Early Review: American Witch by Thea Harrison

American Witch by Thea Harrison

American Witch #1 (Elder Races)

Power can change a person…

For months Molly Sullivan endures the inexplicable: electrical surges, car breakdowns, visions. She even wonders if she might be the cause… and wonders if she might be crazy. Then she discovers her husband has cheated on her. Again. Now Molly realizes she is a newly awakening witch and a woman pushed over the edge.

Revenge can shape a person…

Josiah Mason is a Powerful witch and the leader of a secret coven with a shared goal: to destroy an ancient enemy who has ruined many lives. Josiah lost years to this man, and his sole focus is revenge. He’s prepared for every contingency—except encountering a beautiful new witch who understands nothing of the immense Power building within her or the attraction she wields over him.

Danger can bring them together…

When divorcing her husband, Molly uncovers a dangerous secret he’s willing to kill to protect. She turns to Josiah for help, and they discover a connection between Molly’s husband and Josiah’s enemy.

As they work together, a spark ignites between them that threatens to become an inferno. But Molly is done compromising herself for any man, and Josiah’s mission is his top priority. And the enemy is cunning, cruel, and drawing ever closer.

As the danger escalates, so does the tension between them. Is a lasting relationship possible? Will either of them live long enough to try?

I truly love the Elder Races world, and it's such a treat to meet a new couple and dive into this expansive world even further. This time around things had a different feel as the heroine didn't know about her abilities until her soon to be ex-husband's cheating pushed her over the proverbial edge. And boy did the sparks fly. Molly is an intriguing woman, both vulnerable and emotional, and yet also has a core of steel. It felt like a bit like of a coming of age story, but instead of a teenager, Molly is a grown woman finally living for herself and finding out who she really is. I had to admire her strength with everything that was thrown at her in such a short amount of time. She really is an amazing character.

Onto the romance. I'm a very romance driven reader, and I'm happy to report that the romance more than delivered in AMERICAN WITCH. It's a relatively quick progression, but it never felt rushed or unrealistic, which I appreciated considering everything the heroine is going through. The hero's massive amount of baggage didn't help either, and yet the quicker romantic progression still worked well. And that they started off as somewhat enemies only sweetened the romance for me as that's my favorite trope.

All in all, it comes as no surprise that AMERICAN WITCH was a very enjoyable read. Thea Harrison really is a powerhouse in the paranormal romance genre and I can't wait to see what's next!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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     Tome Tender
     Smokin Hot Book Blog

Review: Atone in Darkness by Alexis Morgan

Atone in Darkness by Alexis Morgan

The Paladin Strike Team #2

Return to the steamy and suspenseful Paladin series by the USA TODAY bestselling author with this heart-pounding novel following a doctor and her mysterious patient as they try to escape a mysterious military force hell-bent on exploiting them both.

Brilliant doctor Marisol knows nothing about the mysterious man whose vitals she monitors and whose every move she's paid to track—other than the fact that he is brought to death's door each night by a squad of military grade thugs. She certainly can't ask the people who hired her. After all, they run this shady, hi-tech compound where she is now stranded, the only woman among huge, uniform-clad brutes.

Chase Mosely, Marisol's sole charge, knows nothing about who was behind his kidnapping, other than the fact that they want to know about his Paladin's ability to heal. Nor does he know anything about his pretty keeper, who seems to be working for the enemy, but still looks at him with compassion in her eyes.

Both held captive in a remote testing facility, their desperate stories intertwine. And, as they discover that they mean more to each other than they could ever have imagined, the two of them must find a way to escape, no matter the odds.

I’m a huge fan of the paranormal romance genre, and a complete sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, so ATONE IN DARKNESS was right up my alley. This time around the enemies to lover plotline had a bit of a twist in that the heroine is not intentionally an enemy, twisted up in the plight as an almost victim herself. Of course our hero, Chase doesn’t let her off easy, despite his fierce attraction to her. It made for a delicious build up in the romance department, and the high stakes against them only upped the ante. The action takes off from the first page and really didn’t let up until it was over. Definitely a very engrossing read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

If you’re looking for a fast, action-packed read with a great building romance and very high stakes, look no further than ATONE IN DARKNESS.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Previous Books:
     1. In Darkness Transformed

Early Review: The Trouble with Vampires by Lynsay Sands

The Trouble with Vampires by Lynsay Sands

Argeneau #29

For close to three thousand years the imposing, impossibly handsome Santo Notte has fought in armies across the world and battled his own, more personal enemies. Of all the places he might expect to encounter his life mate, a quiet corner of upstate New York doesn’t seem likely. But as soon as he makes contact with history professor Petronella Stone, while hunting down a suspected rogue immortal, he knows that she will be the greatest adventure of his eternal life.

He expects her to be surprised, confused, even overwhelmed. What he doesn’t expect is that Pet has a secret history of her own. There’s no mistaking the mind-blowing, mutual pleasure they share. But as Pet struggles to protect her nephew from a danger lurking too close to home, Santo realizes there’s another threat to her safety—him. And claiming their passionate future will be impossible until he leaves his past behind, forever…

In the Argeneau series, it’s always interesting to see the heroine’s (and sometimes the hero if he is the mortal one) reaction to the reality of immortals and life mates. This time around she knew about immortals, but the life mate part came as quite a bit of a surprise. To say their first interactions went a bit rocky is a hilarious understatement. Santo acted no better than a gruff brute, infuriating Pet to no end. It was rather amusing seeing him attempt to civilize himself and woo her. Meanwhile while all of the romance hijinks were going on, there was a larger plot and threat against them making for a balanced and engrossing read. I really enjoy books that balance a strong romance, but don’t forget to add decent focus to a strong plot. Don’t get me wrong, I love romance just as much as the next gal, but when I’m in the mood for more, adding a great plot sells it for me. And THE TROUBLE WITH VAMPIRES more than delivered.

If you enjoy paranormal romance, and a long running series that is guaranteed to entertain, the Argeneau series is a perfect choice. Twenty-nine books in and this series is still going incredibly strong. I really look forward to each new release and THE TROUBLE WITH VAMPIRES was no exception. All in all, a fantastically entertaining read, fans of the series will be more than pleased.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Previous Books:
     1. A Quick Bite
     2. Love Bites
     3. Single White Vampire
     4. Tall, Dark, & Hungry
     5. A Bite to Remember
     6. Bite Me If You Can
     7. The Accidental Vampire
     8. Vampires Are Forever
     9. Vampire, Interrupted
    10. The Rouge Hunter
    11. The Immortal Hunter
    12. The Renegade Hunter
    13. Born to Bite
    14. Hungry for You
    15. The Reluctant Vampire
    16. Under a Vampire Moon
    17. The Lady is a Vamp
    18. Immortal Ever After
    19. One Lucky Vampire
    20. Vampire Most Wanted
    21. The Immortal Who Loved Me
    22. About a Vampire
    23. Runaway Vampire
    24. Immortal Nights
    25. Immortal Unchained
    26. Immortally Yours
    27. Twice Bitten
    28. Vampires Like it Hot

Release Day Review: Grave Destiny by Kalayna Price

Grave Destiny by Kalayna Price

Alex Craft #6

Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, and that makes her a dangerous enemy for anyone with something to hide. . . .
Alex is still trying to come to terms with her changing powers and her growing ties to Faerie when a case she’d rather avoid falls right into her lap. A fae prince desperately needs Alex to investigate a politically sensitive murder. She reluctantly agrees to the case, taking FIB agent Falin Andrews along as her backup.

But as Alex begins to delve into the mystery, she realizes that the intricate web of alliances and intrigue in the Faerie courts is strained to its limits. War is about to break out, one that threatens to spill over into the mortal realm. This murder is tied right to the center of centuries-old arcane unrest, and if Alex isn’t careful she may follow the twisting path ahead of her right into her grave end.

I really appreciate a series where even after a long absence in-between books, the characters and world are so familiar and well fleshed that the reader has no problem jumping back in. That is exactly the case with the Alex Craft books. While I admit some of the previous events are a bit hazy at this point, I had no difficulty at all falling back into Alex's world. This time around the fae are up to no good yet again, and Alex finds herself in the middle of things. In typical Alex style, she attracts chaos and danger like a magnet, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her find her way out of her latest mess. Falin and Alex's unwanted betrothed shadow prince are her trusty sidekicks as the try to get to the bottom of a murder in Faerie that could push the courts to the brink of war. To say Falin isn't a fan of the prince is the understatement of the century and the sparks flying between them kept me more than entertained while the trio blundered around in this whodunit plot.

In the romance department, there wasn't a whole lot of satisfaction to be had. Death is no longer in the picture (pity!), Alex wants nothing to do with her betrothed, and Falin is still forbidden from courting her as he belongs to the Winter Queen. So in a nutshell, you can say Alex's love life is complicated to say the least. By the end of the book there were glimmers of hope for some real sparks to satisfy this romance lovers heart, but only time will tell.

I'm typically pretty good at ferreting out twists and turns outcomes before they are final (something that drives my husband insane to no end...). So when a book's twist can catch me completely off guard that I didn't see coming at all, I'm thoroughly impressed. I never would have guessed the outcome of the ending of GRAVE DESTINY and I cannot wait to see the long term ramifications of this shake up in the next book. It definitely made for an interesting read!

All in all, GRAVE DESTINY is a satisfying read that will delight fans of the series!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
     Between Dreams and Reality
     Gizmo's Reviews
     Tome Tender

Previous Books:
     1. Grave Witch
     2. Grave Dance
     3. Grave Memory
     4. Grave Visions
     5. Grave Ransom