Category / Paranormal

by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Departed by Shiloh Walker

Format: E-bookthedeparted
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: The Missing, #2
Publisher: Berkley
Hero: Taylor Jones
Heroine: Desiree Lincoln
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: January 3, 2012
Started On: January 5, 2012
Finished On: January 6, 2012

The Departed by Shiloh Walker is apparently the book that she never thought she would write. However, questions from fans of book 1 which happens to be The Missing finally managed to convince her to dig deeper to find the story that Taylor obviously had to tell. And what a story it was that woke me up last night half way through my midnight slumber and refused to let me succumb until I had read enough to satisfy my curiosity about a story that is filled with dark elements which sometimes tended to creep me out but nevertheless managed to deliver a great read which any fan of Shiloh Walker ought to read!

Desiree Lincoln is a psychic who can communicate with the ghosts of the dead, those who continue to linger on Earth because for some reason or the other, they have unfinished business that keeps them around without giving them the closure that they require so badly. A part of the team that is headed by FBI Special Agent in Charge Taylor Jones, Desiree or Dez knows no respite from the ghosts that continue to seek her out, wanting and craving the one thing that had been denied from them for so long.

Special Agent in Charge Taylor Jones comes across as a controlled man who seems emotionless to the point of being considered coldhearted. But beneath the tough shields that he puts up to keep emotions at bay lies a soul that continues to churn in turmoil, the hidden depth of pain deep inside of him so vast that its a wonder he is able to function the way he does. He has the uncanny ability of identifying people with special gifts who helps him keep the dark and twisted souls that roam the society at bay, and hopefully prevent another little girl from going missing like what happened to his sister.

For Taylor, there is nothing more dangerous to his peace of mind than letting himself care about someone else, but the way his emotions go haywire whenever Dez is around tells him that remaining aloof when it comes to her is an option no longer available to him. When Taylor’s impeccable shields crack, out comes pouring the passion and desire that he holds in on a tight leash, but the joy of the moments of abandon he finds in Dez’s arms is a short lived one when reality intrudes and Taylor drives them apart with his need to control his emotions.

It is 14 months later that Taylor comes across Dez in the one place where he never thought he would find her. Dez is drawn to a small town in Indiana by a ghost that draws her to the midst of the evil that lurks in the mind of a crazed teenager who is willing to do anything and everything in his power to play out the games that lurks deep inside of his mind no matter what the consequences. But something much deeper and elusive than the evil that lurks in the shadows keeps a hold on Dez until she starts digging to unravel secrets that could forever change the lives of so many people, for better or for worse.

The Departed is a story that definitely has a lot of dark elements to it, and yet or maybe because of it, I found myself totally fascinated with the tale that unraveled. Shiloh Walker has a way of surprising the reader with her villains and she definitely has the talent for muddying up the shades of gray when it comes to right and wrong that just has the reader on tenterhooks. For me, The Departed worked well because I was so in tune with both Dez and Taylor, whose need for one another grounds them and makes them cope better with all the darkness that is so much a part of their daily lives. I had nothing but admiration for both Taylor and Dez who works relentlessly to find the worst sort of scum that wander the Earth and it is a job that I know a lesser person would never be able to handle without breaking apart.

Though the romance aspect of the story was a bit laid back when compared to the suspense and paranormal elements in the story, The Departed nevertheless kept me riveted on the relationship that unfolded between Dez and Taylor as well as the huge hurdles that both Dez and Taylor cross to reach the ultimate truth that seeks to be brought out into the light. The one thing in my opinion that would have made the book better was an epilogue; for me the book tended to end a bit abruptly to bring me the closure that I wanted and needed for both Dez and Taylor.

Heartbreaking at moments and wonderfully moving at times, The Departed is a novel that combines elements of suspense, paranormal and romance to deliver a read that would linger on long after you are done!

Favorite Quotes

He hauled her against him and as his mouth crushed against hers, her brain clicked off, shut down…
And her body came to life. After more than a year of existence, Dez felt like she was living again. His free hand gripped her hip, keeping her body pressed close to his while his other hand tangled in the short strands of her hair to yank her head back.
This wasn’t just a kiss, she thought. It was…more. It was everything. He breathed her in, just as she breathed him in. After so much time apart from him, she felt complete again. Whole.

Taylor worked a hand between them and stroked his thumb over the erect little nub of her clit. Lifting his head, he stared at her, watched as a harsh, broken sob fell from her lips.
Her nails bit into his skin as she started to come and he gritted his teeth, holding back until he saw her going over. Then, and only then, did he bury his face in her neck and start to move again, hard, fast.
He muttered her name, blind to everything but her…completely and utterly lost in her.

“My name,” he muttered. He turned his head, pressed a kiss to her palm. “Say my name, damn it.”
Chuckling, she pulled his head close. “Taylor.” She said it against his lips. As she did that, she rolled her hips against him, squeezing down with her inner muscles so that she milked him in a teasing, taunting caress.
Oh, shit…
Little warning tingles were already shooting straight up his spine, but he gritted his teeth. No, damn it. He wasn’t going to lose it after thirty fucking seconds. Especially since he hadn’t told her yet.
But then she did it again, and again.
“I love you.” It came out a broken, harsh groan against her lips, the words he could no longer keep trapped inside. The words he had to share with her, now.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Diesel E-books

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Nightfall by Norah Wilson

Format: E-booknightfall
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: A Vampire Romance, Book 2
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Aiden Afflack
Heroine: Samantha Shea
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: October 28, 2011
Started On: November 2, 2011
Finished On: November 4, 2011

I still remember my first Norah Wilson with the fondest memories. The Merzetti Effect, her first book in The Vampire Romance series is one I still recall at the oddest moments, the hero Delano Bowen one of my utmost favorite heroes and needless it is to say that I have been awaiting eagerly for the second book of the series which turns out to be Nightfall.

Nightfall tells the story of Dr. Delano Bowen’s most trusted friend and vampire hunter Aiden Afflack. Aiden, a vampire himself has made it his lifelong mission to hunt and kill rogue vampires who prey on weak humans, who feeds on their helplessness to boost whatever high it is that they get from preying on the weak.

Samantha Shea is a photographer; the type who captures the beauty that is nature in its most violent forms. Quite accidentally Sam’s unerring visions that leads her to the freakish happenstances of nature collides with that of Aiden’s presence alerting her to rogue vampire activities which puts her in the path of the too sexy for his own good Aiden.

When Aiden finds out that Sam has an innate ability which lets her hone in on rogue vampires, Aiden finds himself striking a bargain with the woman whose photographs adorn all his properties in the various parts of the world to help him and his mentor in their quest to prevent the nefarious activities of vampires who go rogue.

From the very first moment that Sam lays eyes on Aiden, she can’t deny the powerful lure that the sexy vampire is on all her senses. Though Sam would like nothing more than to bury her head in the sand and forget that Aiden and what he does exists, the inherent goodness deep inside of her doesn’t allow her to stand aside whilst she has the ability to do something to help.

Aiden has never found himself at the receiving end of a woman who has ever been able to say no to his charms ever since he embraced vampirism more than a century back. But in Sam, Aiden finds a woman who is helplessly drawn to him as he is to her and yet draws on that inner strength to say no until she is well and ready to surrender. Being never one to back down from a challenge and because Sam intrigues him in a way that no woman has in a long, long time, Aiden finds himself in a game of seduction that proves to be as alluring for the reader as it is for Sam.

Aiden and Sam’s story is quite different from The Merzetti Effect in the sense that it is less intense in nature. Aiden though a vampire and a hunter of his own species is a pretty charming guy with a heart that believes that the choices he had made which had turned him a vampire are ones that he should be ashamed of, which makes him tortured enough to be that more alluring.

Aiden and Sam together is a heartwarming combination. They tend to have the best conversations and I say this because through each and every single one of them, I found a reason to smile and be completely immersed in their banter even through the most hair raising moments of the story.

Sam’s character once again proves how Norah ALWAYS manages to deliver heroines who are so easy to fall in love with right from the very start. The way Sam admits her growing attraction to Aiden without being all coy about it, and how she gives all of  herself  to him when she realizes the error of her ways were facets of her character that I fell so much  in love with.

The romance and attraction between Aiden and Sam which starts out with the I-must-have-you-now type of lust and transforms into a love so tender and beautiful towards the end was one of the best aspects of the story. Though Norah does introduce us to a couple more intriguing characters about whom I would LOVE to know more of, together with the tough and sexy Eli Grayson, sadly there is no indication as to whose story she would publish next in this series. 

Though Nightfall didn’t turn out to be as fantastic as the first book which still remains my favorite, I still enjoyed this vampire romance immensely and would recommend this to fans of Norah Wilson and fans of vampire romances featuring a sinfully sexy vampire hero who just makes your toes curl  in anticipation whenever he is around!

A romance that flows smoothly and is beautiful in its sensuality, Nightfall is a novel that once again proves Norah’s ability to never fail in delivering exactly what the reader wants!

Favorite Quotes

If she could give the fiercest storm a corporeal human body, this is what it would look like. Beauty and violence, all rolled up in one gorgeous, terrible package.

And then — holy mother of God — he smiled at her. A knowing, toe-curling, sex-drenched smile.

(Sam) “Wait a minute … there are others like you?”
He offered her his best grin, the one the ladies loved. “Honey, there’s no one like me.”

She turned away in dismissal, only to have him grab her hand and whirl her around again. Before her startled gasp died, his mouth was on hers, his fingers buried in her hair. […]
He tasted like nothing she’d ever tasted before. Like dark fantasy. Like the sweetest temptation imaginable. And his scent! He smelled of cool night air and warm leather jacket and heated male skin.  

(Aiden) “Sam, honey, I can smell your scent when you’re at the other end of your house, on a different floor. I can feel your heartbeat in my head. Your blood … it’s in me, Sam, enriched from the meals I cook for you with my own hands. Believe me, baby, I’ll know you’re there. And I will never hurt you.”

She kissed him back with a fervor that betrayed her anxiety, her relief. Rolling her hips, she pressed her breasts into his chest, felt the thudding of his heart against hers. God, if she could crawl into him, it might just be close enough.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Tuesday’s Child by Dale Mayer + Giveaway!

Format: E-booktuesdayschild
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Valley Publishing
Series: Psychic Visions, Book 1
Hero: Brandt Sutherland
Heroine: Samantha Blair
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: June 16, 2011
Started On: August 14, 2011
Finished On: August 15, 2011

Tuesday’s Child by Dale Mayer is the first book in the Psychic Visions series. 28 year old Samantha Blair (Sam) is a psychic who has a hard time accepting her ‘gift’ as it has brought nothing but pain, humiliation and loneliness into her bleak existence. Growing up in different foster homes that she had found no solace from, Sam now lives alone, practically in isolation where she feels at ease. Working part time at a vet brings her the peace that is her lifeline when her visions practically force her to experience every excruciating detail of what the victims of extreme violence go through until their death comes calling.

35 year old Detective Brandt Sutherland is tracking down a vicious serial killer who hunts and kills beautiful women in committed relationships. Having tracked him to Portland from where he hasn’t surfaced for the past year, Brandt is determined that he would find and stop the killer once and for all, a killer who has managed to fool law enforcement authorities by constantly changing his MO in each kill.

Brandt’s lucky break in his quest comes when his world collides with that of Sam whose visions have practically rendered her into a thin, haunted looking waif who turns up at the police headquarters, determined that she would do her best to inform the authorities of what she knows, even though skepticism may be all that she would receive. However in Brandt Sam finds for the first time someone willing to believe what she has to say and makes her feel safe at the same time.

Being someone who has enlisted the help of psychics in previous investigations, Brandt gives Sam the benefit of the doubt and even then he is not prepared to witness firsthand just how devastating an effect Sam’s abilities have on her. As they spend more and more time together, so grows the protective instincts that flared to life right from the very moment Brandt saw the haunted look in Sam’s eyes and brings forth so many complex emotions right along with it.

But things are far from conducive to the makings of a normal relationship as Sam is brought into the focus of a killer who is cunning and wily enough to do everything in his power to wipe out the only one who has even the remotest ability of stopping him on his mission to wreak destruction.

Tuesday’s child is a novel that has so many interesting facets to it that I couldn’t help but be drawn towards the web of suspense and romance that Dale Mayer so intrisically weaves together. One of the things that held my utmost interest was the unique psychic ability explored in the story. It was horrifying and at the same time fascinating to read about an ability that has such a ravaging effect on Sam and her life. If it were me, I would most definitely have been committed to an asylum with the appearance of my first vision so to speak.

As I read along, I found myself to be in total awe at the strength and courage that emanates from Sam, and her ability to still face the next day regardless of the torture her mind and body undergoes as a result of her psychic visions. She has been alone and lost for so long that she finds it hard to believe that anyone could accept her the way she is. I loved her for all that and so much more as the story progressed and of course the way she opens up to Brandt like a shy flower blooming and basking in the warmth of the sun was something to be savored.

I loved the hero Brandt because he has the capacity to think and accept beyond the norm and has the guts to stay true to himself and what he believes in all throughout. A mama’s boy inside out, Brandt has a charm that slowly creeps in and catches you by surprise, I guess a feeling Sam herself goes through as she succumbs to the warmth, love and security that she finds in Brandt’s arms. A sexy, charming and warm hearted hero who caressed all those tender emotions deep inside of me, I would love me some Brandt any day!

And last but not the least, the way Dale Mayer handles the romantic aspect of the relationship that fosters and grows between Sam and Brandt certainly deserves a mention. I loved the fact that that rather than making it a lust at first sight relationship that explodes in the reader’s face, Brandt and Sam’s feelings are explored at a more believable pace right in line with the reclusive existence Sam has led until now. Though the scenes of passion between Brandt and Sam weren’t overly detailed and explicit, it still managed to tug at my heartstrings in a way I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

The sneak peek at the end of the novel into the next book in the series has certainly piqued my interest and I would definitely be looking for its release which will hopefully be sometime soon. Recommended for fans of romantic suspense with a dash of paranormal to make things more interesting.

Final Verdict: Tuesday’s Child by Dale Mayer is a finely woven romantic suspense with paranormal elements in the mix that makes for a keeps-you-up-the-whole-night kind of read.

Favorite Quotes

He willingly offered her every part of himself for her pleasure. Sam took full advantage. Pushing up on his shoulders, he rolled over onto his back, swinging her on top of him. Sam laughed joyously and accepted the invitation. Using her fingers, her lips and her tongue, she traced, teased, and tormented Brandt until he could stand it no more.
Without warning, Sam found herself flipped over, tucked under him, her legs hooked over his hips. Brandt waited until Sam gazed into his eyes. Then dropping his forehead to hers, he plunged deep.

Closing her eyes, she let her body answer for her. Her lips parted slightly. Her tongue slipped out to caress his thumb. Sliding first to one side then to the other. Brandt bent his head, his eyes absorbed with her every tiny movement.
From under heavy lids, Sam watched his eyes deepen, darken. Sliding her tongue further out, she slowly seductively curled it around the top of his thumb. Instinctively, she’d invited him inside. He couldn’t resist. His thumb stroked the inside of her lips, gently caressing her teeth and the inside of her lips. Sam gently clamped her teeth down on his thumb and tugged it inside. She sucked it very lightly, her eyes wider, watching him watch her.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Author Dale Mayer has very generously offered to give away 3 e-copies of Tuesday’s Child. In order to qualify for the giveaway, leave a comment behind with your name, a valid e-mail address and just drop in a line telling me why you want to win a copy. Easy peasy right? Don’t forget to leave a comment behind and help spread the word. Giveaway ends on the 19th of August 2011, 00:00 hours Maldivian time.

by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Deceiving the Protector by Dee Tenorio

Format: E-bookdeceivingtheprotector
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Resurrection, Book 2
Hero: Jensen Tate
Heroine: Lia Crawford
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: August 15, 2011
Started On: August 1, 2011
Finished On: August 1, 2011

You know that uber satisfied feeling that you get when you have read a book that has managed to hit all those spots that crave to be petted and stroked when you immerse yourself in a good book? Well, at the moment I am like the cat who got her full bowl of cream and then some as the 2nd book in the Resurrection series managed to completely woo me and left me spellbound once again with Dee Tenorio’s ability to blow me away with her stories.

Jensen Tate, brother to Alpha and one of the generals of the pack is tasked with the job of finding a female “stray” and bringing her to safety. A job that stirs up feelings that Tate has thought long since buried when he comes into contact with the half-starved, gritty, determined and surly Lia Crawford who seems to call out to the inner wolf inside of him to come out and stake its claim on the woman whose bewitching green eyes show remanents of a hidden fear so deep that it just about tears up Tate on the insides.

Lia knows that there is no turning back for her on the path she has chosen to walk and that neither is Tate supposed to be with her if what he and his brothers have worked so hard to bring about is to remain on course without the vicious hunters on her trail getting to them through her. For the safety of her sister Laurel, Lia is willing to do anything, even put up with the constant darkness that never seems to leave her life, always one step ahead, forcing her to accept the fact that she would never ever be a free woman of her own will.

Tate knows that Lia hides more than she is willing to let on and it drives him nuts trying to protect a woman whose sheer stubbornness alone makes him want to lay her down somewhere and make her forget the dead weight that she seems to carry on her shoulders. As Tate “forces” her to go along with his plans, Lia finds herself charmed by a man beneath whose gruff exterior lies a wolf begging to be petted and stroked and a man whose rough tenderness just about breaks every wall and shield she has erected to safeguard her emotions & heart.

As their trek towards the next safe house continues, Tate comes face to face with the danger that stalks and preys on the absolute fear that it demands from Lia as he finally starts accepting the fact that Lia is his mate for life, if she can just trust him enough to protect her and save her from the evil that refuses to let go.

Deceiving the Protector is fantastic in all the ways that counts. The way Dee builds up her paranormal world, subtly bringing in the details in the midst of the character development is what drew me in. The constant whirl of my thinking cap trying to figure out what would happen next was what I loved most about this paranormal romantic suspense and the reality and horrors behind what Lia underwent at the hands of mad men willing to rid the world of shifters anyway they can just left me with a bad taste in my mouth and shivers of the bad kind running up and down my spine.

Jensen Tate is a hero that practically invaded my heart as layer by layer his character unfolds, revealing a man of immense strength and beauty, though being called beautiful might piss Tate off and make him growl a bit before settling down, but nevertheless that is how I find him to be. A man so worthy of tender touches and healing kisses, whose protective nature refuses to step back and let his mate be the protector instead, no matter how chauvinistic that might seem to be. The reason why I fell so deeply for Tate is how he manages to gently draw out the hidden woman inside of Lia who has been cowering inside, afraid to show herself and refuses to let her return back to the shell of a woman she was before. His charming manner of telling a good story of course had me sighing all over the place and of course nekkid Tate is a sight to savored on its own.

Lia is a heroine who finds the strength to go on against all odds, a woman who has been on her own for so long that she finds the concept of accepting help a foreign one. Nevertheless, her fascination with Tate that continues to grow as they spend time together is one that refuses to be denied, and the need and desire that unfurls deep within her to claim his wolf as hers is one that continues taunt and tease her until she is ready to serve herself to Tate on silver platter. It is Lia’s immense courage and strength that awed me, and the way she perfectly complements Tate and knows how to soothe & appease the inner wolf inside of him and at the same time be a mate worthy enough to stand by his side that won me over.

It is a testament to Dee’s ability that she managed to make a slight part of me feel for the villain who continued to terrorize Lia until his demise, and I couldn’t help a tiny part of myself from thinking that it is the monsters who had carved him into what he turned out to be that should be rotting in hell. I know that the as the Resurrection series continues that everyone would get what they deserve, in fact I’m counting on that to happen so that I can revel in it big  time when their asses get kicked to Hell never to return!

How Dee does it I would never know, but let me tell you I loved every single minute of it! One minute I am practically drooling and panting over the explosive passion between Tate and Lia, the next I am immersed in tender emotions so deep that I just feel like curling into a ball and sighing in contentment and the next thing I know I am laughing out loud at the witty banter between Tate and Lia that never fails to amuse! Kudos to Dee who manages it so effortlessly and made this book one entertaining fest that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon!

Highly recommended for fans of the series, fans of Dee Tenorio and fans of paranormal romantic suspense.

Final Verdict: Delivering a kick-ass paranormal world with a heady mix of suspense and romance that one cannot resist,  Deceiving the Protector is a SHOULD NOT MISS!

Favorite Quotes

Then he stepped into an orchard, on a rise of packed dirt between tree groves, and proceeded not to give a rat’s ass what she might be trying to do.
The scent was finally clear.
And it went straight to his head.
Female. Apples. Cool water. Rich earth. Rain. Sunshine.

Sometimes, she wasn’t sure when she was seeing him, except for those few moments when their eyes met and she couldn’t look away to save her own life. She could see the protector in him then, sense the hunter. Raw strength emanated from him in those moments, his intensity surrounding her, suffusing her. She could almost feel his arms around her, trying to pull her under his protection. She’d be safe with him. Not cosseted, maybe, but…she’d be able to breathe. To know the next breath was coming, sure as the sunrise.

(Tate) “Sure, she can. She also makes a staff out of light that can cut people and the cars they’re driving in half. Five-feet-five-inches of pure power. Even at her best, it’s like having a nuclear bomb for a sister-in-law.”
“Boy.” Lia laughed, and by the look on his face he knew it was at his expense. “She must love you.”
“We have a complicated relationship,” he agreed with a self-depreciating nod. “Sort of a cross between suspicion and fuck you.”

His hands gripped her hips, slowing her descent. She could feel him savoring her, quaking at the feel of her claw tips sinking into his shoulders. His eyes flickered, the gray color she loved having shifted to the glowing yellow of his Wolf. She smiled, bucking against his hold.
“This time, I take you.” She pushed down, filling herself with him. He growled, drowning out her sigh. He squeezed tight, but she refused to be held back. She lifted up, rocking forward before sliding back down, savoring his groan against the beaded tips of her breasts. “I’m claiming you, Jensen Tate.”
Because you’re mine.

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Rush of Pleasure by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-bookrushofpleasure
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Primal Instincts, Book 8
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Hero: Noah David Winston
Heroine: Willow Broussard
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: July 26, 2011
Started On: July 27, 2011
Finished On: July 29, 2011

The eighth and final book in the Primal Instincts series was a definite hit with me. Combining the fantastic paranormal world that is so easy to get to know with mind numbing and page scorching passion to light up the entire country for eons to come, Noah and Willow definitely earned their rightful place as one of my favorite couples from the series.

Noah David Winston is part Casus, thanks to his mother’s line of family. Noah remains vulnerable to the fact that a stray Casus shade who has made its way into this world can make use of his body to roam the Earth. With the added threat of the Casus leader actively seeking Noah as the most probable candidate for his inhabitation and because Noah had nearly managed to kill off Anthony Calder during the last bloody battle that was waged between the Watchmen and the Casus, Noah knows that the fate of all species of the world rests in the decoding the spell that is bound to kill anything with pure unadulterated evil lurking within its very soul.

Decoding the spell means revisiting his hometown Sacred in Louisiana, where he hasn’t set foot since that fateful night twelve years back. His desire for Willow Broussard even at the tender age of nineteen had surpassed anything Noah has ever felt since then. When Noah seeks out Jessie, Willow’s aunt whose powerful spells is the stuff legends are made of, Noah doesn’t expect a run in with the woman who makes all his senses go on red alert just with her mere presence.

Willow would rather gnaw off her arm than admit that seeing the gorgeous Noah Winston in her own backyard once again sets all her senses afire with the need to possess and be possessed by the man who haunts her dreams even twelve years on. Now a private investigator for the ancient clans who still walk the Earth, Willow is strong, sexy and capable in her own right, a fact that drives Noah completely out of his mind when the desire he feels for Willow threatens to obliterate the very seriousness of the mission he has embarked upon.

Forced to work together by circumstance, the barriers that each had built in the other’s absence starts to crumble with each searing glance and mind numbing kiss exchanged. As the truth about what is actually required to perform the spell comes to light, Noah knows that he is about to embark upon a battle that could mean the end of life as he knows it, a life he would gladly give up if it means keeping Willow safe. As the dead body count continues to grow, Willow joins hands with the man to whom her heart will belong to now and forever, to fight the battle that might cost her the love of her life even before she can confess the little fact to him.

Rush of Pleasure is a fitting end to a series that has saw me through highly enjoyable paranormal reads with the tinge of red hot passion to make things that much more interesting. Noah Weston is a dangerous man to let into your heart because he demands no less than complete and utter surrender of every emotion that you’ve got to give. His strength and vulnerability coupled with his blatant need for the woman he loves is a lethal combination that had me hyperventilating one minute and swooning into a puddle of goo the next.

Willow is the perfect heroine for Noah with her strong persona that makes her the ultimate candidate to love and cherish Noah and even stand firm in what she believes in when its for the good of their relationship. Noah might not overly much like the fact that his Willow is kick-ass heroine material that puts her on the path of danger every now and then, but that’s what at the end of the day makes these two such a well matched couple in bed and out of it.

The scenes of combustive passion definitely delivered on the sexual tension that practically leaps out of the pages and I loved every single second of it! Explosive in all the ways that counts, Rush of Pleasure is a novel not to be missed for fans of the series as well as fans of paranormal romances.

The one thing that I can say is, you don’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one as Rhyannon makes it so darn easy for you to find your rhythm in her world of ancient clans. But, I would still urge you to read the other books; just to enjoy the wild and wicked ride that only Rhyannon can take you on in her Primal Instinct series.

I feet a bit sad knowing that this is the end of a series that I have enjoyed immensely throughout the last 2 years or so. But knowing that the sexy and deadly Ashe Granger from the series gets his story in a standalone novel this coming April has got me pacified somewhat, and I await eagerly for its release. And I would so love to read Damon MacCaven the demon’s story! Just saying.

Favorite Quotes

She didn’t fight him, but her mouth had been shocked into stillness beneath his—passive, simply taking, accepting—and he wanted her hunger. Wanted the bite of her nails and her mind-blowing passion.
He wanted her wild for him.
“Goddamn it, kiss me back,” he snarled, holding the side of her face in his hand. She moaned, tilting her head, fitting her mouth more closely to his. “Please,” he gasped against her silky lips, his voice cracking as he begged her…pleading.
“Kiss me back, Will.”
And then he felt the soft, sweet stroke of her tongue, and his body shuddered violently in response to that delicate, seeking touch. Within seconds, the kiss became something explicitly carnal, devastating in its power.

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: The Merzetti Effect by Norah Wilson

Format: E-bookthemerzettieffect
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: A Vampire Romance, Book 1
Hero: Dr. Delano Bowen
Heroine: Ainsley Crawford
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: June 6, 2011
Started On: July 20, 2011
Finished On: July 21, 2011

The Merzetti Effect is a novel that caught my eye whilst I was browsing through Amazon’s book recommendations. Long before that Norah Wilson landed in my list of authors to try out after seeing a review of her romantic suspense novel Guarding Suzannah by author Pamela Clare up on Goodreads. Reading the blurb of The Merzetti Effect sealed the deal for me and to my utter surprise and delight I managed to get this little birdie from the amazing Norah herself who approached me for a review. The rest as they say is history and ever since I turned page 1 and lost myself in Norah’s unique take on the world of vampires, there was no turning back for me – ever.

Ainsley Crawford has just lost her job working as an OR nurse in a Level 1 Trauma Center and the job offer by a Dr. Delano Bowen seems like a godsend to her until she is attacked by a rogue vampire as she makes her way for the job interview. Her savior comes in the form of her prospective employer himself who makes Ainsley think the most inappropriate thoughts of them tangled in the sheets, all sweaty and naked when she fully lays her eyes on the enigmatic and compelling man with an intensity in his eyes that takes her breath away.

Delano is a more than 200 year old vampire who believes that in Ainsley’s blood lies the cure from the virus that rages inside a vampire that drives them to sate their thirst for blood. Though Delano would go to any lengths to keep Ainsley by his side and wants her to remain totally unaware of the potency of her blood on his species, the one thing that Delano never counted on was his libido to sit up and take notice of the one woman whose blood might mean the end of his life.

Undying need and red-hot desire grows stronger and binds both Ainsley and Delano together until the explosive culmination of their mutual want which kickstarts a series of events that Delano never foresaw, nearly bringing him to his knees when his old enemy comes to seek Ainsley for himself, to eradicate the one thing that could destroy his blood thirsty rampage on Earth forever.

The Merzetti Effect is an amazing paranormal romance that introduces us into a fresh take on the lives of vampires, with a few surprises thrown into the mix. Delano is a hero with whom I fell head-over-fangs in love with right from the very first encounter. His intensity, utter control which shreds to pieces with Ainsley and his devotion to do good and right the wrongs done by his species no matter what makes him one of my favorite vampire heroes. And of course I freely admit to the fact that the way he seduces and is in turn seduced by Ainsley was out of this world hot, rendering me into this puddle of goo half way through.

Ainsley is the type of heroine that earns my love and wholehearted approval because there are so many endearing characteristics that makes up who she is. Her fierce loyalty towards those she holds dear, the way she wants to comfort a two century old vampire with whom a deep connection is forged and the way she completely gives into the love that overtakes her without playing coy games is what I loved most about her.

With this novel, Norah has enticed me to want to know more about each and every character that she has introduced along the way. I will definitely be on the look out for future books in this ‘series’ and am definitely a fan of Norah Wilson if the complete and utter ease with which she drew me into the story is anything to judge her other books by. Very highly recommended for fans of vampire romances. This is one book you ought not miss!

Favorite Quotes

And heaven help him, there was that pain again, the one that pierced him to his very marrow and started all that emotion bleeding out of him.
Dammit, he loved her.
He’d been denying it for weeks now, but he could deny it no longer.
Not the giddy drug of infatuation. Not the mind-blowing drive of unadulterated lust. Not the bone-deep need to possess.
It was all of those things wrapped up together, but so much more. It was simple, really. She had somehow become all that mattered.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble 

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Falling Hard by J.K. Coi

Format: E-bookfallinghard
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: Gabriel Gunn
Heroine: Amelia White
Sensuality: 3.5
Publication Date: July 18, 2011
Started On: July 17, 2011
Finished On: July 18, 2011

Falling Hard by J.K. Coi which has released today from Carina Press as I write my review is a novel that combines a well developed ethereal world which delves into the heart of an age old struggle between angels who want the ultimate freedom from the emotionless shackles that have bound them for millennia.

30 year old Gabriel Gunn has no idea of the freakish hell his life is about to turn into when he walks out of a club with his best friend and band manager David. Within minutes Gabriel lies in a pool of his own blood after watching the horrific attack on David take the very life out of him. Rescue comes in the form of a woman whose mere presence makes Gabriel feel alive, the same kind of energy he only feels when he sings. What Gabriel doesn’t know is that the woman who rescues her is an angel who has sworn to protect Gabriel at all costs, even if it means giving up her own life for the cause.

Amelia White has been tasked with the job of watching over Gabriel for the past 30 years during which time she has looked over upon the trials and tribulations that has shaped the man that stands before her now. Knowing that Gabriel’s very soul holds the key that could unlock the angel’s realm and give them the freedom that they have been stripped bare of a long time back, Amelia knows that safeguarding Gabriel is going to be the toughest mission she might have undertaken yet, as her senses start to come alive and emotions that Amelia is sure she is not capable of feeling starts pricking and poking at her to give in.

It is a journey filled with twists and turns filled with potholes that Gabriel and Amelia embark upon to find a way out of the mess Gabriel finds himself in. With rogue angels hunting them down at every turn and with Amelia’s own fears and insecurities to battle with Gabriel finds himself with more questions than answers about his mysterious guardian angel who makes him want as he has never wanted before. But that doesn’t stop him from realizing and embracing the fact that life as he knew it is never to be again as he stands in the midst of a game of tug of war between the good and the bad angels. The ultimate showdown would mean that Gabriel would have to embrace his darker side which would in turn mean his death at the hands of the avenger who happens to be the angel who owns his heart, body and soul.

Falling Hard is a book that plunged me deep into a world that had me fascinated right from the very beginning. Amelia with her sparkling beauty and the emotions that she fights so much at the beginning is a heroine who would go to any lengths to protect the man that she loves. The concept of the heroine being the protector was a novel experience which I loved, though that doesn’t mean Gabriel is a man who would willingly step aside and let a woman do all the work.

Gabriel is the perfect rock star hero material, intense, broody and energetic, a man who is buried so deep in regrets of his past that blinds him to any other emotion except pain, anger and sadness until Amelia lights up his world with her aura. It is Gabriel’s intensity that I was drawn towards right from the very beginning which was complemented by the calm serenity that is Amelia.

The passion between Gabriel and Amelia is scorching in its intensity and though not explicit in nature it had me fluttery in all the right places. J.K. Coi has certainly penned a splendid romance with paranormal elements that gives the story that unfolds an extra edge that makes this unputdownable. The ending does make me wonder whether J.K. Coi plans to start off a series with this novel as there are lots of secondary characters that I would love to know more about.

Recommended for fans of the genre and fans of J.K. Coi.

Favorite Quotes

Her scent took him off guard. Spicy and sweet. Intoxicating but casual – the most dedicated virgin and the most celebrated siren wrapped up in one deceptive little package.

Her purposeful movements made him want to dig his fingers into the silk of her hair and muss her up. He vowed to be the one to unsettle her. He wanted to make her pulse hammer beneath that smooth skin and force those lips to part on high gasps of unexpected pleasure.

His soft lips felt sinful, so incredible. She moaned and Gabriel responded in kind, pressing for more, sliding his tongue over the seam of her lips before slipping inside to sweep her mouth. Again and again until she matched him, giving him her tongue so they they dueled together in a slick, sensual challenge.

His heart beat strong and fast beneath her palm. His breathing had quickened, too, blowing against her nape in short, heated blasts. “You’ve got me wound tighter than I’ve ever been, Amelia. You piss me off quicker than anyone else can. And you push every one of my buttons. I look at you and I want to make you feel the same way—edgy, uncertain and desperate.”

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Tempting the Enemy by Dee Tenorio

Format: E-booktemptingtheenemy
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Series: Resurrection, Book 1
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Pale Rysen
Heroine: Jade-Scarlet
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: June 14,  2010
Started On: July 11, 2011
Finished On: July 13, 2011

Tempting the Enemy is my first taste of Dee Tenorio’s ability to spin an incredible tale in the paranormal romantic suspense genre. Book one in the series entitled Resurrection, Dee introduces us into a world of shape shifters and a fascinating breed known as Sibiles who have different kinds of abilities together with a history of bad blood between themselves and the wolf shifters.

Pale Reysen is an Alpha who has sworn to create a safe haven for wolf shifters whose vast numbers have rapidly declined since humans had started hunting them down. Part of the Violent Crimes Division at the Moonridge Police Station where the chase is on to find a serial killer dubbed as the Woodsman by the media, Pale is as ecstatic as someone waiting on deathrow when their captain announces that a Sibile would be helping them on their race against time as the dead body parts continue to pile up.

When half-Wolf and half-Sibile Jade-Scarlet walks into his police station bringing with her the undeniable scent of a Wolf female in Heat, Pale nearly loses it as his Wolf growls, pricks and pokes at him to unleash the beast so that it can claim its rightful mate. However, the fact remains that having being once betrayed by her kind, Pale would never have a reason to let Jade in nor give into the hunger that seems to shred his insides to pieces.

Jade is a Wolf who has too long denied her animal side, having lived with The Order ever since her parents were killed. A Sibile whose abilities lie in being able to hunt down emotional signatures left behind, Jade however has a hard time keeping her mind on the mission of uncovering the identity of a vicious killer as all her instincts scream at her to lay down and offer herself to the Wolf that seems to unleash such violent desire within her.

Bound by a need neither can deny, both Jade and Pale learns to trust one another as they are forced to spend time together chasing a killer whose nefarious intents when it comes to light sends cold dread racing through Jade’s insides as she realizes what it is she must do in order to rid the world of a mad man who would stop at nothing in his quest to belong. With the future shrouded in uncertainty, Jade gives herself up to the Wolf she will mate with for life, knowing that in the end that they would both have to go their separate ways regardless of how much they would be giving up by forcing themselves to walk away from one another.

Tempting the Enemy is a story that combines a fantastic paranormal world and delivers edge-of-the-seat suspense together with a passion that is scorching enough to render you into a puddle of goo. From the start, the intense connection between Jade and Pale never lets up and the killer’s cunning plans which ties along neatly with Jade’s appearance rendering this a well balanced paranormal romantic suspense.

Pale is a broody and mouth-wateringly sexy hero whose possessive streak is a mile wide, his protectiveness an undeniable facet of him that endeared him to me from the start. Jade is the type of heroine I have come to accept and love when it comes to books by Dee; loyal, feisty and vulnerable with a core of steel that doesn’t let anyone run roughshod over them. Each of the characters introduced along the way held my riveted, undivided attention, marking them off in my mind as future candidates who should receive their own stories in this series somewhere down the  line.

Highly enjoyable, Tempting the Enemy is recommended for fans of paranormal romantic suspense and fans of Dee Tenorio who have yet to find out the amazing things she can do in this genre.

Favorite Quotes

He turned his head toward the open double doors across from his desk, inhaling a deep breath. A new scent drifted to him, distinct from the usual grime and wear inside the department. Warm honey. Cloves. Citrus soap under the light salt of sweat. Female.

“You are what I want.” Did he even know the way his eyes glowed when he watched her? That when his voice was so gruff, she could feel it and all the longing he had in it? That he was stealing parts of her heart with every word? “I want all of you. For always.”

Pale circled the bed and picked her up in his arms. Her cheeks turned his favorite shade of red as he kissed her, his heart full of so many things he couldn’t say. Not yet. So he kissed her again and felt the rest of his soul become hers.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Carina Press

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh

Format: E-bookvisionsofheat
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Series: Psy-Changeling, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Hero: Vaughn D’Angelo
Heroine: Faith NightStar
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: March 6, 2007
Started On: June 25, 2011
Finished On: June 26, 2011

Now that I have started on my mission to get that much closer to reading Kiss of Snow, the story of the delectable alpha of the SnowDancer’s pack, I am slowly making my way towards reaching my ultimate goal which hopefully I should by sometime next month. The second book in the Psy-Changeling series tells the story of Vaughn D’Angelo, jaguar shifter and sentinel of the DarkRiver pack, a changeling whose animal lurks closer to the surface than most because of what he had to endure at a young age.

Vaughn is a changeling whose far the happier with his single and alone status. For someone who cannot understand the whole lure of the mate for life concept and especially one with a Psy who are famous for their lack of emotions, Vaughn is the one who is most surprised when his jaguar takes an exception towards the sleek and beautiful red-haired Psy that breaks out of her own compound to seek out Sascha, his alpha’s mate.

24 year old Faith NightStar of the PsyClan NightStar is considered the most powerful F-Psy of her generation. F-Psy have the ability to foresee the future and thus this makes Faith who always makes accurate predictions invaluable in the field of commerce for which F-Psy are used for. The one thing that F-Psy are also famous for is their vulnerability to death by clinical insanity which is something Faith has been conditioned to fear all throughout her life.

When dark dreams and visions continue to haunt her and those culminate in the murder of her sister Marine, Faith knows its time to seek out answers for all the questions that seems to plague her of late. Knowing that none of her own kind would be forthcoming with the answers that she requires, Faith seeks the one Psy she knows wont have anything to gain or lose by telling her the truth.

When she encounters the beautiful and lethal looking Vaughn, Faith never factored into the circumstances that Vaughn would be able to reach out to her on a level that is deemed impossible on any Psy. Though Faith has a hard time accepting the sensory overload that even Vaughn’s subtle touches seem to invoke, she can’t help but want more of the same though Faith is torn between the two worlds that beckon her from both ends.

Vaughn knows that he is a goner when he realizes that he is mated for life with someone who can choose to walk away from him, and that breaks his jaguar apart unlike anything else. When Faith finally makes her decision to leave the Psy world behind, it brings the ferocious jaguar to his knees, whose need for sensory stimuli from his mate has him all tied up in knots.

Once again Nalini Singh delivers on all accounts with the second installment in the series and though neither Vaughn nor Faith appealed to me on the same level as Lucas and Sascha did, nevertheless their journey towards happily ever after proved to be an engrossing read. As the stories continue to unfold, I am sure so will the atrocities the Psy Council members are involved in would come forth until the whole Psy world will unravel within itself to bring about a much needed revolution to its race.

Loved the glimpses of Sascha and Luke in this one as well together with Hawke’s minor entry into the story which didn’t go unnoticed. I am pretty excited to read the next installment in the series, this time around featuring a male Psy and a female wolf. Can’t wait to see how things will turn around with the role reversal in play.

Recommended for fans of Nalini Singh and fans of the Psy-Changeling series.

Favorite Quotes

His hair was a thick amber-gold, long enough to brush his shoulders, and his eyes … they were an odd almost-gold, the eyes of a cat made human. There was nothing soft about him, nothing tame. Yet she, a woman who’d never before understood the concept, found him beautiful. It was an inexplicable reaction, one her brain couldn’t accept, going as it did against every rule of Silence.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Book Depository

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Format: E-bookslavetosensation_2
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Psy-Changeling, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Hero: Lucas Hunter
Heroine: Sascha Duncan
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: September 5, 2006
Started On: June 20, 2011
Finished On: June 21, 2011

Wow!! That is all I am capable of saying at the moment with the remnants of Nalini Singh’s Slave to Sensation still coursing through me. If not for Dina’s review of Kiss of Snow on Goodreads that picks up bits and pieces of Hawke from each and every story till the 10th book in the Psy-Changeling series that delivers Hawke’s story, I would not have been tempted to pick up and read the first book in the series which has left me with a sort of breathless anticipation to continue reading.

Slave to Sensation introduces us to the world of Psy and the Changelings whose worlds cannot be more different even if they tried. Psy’s are well known for their icy control, inhuman practicality and their inability to resort to any sort of violence – or so they say. Changelings on the other hand are races that allow their animal sides to rule them and thrive on all sorts of emotional bonds and attachments that they form within their packs.

Our heroine Sascha Duncan has lived her whole life as a Psy knowing deep inside that she is unlike the rest of her race. Where icy control should be what runs through her veins, Sascha is a Psy that feels, a trait that would get her terminated if the Psy Cardinals were ever to find it out. Thinking that she is going crazy and that life as she knows it would come to an abrupt end if she ever were to show her vulnerability to her own race, Sascha is a woman torn apart on the inside, crying out for something which she doesn’t even fully comprehend.

When things on the business front brings her in contact with the sexy Lucas Hunter, alpha of the DarkRiver pack, she is at a loss as to how to handle the full frontal attack of sensations that bombard her right from the very first meeting. Lucas is a Hunter on a mission, who has vowed that he would do everything in his power to crumble the lines of defences around the Psy to find out who it is that are preying on females of their kind. What he doesn’t expect is to feel a compulsive need to touch and be touched by the woman of mass contradictions with whom he is to spend considerable time with for the next couple of months.

Scared out of her wits that Lucas and the way he constantly touches her is accelerating her deterioration process, Sascha tries her damnedest to erect walls of control around her heart and emotions which proves to be no match for the lethal touches and kisses that invoke a blaze of hunger across all her senses that refuse to be denied any longer.

When the news about a killer amongst her race comes to light, Sascha knows that finding him and bringing him to justice is the one thing she would do for the Changelings whose way of life makes her crave to embrace life with Lucas by her side which she knows is an impossibility. However, Lucas who has finally found his mate refuses to be denied as Sascha undertakes a mission that could very well mean her death and the end of a love that grows and fosters no matter how much Sascha may try to shield Lucas from eternal pain and loss that is sure to follow.

Slave to Sensation is a masterpiece that has everything going for it starting from its very appropriate title, the story underneath which has the power to invoke powerful emotions in the reader. The fascinating world which Ms. Singh creates is an unbeatable one where you can’t help but be in awe at the powers of her imagination in coming up with a world that feels as if its unfolding right in front of you.

All the characters whether it be Sascha and Luke, or the delicious Hawke from the SnowDancers pack to the ruthless and emotionless Psy are well rounded lending the story an extra richness that only in-depth character development can give a story.

Lucas (sigh) has wanting me to braid my non-existent long hair  just so that I can feel even a minute figment of what Sascha feels throughout the story when Lucas focuses his lethal brand of charm and seduction on her. Loved the purring and the rumbling that went on and especially the way Lucas protects, cossets and cherishes Sascha. Fantastic right from the very start, this is a series that fans of paranormal/urban-fantasy romances should not miss!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

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