Kya's King by Becca Dale

Title:  Kya’s King

Author:  Becca Dale

Publisher:  Decadent Publishing

Publication Date:  2010

ISBN:  978-1-936394-31-9

Genre:  Paranormal/Shapeshifter

Length:  117 pages

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Author Email:  authorbecca@yahoo.com

Rating: 5 Diamonds

Heat Level: Spicy

Other: Oral

Reviewer:  Starla Kaye

Date: 10-24-10

 

This is Book One of the Sanctuary Series, which, if anything like this first book, promises to be a wonderful series.

Hannah has had a confusing life, supposedly abandoned as a child but adopted and raised by people who loved her until they died. Now she is alone, lonely except for the “family” she has found in the people who work with her at the sanctuary. But things don’t feel right. She begins dreaming of a man who comes to her at night and makes wild, untamed love to her. Awake, she hears her dream lover’s voice and worries about her sanity, especially when she starts to have strong, strange feelings for a wounded wildcat.

Ja has tried to find the royal heir to his clan that he’d been charged with guarding years ago and then been forced to abandon her to keep her safe. The youth he remembered is now a beautiful woman that he is desperate to claim for his own. She remembers nothing of her first family, doesn’t recognize him, doesn’t know who and what she really is, and struggles with even believing shifters really exist. Can he convince her to trust him? Can he keep her safe from those who want her dead? Can he find a way to make her love him even if he isn’t worthy of her?

Becca Dale has created some strong characters with serious internal and external conflicts to overcome.  The setting with the mix of the animal sanctuary and the shape-shifting community seem believable. And if you’re interested in a nice hot story…well, here it is.

Midnight Treat by Becca Simone

Title:  Midnight Treat

Author:  Becca Simone

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press

Publication Date:  2009

Genre: Contemporary/Halloween

Length:  Novella

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Rating: 4.5 Diamonds

Heat Level: Erotic

Other: BDSM, oral, masturbation, oral

Reviewer:  Starla Kaye

Date:  9-30-10

Wrong girl, right time? A case of mistaken identity turns into a seriously hot and wild Halloween night.

Marie Antoinette, aka Cassie, attends a Halloween party, has a chance to flirt with a handsome Zorro when he runs into her, and can’t do it. The sad story of her life. She had a chance and she blew it, maybe…

Zorro, aka Josh Panetti, makes an appointment for a midnight rendezvous with Marie Antoinette. Marie demanded that he break into her bedroom and attack her. How could he resist such a sexy demand? Living up to his promise gets him a sensually, naughty night, but with the wrong Marie Antoinette. Not the she resisted him. Still…

At first I was a little concerned about the hero and his actions with the wrong woman, but then I decided it fit the man and both of their internalized thoughts changed my mind. The characters were well drawn, the conflicts obvious and dealt with, and the sex…hot, hot, hot.

Unbound Passions: Sealed Desires by Selena Illyria

Title:  Unbound Passions: Sealed Desires

Author:  Selena Illyria

Publisher:  Changeling Press

Publication Date:  2010

ISBN:  978-1-60521-397-2

Genre:  Paranormal/Incubus

Length:  Novella

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Author Email:  selenaillyria826@gmail.com

Rating: 4 Diamonds

Heat Level: Sensually spicy

Other: Oral, masturbation, light bondage

Reviewer: S. K. Fero

Date: 10-5-10

Secret loves, secret wishes, and finally taking a chance to go after what you really want.

Van is an incubus who dreams of loving one special woman but fears approaching her because of who and what he is. How could she possibly want him for more than just the great sex he can offer her? He believes it is best to keep his incubus nature sealed away. He doesn’t want to take a chance on driving her away from him once he finally approaches her.

Belle is an elven princess and is fascinated by an incubus she briefly meets and dreams about. She has lived too long by other people’s rules and beliefs. She has desires, needs, and she really wants to let them free. And she wants to draw out Van’s inner incubus nature.

The story involves two very interesting main characters with frustrated feelings, conflicts to overcome, and who the reader can pull for as they decide to go for their dreams. Oh, and there is definite heat.

Wake of the Siren by Nancy O'Berry

Title: Wake of the Siren

Author: Nancy O’ Berry    

Publisher: Red Rose Publishing

Publication Date: 2010

ISBN: 978-1-60435-752-3

Genre: Paranormal

Length: 122 pages

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Author Website http://www.nancyoberry.com/

Author Email yesitsromance@yahoo.com

Rating:  4 Diamonds

Heat Level: Sensual

Reviewer: Cassandra Parker

Date: September 23, 2010

On trial for the attempted murder of her sister’s true love King Neptune’s youngest daughter, Nadine doesn’t have a lot of options left. Her salvation comes in the form of Oceanus the Grand Inquisitor who looks every one of his 900 years. Oceanus offers Nadine marriage to save her life.

Oceanus has been cursed by a Sea Hag for scorning her love and as punishment is given the appearance of a very old man. Oceanus’s only hope for redemption is the kiss of his true love. Can Nadine ever fall for one such as he and break the spell? Or is Oceanus doomed to remain bound to the sea hag?

At first glance this is an interesting story. It portrays a completely different world under the sea with its own hierarchies and laws and has all the details necessary to immerse the reader in the author’s world. What’s off putting in the beginning of the story is the attitude of the heroine. However, I struggled through the initial dislike of her and eventually she became a character I enjoyed. Oceanus is a noble hero from the beginning, especially in his willingness to take on Nadine. The terms of his curse makes his sacrifices even more touching. The pacing of the story is at times a little slow but overall I consider this a good read. If you enjoy fairy tales this one is for you. Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid all rolled into one with a few twists thrown in for good measure. This is the second in Nancy O’Berry’s Neptune’s Daughters series and having not read the first of the series I’m interested in to how that would have changed my reading of this story but overall this book also works as a stand alone. 

Playing Lycan Games by Anh Leod

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Title:  Playing Lycan Games

Author:  Anh Leod

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press

Publication Date:  2009

Genre:  Paranormal/Werewolves

Length:  60 pages

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Author Email:  anh@anhleod.com

Rating: 4.5 Diamonds

Heat Level: Sweetly spicy

Other: Oral

Reviewer:  Starla Kaye

Date: 10-13-10

True love makes the differences between people disappear.

Jem Valentine is a werewolf in love with a human who doesn’t know his secret. He can’t resist going to see her twice a year, but that is as far as he can let things to between them.

Catee is a photographer who is strongly attracted to a man she has been seeing for seven years on rare occasions. They are strangers and yet so much more. He comes to see her but doesn’t seem to completely remember her. She wants more, needs more.

I was a little confused at the beginning, but then I found myself pulled into the story of a very different romance. I liked that she wanted to be with the man she’d fallen in love with no matter the complications between them. And I loved that he loved her with his whole soul, enough to accept only having twice-a-year stolen time together and keep her free of his troubled life. Great characters, good complications, and definitely heat.

Demon Heart by Nicole Dennis

Title: Demon Heart

Author: Nicole Dennis

Publisher: Breathless Press

Publication Date: 2010

ISBN: 978-1-926771-90-8

Genre: Paranormal

Length: 63 pages

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Author Email:  nicoledennis.author@gmail.com

Rating:  5 Diamonds

Heat Level: Erotic

Other:  Oral

Reviewer: Cassandra Parker

Date: October 5, 2010

Passing by a new mystic shop in town, Constance spots a beautiful ruby necklace that changes her life. She is one of the few who sees the inner fire in the jewel, and can release the demon that resides within the stone...a fire demon who will become her sex slave and take care of all of her needs.

Aramir has been cursed to the stone for four thousand years, serving many different mistresses, but he has never met anyone like Constance. She treats him like a man, not a slave. Is she the one he needs to break the curse?

I found this story a great surprise. The characters are incredibly endearing and just an utter delight. Aramir’s bafflement over Constance’s behavior made me really feel for what he must have experienced. This read also has a good level of heat along with an interesting plot. I enjoyed the climax of this piece and found the end still had some unexpected elements. Overall a really great read and well worth your time. 

Unclaimed by Amanda Steiger

Title: Unclaimed

Author: Amanda Steiger

Publisher: Liquid Silver Books

Publication Date: 2010

ISBN: 978-1-59578-842-2

Genre: paranormal romance

Length: 154

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Author Email: sekuiro@gmail.com

Rating: 3 1/2 diamonds

Heat Level: spicy

Reviewer: Brecken Stevens

Date: September 28, 2010

Ashley doesn’t want a relationship—with anyone. After her first love tried to kill her after finding out she was a vampire, minding her own business seemed the best bet for survival. Just getting by on a crappy job and hospital blood, she’d also fighting a very strong vampire named Victor who is trying press a mating bond on her. The more she refuses, the more he presses, but she’s long from giving in. When the Center for Paranormal Research and Investigation offers her a job that pays well, Ashley accepts, hoping it’s enough to give her a new start. She soon finds there are more dangerous things than serial killers when she teams up with human telepath, Will Connor.

There was a lot to like in Unclaimed. Ashley keeps a balance of badass and conscience which is always nice in vampire. Some of the fight scenes got a little long (oh and gory, so if you’re not into the occasional eating of guts, maybe pass on this one). The same themes were hit upon often, but they were important themes to both characters so they worked. Ms. Steiger leaves several doors open for a series with this one and I would be very willing to pick up the next tale of Ashley and Will.