King of the Unblessed by Michelle Pillow

King of the Unblessed
Realm Immortal, Book 1
Audiobook Review
Michelle M. Pillow

Immortality has a way of changing fate.
The choice is simple: go with him or die.
Merrick, dark elfin King of Valdis, had once been heir to all that was good--happiness and pleasure his domain. Now, trapped as the ruler of mischief, king of necessary evil, he stands on a precipice of choice. On one side, his estranged brother, now ruler of what should have been Merrick's, and on the other, King Lucien of the Damned. Both would sway him. Damnation is winning.
Lady Juliana of Bellemare is from a human family, protected by the Blessed, coveted by the Damned. Betrothed to an old friend of her father's, Juliana is resigned to living out her days close to her childhood home, longing for an adventure, never dreaming she'd get what she wished for. When her fiancé is murdered and the children of Bellemare are stolen, Juliana is sent on a quest in a strange realm where appearances are deceiving.
Merrick brings more adventure and passion than any woman could want. Can she withstand the temptations of the Unblessed king? The spell she weaves over him is more than he can resist and, desperate to be the one to rule her, Merrick offers her a choice; either come with him until he tires of her...or die.
Warning: This book contains hot sex, violence, trickster goblins, overly helpful sprights, a king of necessary evil who lives to get his way and a woman who would dare to deny him.
Rating: Contains graphic sexual content, adult language, and violence.

 

4 of 5 Stars

Ms. Pillow recreated what I call the adult version of Labyrinth with KING OF THE UNBLESSED! I don’t know how she did it, but she even came up with a sexier “goblin king” than David Bowie! Yes, I believe I blushed more than once.

 
Lady Juliana of Bellemare, wants nothing more than a grand adventure before she is to be married. When one lives in the land of the Fae, one must be careful of what they wish for. She is a bit naive and does not know the really know what the world hold. As there were times I really wanted to grab a hold of the girl and shake her and say get it together chicka! I truly loved Juliana. She was a woman thinking outside the box and wanted what she wanted. In many ways she did get them!

 
Merrick, the King of the Unblessed, is dark, sexy and powerful. OMG, the long blond hair, I just wanted to run my finger through it. He is one of those Alpha’s alphas! He wants something and he gets it no matter what. But God, those eyes that make you want to melt. Kings have to do what kings have to do! I so fell in love with him!!

 
Merrick gave Juliana the adventure she wanted. Along with magic, deception, a bunch of magical creates to guide her along the way and passion beyond what Juliana could have imagined, she unknowing walks right in to the Unblessed Kings waiting hands. Merrick’s own deception turns on him, when he realized Juliana just might be more to him than her though she should be.

 
I want to start out by saying I am not much of a Historical romance reader. It's not that I don't like that aspect of romance, I have a tendency to get lost in it, but do I love the way they speak. I am however a huge paranormal romance fan. KING OF THE UNBLESSED was a surprisingly exciting read for me. Not only was it paranormal and fantasy together and had this wonderful historical setting that just blew me away. Mega props to Ms. Pillow for this awesome world building in the series. Yes I am a huge fan of world building. Not only is this Merrick and Juliana story, but you can see so many other story lines that could very well be a good book coming in this series!!

I listen to the audio version of this book. I have to be honest I had a little trouble with the narrator. Please do not give me wrong, Ross Pendleton, did an excellent job narrating. I had a hard time getting used his style. Upon the second listen of the book I was very much able to enjoy the wonderful enchanting tale that was told.
If you want to get lost is a fairytale that will heat up the pages as you are turning them, I suggest you go with the KING OF THE UNBLESSED.



 

Ink Reunited

Ink Reunited By: Carrie Ann Ryan

From the streets of New Orleans and the heat of Midnight Ink, comes the happy ever after for a character whose story was begged to be told.

Sassy Bordeaux is the Midnight Ink receptionist, honorary godmother, best friend to many, and matchmaker expert. In the past two months, she’s watched eight couples fall in love, make mistakes, and find their happy endings. Though she might have had hand in each of those, she’s yet to find the peace she’s desired. When the men from her past come into Midnight Ink, she’s forced to face what she left behind and what could happen if she lets go of her pain and finds a future she deserves.

Rafe Chavez and Ian Steele remember their time with Sassy like it was yesterday, yet have worked hard to move on. Or at least try to. Now they’re both back in New Orleans for the woman they loved and for the connection they shared with each other. It will take more than the usual groveling, pleading and begging for these three to overcome their history, but once they take that step, the streets of New Orleans will never be the same.

4 Stars

I just love everything about Sassy!  From when I first read about her in the stories in Midnight Ink, I knew there was something more too why I liked her so much.   Sassy is not just her name, it’s who she is.  She has a commanding presence.  She has a wonderful heart and can see the good in people.  She is also one hell of a matchmaker. She will sacrifice herself for the good of others.  Sassy is one of those people that you just can’t help but to like.

Carrie Ann Ryan delivers Sassy story with the powerful emotions that she is known for.  Giving her not just one, but two loves pulls at your heart string even more.  Combining three people from different paths in life falling in love, parting and trying reuniting their passion had me holding back the tears.  How could Sassy not love both Ian and Rafe, they both have quality that will make your smile and touch your soul.

A sassy love story that pulls at your heart!

An e-copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review!

Up From The Grave By: Jeaniene Frost

The Grave Ends Here.  Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones.  They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war...

A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights.  Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death...because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences.  And if they fail, their lives--and those of everyone they hold dear-- will be hovering on the edge of the grave.

Final novel in the Night Huntress series.

As most readers of the Night Huntress series, I have come to love Cat and Bones.  Know the series was going to end sadden me a bit.  Ms. Frost created some amazing stories and gave us characters that we will be taking about for years to come.

With that said, Up From the Grave was everything that I expected from a Night Huntress novel.  A great plot, that had twists that this reader did not see coming. Surprises around every corner.  Lots of hard core vampire action that Cat and Bones are known for.  We get to visit with Cat and Bones friends that we have come to know and love.  The only thing that I can truly say that I was disappointed with in the book was it did kinda lack in the steamy scenes that has made me love Bones.

Ms. Frost did a wonderful justice to the ending book of the Night Huntress.  I got all my questions answered.  We went on hell of a ride.  Over many books in the series Bones asks Cat over and over to trust him.  He asked one more time for Cat to trust him and she does.  I was so happy to see that Cat did trust the one she loves and with that trust Cat and Bones got their happily ever after.

Lilith Enraptured by Michelle M. Pillow

Lilith Enraptured

Divinity Warriors #1 by Michelle M. Pillow

Published January 16th 2012 by The Raven Books

Sorin of Firewall lives in a land forever at war. In fact, the Starian men are so busy fighting, their marriage ceremony has been reduced to a "will of the gods" event where they simply pick a woman out of a lineup and claim her as a wife. With women becoming scarce, it's necessary to trade the offworld Divinity Corporation for brides. Duty-bound to attend the ceremony, Sorin has no intention of picking a bride, let alone one from another dimension. That is, until he sees Lilith, the bewitching woman sent by the gods to reward—or punish?—him.



Lilith, a data analyst for Divinity, is betrayed by the Corporation and wakes up in a primitive, uncharted dimension filled with warriors who know only war and duty.Her fear of becoming a sex slave to a big, beefy knight becomes all too real when a warrior of god-like proportions claims she's his new woman. As Lilith discovers, there are worse fates than being the focus of Sorin's skillful and earthy seduction.





4 STARS

Lilith Enraptured is a fine example of awesome world building with a great story and steamy love to go with it.  The book starts off as a futuristic sci-fi story, filled with medical and technological advances.  Then thrust us back in time to a medieval love story.  I loved the warriors of Starian.  Loyal and honor bound to fight the ongoing war that is known to their land.  They are Alphas all the way.  All the know is duty, war and honoring ones family.  Too many in need of a loving woman.

Lilith, taken from all she knew and left to a race of warriors who “claim” their woman in marriage.  Yes, I found her whiny at times, but then I know I would be too.  She fought a battle within herself, while knowing that was not her home, she couldn’t keep herself from loving him.  Then the battle became how do you love someone who doesn’t know the concept of love.

Sorin, is like a dream on a stick.  The perfect Alpha male.  He is big and built, a leader in battle, but war is all he knows.  He says, the Gods told him that she was the one to be his wife.  I believe that it was love at first sight.  In a race that in so wrapped up in war and the females a few, preserving the race is a forbearer to love.  He had a need to protect her at all cost and I believe that there was more than just duty and honor to it.

I had the pleasure of listing to Lilith Enraptured as an audiobook.  I thought it was a pleasant listen.  The narrator did a good job delivering this tale.  She did a great job of distinguishing who was who and  brought the emotions of the written word to life with voice.

Ms. Pillow delivered a great story with Lilith Enraptured.   The more I listen to the book the more I wanted to hear.   Super steamy love scenes with hot warriors will have you fanning yourself.  Yes the book is HOT!  A wonderful mixing of genres that gives the reader a very unique world to explore.  Well done, Ms. Pillow.

I was given an audio copy of this book from the author for an honest review.

Dark-Hunter Reading Challenge

I am a huge Dark Hunter fan!  Sherrilyn Kenyon was one of the first PNR authors that I discovered.  I fell in love and devoured the series. I even have my very own bow and arrow tattoo!!!  When I started reading about the Dark-Hunters, Ash's book has been out a few months.  Needless to say I had a lot of reading to do.  I read 9 books in 2 weeks.  That was a record for me at the time.  I have read every book, some more than once.  If you count all the short stories, there are thirty-two stories in this series to date.

When I finished reading Styxx's book, I was almost floored.  I loved the book so much it made me want to go back from the beginning and get lost in this adventure all over again.  So I decided to make my own reading challenge this year!

Welcome to my Dark-Hunter reading challenge!

1.     FANTASY LOVER

2.     DRAGONSWAN

3.     NIGHT PLEASURES

4.     NIGHT EMBRACE

5.     PHANTON LOVER

6.     A DARK-HUNTER CHRISTMAS

7.     DANCE WITH THE DEVIL

8.     KISS OF THE NIGHT

9.     NIGHT PLAY

10.WINTER BORN

11.SEZIE THE NIGHT

12.SINS OF THE NIGHT

13.SECOND CHANCES

14.UNLEASH THE NIGHT

15.DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

16.A HARD DAYS NIGHT SERCHER

17.UNTIL DEATH WE DO PART

18.THE DREAM HUNTER

19.FEAR THE DARKNESS

20.DEVIL MAY CRY

21.UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR

22.DREAM CHASER

23.ASHERON

24.WHERE ANGEL FEAR TO TREAD

25.SHADOW OF THE MOON

26.ONE SLIENT NIGHT

27.DREAM WARRIOR

28.BAD MOON RAISING

29.NO MERCY

30.RETRIBUTION

31.THE GUARDIAN

32.TIME UNTIME

33.STYXX

The goal is to read all the Dark-Hunter books including the shorts in order this year. With a series this big, sometimes you need to go back, revisit a few people and remember how events have unfolded.

According to www.dark-hunter.com and www.wikipedia.com this is the reading order:

 

I have made a page on my blog under Reading Challenges to keep track of my progress.  I will also blog about each book.  This is going to be such a fun challenge.  To go back and meet all the Dark, Dream and Were Hunters all over again.  I can’t wait to fall in love all over again!

So if you are a Dark-Hunter lover and wanting to partake in this challenge. Leave a comment below.  Sorry peeps, I am new to the blogging world and don’t know how to make one of those awesome button thingies yet. LOL!  Make a shelf on your goodread.com or booklike.com page and put a link to it in your comment.  Those of you who complete the challenge, I will put you in a drawing for some Dark-Hunter swag!!   

 

Audio Book Reading Challenge!

I came a crossed this today and I just had to do it!  I'm an audio book junkie and this a great challenge for me!  If you are a lover of audio book or looking to expand you reading horizons, Check out The Book Nymphos challenge!

http://thebooknympho.com/2014-audiobook-challenge/

 

 

2014 Reading Goals!

A new year is beginning,that means it's time for more books.  As a self-proclaimed avid reader, I love the beginning of the year for setting new goals. This year I wanted to do something different for my reading goals. I want to do more than just set a number of books to read. This year I am setting goals with in the books that I will be reading. Also with starting the book blog this year I want to include that with in my goals.  I maybe biting off more than I think I am but I  sure gonna give it a try.

So here are my list of goals.

1.To read a total of 80 books. This is the number of books I set for 2013 and achieve that goal. I am not increasing the number because of the other goals I am setting for myself.

2. To find ten new to me authors to read and talk about on the blog.

3. To review at least half of the books I read.

4. To branch out of my reading comfort zone. I started reading contemporary romance this year and have enjoyed it. I want to include reading more contemporary, romantic suspense, and some steampunk added in there.

5. Read my first Nora Roberts book this year.

6. To reread the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.  I have read all the books and short stories of this series.  After reading Styxx in 2013 (OMG, That book!!!), and reliving some events of the past, I feel it is time to start over again!!

7. And last but not least get caught up on all my series that I little behind on.

This is my list so far.  Some goals may be added or changed.  That is the way life goes!  It’s a start and that is what counts.  I am keeping my finger crossed. I will keep everyone posted as to how my year in reading progresses.  Good luck to everyone in your own reading goals.