One by Jewel E Ann

4.5 Stars

Lake Jones known for being the cover girl for prosthetic legs.  She likes to binge-watch Netflix and watch her neighbors through her peephole.  When her new neighbor moves she meets Cage Monaghan.  She hasn’t seen him in 3 years but she’s just as drawn to him now. 

Cage Monaghan walked away from Lake Jones but now he’s all in.  His dream has been to play professional football and now that he’s doing that he’s not sure that is what he wants.  Is the woman more important than playing ball?

This would have been a 5 star but there were some parts of the book that would have made more sense if I had read the Jack and Jill series first.  My problem with that is the book is marketed as being a standalone.  The book was enjoyable without reading it but there were parts of the story that would have made more sense if it had been read first.  Otherwise this book was really good.  It was well written.  The pacing in the story was good.  It never felt rushed though I wanted to rush through it to see how it would end.  There were some very cliche moments in the story like conflict between Lake and Cage over guys interested in her but it wasn't excessive. 

There were three moments in the book that sticks out the most for me and that is Cage meets her again and she is planning on leaving for China right away.  Even though he has training he hops on a plane to see her for a couple of days.  The second one was when she takes a pregnancy test and the final one is the epilogue.  Best line of the book is when Lake asks Cage what Flint had whispered to him.  He told her it was the same thing Flint told him at their wedding. “Best decision of your life, buddy.”  The sweetest line ever and it was from Flint who hadn’t wanted them to be together.

Vampire’s Priceless Treasure by Kristen Painter

3 Stars

I am going to preface this with I have loved most of the books in this series.  I saw this one and was so excited to see a new book in the series.  I really wanted to love this as much as some of the other books in the series but I just couldn’t.  I wasn’t a fan of Kora.  She was whiny and she was always getting into messes that her dad would have to pull her out of and then she would get mad at her dad for helping.  I really like Greyson and wanted him to have his happy ending but with someone else.  It was worth reading once but it won’t be one I re-read.

Kora Dupree has made amends with her estranged father and has been taking on more adult responsibilities.  Everything is coming together for her but she still wants to find out what happened to her mother.  Greyson Garrett knows Kora is up to something since he has had to bail her out of so many messes before.  When she draws him into her newest adventure things will change for them.


This is Nocturne Falls Book 11

Karma by R.J. Blain

3 Stars

FBI agent Karma Johnson has been working towards becoming a Child Abduction Rapid Deployment member.  She finally gets transferred to CARD and she is taken hostage with a baby.  When she finally joins her new team it doesn’t live up to her expectations and she has a life crisis and quits her job.  It takes her old partner Jake coming to work with her to get her life back where she wants it to be but it brings new issues and questions.

There was another cliffhanger ending GRRRRRRR. I hate reviewing this book with a 3. It was an amazing book.  It should be a 5.  The book came out May 2016 and leads into another book and it is NOT out.  The author has since scheduled the next book to come out in December of 2020.  If it does I will update the review at that point. 

The pacing in the book was good.  The story progressed nicely.  It was a different take on shifters.  There was humor throughout the book as well as serious notes made the book.  I loved Jake and Karma together.  It was awesome that Jake let Karma do what she needed to do and was there to support and help her anyway she needed.  I am hopeful the next book will be just as awesome. 

Pack Justice by R.J. Blain

3 Stars

Sean is trapped in a failing and loveless marriage.  He’s being stalked by someone he prosecuted so he suggests he and his wife take a trip to rekindle their marriage.  Instead of rekindling the marriage she attempts to turn him into a wolf shifter.  His wolf and his spirit cheetah strike a deal to work together to keep him alive.

This was not the first book of R.J. Blain’s I’ve read.  I don’t know if I would have continued reading her books if I had started with this one.  This book was published April 2016.  It is supposed to be part of a series and there haven’t been any new books in the series since.  This is a problem for me as the book ended on a cliff hanger so even though I liked the story itself ultimately when a story is supposed to continue into another book and you have to wait forever for the next book it makes it hard to not rate a book poorly. Here’s hoping the new book in the series will be coming out sooner rather than later.

Nature of the Beast Book 1

Courting the Cat Whisperer by Wynter Daniels

3 Stars

Telepathic Pet Sitter Jordan Vaughn is trying to make up for mistakes in her past and show her sister she has changed.  She meets the man of her dreams and hopes her bad luck is over.  Harry Hill had his memory erased by a head injury and now his past is coming between them and might tear them apart.

I really like Jordan.  She always has so many things thrown at her and she rolls with it.  She learns from it and tries to do her very best to keep everyone safe and happy.  Harry was also a likable character.  He was a standup guy so even though he was very attracted to Jordan he didn’t want to start up with her not knowing if he was married or in a committed relationship.  It moved a little fast from meeting to in love but I enjoyed the characters and the humor in the story.

Genie’s Double Trouble by Wynter Daniels

2 Stars

Psychic Mallory Vaughn lives in Nocturne Falls working as a manicurist.  She likes her life to be neat and orderly.  Her twin sister lands in Nocturne Falls looking for some help.  Genie Cyrus Barker is following his owners orders to track down Jordan instead he finds Mallory.  They need to find a way to save Jordan and Cyrus.

This book is set in Nocturne Falls Universe.  I really enjoy that series so I hoped I would like this one.  I hated Mallory.  She was a whiner and hated her sister so much and there didn’t seem to be a reason for it.  It just made it hard to enjoy the book because she couldn’t seem to get over her sister was different then she was.  She ends up with the guy and they live happily ever after.  I still ended up reading the next book in the series and I enjoyed that way more because Jordan was a much more likable character

Monstrous Matchmaker Book 1 and 2 by Kelly Apple

  

Operation Werewolf            Operation Dragon

by Kelly Apple

1 Star

Rare review of two books in one post.  I have so many books on my TBR pile it isn’t funny.  Since I am staying home because of the crazy world I am making an effort to work on reading the books I have to save money.  This is not helped by a ton of authors putting their books up for sale or free.  With that my TBR pile went from massive to unmanageable.  That means I am trying to try all new to me authors and either reading them or getting rid of them.  I’ve already gotten several books read or gotten rid of which makes me so incredibly happy to see my list go down.  This has led to a number of very good books and some very bad books.  There were a couple of books I DNF because they weren’t to my liking. 

The two this post is for I did finish but that was only because the length of them was so very short. I really wanted to like them.  The description of both of these books is normally something I love and would devour the entire series.  However, these were not something that I wanted to read.  There isn’t anything wrong with erotica. There are several authors I love who write Romantic Erotica but these books seemed like they were each a chapter that was part of a larger book.  The stories each started with Ari having sex with her mate and follows with her talking about the people she was going to match and why.  It follows with the couple meeting and having sex. The End.  Literally that is the entire book.  There is nothing wrong with this except the book is promoted as a romance first and there is literally no romance at all.  Market your book as an erotica and own it. Don’t try and hide behind the romance label because all it does is end with negative reviews.

Operation Wolf:

Ari Colton is happily mated to a monster and wants to find love for other monsters.  Her first customer is a harpy looking for someone to love and she has the perfect match, her werewolf friend Michael.  Will they find their happily ever after?

Operation Dragon:

After matching one couple Ari Colton is determined to find and match more monsters in need of love.  A flighty cockatrice is looking for love and she thinks a wicked dragon is just what is needed. 

Tall, Dark, and Damaged by Sarah Andre

3.5 Stars

Devon Ashby was disinherited and thrown out of his home at 18.  He moved to New York City to earn his way in the world leaving behind his high school sweetheart Hannah Moore.  Twelve years later he’s back in Chicago to get his trust fund for his business where he runs into Hannah Moore.  She was restoring art for his father.  When someone close to Devon’s father is murdered in the same way his mother died secrets are going to be revealed.

I enjoyed this book a lot.  It was the standard romantic suspense book.  I liked Devon a lot but didn’t like Hannah as much.  There were times she irritated me.  The rating for the book would have been a solid 4 stars except I felt there were too many loose ends at the end of the book.  They might have been tied up in the next book but the books are supposed to be stand alone and I wanted to know how these loose ends would be concluded.

This is a huge giant spoiled!

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One of my biggest complaints was the bad guy, Frannie.  It made a lot of sense she was the bad guy and fact about halfway through the book I figured out it was her.  They never addressed why nothing was done after the first murder or why the dad didn’t think she would have been the culprit the second time.  And what happens to her son.  Does he end up back with his dad?  The other issue is what happens with the FCC and Devon.  Does he get off scot free and his cousin takes the prison time?  Is Devon able to keep his company or does he have to start over? The last one is probably explained in the next book but I am still frustrated by these loose ends.

Hypno by R.J. Blain

5 Stars

The world was devastated by World War III.  After the nuclear holocaust people emerged with powers.  Very few people remained untouched by the radiation.  Olivia Abrams survived a direct nuclear bomb strike but it changed her into a water mage.  Since the attack she’s worked for the FBI where she now heads a FBI quads of agents.  When one of her quads goes silent she sends another in to find them.  What they discover is everyone in that area were a sleep.  Olivia is tasked with discovering what is causing people to become comatose and stop them.

I loved how Olivia tortured those around her.  In particular her hunky cop.   She works too hard and those around her love her and want to protect her even if she doesn’t want it.  It was paced nicely and I didn’t feel like there were any lags in the story.  It looks like there is supposed to be more books in the series and since I couldn’t wait to finish this book I want the next sooner rather than later.  It was that good.

Audio Book

I actually listened to this book before I read the book.  It is narrated by Nicole Blessing.  With the speed I listened to the book it was very breathy. That is the only way I can explain it.  I learned to tune it out but it was difficult in the beginning.  Once I tuned it out I enjoyed the audiobook a lot.

Burn Baby Burn by R.J. Blain

4.5 Stars

Bailey and Chief Quinn are back and the Calamity Queen is up to her normal shenanigans.  Needing a break from marital bliss and their sexcapades Bailey plots with Tiffany (Perkett) Perkins to send their husbands on a treasure hunt road trip final destination Vegas.  Things go astray with a string of new rabies cases and a missing cop.  New family is found and old family is punished.

I loved this book.  It had the humor from the first book and Bailey and Quinn are awesome.  It starts a couple months after their other book ended.  They’ve been married for a couple months and still in the honeymoon stage.  The story continues nicely from the last one.  There isn’t any lag in the story.  There were some interesting conclusions to some plot points from their last book.  The half-point loss was for skipping between perspectives.  At times it frustrated me but I still loved the book.

Audio Book:

3 Stars

My review for the Nicole Blessing is the same as the last.  I am sure she is a great narrator but the accents with the high speed of listening makes it difficult to listen too.  It isn’t the same with other narrators just some of them.  I didn’t hate her and I did complete the audio book but it did diminish my enjoyment of the book.

Book 12 of Magical Romantic Comedies (with a body count) but you just need to have read book 1 to read.

Playing with Fire by R.J. Blain

5 Stars

Bailey is known as the Calamity Queen.  Where she goes trouble follows.  Her day job as a barista brings her into contact with all magical beings, while her side job has her cleaning up after them for the CDC. Years ago she was called on by Chief Samuel Quinn to find his wife.  She found her in the park with another man which led to the breakup of their marriage.  Today she is once again entangled with Quinn. To make things more interesting Quinn’s ex is back for revenge. 

This book was so good.  I laughed and cried at various points in this book.  I was rooting for Bailey throughout the book and at several times wanted to kill her parents.  Bailey’s attitude in the book was snarky but vulnerable.  While Quinn was tight laced until it came to Bailey then all bets were off.  I loved them together as well as the route they took to get together.  Can’t wait for more books in the series.

Audio Book:

3 Star

Courtney Holly did a pretty good job narrating the story.  I had some issues with her tempo and tone but that has more to do with the fact that I listen to the book and 1.5 speed.  It made some of the voices distorted and made some of it more difficult to listen to.  That is entirely a me issue and not a bad book/narrator. 

Book 1 in Magical Romantic Comedies (with a body count)

Water Viper by R.J. Blain

5 Stars

Review contains spoilers

Magic flooded the earth during Starfall.  It destroyed most technology and changed some humans into have magical powers.  Jesse was born to a male-dominated clan where at a certain age they pick their own gender.  Jesse was supposed to be a boy but made a mistake and became a girl.  She now travels the continent as an assassin.  Needing a break from being an assassin she heads to the coasts of Florida where she encounters a Starfall stone and a Siberian Tiger shifter.  All starts the beginning of the end to her old life and a whole host of woes.  When two Starfall stones are stolen it is up to Jesse to find them and protect them. 

I enjoyed this story a lot.  Considering I hate post-apocalyptic stories I was very surprised how much I enjoyed it.  I loved the interaction Jesse had with everyone else.  Her friends have her back.  I love that Nate lets her be even though they are meant to be together he lets her grow and learn.  He lets her be her own woman until he is needed.  Was well worth the read and I can’t wait to read the next book.

Promo: Lasaran by Dianne Duvall

I've read Dianne Duvall for years.  The Immortal Guardians series just gets better every time I re-read.  The newest book is a spin off from the original series.  Taelon is the brother to Ami from Night Reigns.  I can't wait for this book to come out April 21.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗡
New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the first novel in a thrilling new sci-fi romance series full of action, intrigue, humor, and happily-ever-afters.

𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞
Taelon searches the galaxy for his younger sister, who mysteriously disappeared while on a diplomatic mission. When an ally reveals that she was seized and is being held prisoner on Earth, Taelon descends upon the blue planet, intent on freeing her and exacting vengeance. However, all does not go as planned. Before he can find her, Taelon is captured and becomes the subject of torturous experiments. For what feels like an eternity, all he knows is pain and fury... until a mind tentatively touches his own and a woman's voice forever changes his world.

After suffering tragic losses, Lisa is finally beginning to carve out a future for herself when chance sends her to the Anomalous Cognition Research Institute. What at first appears to be a benign organization seeking participants for a psychic study instead turns out to be a government facility harboring a much darker intent. Lisa discovers this too late and soon becomes the unwilling subject of a terrifying experiment. Just as fear and desperation threaten to consume her, a deep, compelling voice penetrates the looming insanity and lends her hope.

Having seen only the worst of humanity, Taelon is shocked when Lisa risks everything to free him. Together the two make their escape, and Taelon finds himself fascinated by the small human woman who--despite all she's suffered--can still laugh and tease and lure smiles from him. Friendship swiftly grows between them as they work together to evade soldiers intent on capturing them and find themselves hunted by mystifying preternatural beings. Through it all, Lisa steadfastly remains by his side, stealing more of his heart each day while she helps him unravel the mystery of his sister's fate. Can they find his sister before the hunters find them? If they survive their quest, will Taelon have to bid Lisa farewell... or can he coax her into leaving her planet and joining him for the adventure of a lifetime?

#Audible — https://bit.ly/TheLasaran_Audible
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AmazonDE — http://bit.ly/TheLasaran_AmazonDE
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Death and Desire by Deborah Wilde

5 Stars

Ash and crew are back.  Ash is trying to discover more about what it means to be a Jezebel while still investigating cases.  She gets roped in by the Queen of Hearts to investigate the mysterious death of a young man.  The case is strange from the beginning.  When things go really wrong with her case it might end her permanently.

I loved this story.  It progressed nicely from the last book.  The story moved nicely.  There wasn’t a lag from the last book to this one in the timeline.  The characters continued to develop and grow.  The interaction between Ash and the supporting characters continued to be a really interesting read.  The back and forth between Levi and Ash was so good.  I love how they needle each other.

I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Audio book:
5 Stars

Hollie Jackson did an amazing job with this book too.  She continued giving each character their own voice/tone.  Loved listening to her read the story.

Book 2 of the Jezebel Files

Promo: Grave Humor by R.J. Blain

In the last year I discovered a new author, R.J. Blain.  Her main series is Magical Romantic Comedies (with a body count).  I blew through them so fast and now I wait impatiently for the new one to come out.  She has other series and books that are awesome and I will be reviewing them soon.

The newest book the Magical Romantic Comedies (with a body count) will be coming out May 12.  Here is the blurb for the book:

Most days, Anwen regrets working at a funeral home. With the residents no longer inclined to stay in their coffins where they belong, she’s got her hands full making sure everyone follows the rules:

In the funeral home, there is no screaming, no murdering, no mutilation, no possessions, no kidnappings, no resurrections, and no cursing of any type. Be quiet and stay polite.

The day Old Man McGregor decides to take a walk and disturbs her peace, Anwen learns there’s a lot more to the basement in the funeral home than a vampire and a handsome gentleman on ice.

If she’s not careful, she’ll learn first-hand why ‘eternally yours’ is the most potent of threats.

Warning: this novel contains romance, humor, bodies, shenanigans, and mythological puppies. Proceed with caution.

Here are the links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RE88rN

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grave-humor-r-…/1133374336…

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/grave-humor-3

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/grave-humor/id1479114815

Blood and Ash by Deborah Wilde

5 Stars

Ashira Cohen is the only female private eye in Vancouver.  With her skills she should be able to solve the missing person case without any problems.  However, nothing is ever easy.  A bashed skull, hidden tattoo, and the discovery of magical abilities screws Ash’s day life.  This brings her into contact with the infuriating leader of the magical community Levi.  They reluctantly team up to protect the magical community.  The question is if Ash can prevent herself from killing Levi before the case is solved.

I loved this book.  I started it on audio and was almost done with the book and didn’t want to wait until the next day to finish it so I switched to digital to finish it.  The interaction between Ash and Levi were hilarious.  They loved to hate each other but it very much turns into I love to fight you for the sexual tensions that come from the fighting.  Ash also has a love for Sherlock Holmes and it’s referenced throughout the book.  Who doesn’t love Sherlock references?  I cannot wait for the next book!

Audio Book:

5 Stars

Loved the narrator Hollie Jackson. She did an amazing job with each of the characters she narrated.  Each one had a different personality and it made the story even more amazing.

Book 1 of the Jezebel Files

To The Rude Guy in Apartment Five by J.S. Cooper

2 Stars

Spoilers throughout!!!!!

This is a story of friends coming back together after being separated for 10 years and how they end up together.  It starts with notes left on each other’s doors until they run into each other in the hall.

I wanted to love this book but it kind of sucked.  The writing was good which is why I gave it 2 stars.  The plot sounded like a good book and the sample I read was awesome so I splurged and bought it.  The best I can say is that the writing was spot on. I hated both main characters.  They both kinda sucked.  Magnolia when she was 18 she tried to seduce her boyfriend’s brother.  They were neighbors and she had loved him forever and just had to have him.  But she was dating the brother!  Speaking of him Jagger was pretend dating Magnolia’s sister.  He also claims to have been in love with Magnolia forever. He admits he only started pretend dating the sister to make Magnolia jealous.  So that was when they were 18 and 20 can totally understand their thought process at that age and forgive them but they are just as childish now 10 years later.  It was so frustrating to have Magnolia come home mostly drunk spitting mad at Jagger for his behavior and 2 seconds after entering his apartment she’s reading to fuck him.  Really he gets naked and all is forgiven.  Just very frustrating.  Jagger wasn’t any better.  He cracks jokes throughout the book and they are not funny and made at inappropriate times.

Save your money for something better.