Review: Underneath It All by Kate Canterbary

Underneath It All

Kate Canterbary

The Walshes, Book 1

Expected publication: October 21st 2014

 

If I had known I'd have a hot architect balls deep inside of me before the end of the weekend, I'd have made time for a pedicure.


Lauren
It's all the little things—the action plans, the long-kept promises—that started falling apart when my life slipped into controlled chaos.

After I met Matthew Walsh.

I couldn't decide whether I wanted to run screaming or rip his pants off, and most days I wanted a little of both. If I was being honest with myself, it was rip his pants off, ride him like a workhorse, and then run screaming.

Matthew
A rebellious streak ran through Lauren Halsted. It was fierce and unrelentingly beautiful, and woven through too many good girl layers to count, and she wasn't letting anyone tell her what to do.

Unless, of course, she was naked.

She wasn't looking for me and I sure as shit wasn't looking for her, but we found each other anyway and now we were locked in a battle of wills, waiting for the other to blink.

Sometimes the universe conspires to bring people together. Other times, it throws people down a flight of stairs and leaves them in a bruised and bloodied heap

 



 


3.5 Stars

Smart, sassy and bossy teacher Lauren has her sights set on one goal. To get her school off the ground. Being the daughter and sister to navy seals, it has been instilled in her to never give up. She's strong, independent and focused. Even a bit of a klutz. A lover of shoes and pretty underwear, Lauren is a girly girl underneath. Her sassiness who make you laugh. A hardheaded woman only seeing straight in front of her.

Matthew is an architect whose job is his passion. His way with number is cute in a that geeky way. Beyond smart and sexy to boot. Matthew has some rather caveman like tendencies that it times are annoying and others are sexy beyond belief. When a client stumbles into his arms, Matthew wants a little more than his work obsessed life.

Underneath It All was a surprise of a book for me. It's so much more than just a naughty teacher story. A story with emotions that are overwhelming and family. Being so ingrossed in something that the fear of doing anything else will put you off track. A story about making one's own family. A story about setting and achieving goals. With lots of passionate, wild and steamy romance to keep you turning the pages of this heartfelt story.

Review copy provided for an honest review.

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!

Callum The Cursed Clan #1 by Melissa Schroeder

His duty was all that mattered.

Callum Lennon has one goal in life: protect his cousins. His failure in the past to do just that is what drives every action. When they discover a chance for redemption, Callum is willing to try. But trusting an outsider isn’t acceptable.

A woman in need of a new beginning.

An expert in archeology, Phoebe has always felt dwarfed by her parents’ shadow. In college by thirteen, she’s never measured up to her parents’ high standards. When the Lennons contact her, she decides to take a chance…and finds herself intrigued by the most insufferable man.

A passion impossible to ignore.

One argument leads to a kiss and to an unbearable desire they cannot seem to fight. When an old enemy threatens their fragile new love, Callum will have to choose between believing his mind or trusting his heart.

Forces outside the family are determined to ensure that they fail. When an old enemy threatens both the well being of the clan and the fragile new love, Callum will have to choose between believing his mind or his heart.

5 STARS

CALLUM - THE CURSED CLAN BOOK 1

Magic, myth and mystery with sexy Scots to suck you in.

If you are are looking to read a book that you will not be able to put down, well look no further.  Ms. Schroeder delivers a story that will have you fully immersed from page one.  Legends, myths and gorgeous distant lands are just the beginning.  I got so drawn into the story, it was like I was standing along beside Callum and Phoebe.  I could clearly hear the accents of the cousins in my head.

There was nothing about this story that I did not like.  Callum and Phoebe are both wonderful characters.  Callum, so strong willed and loyal to his clan.  Everything he does is for the good of his clan.  So strong willed in fact that he almost let his pride get in the way of taking the steps of freeing the clan from the curse.  Phoebe, smart and beautiful( although she hides her beauty under ugly suits) agrees to help the Lennons.  There is something about Phoebe that I really liked.  I loved that she stood up to this big, sexy Scot.  She was good at what she did, but in ways timid and shy.  Ms. Schroeder has this great talent of knowing her characters really well before she ever puts them to the pages of a book.  They way Callum and Phoebe are together just heighten the story.

This book was good in so many ways.  Most people know Melissa Schroeder as an erotic author.  Well she did one hell of a job with paranormal.  I can’t even imagine the amount of research that went into the writing of this book.   The story has a great plot and flows amazingly.  As I said it will suck you in.  The heat level may not be as high as some of Melissa other books, but there is rich culture and deep heated passion that will not leave you lacking.

I have a funny feeling, knowing Mel, this is only a prelude of what to come in this series!

I was given a ecopy of this book for an honest review.

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.

Night Vision by Yasmine Galenorn

Night Vision by Yasmine Galenorn

Berkley Mass-Market, July 2, 2013

Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the dark Fae in order to harness their magic, only to create a demonic enemy more powerful than they could have imagined. Now, even with Myst, the Queen of the Indigo Court, temporarily out of action, the new Queens of the Golden Wood finds themselves facing incredible danger...

Destined to become the Fae Queens of Winter and Summer, Wind Witch Cicely and her cousin Rhiannon are eager to assume their roles and marry the loves of their lives. But while Myst hides in the shadows, seeking to regroup her forces, a closer danger is lurking. Renegade vampires Geoffrey and Leo manage to free the Blood Oracle and set him upon New Forest, Washington. Not satisfied with wreaking havoc on the town, Leo ups the ante by kidnapping Rhiannon. Now, Cicely must lead her forces in a bloody battle to save her cousin before everything they've worked for crumbles to dust.

Visit Yasmine on her website @ www.galenorn.com to find out more about her books.



The fourth installment of the Indigo Court series, Night Vision picks up where Night Seeker left off. Night vision takes Cicely on the journey to becoming a queen and marrying her king.  Many obstacles stand in her way and much blood will be shed. Geoffrey and Leo are still out on the run as new problems arise with the vampires. Myst still lurking in the background all the while Cicely adjust to life of a queen.

Night vision really packs a punch to the indigo court series. It's nonstop action, danger lurking around every corner and sexy as hell. It's magical and alluring but yet dark and dangerous.  I was up way to late reading just to know what happened. Without giving anything away, this book answers some lurking questions of the past and sets up for nicely the last book in the series.
War was fought, blood was shed and loss was had. However There is a wonderful balance between good and bad in this book. We see Cicely through two events that are stapled for her in the Fae world. This is a magic and the mysticism of the Fae.  A wonderful in-depth look at what the rituals and lifestyle of the Fae are.

I have said this before and I will say it again and again. Ms. Galenorn has an amazing talent in her writing.  I have been a big fan of hers for many years now and have read every book in the Indigo Court series and the Otherworld Series. To me Night Vision is by far the best. She did an amazing job of blending myth, legends, magic, darkness and light.  It's a sexy and adventurous read. The series is a must for any Urban Fantasy fan.

Bound By Night

Bound By Night

Moon Bound Clan Vampires book 1

Larissa Ione gave us a twist of what it means to be a vampires in Bound By Night.  Yes they are still strong as all get out. They have powers that humans don’t and have the need of blood.  They are still the sexy vampires that we have come to love.  Ms. Ione has created a world where vampires are enslaved and persecuted.  Vampire are captured tested on, trained and made to be servants to humans.

With that being said, I really liked this book.  Putting the vampire as a lesser being in human eyes, and making them fight for what they want and need. I loved the Native American tones set into the book.  Ms. Ione has done a wonderful job of building this new vampire world.  I am a sucker for world building, Bound By Night doesn't let down. I look forward to see what is going to be happening for the MoonBound Clan.

As I enjoyed our lead lady and vamp, however some of the secondary characters of the story really stood out for me. Nicole and Riker are fighting the same battle on opposite sides of the coin. Each of them dealing with loss in the past from vampires for her, humans for him.    Watching these two hardheaded people try to work through the issues of their past, while dealing with the proverbial shit hitting the fan, while trying not to feel the raging emotions that are coming from both of them was quite entertaining.

Myne is the big scary guy you want to have around when you need to intimidate someone.  He's silent and deadly. We get a glimpse of his past and this book that makes me definitely want to read more about him.

Hunter, the clans leader.  He is always willing to do what is right for his clan.  Sexy and a bit mysterious, I really want to learn more about Hunter.

Bound By Night is a great start to this series.  Action that kept me turning the pages.  A different way of life for vampires.  Great world building!  Hands down, it was a good book!

First Grave on the Right!

This whole grim reaper thing should have come with a manual.
Or a diagram of some kind.
A flow chart would have been nice.

Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can't she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

REVIEW

We all know that coffee and a good book go hand-in-hand. When you add an abundance of laughter to the mix that makes a great book. Darynda Jones did just that in First Grave on the Right.

Charley Davidson is a part time private investigator, full-time Grim Reaper.  She is the kind of person I would want to have for a friend. She is smart, strong-willed, daring, a strong sense of doing what is right and a coffee addict. She uses humor to get through the tough parts of life. She will put her self in harms way to save someone in danger. She will fight to get what she wants and will not back down. One tough lady!

Secondary characters Uncle Bob, Charley's assistant Cookie, Garrett and Reyes add the substance that every paranormal novel needs. The mysterious maybe bad guy that is just too hot for his good. The assistant that can pull anything out of thin air find out what you need to know and take care of Charley in ways that she didn't even know she needed. Cookie also make sure the caffeine flows which is a plus in my book.  Garrett adds tension to Charleys life but I believe helps keep her on her toes and then some at times. Uncle Bob is the man have on your side. Knowing some Charley secret, Uncle Bob works with her to help make wrong things right.

Ms. Jones does not slack in any aspect of this book. The suspense is high and keeps you turning the pages to find out what is going on. The humor is beyond amazing. I love the banter between the characters. I love the one-liners that come out and the wisecrack comebacks. We also get a new way of looking at what a Grim Reaper is in this book.   Ms. Jones also gives us some steamy heat throughout this book. I can't say much more that will just give away the book but I tell you what is definitely worth reading.

I don’t think I have laughed so much while reading a book. First Grave on the Right gave me everything I needed in paranormal suspense and then some. Thank you Darynda for writing a wonderful story  that contains characters that love coffee as much as I do. I am very much looking forward to reading more in the series.

4 Star rating!