Lora Leigh's Navarro's Promise (Breeds #24)

Navarro's Promise

Navarro’s Promise was a fast paced novel that gives focus to the bigger obstacles the Breeds are trying to overcome and understand. This allows Leigh to show the ever evolving roller coaster of mating heat, with Navarro and Mica, in all its frustratingly erotic and emotionally crazed glory. Lora Leigh has created a deliciously dangerous plot that is as addicting to read as it is volcanically sensual in the bedroom.  For personal preference I think I am fan of the Wolf Breeds and there sexual anomalies more than the Feline Breeds.

If you are looking for an erotic read of the paranormal variety I absolutely recommend this novel.

 

Krystal Wade's Wilde's Fire



Wilde's Fire

Wilde’s Fire introduces us to the world of fantasy, which is a newer genre for me. Wilde’s Fire was a great “introductory” novel unlocking the world of fantasy. The author introduces us to magic, daemonic creatures, and portals into other worlds. Wilde’s Fire gives the reader a foundation into a new world that I found myself holding my breathe to see if we are going to have the tools and knowledge to save it from the corroding darkness that has taken over Encarda.

Wilde’s Fire is a fun novel. It has strong bones and sets the tone for future adventures. The author has had fun creating varying levels of intrigue, mystery and journeys for us to want to follow in future books. I also believe that the author will be one to watch for stellar writing. I think her voice will only continue to develop and get stronger as she carries on with her writing. The romance was sweet, pure and just as frustratingly tantalizing for us as for Arland and Kate (I would imagine). I am definitely rooting for love and light to win the day over darkness and looking forward to Krystal Wade’s future novels.

Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl

Gone Girl is a psychological thriller written in a creative way. I really enjoyed the voice the author writes the characters with…each of the main characters, the husband and wife, are written in first person within their own chapters. By the end I was not super engaged but wanted to see what kinks the author would give to finally resolve the twisted puzzle she pieced together for us. All the reviews I read before reading Gone Girl told me I would not be able to put it down even though I may want to throw the book against the nearest wall. I agree with this, but by the end I found myself growing weary with both characters and just wanted to get to the end of the tale. The story, on a very basic level, is about an unhappy couple and on their 5th wedding anniversary the wife disappears. From there a full investigation is launched to find her and the husband goes from victim of loss to the main suspect in a possible murder.  How the reader is given the story though is what I loved. It is through chapters that toggle between the wife and husband. The husband is all present day about what is going on and him taking you through everything, reminiscent of his past relationships, and covering his present tracks. The first part of the novel for the wife’s part of the tale is all given by her various diary entries from the past so we are given a glimpse of her as well as their relationship. Each is very different on their perceptions of what is happening.  The book is broken into three parts. By the second part, while still toggling between chapters and voices, we get to know the “real” wife through her actual voice. That’s when the investigation as well as the story really picks up. I felt like the pace of the novel was written as the investigation went. Sometimes slow and collecting evidence while others were nonstop and go-go-go!

Gone Girl is a well written novel that is dark, twisted, and intelligent. You will find that the author and characters love to play with your mind throughout this book. Give it a whirl!

Chelsea M. Cameron's My Favorite Mistake

I found this book while looking for a new (and yes cheap) e-book to download on my nook. I read Beautiful Disaster this past year and after reading the synopsis for My Favorite Mistake, I was almost appalled that it sounded like almost the same book. However, I am happy to report that after reading both they are not the same. Once I was engaged in the world of characters Cameron introduces us to and the two different approaches the authors take, the differences are more obvious. My Favorite Mistake stayed positive and did not have as many of the thrills that Beautiful Disaster gave readers. My Favorite Mistake is a contemporary romance. While reading, I found myself waiting for the bottom to drop out but it really did not. It may have a little, what is a good novel or life for that matter without a little of the bottom dropping out from under us, but there was always support for Hunter and Taylor to lean on.

This novel was about not being a victim, and about love in all its forms- luck, trust, forgiveness, happiness, support, and love that lasts forever. I loved the determination of the characters as then navigated their lives and that they fought through the quagmire of tests life can throw at us because of love, even when we are not sure that is what it is all for. I will also add there were some cute roommate scenes that made me miss my college years as well as sizzling bedroom scenes that made my cheeks flush.

I recommend My Favorite Mistake as a contemporary romance for readers. Also for readers looking for a new novel, new author, book about hope and determination, or the thrill of falling in love and all its crazy ups and downs.

Andrea Cremer's Wolfsbane and Bloodrose

If you enjoyed, even a little bit, Andrea Cremer’s novel Nightshade, do yourself a favor and get the next two novels in this series: Wolfsbane and Bloodrose. You will not want to put them down. This Nightshade series is one of the best YA book series I have read in quite a long time. The novels are addicting, the story has great action, I loved the characters and the chemistry sizzles. Andrea Cremer has created a fantastic world of Guardians, Keepers and Searchers that enthralls the reader. We get their various histories, current issues that draw us into the story, and are thrown into the middle of the action to save the world. The love triangle is titillating (as are all the side romances) and I was left breathless trying to pick who Call’s mate should be and would be by the end of the trilogy.

I absolutely recommend this series. These are novels I just stumbled across, fell in love with, but would have trouble explaining why… Just read them!!! (Or at least the first novel, Nightshade, to see if you might enjoy them as well.)

Lara Adrian's Taken by Midnight

This was an action packed thriller with enticing romance thrown into the mix. I found Taken by Midnight while looking for new authors to try in a used book store. Lara Adrian was a fun find. I have not been reading as many vampire novels lately but decided to take a chance with this one. The Order did not really feel like vampires. They have an alien twist to them. I am not a real fan of aliens but there was not a huge focus on what the alien in them might be, they are on basic level hot, muscled, smoldering vampires, so I was happy. I was a little surprised that while they exhibited vampire powers and instincts (like their super human speed or inability to be in the sun) and these were utilized throughout the plot, it was surprisingly not used much for the sensual sex scenes (aaah the erotic blood sharing, LOL).

I would recommend Lara Adrian as a new author of the paranormal romantic suspense readers (if you haven’t found her yet). Taken by Midnight was the eighth book in the series. It felt like a whole book but also a “to be continued” book in future novels. The main point seemed to be “boy gets girl” and then in the future we will get more of “What is happening to Jenna.” I have already bought the first book in this series to start at the beginning because there is much more to the backstory than just meeting the other characters. I cannot wait!