is he man of monster, champion or villain? And will a yearning heart lead Caroline to disaster…or to love?”

This book was wonderful! I LOVE vampire novels and haven’t found a decent one since Anne Rice. This was a new twist that I thoroughly enjoyed and there were SO many plot turns that I was constantly guessing. As always, I LOVE Teresa Medeiros’s characters and I simply could NOT put the book down. I laughed and cringed at the awkward moments and completely melted at the heartfelt interactions between Adrian and Caroline. This story was beautifully written and was a complete joy to read! I CANNOT wait to start the sequel: The Vampire Who Loved Me.

McClairen's Isle--The Ravishing One: Connie Brockway

“Fia: The Ravishing One

“She is the toast of London society. But Fia Merrick gives her heart to no one, for love is a weakness she cannot afford. Once she would have given her soul to Thomas McClairen, until he shattered her innocent dreams. Now he is back, a convict returned to England in disguise to abduct Fia to Scotland, to McClairen’s Isle. There, as Fia seeks her revenge in seduction, a passion is ignited that defies the past and cannot be denied…”

I finished this book last night and it was pretty good. I have to say that—though it is not my favorite of the series—it is the most well-written. There weren’t really the “plot holes” that I saw in the previous books and there seemed to be an improvement on the writing style itself. I started out this book with the sole intention of “surviving” it just to finish the McClairen’s Isle series. I don’t want to give too much away, but I really enjoyed how Connie Brockway incorporated all of the characters of her past two novels to tie up loose ends and create a happy finale. I’m not certain how adamant I am about reading more of Brockway in the future. Maybe I will—if I have nothing better to do…

Shadows and Lace: Teresa Medeiros

“With one roll of the dice, the shameful deed was done. Baron Lindsey Fordyce had gambled and lost, and now his beautiful daughter, Rowena, was about to pay the price. Spirited away to an imposing castle, the fiery innocent found herself pressed into the service of a dark and forbidding knight accused of murder…and much more. Handsome, brooding Sir Gareth of Caerleon had spent years waiting for the chance for revenge. But when he sought to use the fair Rowena to slay the ghosts of his tortured past, he never imagined he’d be ensnared in a silken trap of his own making—slave to a desire he could never hope to quench….”

This book was a very pleasant read! Many of you know that I love Teresa Medeiros almost as much as I love Celeste Bradley and—though this is still one of her earlier works—I was very impressed. The characters were very well-rounded and captivated me from start to finish. They were multifaceted and it made for an excellent story with MANY twists and turns that I had NO idea were coming. I cannot wait to pick up another of her books!

Lady of Conquest: Teresa Medeiros

“MY KINGDOM FOR A KISS

“He is called Conn of the Hundred Battled, the warrior-king who forged a nation from a land of isolated clans. As High King of Ireland, he rides with the legendary Fianna, his elite band of warriors. But a threat to the throne looms from a mysterious scourge who has vanquished several of Conn’s bravest warriors. Conn rides out alone to face the seemingly invincible foe, never expecting that he will confront a grief-maddened hellcat with emerald eyes and hair like liquid flame….

“Wielding a sword called Vengeance, Gelina Ó Monaghan has sworn to defeat the man she holds responsible for her family’s ruin. She never dreamed she’d be bested by him in combat…and lose her heart in the bargain. Their forbidden passion will become a private war fought with swords and kisses, promises and betrayal—and surrender will be only the beginning….”

This book was Teresa Medeiros’s first and I can tell. She developed many characters for this story instead of focusing on two or three. I loved all of the history this book contained and it was a nice break from another author that I had been reading.

At times I wanted to beat Conn to a pulp for his inability to see what was right in front of him, and other times I wished I could hug him for his tenderness—it made it all the better knowing that he actually existed! Gelina was a fairly typical heroine with her loyalties split between those of family and her heart. She is a vicious warrior and an even fiercer lover. I loved her fiery spirit and her strong will to defy even the king of Erin in public. Their love story is one of the most rocky I have ever read and there were several plot twists that I both predicted and totally DID NOT see coming. All in all, Teresa Medeiros definitely didn’t disappoint me!

(***SPOILER: there was a rape scene, one near-rape, and another “pretty much rape” scene—for lack of a better way to describe it. This is the first author I have read that was brave enough to place the darker side of masculine power into the hands of the actual HERO of the story! I have mixed emotions about this, but it definitely only added to the overall effect of the story.***)

McClairen's Isle--The Reckless One: Connie Brockway

“Raine: The Reckless One

“Raine Merrick’s wild, reckless spirit had earned him time in a French prison. When a mysterious beauty gains his freedom only to betray him, Raine Merrick sets out for his father’s castle on McClairen’s Isle, seeking the treasure hidden within. But strange surprises await him in the Highlands. He never expected to find his deceitful angel masquerading as an honored guest. Or to want her with all the searing passion in his sinner’s soul.”

Overall, this book was a decent one. Raine was a wonderfully written character and I truly enjoyed how he was portrayed by Brockway. The “deceitful angel”—I don’t want to give away too much—was an interesting character. I did like how she pretended to be who she was not in order to give penance for a sin she did not truly commit.

Again, however, there were the indescribable “plot holes” that I encountered. They made it hard to read and were really no more than bits of the story that could have been elaborated on ever-so-slightly for the readers’ benefit. I’m not one for a slightly supernatural romance novel, but this was not over the top.

I think I am going to end up taking a break from Connie Brockway and read another author because I am a little tired of having to think and rethink about if I read about something already or not.