Tag / Rhyannon Byrd

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Take Me Under by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-booktakemeunder.jpg
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Dangerous Tides, #1
Publisher: Berkley
Hero: Ben Hudson
Heroine: Reese Monroe
Sensuality: 4.9
Date of Publication: June 4, 2013
Started On: July 20, 2013
Finished On: July 22, 2013

34 year old Ben Hudson is the new sheriff of the idyllic holiday beach town of Moss Beach, Florida. Having given up his position as a homicide detective in Miami due to circumstances that had unfolded during his last investigation, Ben moves to town to take things at a more sedately pace. Ben has a reputation for working hard and playing that much harder and is never afraid of going after what he wants. The only thing that scares the bejeesus out of his is emotional entanglements of any sort.

Newly divorced 28 year old Reese Monroe moves to Moss Beach aiming to kickstart her life in a whole new direction. Her marriage to a cheating scoundrel has pretty much dented her ego and eroded her sense of self esteem and the need to escape from the mess her life had become motivates the move more than anything else.

Ben has hungered for Reese ever since the night he laid his eyes on Reese three years back. He has bided his time, always knowing deep inside that if and whenever Reese becomes free from the clutches of her good for nothing husband, he would definitely make his move and leave them both with the scorching imprint of how good things could be with them between the sheets.

Told from both Ben and Reese’s points of view in third person, Take Me Under takes place in its entirety in Moss Beach, Florida.

The connection between Ben and Reese sizzles right from the onset, a very much wary Reese who has no idea of how much of a starring role she has played in the sexy sheriff’s fantasies a little bit taken aback by the zeal with which Ben pursues her. And when it comes to light that Reese has a stalker who might have made his way to her new hometown on her heels, there is no stopping the protective instinct that surges forth in Ben and he becomes more of a force to be reckoned with which means for Reese there really is no turning back.

Rhyannon Byrd is very talented in the style with which she effortlessly blends the erotic and downright dirty sex into whatever genre of romance she works on. It has been while since she has published a contemporary romance and Take Me Under was a novel that I had been very much in anticipation for ever since she announced its release. Though it didn’t live up to all my expectations, Take Me Under proved to be a hot and panty-melting read with a dirty talking hero tossed into the mix.

Ben seemed to be a bit overwhelming to me; and I believe this just might be the first time I’m saying that about a hero, especially someone who looks like Christian Bale of all people. Forceful in his nature, Ben is a man from whom a woman can’t hide, either during the moments of passion or otherwise. And Ben is greedy enough to want everything Reese can give, although he might not be ready for the overwhelming riot of emotions that blindsides him as much as the passion between them does. The only thing that Ben is more afraid of than anything else is opening up the raw wounds that has festered for far too long inside of him.

Reese knows exactly what she is getting into when she says yes to getting down and dirty with Ben, and she goes onto show it in more ways than one, which actually seems to do a pretty good job of annoying Ben out of his stance on no messy emotional entanglements. It was quite amusing to see Ben in a role that he has never found himself in before as he reluctantly comes to the conclusion that without Reese by his side, he might just as well not exist.

I’m pretty much looking forward to Alex’s story, which seems to be in the works if the ending was anything to judge the next book in the series by. Alex certainly looks to be a hero who would be worth all the heartache he would put a reader through before embracing his own happily ever after.

Recommended for fans of Rhyannon Byrd and erotic contemporary romantic suspense.

Final Verdict: Raw & explicit, Take Me Under is a good debut for the Dangerous Tides series.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Deadly Is the Kiss by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-bookdeadlyisthekiss
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Spin-off from The Primal Instinct Series
Publisher: HQN Books
Hero: Ashe Granger
Heroine: Juliana Sabin
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: March 20, 2012
Started On: March 19, 2012
Finished On: March 22, 2012

First of all, if you have never read The Primal Instinct Series by Rhyannon Byrd, you might not like Deadly is the Kiss. I say this because the hero and heroine in this novel are characters that you come across and become intrigued with as you read the aforementioned series. Ashe Granger, the vampire hero in this novel has always intrigued me and I have always wanted to know what makes him tick. When Rhyannon announced that Rush of Pleasure would be the last in the series, I wanted to cry out because Rhyannon is an author who brings scorching heat to her books with a shitload of emotion that I just love to indulge myself in. And so you can imagine my reaction when I learnt that not only Rhyannon was sort of continuing in a different line of the series and it was going to be the much awaited book of Ashe Granger!

Ashe Granger is a 2 century old Deschanel vampire and a member of the Förmyndares, an elite, highly skilled group of soldiers whose job was the protection of the Deschanel vampires. Ashe might have made it his life mission to screw through any woman that takes his fancy but ever since he meets the prickly 27 year old Juliana Sabin, Ashe has a feeling that his days of carousing and sleeping through a long line of women were about to be over.

Juliana is still paying for the fatal mistake she made in her youth; falling in love with the wrong kind of vampire. The guilt that plagues her for subjecting her whole family to live in the desolate compound of Wasteland is one that haunts her continuously. And when she receives the news that she and her family are once again in danger, this time the kind that would wipe them from the face of the Earth, she takes the lifeline that is thrown her way and embarks on a journey to seek out the one vampire whom she can’t forget, the one vampire whom she knows would help her out if she manages to convince him of her plight. 

The last vampire that Ashe expects to run into is the one vampire whom he would like nothing better than to get horizontal with and never get up. And through that haze of lust and resentment that Ashe feels, he manages to identify that although Juliana might not be telling him the whole version of her side of things, she is really in danger and Ashe knows that as long as he lives, he would protect HIS woman with every breathe he takes.

Thus begins the game of hide and seek where Juliana and Ashe barely manage to get rid of one group of assassins to run into another, all tasked with the mission of taking Juliana with them. Their grudge is not with Ashe and when he stands in their way to the ultimate prize, all bets are off and Rhyannon gives readers enough fist fights, blood and gore to keep the action alive throughout. With his senses heightened by the danger that surrounds them both, Ashe finds that it is an impossibility for him to keep his hands off of Juliana and he embarks on a mission to quench his thirst for his little convict, all the while thinking that he would be able to walk away, when all is said and done.

I don’t understand the reason why so many readers have taken a dislike towards Ashe’s character. For me, he was real, he was exactly how I envisioned him to be. Ashe is a vampire who has been cheated on by the one woman he trusted and as they say, once bitten twice shy. And for someone like Ashe who works tirelessly in enforcing the law amongst vampires, falling for someone who is nothing more than a convict in his eyes sends him into a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. Ashe fights it all, and oh does he fight, but the fiercest battle of all is one which he wages with himself, torn between the Burning he feels for Juliana and his need to walk away with his emotions intact.

I loved Ashe from his delicious and mouthwatering physical form to what he was deep inside. He might not like the deck of cards fate has dealt him with but above everything else he is a man who believes in justice and fairness and that is how he finds himself agreeing to help Juliana even when he knows that Juliana doesn’t trust him enough to divulge the entire truth. His desire and need for Juliana is a wondrous thing, it is an all encompassing one that refuses to back down, especially with Juliana within arms reach. Ashe’s insecurities are there for all to see, his fear of being cuckolded that plays into his possessive instincts bringing out the jealousy that gives him the extra edge which I just loved. I don’t know about anyone else, but I just flat-out loved Ashe and everything he stood for.

Juliana Sabin is a heroine who I fell in love with right from the very start. She doesn’t want Ashe knowing the truth of how her family’s banishment came about and her reasons are many. And in her own way, Juliana does what she does with the noble intention of protecting the man who means far too much to her than anyone else has in her life. Juliana knows that by giving up her body to a man who plays her like a master would be akin to disaster when she has to walk away from him when the danger is finally no more. Though the thought of leaving Ashe leaves her reeling, I loved Juliana because she takes her chance to indulge with Ashe wholeheartedly and gives herself up to him with everything she has to give.

The one thing you can always count on in novels by Rhyannon is that thread of scorching sensuality and heat that is abundantly woven throughout the story. There were times when my e-reader practically singed my fingertips for the amount of heat that Ashe and Juliana generates, their desire for one another the stuff that happily ever afters are made of.

Loved the sappy ending, giving that much needed happily ever after to two people who most definitely deserve it and I can’t wait to find out whose story Rhyannon comes up with next. Kudos to another book that kept me entertained, made me hum in all the right places and gave me a reason to smile when all was said and done! And as a reader, there is nothing more you can ask for!

Favorite Quotes

With a hoarse curse on his lips, Ashe shuddered against her. The night felt warmer, the air heavier…richer, as it pressed in on them. Lust spilled through his veins in a thick, decadent slide, more potent than any narcotic as it poured through his system. His tongue flicked against the velvety softness of her lower lip, coaxing her to accept him…to kiss him back. She shivered, blinking, then relented, her lips parting with a sigh…inviting him in, and he couldn’t resist, sliding his tongue against hers in an explicit kiss that was wet and deep and hungry.

She cried out as he quickly shoved a hand into the front of her panties, the sharp sound becoming a breathless moan when he cupped her warm sex in his palm and gave a predatory growl. Her delicate hands were on the sides of his neck, clutching him to her, her tongue sliding against his in a way that made his blood boil. Heat poured off him in blistering, sweltering waves as he shoved two thick fingers inside the slick, narrow opening of her body, stretching tender tissues, surprised by how perfect and small she felt. By how tightly she gripped him.
“I knew,” he groaned, nipping her mouth with his teeth as he pushed his fingers deeper into that hot, melting honey. “I fucking knew you were going to feel like this.”

Keeping his fingers locked around her arms, he stared her right in the eye, his chest rising and falling from the jagged force of his breaths. “I want you in a bed, Juliana. I want hours on top of you, under you, beside you. Hell, I want it all. And I want to be able to drift off, knowing that I can roll back over at any time and sink right back into you.” His voice dropped even lower. “So stop arguing and get back on the damn bed.”

The next thing Juliana knew, he had her braced against the back wall of the shower, one hand under her bottom, the other tangled in the back of her wet hair, holding her in place as he took her mouth with what seemed to be an urgent, desperate craving, and claimed her body in the same way. His c#ck found her soft notch, his first thick thrust so hard and deep it shoved the air up out of her lungs, her thoughts fracturing beneath the violent surge of sensation.

He rubbed his thumb over the smoothness of her cheek, thinking she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. “You don’t think you’re worth killing for?”
Her laugh was brittle. “Hardly.”
For a moment, there was only the sound of their breathing and the wind gusting through the trees. And then he said, “I disagree.”
She stared up at him, trembling, her eyes filled with the questions she couldn’t put into words.
“I mean it,” he rasped. “I would kill for you. Easily. Without remorse. Again and again.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Harlequin | Book Depository

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Against the Wall by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-bookagainstthewall
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Series: Standalone
Hero: Ryan McCall
Heroine: Shea Dresden
Sensuality: 4.5
Date of Publication: December 3, 2004
Started On: July 29, 2011
Finished On: July 29, 2011

Against the Wall is the novel that first introduced me to what Rhyannon Byrd can deliver in the erotic contemperory romance category. Filled with blistering scenes of raw and explicit passion between an aggressively alpha hero who is reluctant to get involved, with a plucky and innocent heroine who is more than willing to fight for the man she wants, Against the Wall is an erotic romance that truly lives up to its name delivering more than one against-the-wall-smexing scene before half way through the story.

35 year old Ryan McCall is an ATF agent who spends his days chasing gutter scum and his nights  seeking mindless pleasure from women who knows the score before getting down and dirty with him – that Ryan doesn’t do commitment at all. But all that changes from the moment he meets his neighbor, the sweetly innocent Shea Dresden who might just be the one to make commitment free sex a thing of his past, if he were to allow Shea to get past the walls of defence around his heart.

27 year old Shea is determined that her sexy as sin neighbor Ryan would take notice of her and deliver her from the sheer sexual frustration that seems to be a part of her ever since it stood up and took notice of the lethal sex god that Ryan seems to be. But what Shea wants from the sexy ATF agent is much more than sex, a fact that Shea knows would drive Ryan away instead of bringing them closer, a fact driven home by the 3 months during which Ryan has ignored all her attempts at making him sit up and take notice that she is very much interested in getting down and dirty with him.

Ryan can barely control himself when he lets his mind think about the sexy, impish creature that is his neighbor, if his possessive streak a mile wide when it comes to her is anything to go by. When Shea gets assaulted by a drunken lout driving Ryan into a rage that refuses to be tamped down, all the sizzling sexual energy that seems to simmer between them bursts forth, refusing to be held back letting Ryan know that just one single taste of Shea would never ever be enough where he is concerned.

Thus starts a week of sex-fest during which Ryan stakes his claim on the woman who has the ability to bring him to his very knees with a single look, a fact that seems to terrify and exhilirate him at the same time. But the question of the hour remains; will Ryan ever be able to let go of his past long enough to take the plunge into the future with the woman who is his match made in heaven?

As I mentioned before, Against the Wall is erotica in its most explicit form, delivering blisteringly raw and hot passion between two individuals that some might find to be a bit too much. But, being a book of the erotica genre, for me, I found the raw energy that practically pulsates between Ryan and Shea to be just what I needed as I ventured out to re-read this book, the scene at the bookstore that has always been on my mind prodding me along.

Ryan is a total alpha through and through, a bit aggressive and a bit of an ass at times when his raw emotions come to the surface. But I totally loved him for who he is and who he becomes as the story progresses along and nearly devoured him to pieces by the time I reached the epilogue. Shea is a wonderful heroine whose head over heels plunge into falling for the stubborn Ryan doesn’t stop her from going all the way to get what she wants, even with her vulnerable emotions so close to the surface where Ryan is concerned. The way she gives as good as she gets and lets her tender side heal Ryan is what made me fall for Shea all the way.

True, there isn’t much story telling apart from the sex fest that continues throughout which Rhyannon does so well. I would have loved to know more about both Ryan and Shea and the story would have been more fulfilling if they had been allowed to grow as a couple outside their sex hazed environment. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this one even the second time round and would recommend this to fans of erotica who don’t mind one electrifying sex scene after the other in their erotica.

As I finished this off the charts hot little number, there was one question ringing incessantly in my mind; is Rhyannon ever going to write the story of Ryan’s sexy partner Detective Derek Kiely and Shea’s best friend Hannah who seem to make a pretty darn explosive couple of their own? Oh well!

Favorite Quotes

And not just any man, honey, her incessantly complaining libido chimed in, but Ryan McCall, the sexiest damn thing we’ve ever set eyes on!
She looked up at him from beneath her long lashes and suddenly her lips curled  into a wicked smile full of carnal possibilities, feral and hungry and God-it’s-about-time! Then with trembling fingers, she pushed the silky dress right off her shoulders. It fell to the floor in a quiet swoosh of fabric, and she was standing before him wearing nothing but a minuscule black lace thong and her sandals.

Ryan felt his stomach drop to his feet and his heart lodge in his throat. Oh, hell. The last of his control shot to pieces as the raging hunger she always ignited in him blazed to life.“I just need to kiss you,” he murmured softly…roughly, his face already lowering to hers, big hands pressing against the slender line of her back, pulling her into his wide, tall frame while he pushed her harder against the book-lined wall. “I just need the touch of your lips…your taste in my mouth,” he rasped, voice thick with wonder. “I don’t know how you fucking do this to me, but I’m dying for it like some junked out addict.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Ellora’s Cave

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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

ARC Review: Rush of Darkness by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Primal Instinct, Book 7
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Seth McConnell
Heroine: Raine Spenser
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: March 29, 2011
Started On: March 9, 2011
Finished On: March 10, 2011

I can’t exactly pinpoint the reason why, but there is something seriously sexy about paranormal romances that involve a human on one side and a paranormal being on the other end. Book 7 in the Primal Instinct Series takes this one step further where the ultra sexy and uber alpha hero is the human whilst the strong and yet endearingly vulnerable heroine turns out to be the paranormal being.

Rush of Darkness is the story of Raine Spenser and Seth McConnell. Their story began in Touch of Temptation, book 6 of the series which I reviewed earlier. Seth McConnell is an ex-hunter who has spent the past 20 years of his life slaughtering every vampire that he could get his hands on.  Raised in Southern California, Seth had been a young teenager when a rogue nest of vampires had taken away everything that mattered to him and nearly killed and destroyed him in the process as well. His salvation had come in the form of the Collective Army whose aim it has been to remove all traces of paranormal existence from Earth. Driven by rage and the thirst for revenge, Seth had honed himself into a lethal killing machine, unstoppable and feared by the creatures that he hunts down until circumstances force him to take stock of his life and what was actually happening to turn his life around and start working for his lifelong enemy.

Raine Spenser is unique amongst ancient clans; part Deschanel vampire and part Alacea psychic, Raine had been brought up in a loving home by parents who had adored each other and their children. Having led a pretty much sheltered life, Raine had been working for charities that had been investigating the effect of deforestation as her work as an environmentalist when she had been kidnapped by Ross Westmore, a Kraven vampire who gets his high from the thrill of victory. Westmore’s plan is one that is bound to destroy the world and plunge it into darkness and chaos which is what the Watchmen – a group of shape shifters who watch over the clansmen and women of their preternatural world are trying to prevent. Held against her will over a month during which Raine has suffered numerous forms of physical, mental and emotional abuse from her captors, it is a tortured and guilt-ridden Raine that emerges from her captivity at the hands of a mad man.

Seth’s fascination for Raine from the very moment he carries her in his arms after her rescue from Westmore is an unexplainable one. His need to drive away the haunting look that has settled deep inside of Raine and the electric way in which his body reacts to Raine’s mere presence has him at first running away from how he feels but inevitably finds himself unable to stay away from the one woman he wants to claim as his own more than he has wanted anything else in his life.

Raine’s emotions when it comes to the human soldier is as complex as his feelings towards her. Fear of her growing feelings towards a man who had previously made it his life’s mission to destroy her species has Raine pushing him away masking her need for the fierce warrior who stands in front of her with a loathing that she can’t seem to summon. Her dreams of them entwined in lovers embraces has Raine pushing up the shields that guard her emotions and heart more fiercely than ever. But as moths drawn towards flame, these two can only deny their explosive feelings towards each other for so long and it is a combustive coming together if there ever was one that has these two finally taking things to the next level.

However, their journey towards happily ever after is not an easy one. Continuous danger from Westmore who sets in motion an elaborate plan to turn the war that is brewing onto the side of evil once and for all nearly destroys both Raine and Seth and the fragile bond that seems to have forged between the two. The need to protect one another from danger has each of them engaged in a battle of wills with the other, and it is only with ultimate trust and learning to let go of their pasts that would  bring about true happiness to two souls who deserve it more than anyone else in the primal instinct world.

This one wins by far on all fronts in the Primal Instinct series for me. I loved the uniqueness the fact Seth the hero being the human brought into the story. Regardless of the fact he is a human, his wants and needs are as ferocious and as primal as the shape-shifters that I have come across in the series. And Seth totally wins my heart and soul as my favorite hero from the series with his tortured broodiness that makes him so very much appealing. I loved the fact that explicitly drawn out sex scenes weren’t what drove the story right from the very 1st chapter itself, but rather the sexual tension that simmers between Raine and Seth is drawn out, making their ultimate surrender a very explosive and unforgettable one. Don’t let me forget Raine, whose character and what she suffered at the hands of a monstrous species makes her so vulnerable but even then it makes her a determined one in her need for revenge on a group of men who had taken away something from her life that can never be replaced.

All in all, a tortured, hot as sin alpha hero that had my salivary glands working over time, a heroine that needed a bit of TLC and a knock on the head or two to figure out that Mr. Tortured and Hotness himself was here to stay, with the continuous adventure that is always a part of this series makes this book a huge 5-star winner for me. Very highly recommended for fans of the series and fans of Rhyannon Byrd. Mind you, you can always read this book as a standalone without much hassle because Ms. Byrd doesn’t make her supernatural world a complex one, but rather she keeps her explanations simple, drawing the reader in and making you feel right at home with all the species that crops up in between.

I will finish off my review with a glimpse into one of the most super explosive scenes in the story, the event that lent a very satisfying culmination to the simmering sexual tension between Raine and Seth that practically set the pages afire!

While his expression was nothing short of severe, all hard lines and rugged angles, it was pure lust that burned in his eyes as he reached for her and crushed her against him, his mouth taking hers in a raw, dominating kiss. He made a quick sound in the back of his throat, the kiss turning explosive as his big hands roamed her figure, stroking roughly over her back and hips before curving around her ass.
“Need you,” he snarled in a low, gravelly rumble, hoisting her against the front of his body as he took her down to that massive, four-poster bed.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Touch of Temptation by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Adobe Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Primal Instinct, Book 6
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Kellan Scott
Heroine: Chloe Harcourt
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: November 1, 2010
Started On: March 8, 2011
Finished On: March 9, 2011

The Primal Instinct series by Rhyannon Byrd is one of the two paranormal/urban-fantasy series that I indulge in. I didn’t start out with this series from the 1st book itself, but rather took the plunge with book 4 in the series Touch of Seduction which hooked me onto the series and its fabulous set of characters who all seem to be finding their happily ever afters in the midst of a war that continues to wreak havoc on their society of preternatural beings who coexist with the human race who are mostly unaware of their existence. It is difficult to write a review for this series without including some amount of spoilers in the review, so consider yourself fairly warned before proceeding.

Touch of Temptation is the story of the ultra-bad boy Kellan Scott who sums up his character in four words – watchman, werewolf & world-class fuckup. 27 year old Kellan is a member of the Watchmen, a highly skilled organization of shape-shifters whose job it is to keep watch over the clansmen and women. Kellan is not proud of the playboy lifestyle he has led till now, the way he has pursued meaningless sex unlike anyone else in his group, something which had landed him in hot water when he had unknowingly slept with the enemy and nearly destroyed the life of an innocent woman in the process which had finally served up as the wake up call he had needed. Being the younger brother of Kierland, the leader of the Watchmen who is one of the most righteous badasses around, Kellan is doubly critical of himself, wanting to make amends, turn his life around so that he could turn into someone that others can rely on in times of need and necessity. So to make amends and to start off the new year with a bang, Kellan sets off to rescue the youngest Harcourt witch who has been imprisoned by the psychopath known as Ross Westmore.

It has been several months since 24 year old Chloe Harcourt was captured by Westmore who is more than responsible for bringing in the Casus, one of the most violent of the ancient clans who for the past 1000 years have been rotting away after being imprisoned for their crimes against humanity and another rival clan. A half Merrick and half Mallory witch, Chloe possesses an unusual power that tends to heighten the emotions of those she is around to extreme levels. For this reason, Chloe tends to shy away from companionship and men, preferring her lonesome existence rather than subject anyone to her powers and submit them to her will of wanting to abate her lonely existence. Westmore’s aim in keeping her is a simple one, present Chloe to Anthony Calder, the Casus leader who would rape, kill and feed from her in her full Merrick form in order to receive the power charge that would propel him from his holding grounds onto Earth.

Kellan’s fascination for Chloe is an unexplainable one. Right from the very first moment that Kellan had laid eyes on Chloe’s picture, it is as if the primal wolf deep within him wants to stake its claim on the witch with the perfectly smooth pale skin, sleek dark hair and fey face. Making his way across the Wasteland, a mystical region created by powerful magic which is a cold dangerous place where family units of vampires are exiled after judgement has been passed against them, Kellan is infected with a poison that is bound to kill him slowly within a couple of weeks. It is Kellan’s plan to find the witch, protect the witch and save the witch. Lusting after the witch and wanting Chloe to belong to him for now and forever never figured into his plans though that is exactly what the animal inside of him wants and hungers for.

Chloe, not one to trust anyone to be able to resist the lure of her powers is wary at best when she encounters the sinfully handsome and virile Kellan. With his rugged features and over six foot tall, one who has a tendency to look more than a little dangerous; Chloe can’t help the hunger that spikes through her which has the Merrick inside of her clamoring to possess and be possessed by the man who has literally traveled through hell to come to her rescue. Though Chloe believes that no one can really want her for herself, she can’t help but want Kellan in his most primal form before the day is through.

With danger from all sorts of creatures and enemies that seem to come forth in abundance, Kellan knows he would die fighting for to protect Chloe till his last breathe, something which is most likely to happen on its own before their journey through the Wasteland is through. Characters from previous stories make their forays into this one, making this a well rounded story with enough kick-ass action to keep the pages turning.

With stories by Rhyannon Byrd, you can always be assured that she would deliver in spades in the sensuality department with scorching hot scenes that can make you hold in your breathe for a minute or two. Likewise, Kellan sets the pages afire with the burning need that rages inferno inside of him whenever Chloe is by his side.  And with Chloe’s need to feed all types of hungers that keep weakening her abilities, Kellan’s noble instincts of keeping his unworthy hands off of her seems to fly out the window. Though I skipped a couple of the explicit sex scenes towards the end, I still liked the intensity of the connection between Kellan and Chloe which in the end is what saves them all from being  annihilated by a mutual enemy.

Though this is not my favorite in the Primal Instinct series, I still enjoyed the adventure, the romance and some of the explicitly drawn out scenes of love and possession between Chloe and Kellan. For those who are fans of the series, the continuous explanation of the creatures and the very well done paranormal world in the series, it can be slightly exhausting reading through all the details. But it does lend the story the ability to be picked up and read as a standalone because you really won’t be missing out much by not starting from the very 1st book in the series.

I am very much interested now in reading book 7 of which I have an ARC which features the psychic vampire Raine who was captured, raped and tortured by Westmore and Seth the human soldier who used to be a vampire hunting soldier until the war that is about to emerge in full throttle had made Seth turn around and double check whether he was fighting on the right side all along. If done well, Rush of Darkness can prove to be a very good read which I can hopefully start right after I get back home from work today.

I end my review with one of most explosive scenes in the story where Chloe’s unwavering hunger for Kellan has Kellan’s noble intentions flying right of their jail cell. YOWZA!

Need her fangs, the wolf seethed, prowling beneath his skin as Kellan lifted her against his chest, her face nuzzling against the side of his throat, where the wound made by the poisoned Deschanel had finally healed. Need her strong.
“Do it,” he growled, wanting it so badly he could taste it. “Make the bite, Chloe.”
She groaned in response, flicking her tongue against his hot flesh, then sank her fangs deep, the piercing sensation shooting all the way to the head of his c#ck. Kellan choked back a rough shout, fingering her deeper, her inner muscles pulling on him tighter…and tighter. She cried out against the side of his throat, her body tensing as she fisted her hands in his hair, and then she crashed full force into a violent, shattering orgasm, the deep, rhythmic clenching around his fingers damn near pulling him right along with her.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Waiting for it by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Hero: Jake Farrel
Heroine: Taylor Moore
Sensuality: 5
Date of Publication: March 31, 2004
Started On: May 28, 2010
Finished On: May 29, 2010

I picked this book up because I always love a romance that tells the story of two characters who have a shared past history together. This novel is about Jake and Taylor who both met one another during their high schooling years when Taylor moved to Jake’s town.

From the first moment Jake and Taylor laid eyes on each other it changed their worlds. However, Jake’s best friend Mitch had worked towards creating enough misunderstanding between the two that Jake leaves town without once looking back at the heartbroken Taylor he leaves behind.

Life moves on and Taylor marries Mitch, who makes for a miserable husband all through. Mitch sleeps around on Taylor, a fact that she knows though she never thinks of leaving him until she walks in to find Mitch in bed with the town whore which finally propels her to leave Mitch after 10 years of miserable existence with him.

A year later, Jake returns claiming that he has always loved Taylor and that he has waited around all these years till Taylor could be his. Though Taylor loves Jake to distraction, she is not ready to trust Jake with her heart though she is more than willing to trust him with her body for the multitudes of raunchy rides Jake takes her on. The whole book is basically porn, most of the pages which I skipped through cause too much of anything gets to be tiring.

I skimmed through more than 90% of the book to unravel the actual story behind, a story that appealed to me and would have made for a better read if the emotional and background development of the characters had been given more depth rather than just focusing on the whole sexual aspect of the story.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo | Jasmine Jade

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Touch of Surrender by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Mobipocket Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Primal Instinct, Book 5
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Kierland Scott
Heroine: Morgan Cantrell
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: May 1, 2010
Started On: May 17, 2010
Finished On: May 19, 2010

Boy, was I glad to find out that this story had already been released when I finished reading the previous book in the series which I reviewed earlier. Towards the ending in the book “Touch of Seduction”, the sparks that fly between Morgan and Kierland were scorching enough as it is. And the shared history between the characters which were hinted at made my curiosity rise to levels that refused to be left unattended to.

This story continues the war that is going on between the Watchmen of which Kierland is the leader and the Casus, who are after the Dark Markers which are the only weapons capable of killing the Casus and sending them back to where they came from. To make things complicated Kellan, Kierland’s brother goes into the Casus territory deep in the wastelands where exiled supernatural forces live at to find the witch Chloe who was taken hostage by the Casus and willingly allows himself to be imprisoned.

Morgan and Kierland though they have been avoiding each other for the past ten or so years when things went awry as Kierland refused to give into the desire that Morgan as his student invoked in him, has no choice but team up in the quest to journey through the wastelands to get to Kellan. Though Kierland would like nothing better than to send Morgan off back to England where the Watcmen’s safe house was located at, Morgan’s presence becomes vital for the mission since she is the only one who is able to track Kellan’s whereabouts.

Whilst Ashe Granger a Deschanel who is an ex-lover of Morgan is the only one who can trek through the Wastelands safely joins the search, the intensity of the feelings that Kierland has to face forces him to come to the inevitable conclusion that he and Morgan have no choice but to try and get each other out of their systems. Kierland proposes this to Morgan who accepts the offer which starts off a spine tingling delicious affair where Ms. Byrd does an excellent job in scorching up the pages.

What makes these books remarkable is the fact that both the romance, intense page scorching passion and adventure both play an equal role which makes these books hard to put down. Though I tended to like the previous book a teensy weensy bit better, this book itself is great as well.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Touch of Seduction by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Primal Instinct, Book 4
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Aiden Shrader
Heroine: Olivia Harcourt
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 1, 2010
Started On: May 14, 2010
Finished On: May 16, 2010

Though I am not much into paranormal romances, I picked this book up on a whim since I remembered reading Ms. Byrd’s Against the Wall and liking her writing style. And since I have hit a dry spell these days on the reading front I decided to give this book a go and came out with a satisfied grin on all fronts!

The fourth book in the Primal Instincts series the first 3 books which I have never come across, this is the book of tiger shape shifter Aiden Shrader and small-town schoolteacher Olivia Harcourt. Aiden has been dispatched by the Watchmen, (a group mixed up of humans with a mix of something else having extraordinary abilities, to keep things on the down low and kill whenever necessary to protect their species) this time to protect Olivia and her niece Jamie whose mother Monica was killed by the Casus, a vile race of immortal creatures who’d been imprisoned over a thousand years ago for their crimes against humanity and the other clans. The Casus were after Jamie to have a taste of what its like to kill someone with witch’s blood running through them, no matter how young the child might be. With no one else to turn to, Olivia has no other options available but to trust this enigmatic man with glowing amber eyes, who kissed her senseless to the point of ultimate surrender during their first encounter.

Aiden, wary of trusting a human after what he went through when he was young, is skittish of the intense (and I say intense mildly) feelings that Olivia awakens inside him. Though Aiden tries hard not to succumb to the powerful connection between him and Olivia, he can’t help but answer the call of the inner beast within him to feel Olivia’s touch which goes a long way towards healing him.

Meanwhile the ongoing war between the Casus and the Watchmen continues, whilst a darker and a more sinister enemy arises that just may end life for the Watchmen as they know it.

Filled with continuous adventure vividly described by the author which made me feel as if I were watching a movie instead of reading a book made this a highly enjoyable read.

Am dying to read the next book in the series which is to hit the stands this month!

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

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