Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Four): Sherrilyn Kenyon

“Dear Reader

“Have you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking vampires that prey on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power? That is my exixtence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but I am known to none. And I love every minute of it.

“Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmare: a conservative woman in a button-down shirt. Or in Amanda’s case, one buttoned all the way up to her chin. She’d smart, sexy, witty, and wants nothing to do with the paranormal—in other words, me.

“My attraction to Amanda Devereaux goes against everything I stand for. Not to mention the last time I fell in love it cost me not only my human life, but also my very soul. Yet every time I look at her, I find myself wanting to try again. Wanting to believe that love and loyalty do exists.

“Even more disturbing, I find myself wondering if there’s any way a woman like Amanda can love a man whose battle scars run deep, and whose heart was damaged by a betrayal so savage that he’s not sure it will ever beat again.

“Kyrian of Thrace”

I officially LOVED this book! I found myself laughing so many times and Kyrian’s as well as Nick’s sarcasm was fantastic. It was so well-written that I could practically hear their actual conversations. Amanda was a pretty decent character—not one of my favorites, but I liked her nonetheless. Kyrian was fantastic and I REALLY loved how Kenyon brought back Julian and Grace’s family. It took me a while at first, but I finally got that this Kyrian was the Kyrian that Julian talked about in his book, Fantasy Lover. I thought that was neat and really awesome to have their stories meshed in such a way.

Kyrian’s past was one of the most violently descriptive I’ve ever read…it was fantastic and I found myself cringing on many occasions. His pain was at a whole new level I’d never before read and I really have to commend Kenyon for her brilliance.

The plot in general was AMAZING! I adore how Kenyon seems to have thought of everything! The whole Dark-Hunter thing is so fantastic and I could not find any flaws in her writing of it—and believe me…I’m a bit of a bitch like that where I try to find flaws…and I couldn’t!!! (I don't want to give too much away so I will just reiterate how great the plot was! She even brings back some other characters from stories...and you'll have to read to find out who!!!) I so look forward to reading the next in this TRULY captivating series!!!

*****UPDATE 12/18/2017*****

I can't believe it's been more than nine years since I first read this book!  How time flies!

I seem to be on a bit of a Sherrilyn Keyon re-reading kick lately, which is so odd because I NEVER re-read books.  I don’t think I am going to make a habit of re-reading books, but I’ve actually been enjoying doing this with Kenyon’s books for the most part (perhaps, mostly because it has been so long since I read them that it feels “new” enough).  One thing has remained true over the years:  I still feel like the overarching plot is brilliant.  Kenyon has created this amazing sub-world rich with history, backstory, and she put an astounding amount of forethought into it.  I have always enjoyed her angsty male leads and writing in their tragic backgrounds really rounds them out and, rather than make them pitiable, actually makes them rich and interesting – it’s a very fine line to walk.  She is so wickedly creative in the ways she develops their pasts and the natures of their very unique deaths.

I enjoyed Kyrian, but perhaps more so because of his past than anything.  I found his “present” character to be slightly lacking the attitude and impulsiveness Julian and other characters kept claiming he was known for.  Of course, it was there, just not to the degree that I expected.  Amanda is a decent character and she is a nice foil for her twin sister, Tabatha.  Rather than have her as another “weird” Deveraux sister, her normalcy (or, rather, “attempted” normalcy) and skepticism was a believable counterpart to the oddness of the world to which Kyrian introduces her.  Rather than have her jump into the world of the Dark-Hunters headfirst, she did seem to keep it at arms’ length for an acceptable amount of time.  I think I would have liked to have seen her feelings develop for Kyrian in a more rounded fashion.  They seemed to hit rather suddenly with little “provoking” on Kyrian’s part.  As she is pondering her feelings later in the book, she considers his laugh and his smile, though I don’t believe those things happened all that often prior to her contemplations – at least not to the degree that they could believably be parts of the reason she is falling for Kyrian.

Another comment I have to make is one I also made in my review for Fantasy Lover…I think the writing was not quite up to the level I remember it being, nor is it on par with other authors I’ve enjoyed throughout the different shades of the romance genre.  There were unnecessary words, odd (obvious) descriptions, and mediocre metaphors (I don’t have the book in front of me, but I there’s a line which reads something like, “He twisted like an agile cat;” on the surface, it seems fine, but it was inelegant and boring in the context).  Another issue I had was the sheer plethora of “afterthoughts” experienced by most of the characters.  I don’t believe I’m giving anything away, but forgive me if I am:  One of the greatest examples of this was when Amanda leaves Kyrian’s home after he instructed Acheron to watch over her.  After she’s already left, Amanda very briefly ponders why Acheron would have allowed her to leave after what Kyrian had said.  Okay. Fine.  It is what it is, but it felt unnecessary.  It could have all been avoided with one line from Acheron where he says something like, “I don’t give a damn what you do, little girl.  I’m no babysitter and I certainly don’t take orders from Kyrian.”  I think this would have fit in with the plot and Acheron’s character just fine and would certainly have avoided another instance of this awkward afterthought.  It was unnecessary and broke the flow of anticipation.  There are more than a few times this happens throughout the book.  I think Kenyon has such amazing talent that she doesn’t need all of this extraneous explanation and description.  She is a fantastic weaver of stories and brilliant crafter of characters that these things just brought this book down a hair.  I wonder if – as I continue making my way back through this series – that the writing will change a great deal.  This book is still one of her early ones, so I suppose we shall see!  Perhaps I’m just being hypercritical and a bit unfair…  I’ve sat here trying to find a better way to say this without sounding pompous, but I think my slight change in enjoyment of Kenyon’s writing style is because I’m so much further along in my education than I was the first time I read her works.  Since then, I’ve achieved a Master’s Degree in English and I’m much more used to really breaking down works of literature and performing thorough analyses.  I don’t think it’s necessarily fair of me to bring this lens to this application, but I don’t think I can un-train myself.

Regardless of my overly-critical analysis, I still enjoyed the book.  It took me a little bit to get going, but I finished it in a matter of a weekend once I did.  It’s a very, very entertaining read.  I truly love how I always loose myself in the world of the Dark/Dream/Were-Hunters whenever I pick up Kenyon’s books.  There are so many facets to the characters, stories, and the underlying plot that it’s easy to see how this might happen.  I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the world Kenyon has created.  I recommend this book as the first “official” Dark-Hunter installment and I look forward to moving on in the series.

Side note:  Even though Nick is a supporting character, I find him fantastic.  Kenyon managed to cram so much personality into him.  I find myself wondering if she was inspired by someone in her life when she wrote him.  His attitude and personality were entertaining and provided a breath of fun and sarcasm so needed in this otherwise intense story.  I loved him the first time around and I continue to feel the same way about him – this is the mark of an excellent character.

Dragonswan (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Three): Sherrilyn Kenyon

“Beautiful scholar Channon MacRea has spent years studying the legendary Dragon Tapestry, devoting days and nights to deciphering the impenetrable Old English symbolism. Then one evening the unnaturally handsome Sebastian appears. He claims to hold the key to solving the tapestry’s mysteries. Bearing magnificently taut and tanned flesh marked by intriguing scars of battle, he also claims to be a dragon slayer trapped between two worlds.

“For Channon there’s only one way to finally uncover the secrets of the intricate embroidery—by following the seductive stranger into a fantastic alternate world of magic, danger, and erotic adventure.”
So, I ordered this book offline and was all excited to get it…little did I know that I paid six bucks for a book with only a little over 80 pages! Wow, I had a good laugh over that…but that’s not what this review is about.

This book was very short, but it seems as if Sherrilyn Kenyon has a certain knack for making her readers care for her characters in a matter of pages. It’s no small feat and I really admire her for it! Sebastian was a fascinating character, as was his story. I saw a lot of myself in Channon and it only made me want to read more!

The story behind Sebastian was so well-thought-out that I couldn’t put the book down! I’m not usually into these types of books, but this was too amazing not to read. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

Secrets of a Summer Night (Wallflower Series, Book One): Lisa Kleypas

“Four young ladies enter London with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.

“Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle’s most intriguing—and persistent—admirer, wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition…but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction.

“Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon—and her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon’s passionate embrace and tempting kisses…and she discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.”

***I didn’t realize this until halfway through, but this book takes place after Lisa Kleypas’ book, Again the Magic!!!***

This book was WONDERFUL!!! I loved the characters and the plot was a nice switch up from the regular, run-of-the-mill romance novel. Simon was a sweet and delightful character while Annabelle had spunk and spice. Lord Westcliff is brought back in this book, as is his youngest sister and her fiancée. This was cute and I loved hearing more about the characters after the book was finished—though I would have liked to have known that these books were connected…I could have read them in the wrong order and it would have ruined it…

Anyway, I am so excited about this series by Kleypas and cannot wait to read the next book!

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 Barrte, 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 Barret 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…!”

Like with the book by Margaret Moore, I read this book a while ago and finally got around to putting it in my blog for others to read about.

This was the first book by Joanne Rock that I read and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed it. The characters seemed real that the plot was very believable. I loved the interactions between the characters and I found myself fairly unable to put the book down. I will be sure to write more about Rock's books in the future!

The Overlord's Bride: Margaret Moore

“ ‘Twas Murder Most Foul…Or Was It?

“Lord Kirkheathe’s first wife was dead, and though his liege lord deemed him guiltless, rumor yet tarred his reputation. Now Elizabeth Perronet found herself his newly wedded bride with a question of her own: If Raymond D’Estienne were truly no savage, how had he unleashed in her things so…untamed and wild?

“Treachery, Thy Name Is Woman!

“Or so believed Raymond D’Estienne, courtesy of his late wife. What, the, was he to make of the remarkable Elizabeth Perronet, fresh fro the convent and determined to change his life—in ways he’d never dreamed!”

I began reading Margaret Moore a few years back. I discovered one of her novels for teens and INSTANTLY fell in love with her! Then, I found out that she wrote for adults as well and couldn't have been more excited.

I originally read this book a while back and recently decided that I had to write about her in this blog so others could enjoy her work. Her characters are amazing, touching, and so very REAL. The plots are strong and highly believable and I constantly find myself transported. In this particular book, I LOVE the character of Raymond. His pain is to deep and real that it's impossible not to feel for him...even when he's being a complete bear.

(Oh, and there isn't an actual date that tells when the story takes place, but judging from the clothing on the cover and the plot itself, I made a guess at some time in the 1500's.)

Embrace the Night (Vampire): Amanda Ashley

“MASTER OF DARKNESS, MISTRESS OF LIGHT

“A creature doomed to wander the earth in eternal darkness, he searched the ages for someone to share the endless night of his existence, for that one woman who would recognize the man within the monster.

“An angel of purity and sunlight, she feared the mysterious stranger whose eyes promise endless ecstasy even as he whispered dark secrets she dared not believe.

“They were two people longing for fulfillment, braving the danger of a love like no other. Alone they faced desolation and despair; together, they would share undying passion, defy eternity, and…EMBRACE THE NIGHT”

(So in case you guys are wondering, in the title of this blog, there is a title for the series, but no book #. This is because it's just a group of books that she wrote with vampires in them...it's not technically a series. However, I will be reading them in the order that she published them...and there are three books in this "non-series" which must be read in order...but we'll get to that later...)

***So, I would like to apologize for some of the comments I made on this blog...I was having a bad day and would like to take back some of the things I wrote!***

I finished this book several days ago and JUST got a chance to review it because school has been totally crazy! Anyway, this is the first book by Amanda Ashley that I have gotten to read and it was slightly different from what I normally read. Most of you know that I love vampire novels and this one was no different. I LOVED the way the vampire (I don’t want to give away his name because that’s actually part of the plot; however minor) was written. His angst and pain were practically palpable and the character of Sara was very real too. Although…there was ALL of this build up for their “love scene” and it was rather chastely written. I almost felt cheated and let down because this is NOT a short book and nor is it a quick read, so it took me forever to finally get to the part where the characters finally admit that they really care for one and other and…pretty much nothing happened. Now, don’t go thinking that I’m some sort of pervert and that’s all I look for in a novel, but Ashley’s writing is very beautiful and eloquent and I was expecting so much more from her. Granted…it took place like ten times, but, again, I almost felt like it was a little bit disappointing and difficult to read. I think Ashley could have done something amazing.

(Okay so that was totally unfair of me... Ashley's writing was different from what I normally read and that does not make it bad at all! I LOVE her writing...and I'm NOT just saying that because she found this blog........ She uses some of the most beautiful descriptions and heartfelt words I have ever read and I want you all to know how much I really did enjoy this book. I know how disappointed I sounded in that last paragraph, but the more I sat down and thought about Ashley's writing, the more I realize that it's actually more mature and that I really appreciate her ability to create an amazing story without spelling out the s-e-x.)

And, I found the WORST typo out of all the books I’ve read! It goes “There is nothing wrong with me in the way you mean. It’s only that you’re so young.bu505” I was like “…what?” and had to read it over a few times to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. (I’ve seen delta symbols in place of apostrophes, but never numbers…let alone three numbers and two letters that make up one rather large typo…)

(I in no way wrote about that typo with the intent to place blame or offend. Some of my readers have come to me and asked "well, are you blind, or did you see the same typo I saw?"...yeah...they actually say that...and I got sick of it to the point where I actually just began to put it in my blogs so people would shut up. As an author myself, I know that this is not the author's fault. The books go through so many steps that there are MANY more people at blame. I'm sorry if I gave offense!)

Otherwise, I will most likely read more of Ashley’s work in the future (in fact, I have some more of her books already checked out from the library), but I have to admit that I hope to see more “depth” to certain parts of her writing.

(So, that was really immature of me...sorry... "Most likely" was an understatement because I really WILL read more of her works and love them for what they are--amazing, solid, beautiful, and eloquent writing!)

Heather and Velvet: Teresa Medeiros

“One moment Prudence Walker is living the life of a plain, dutiful orphan, searching forher lost kitten during a storm; the next she finds herself lying in a highwayman's arms. Wounded in a foiled robbery attempt, the dreaded Scottish highwayman seems harmless enough—until he steals her will and her heart with his honeyed kisses.“The innocent lass is everything Sebastian Kerr has ever wanted, but believed he could never have. When she discovers the dangerous double life he is leading, he is forced to risk his own life to save hers. It doesn't take him long to realize that he must win the one treasure he cannot steal—Prudence's love.”

I haven’t had a chance to read Teresa Medieros in a while, and this book reaffirmed my passion for her writing! It was a wonderfully written story with her own unique twists. Although I will admit—and I’m not sure if it’s because I’m so used to her writing or what—but I was able to pick out the plot turns before they happened. This by NO means ruined the book at all! It was still fantastic!

Sebastian was so well-written and it was so hard not to feel for him and Prudence. Both of them suffered so much and it was amazing to see them develop and grow. They were charming, tortured, and so real. It was so much fun to read Medeiros again!