Fear the Darkness (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Nineteen): Sherrilyn Kenyon

***This is Nick’s short story! As it is an exclusive e-book, there isn’t really a synopsis, sorry! It is available on Sherrilyn Kenoyn’s website at www.sherrilynkenyon.com.***

Short, but tantalizing as well as informative, this short story was a VERY quick read and interesting. It made me really want more. I fell for Nick (as did many other readers) back in Kyrian’s book and I’ve been having a really hard time handling what this guy has been going through and the choices he has made. Like many others, I kind of understood why Nick acted the way he did, but it was still difficult to swallow. This short story, however, gave me the insight I needed to better understand his decisions and motivations. Overall, it was a good short story—shorter than I’m used to—but it was classic Sherrilyn Kenyon. All great.

Promised Splendor: Connie Mason

“ “I won’t cheat you, Glenna,” Kane Morgan swore in the heat of passion. “I promise you’ll find only pleasure in my arms.” And pleasure—searing, breathtaking, exquisite pleasure—was what she did find as Kane took her innocence amidst the whispering pines of the Colorado wilderness. Lovely, flame-haired Glenna longed to give him her soul as well as her body, but she had come West to avenge her father’s death, and she could not promise her heart until she’d brought his murderer to justice. Caught in a trap of her own making, estranged from the only man she would ever love, Glenna prayed he would return to make good his passionate vows. For only in Kane’s strong arms could she find the sweet ecstasy of….

“PROMISED SPLENDOR”

Another hit by Connie Mason! This book took me a while to read (though I know school was a major factor in that), but it was good nonetheless. I really love her characters—especially her leading male roles. They are easy to fall for and fascinating to watch develop. As I’ve mentioned before, Mason has a knack for writing settings in such a way that the readers feel as if they are actually there. I caught myself on more than one occasion feeling as if I were actually watching a movie instead of reading a book. Her writing is so easy to get sucked into.

Overall, the plot was interesting and fun. Lately…I have been noticing some common threads throughout all of Mason’s books that I’ve read. I don’t know how I feel about this, but it’s not terrible. Certainly, I will be reading more of Mason in the future (but I will keep a lookout for the patterns I’ve noticed…hopefully I’m not disappointed…)

Love at First Bite (Contains Dark-Hunter Series, Book Eighteen): Sherrilyn Kenyon, L.A. Banks, Susan Squires, Ronda Thompson

“PRIMAL KISSES. EROTIC SECRETS. ETERNAL PASSION.

“Sink your teeth into these sexy supernatural stories from some of today’s hottest authors.

““Until Death Do Us Part” by Sherrilyn Kenyon

“Over five hundred years ago, Esperetta’s soul was bound to her husband’s by dark magic, and when Velkan became a Dark-Hunter, to her horror, she became immortal as well. Now, they must come together to fight an old enemy…and the passion that threatens to consume them once more.”

Need I say how much I love Kenyon’s works? She’s the reason I bought this book!!! Anyhow, this was a fantastic short story! I loved the characters and the plot was unique—even for her Dark-Hunter Series. I was very impressed! I thought the story behind this tale was brilliant and so well-thought-out. Her characters were very likable (as always) and they easily become very dear to the readers. So far, this is one of my absolute favorite short stories by Sherrilyn Kenyon!

““Ride the Night Wind” by L.A. Banks

“Dark dreams haunt Jose Ciponte, dreams of a woman so beautiful he aches for her—and a deadly enemy who stalks them in the night. And now those dreams have become a reality…”

Well…another work by L.A. Banks…I still feel bad about reviewing her works whenever I read them… I don’t think it’s very fair because—as I have stated before—the writing is just not for me… I will admit that this is the best work that I’ve read by this author, but that’s where I will stop.

““The Gift” by Susan Squires

“All major Davis Ware wants to do is propose to the beautiful Emma Fairchild. Instead, he is called back into battle, and a desperate fate. And Emma will venture into hell itself to save him.”

This story was a bit hard to follow at first, but it quickly got me caught up in the fast-moving plot. I liked the characters and the story a good deal. The plot, itself, was unique and fun (Well…as fun as a vampire war can be!) It had new twists and I really liked that a lot. Overall, it was a sweet, fun, and interesting short story.

““The Forgotten One” by Ronda Thompson

“Lady Anne Baldwin longs to break free from her proper bonds. When she meets the mysterious Merrick, whose eyes glow like a wolf’s, she may have found more than she bargained for.”

I’ve read Ronda Thompson before and this short story definitely lived up to my expectations. I really enjoyed her writing the other time I read it and this was just as good. I like her style and her characters are very, very likable. Her plotlines are captivating and (though there was a little bit at the end that I wish she’d explained a little better). I very much look forward to reading more of Thompson in the future.

Wild Land, Wild Love (Australia Trilogy, Book Two): Connie Mason

“AUSTRALIA, 1812

“It was a virgin land waiting to be explored, a wild frontier peopled by even wilder men, a place where a defenseless woman risked both her virtue and her life. But hot-tempered, high-spirited Kate McKenzie was sure she could survive in Australia on her own…until she met her match in Robin Fletcher. In the brawny arms of the former convict she discovered that a defenseless woman can have the time of her life losing her virtue to the right man.”

As the sequel to Connie Mason’s book, Bold Land, Bold Love, this was a perfect book. It was wonderfully written with fascinating plot twists and the return of all of the readers’ beloved characters from the previous book. I laughed and got choked up a little; I felt for the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the story. It was so much fun to return to 19th century Australia and witness the development of the untamed land and the people who were brave enough to conquer it—even if they had a difficult time admitting their love to the people who mattered most (as was the case with Kate McKenzie). I recommend this book and any of Mason’s other works because they truly do touch something inside of the readers.

Bold Land, Bold Love (Australia Trilogy, Book One): Connie Mason

“NEW SOUTH WALES, 1807 – It was a vast land of wild beauty and wilder passions; a frontier as yet untamed by man; a place where women had few rights and fewer pleasures.

“For a female convict like flame-haired Casey O’Cain, it was a living nightmare. Exquisitely beautiful, utterly helpless, she was expected to cater to her master’s every whim. And from the first, arrogant, handsome Dare Penrod made it clear what he wanted of her. Casey knew she should fight him with every breath in her body, but her heart told her he could make a paradise of this wilderness for her. His callused hands took rights she should never have granted, his warm lips whispered of pleasures she had never known, and his hard body promised a love she would never relinquish.”

I have always loved Connie Mason’s writing, but this book truly solidified her on my list of favorite authors! I cannot fathom the amount of thought and effort that went into this book. There were SOOOOO many plot twists that kept me guessing; so many varied, vivid settings; and SO many historical aspects to this book that I have a hard time believing that anyone could not appreciate it. I love falling for Mason’s characters and feeling their emotions. The situations are captivating and unique.

This book was a rather long read, but I honestly do not believe that it could, or SHOULD be shortened in any way! Overall, this was a great book with a very deep plot and fantastic characters. I love Connie Mason and HIGHLY recommend her!

The Knight's Redemption: Joanne Rock

“The Curse Of Spinsterhood Lay Upon Her

“But Ariana Glamorgan swore she would dispel the fog that clouded men’s minds and be seen as she really was—particularly by Roarke Barret, a knight of great prowess beset by sorrows of his own. For prophecy foretold him as the true destined husband of her heart…!

“ ’Twas no matter who Roarke Baret wed, so long as the lady was Welsh. However, secrets made a poor dowry, and in hiding her true identity, Ariana brought lies in abundance to the marriage bed. He’d been deceived…and yet Roarke remained intrigued by this woman who awakened magic in his soul…!”

Yet again…this is one of the books that I forgot to review…for almost a year… This one, in particular, I remember liking a lot. It was a fun read with well-written characters that easily make the readers care for them.

The plot was creative and was constantly moving—making for an overall good book. This is the only book I have read by Joanne Rock, but I would definitely like to read more.

My Lady Angel: Joanna Maitland

“Was Lady Angelina Penrose some grasping Harpy?

“Or the beautiful widow longing for love that others saw. The Earl of Penrose wanted to think the worst. But when he learned otherwise, Frederick doubted he could ever make amends for their unfortunate introduction. Until he spotted Angel at a ball that could ruin her reputation…and he felt honor bound to save her!

“Abused by her late husband, Angel had some to the risqué ball for a little harmless flirtation. And she found it with a mysterious stranger known only as Max. But even under the spell cast by Max’s gentle kisses, she sensed there was something disturbingly familiar about her masked lover….”

This is yet another of the books that I read a long time ago and am just getting around to reviewing. I remember certain parts of the plot stuck out at me as unique and interesting—like the fact that the author was brave enough to write about a husband abusing the heroine. I commend her for that—though it’s a terrible subject. However, I distinctly remember how it was a bit hard for me to finish the book. It took me a while to get through. Not to mention that the quotation marks throughout the book were not the proper ones that should be used in dialogue; read it and you’ll see what I mean. (I know that sounds like I’m being a jerk, but that’s just what my friends call the “Grammar Nazi” in me…)

A Perilous Attraction: Patricia Frances Rowell

“Being Force-Marched To The Alter Made An Inauspicious Start To Marriage

“But because dire financial straits had bound her to the enigmatic Earl of Caldbeck, Catherine Maury resolved to make the best of it. Yet could she break through his mysterious restraint an uncover the secret of his true nature?

“Charles Randolph, Earl of Caldbeck, had always guarded his emotions closely, and an insidious danger to his people only deepened his reserve. But now that he’d taken fiery, greathearted Catherine to wife, he could feel that the walls around his heart were close to tumbling down!”

So, I read this nearly a year ago, but it was during that period where I just did not review anything that I read. If my memory serves me correctly, this was an entertaining read. I remember liking Caldbeck very much and finding the plot unique and interesting. It was the first—and, so far—the only work that I’ve read by Patricia Frances Rowell and I really actually enjoyed it. It made me smile and it was a decent read. I would recommend it.

My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (Contains Dark-Hunter Series, Book Seventeen): Sherrilyn Kenyon, Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Lori Handeland & more

“WEREWOLVES, VAMPIRES, WITCHES, VOODOO, ELVIS—AND WEDDINGS

“An “ordinary” wedding can get crazy enough, so can you imagine what happens when otherworldly creatures are involved? Nine of the hottest authors of paranormal fiction answer that question in this delightful collection of supernatural wedding stories. What’s the seating plan when rival clans of werewolves and vampires meet under the same roof? How can a couple in the throes of love overcome traps set by feuding relatives…who are experts at voodoo? Will you have a good marriage if your high-seas wedding is held on a cursed ship? How do you deal with a wedding singer who’s just a little too good at impersonating Elvis?

“SHAPE-SHIFTERS, WIZARDS, AND MAGIC, OH MY!

“Spellbound: L.A. Banks”

Well, this was not the first time that I read L.A. Banks, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first—and, for those of you who didn’t read my other review of Banks, I didn’t really like the writing to begin with. I REALLY don’t want to be completely down on Banks because it does take a lot of work to write, but there was just something lacking in both stories I have read by her. Plain and simple, her writing just isn’t for me. The plot was not fun to follow and there were just so many names and hardly any background at all (which was similar to the other short story of hers that I read). The overall idea of this story was cute and interesting, but things could definitely have been explained better, and I had a hard time feeling for the main characters at all. I was a little disappointed with this story and—in all honesty—really hoped that the book got better as I read.

“Something Borrowed: Jim Butcher”

I have never read Jim Butcher before, so this short story was a first. I liked the characters and the story was unique because it was written in the first-person. This isn’t easy to do and not many authors are able to pull it off, but I must say that Butcher did a very good job. His story was interesting and gave me good background and defined terms so I wouldn’t struggle through the story.

Now, this isn’t really my normal type of reading, but it was fairly compelling and a good, short read. Who knows? I might even read more of Butcher’s works in the future—even though he isn’t entirely my style.

“Dead Man’s Chest: Rachel Cane”

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this story!!! It has to be my favorite one in this book thus far. The characters were fun and realistic and the plot had captivating twists that kept me reading. ****This next part is a bit of a spoiler*** As soon as I read the description of Captain Lockhart, I instantly thought “oh boy…here’s a blatant copycat of Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean…” and that Rachel Cane was just a Pirates fanatic… But I was REALLY happy that Cane’s character realized how similar the situation was to Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. She even went so far as to practically quote certain scenes that corresponded to the film. I laughed several times and found myself charmed by her characters.

Overall, the plot was unique and VERY interesting and would actually LOVE to read more of Rachel Cane in the future!

“ “All Shook Up”: P.N. Elrod”

This is the first writing by P.N. Elrod that I have gotten a chance to read and I really enjoyed it. Her characters were sweet and endearing and the plot was fun. I found myself guessing what was going to happen next and could not figure it out. (That’s pretty hard for an author to do that to me. Though, I will be honest, I think if I had read Elrod before, then I would have been able to figure it out.)

Anyhow, this was a very cute short story and found myself really liking the characters. I will probably read more of Elrod in the future.

“The Wedding of Wylda Serene: Esther M. Friesner”

Esther M. Friesner was another new author to me in this anthology. This was an interesting short story as a first reading from this author.

As I first started reading, I had no idea what to expect from this story. The language used—including the dialogue—was a bit wordy for my tastes. The story was written in the first-person (which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing), but the vocabulary was unnecessarily elaborate. I liked the plot twists and it was a cute story, but I may or may not read more of Friesner in the future.

“Charmed by the Moon: Lori Handeland”

I’ve read Lori Handeland before, in another anthology, and it was good to read her again. Her writing is fun; her characters are interesting; and her plots move very well. I don’t have much more to say about this short story because it’s all pretty straightforward and to-the-point, but it was all good nonetheless.

“Tacky: Charlaine Harris”

I don’t believe that I’ve read Charlaine Harris before, but this was a cute story. The plot was refreshing and interesting. There were refreshing bits to it that made the story unique and cute. The characters were fun and made me want to read more.

Overall, it was a nice short story and I may even read more works by Harris in the future.

“A Hard Day’s Night-Searcher: Sherrilyn Kenyon”

And here we are with Sherrilyn Kenyon again. Need I say how much I love her writing?

Anyway, once more, Kenyon has that unique ability to make her readers care about her characters in the span of only a few pages. It’s amazing! However, this was not one of my favorite works of hers, but it was still very cute and a fun read. The characters were interesting and it was cool to read more about a Dark-Hunter that I’d only barely seen before. Plus, I LOVED the fact that Rafael’s Squire, Jeff, wrote about the world of the Dark-Hunters and made it his own. It was hilarious and really dragged me into the story. Can’t wait to read more of Kenyon’s work!!!

“ “…Or Forever Hold Your Peace”: Susan Krinard”

This is the first work by Susan Krinard that I’ve read and I liked it more than I expected to. It was very unique and I instantly liked the characters. I know for certain that I wouldn’t have been able to understand what the heck was going on if Krinard hadn’t supplied background information, so I REALLY appreciate that. I actually really liked this short story and—though it isn’t my usual taste in reading materials—I think I may seek out other books by Krinard that are like this one.

***YAY!!! So, this is my 100th post for my book-review blog! I’m actually really excited about it! I wish I’d posted the books that I’d read in that gap between my first and second posts, but oh well…I will just end up making them my next few blog postings :) Anyhow, I LOVE doing this blog and would really appreciate some feedback. Just a “hey, what’s up”, let me know what you think of the books I review—whether you loved them or hated them, or even tell me that you think what I’m doing is stupid. I can take it! I know people read this and I would LOVE to hear from them! Peace out!***

*Just a note, my label for this post does not contain all of the authors of this anthology because I can only have 200 characters...sorry!*

The Lion's Bride: Connie Mason

“THE LADY AND THE LION

“Lord Lyon of Normandy had saved William the Conqueror from certain death on the battlefield, yet neither his strength nor his skill could defend him against the defiant beauty the king chose for his wife.

“Ariana of Cragmere lost her lands and her virtue to the mighty warrior, but the willful beauty swore never to surrender her heart.

“Saxon countess and Norman knight, Ariana and Lyon were born enemies. And in a land rent asunder by bloody wars and shifting loyalties, they were doomed to misery unless they could vanquish the hatred that divided them—and unite in glorious love.”

There’s actually a cute story behind my acquisition of this book. So, my mom has always been a big reader—just like me—and she was recently cleaning out our basement when she brought up a big cardboard box and told me I could have everything inside of it. It was full of her old books! Needless to say, I was SO excited because one can never have too many books. Among the books (many of them older than myself) was a book by Connie Mason titled The Lion’s Bride. I think it’s just so cool when an author can have an effect on two generations of avid readers.

Now, down to the actual review. As always, Connie Mason didn’t disappoint me in the least. Her characters were well-written and the plot was interesting. She does a very good job of creating amazing settings and dragging her readings into the periods her books take place in. However, I must admit that there is quite a bit of similarities in this book to her book titled A Touch So Wicked. Granted, there were differences because they took place in different centuries, but I couldn’t ignore the slight…“recycling”…if you will…(I don’t mean for that to be mean!) of the plots. This wasn’t necessarily a terrible thing, but it was definitely noticeable.

Overall, I really liked this book a lot and am very pleased with Mason, yet again!