LITERAL ADDICTION Paranormal Book Club Book Review Archives: October 2012

Monday, October 22, 2012

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Lucas

THE BADLANDS of SOUTH DAKOTA … haunting landscapes, legendary outlaws, and … vampires?

LUCAS DONLON is a Vampire Lord, one of the most powerful vampires in North America and beyond. Charming and irreverent to his friends and lovers, he enjoys everything about his life as a vampire. But when a neighboring lord makes the mistake of declaring war, he quickly discovers that Lucas is as every bit as lethal as he is charming.

KATHRYN HUNTER doesn’t care about powerful vampires or their wars. Her baby brother is missing and she will do anything to find him, even if it means going against both her FBI bosses and the local vampire lord. But Lucas Donlon has other plans for the lovely FBI agent who’s landed on his doorstep.

Waging war against their enemies and each other, Lucas and Kathryn will risk everything to keep the most deadly vampire war in hundreds of years from engulfing every vampire, and human, in North America.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

Seriously, I feel like a broken record when it comes to this series. They're so, SO good!! This one was especially fun for me because I'm from the Midwest. There were several places mentioned in this book that were like going home for me or the beau (I'm from WI, moved to MN & have family in IL, and my other half is from SD). :)

Lucas brings us a new and exciting hero to fall in love with, and more of that 'secret vampire stuff' that we VAMPIRES IN AMERICA fans all love. :)

We meet Lucas in the Betrayed eNovella and find out some things about his history that are incredibly interesting, compelling, and quite possibly damning for anyone outside of the inner-circle that's been forming for the Vampire Lords and their people for some time (I wish I could give you more than that, but I don't do spoilers and will simply tell you that you absolutely need to read this series).

Following the culmination of the previous 5 books and the alliances forged therein, Lucas starts up after the events that played out in the Betrayed eNovella.

The selfish, sadistic vampire Lord of Chicago, Klemens, has finally crossed one too many lines and Lucas isn't standing for it any longer. He's bound and determined to rid the vampire community of this nuisance and is steadily making progress to do just that. Unfortunately, the FBI is demanding to see him and he's irritated to the core to be bothered.

Kathryn isn't just an FBI agent however, she's a concerned sister and will do anything to get her brother back, even if it means getting on the wrong side of some guy who calls himself the "Lord" of the midwest territories.

Kathryn and Lucas's first meeting is the gateway to it all. The chemistry between them is utterly undeniable, and even though each of them want nothing more than to be rid of the interference of the other, they can't seem to stay out of eachother's way.

Raj and Duncan were my favorite heroes of the series. Until Lucas. :) He's cocky, protective, powerful, and sexy as sin, and he speaks with an Irish accent. Need I say more? :)

Kathryn quickly became my 2nd favorite heroine of the series as well. She's a lot like Cyn - independent, strong, and witty, and I loved her. I can't wait for her and Cyn to meet. I see an amazing friendship forming and an exciting expansion to their little Vampire Women's Club - I can totally see D.B writing a spin-off series similar to Patterson's Women's Murder Club with the Ladies of the Vampires in America. :)

This book, like all the others of the series, had it all. It wasn't quite as fast paced as the previous installments in terms of action, but it moved steadily and kept my interest for sure.

The romance in this one was incredibly steamy though! I have seen a progression in D.B's romantic writing throughout the series. I originally classified VAMPIRES IN AMERICA as Urban Fantasy
Romance with an emphasis on the Urban Fantasy. Now I'd call it Paranormal Romance/Vampire Romantic Action-Suspense.

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Lucas 5 Skulls and once again recommends it to everyone. I do however, highly suggest that any new readers begin the series from the beginning. They're incredible and you won't be disappointed, but if you're unable to do that, at least read Raphael, Sophia, and the Betrayed eNovella before Lucas. You can probably infer the happenings of Jabril, Rajmund, and Duncan, but there are things that happen in the first book, in Sophia, and especially in Betrayed that you'll want to know before starting Lucas.

Enjoy!

Lucas

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Duncan

Washington, D.C. … capital of an empire. Powerful. Exhilarating. Corrupt. And in the shadows … vampires far older than the nation itself.

A power unto himself, Duncan has served at Raphael’s side for nearly the entire two hundred years of his existence. But long laid plans have finally borne fruit, and the time has come for Duncan to leave Raphael and tackle the greatest challenge of his life. He will face treacherous vampires and murderous humans. He will rock the halls of human power if necessary. But Washington, D.C. will be his.

Emma Duquet cares nothing for vampire politics. She just wants to find her missing roommate and best friend, Lacey. But Lacey’s been playing with vampires of a particularly dangerous kind, and Emma will have to deal with the new vampire in town if she’s going to find her friend.

Battling powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets, Duncan and Emma will dig beneath the corruption and depravity that is Washington, D.C. and uncover the most heinous conspiracy of all …

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

O.K, I've lusted after Raphael, I've swooned hard over Raj, and now I'm even more hopelessly in love with Duncan. :)

I simply do not know how D.B does it, but the books of this series just get better and better!

As a fan of the series, you can't help but fall in love with Duncan in earlier books with him as a supporting character. He was much too charismatic to stay that way though, so him getting his own book was simply a work in progress. The fact that his book was SO incredible though was a bit of a surprise. It fascinated and captivated me throughout...

Duncan is one of those fabulous heroes. He's supremely alpha (almost as much as Raphael, but in a different way), super smart, sexy, and competent. He's also got that sweet yet sarcastic side that I adore in my alpha males.

Our heroine, Emma, was delightful as well. I definitely related to her. She's one of those people that others don't always read correctly at first glance - she's a bit of a nerd, proud of it, and yet she's not timid.

The storyline of Duncan's book was one of the best in my honest opinion. I've adored them all to date, but there was just something about this one that I loved even more. We get more of the alluring and compelling vampires that we've come to know and love doing whatever is necessary to achieve their goals, but they must tread a bit more carefully in this book. Washington DC requires that the vampires be a bit more public, and yet politics be damned, Duncan and his entire crew stayed true to themselves throughout.

Vampires in America is simply wonderful!

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Duncan a well deserved 5 Skulls.

Duncan

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Sophia

The Pacific Northwest . . . home to lush forests and constant rain, to lumberjacks and computer geeks, especially those of the vampire kind.

Sophia, beautiful and deadly, has spent the last hundred years dancing her way through the balmy nights and hot-blooded men of South America. But when her Sire sends an urgent summons, Sophia rushes home to Vancouver only to find he has disappeared, leaving nothing behind but three dead vampires and a letter with Sophia’s name on it.

Colin Murphy, a former Navy SEAL, came to the Northwest seeking a quiet place to heal the scars earned in more than a decade at war. But when someone starts killing local vampires and torturing their mates, Colin takes on the mantle of a warrior once again as he sets out to find the killers and do whatever it takes to stop them, even if that means hunting with vampires.

Following her Sire’s trail of death to a small town in northern Washington, Sophia unexpectedly discovers the heat of a South American night in Colin’s arms. But all too soon Sophia and Colin find themselves in a race to uncover the killers before the next dead vampire is Sophia herself.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

If you follow my reviews you know that I adore this series and have had nothing but great things to say about it. This book had me a little worried though. It has a female lead, and I've been so enamored of D.B's super alpha male vamp leads up until now that I really wasn't sure what this book was going to be like. Even after starting it, I still wasn't entirely sure, but things quickly turned around and once again, it captivated me to the point of distraction.

This may be sort of a weird review. The book is technically Sophia and Colin's, but I honestly didn't care about them like I should have. What I loved about the book was the action and the continuation of Raphael and Cyn's story. Sorry Sophia, you're an O.K gal and all, and Colin, I really like you, but Cyn and Raphael stole the show in this one.

Most of the story was centered around Cyn and Raphael and uncovers even more layers to not only each of them as individuals but especially them as our alpha couple of the series. It also broadens the stories of some of our other supporting characters in preparation for future installments and I absolutely loved it. The new relationships forged in this book were beautifully written and believable, and the mystery and intrigue were stellar as always. I'd love to tell you more, but I'm not a spoilery reviewer, so you're just going to have to read it for yourself.

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Sophia 5 Skulls. I LOVE this series!

Sophia

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Rajmund

RAJMUND GREGOR is a vampire . . . and the undisputed Master of New York City. He bows to no one but his Sire, Krystof, who is the Vampire Lord for the entire Northeastern U.S. Based in Buffalo, NY, Krystof is an old vampire—-too old, it would seem, because he’s slowly losing his mind. Summoned back to Buffalo by his Sire, Rajmund finds his master out of touch and rapidly weakening. He knows the territory will crumble if something isn’t done, and he’s the only one of Krystof’s children strong enough to seize power. But there’s also the matter of some missing women and a rogue vampire who seems to be moving in for the kill.

SARAH STRATTON has a secret, one she’s never shared with anyone–—at least not anyone who knows her now, not even her good friend Cyn. It’s a secret that could destroy her carefully constructed life, but it’s one she may have to share with a vampire, if she’s going to save the lives of the missing women.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

Oh D.B, why must you continue to write books that make me want to call in sick to work and let my house fall down around me from dirt and disaster? :)

In keeping with my other reviews of the books in this series, Rajmund, the 3rd installment, was incredible and deserving of major kudos, and Rajmund ((sigh)), how I love thee! LOL.

Raphael is continuing on with his 'secret vampire business' and making the rounds to his fellow Lords in the other territories which takes him into Rajmund's territory of NY. Now that Cyn and Raphael are together, she tags along to meet up with her best friend Sarah. When Sarah and Raj meet, sparks fly and it's quite evident that things will never be the same again for anyone involved.

While everyone ends up trying to right the wrongs that Krystof has made of the area, and help the police in an ongoing missing persons investigation, Sarah and Raj succumb to their passions.

As I mentioned earlier I love Raj! He's just so sexy and is considerably more easy going than Raphael. Sarah isn't one of my favorite heroines, she's a bit too whiny for me at times (or maybe it's just because I've gotten so used to Cyn and her absolute fabulousness!?), but Sarah is a perfect match for Raj and I absolutely loved them together.

As usual, I cannot wait to get started on the next book of this series, give Rajmund a well deserved 5 Skulls, and recommend it to everyone!

Rajmund

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Jabril

D.B Reynolds lives with her husband of many years in a flammable canyon near Los Angeles. When she’s not writing her own books, she can usually be found reading someone else’s.

D.B is the proud creator of the VAMPIRES IN AMERICA series. VAMPIRES IN AMERICA currently consists of 5 books – “Raphael”, “Jabril”, “Rajmund”, “Sophia”, “Duncan”, Vignettes Vol. 1, a collection of short stories from the VAMPIRES IN AMERICA world and the newest release BETRAYED, a Cyn & Rafael novella, which was just released only a few days ago. The 6th book in the series, LUCAS, will be released October 2012.

Jabril, Book #2 of the VAMPIRES IN AMERICA series
Author: D.B Reynolds

Synopsis:
Houston, Texas-Cowboy boots, baseball and journeys to the stars . . . right? Wrong. Because Houston is also home to Jabril Karim, one of the eight powerful Vampire Lords who control all of North America. And as Private Investigator Cynthia Leighton will soon discover, not all Vampire Lords are created equal. For Jabril is the face of evil in the new world, a vampire who values no life but his own, who enslaves those he desires, steals whatever he covets and destroys anyone who stands in his way. Running from L.A. and its seductive Vampire Lord, Raphael, Cyn sees the Houston job as a welcome refuge, a place to get away and heal her broken heart. But Texas will be no vacation. For in Jabril Karim, Cyn will confront a true enemy, one who will go to any lengths to satisfy his lusts, enrich his coffers and expand his power. Fighting for the lives of two young sisters, Cyn's journey will take her through the streets of Houston and back to L.A., where the human police are determined to bring Raphael down for the murder of one of their own. But the danger doesn't end there. For Jabril has set his sights on Cyn, and he will stop at nothing to have her.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

The 2nd installment of D.B Reynolds's VAMPIRES IN AMERICA series did not disappoint.

Picking up where Raphael left off with Cyn sorting through her feelings regarding Raphael, DB introduces an insidious villain who readers will absolutely love to hate and a mystery that will keep you turning pages like wildfire!

In keeping with the first book, the action is uber intense, the dialogue witty and engaging, the characters lovable (or despised depending on the spectrum, the romance intense and steamy and the emotions real. The world building continues to amaze and while I was sad to see the book end, I was thrilled with the way it ended and couldn't wait to start reading the next book.

VAMPIRES IN AMERICA has easily become one of my very favorite vampire series out there and I simply cannot get to the next book fast enough.

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Jabril 4 1/2 Skulls and continues to recommend this series to everyone!

Jabril

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Raphael

Malibu, California-home to rock-and-roll gods and movie stars, the beautiful, the rich . . . and vampires.

Powerful and charismatic, Raphael is a Vampire Lord, one of the few who hold the power of life and death over every vampire in existence. Thousands call him Master and have pledged absolute loyalty on their very lives. But when, in a brazen and deadly daylight attack, a gang of human killers kidnaps the one female vampire he'd give his life for, Raphael turns to a human investigator to find his enemies before it's too late.

Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough and sexy, a private investigator and former cop who's tired of spying on cheating spouses and digging out old bank accounts. When Raphael asks for her help in tracking down the kidnappers, Cyn's happy to accept. But she soon realizes her greatest danger comes not from the humans, but from Raphael himself.

Battling Russian mobsters and treacherous vampires, and betrayed by those they trusted, Cyn and Raphael find themselves fighting for their lives while caught up in a passion of blood and violence that is destined to destroy them both.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

I'm a bibliophile. I read, A LOT. And I'm pretty genre specific as well, staying to the Paranormal side of things. With that said, I've pretty much run through the vampire sub-genres out there and was starting to think that I couldn't find one that would 'wow' me anymore. I was wrong!

Vampires in America is what I like to call Urban Fantasy Romance... it has the best of both worlds and then some, and Raphael was an amazing first installment in this superb new series.

If you like your heroes uber alpha and unapologetic about their otherness, your heroines kick-a$$, your action intense, your romance steamy and spontaneous and your mystery intriguing, then you simply MUST check out this book and series!

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Raphael 4 Skulls and would recommend it to everyone! I can't wait to keep reading...

Raphael

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Daughter of the Sword

Steve Bein (pronounced "Bine") is an author, philosopher, professor, climber, photographer, translator, and world traveler. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s, Interzone, Writers of the Future, and in international translation. Daughter of the Sword, his first novel, has received critical acclaim.

Steve was born in Oak Park, Illinois, a near west suburb of Chicago. His first career as a perpetual student took him to universities in Illinois, Germany, Japan, and Hawai‘i. That all culminated in a PhD in philosophy from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Today Steve is a visiting professor of Asian philosophy and Asian history at the State University of New York at Geneseo, where he also teaches courses in philosophy and science fiction.

His other academic interests include bioethics, which led him to a short stint as a visiting researcher at the Mayo Medical School, and environmental philosophy, which led him to see polar bears in Canada and penguins and whales in Antarctica. His more recent travels have taken him to historical sites and art museums around the Mediterranean and to wildlife preserves all across southern Africa.

Steve is a rock climber, mountaineer, SCUBA diver, skier, and avid traveler, and he enjoys just about anything he can do outdoors. He has dabbled in a wide range of martial arts (twenty-five at last count) and he holds black belts in two American forms of combative martial arts. These days he has returned to studying Brazilian Jiujitsu.

Today Steve splits his time between Rochester, Minnesota and Rochester, New York. He lives with Michele, his partner of seventeen years, and their Labs, Kane and Buster.

Daughter of the Swords, FATED BLADES series Book #1
Author: Steve Bein

Synopsis:

Mariko Oshiro is not your average Tokyo cop. As the only female detective in the city’s most elite police unit, she has to fight for every ounce of respect, especially from her new boss. While she wants to track down a rumored cocaine shipment, he gives her the least promising case possible. But the case—the attempted theft of an old samurai sword—proves more dangerous than anyone on the force could have imagined.

The owner of the sword, Professor Yasuo Yamada, says it was crafted by the legendary Master Inazuma, a sword smith whose blades are rumored to have magical qualities. The man trying to steal it already owns another Inazuma—one whose deadly power eventually comes to control all who wield it. Or so says Yamada, and though he has studied swords and swordsmanship all his life, Mariko isn’t convinced.

But Mariko’s skepticism hardly matters. Her investigation has put her on a collision course with a curse centuries old and as bloodthirsty as ever. She is only the latest in a long line of warriors and soldiers to confront this power, and even the sword she learns to wield could turn against her.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer - Cheryl:

Daughter of the Sword is this conglomeration of historical Japanese lore, true Japanese history and urban fantasy. I received a copy with a really great cover from Literal Addiction which received the copy from the publisher for review purposes. I have to admit this was already on my to-be-read list already so when I had the opportunity to review it for L.A. I jumped at it and though there were times I was lost in the Japanese terminology, I enjoyed learning them. Steve Bein did such a good job with character development that there were times I had to put the book down or scream at the bigotry and misogynistic treatment that Mariko received from her co-workers, especially her new lieutenant.
Mariko is a worldly, intelligent, butt-kicker. She is a great cop, much to the dismay of both her family and her fellow police officers. She has the great honor of being the first female detective and the only one of her rank. She has a family that she is at odds with because of some problems her sister has that has put a wedge between them. They were so close that most in their community can tell the difference in their relationship and are watching and gossiping like the Oshiros are a soap opera to be monitored by all. Their mom is caught in the middle and it is quite interesting to see the dichotomy between the three of them as they juggle the past with the present.

Daughter of the Sword tells the history of several of the swords created by a great master named Inazuma. One of the swords has a terrible history and is the focus of a lot of the backdrop told in the book. There are multiple periods covered that tell the story of the sword and all who have owned it along with a lot of information about samurai. We also learn the history of a Professor Yamada who is very renowned for his knowledge of swords and martial arts. He also has a very deep history and some of his actions possibly reverberate throughout the history of his homeland. There are some aspects of World War II discussed and it allows the reader to see things from Yamada's and his friend's points-of-view.

Another interesting aspect of this story is the relationship between the police and Yakuza. I was a little lost with some of the Japanese terms for the different legs of the organized crime in Japan but, it made for another aspect of this story which is that it is also a Japanese police procedural with tons of action and a fair bit of gore which is to be expected when swords are involved. The sword play was described beautifully and it was interesting to see Mariko’s initiation into her version of a samurai’s way of life. If you love reading about far-away places, historical fiction and fantasy this book should definitely be on your list.

LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer gives Daughter of the Sword 4 Skulls.

Daughter of the Sword

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Deliver Me From Tempation

Tes Hilaire: Daphne Award-winning author Tes Hilaire started creating whole new worlds to escape upstate New York's harsh winters before finally fleeing to sultry North Carolina. Her stories are edgy, exciting, and bring a hint of dark fantasy to paranormal romance. And no one ever has to shovel snow.

Deliver Me From Tempation, Book #2 of the PALADIN WARRIORS series
Author: Tes Hilaire

Synopsis:
Logan Calhoun is the last full-blooded Paladin, the future leader of a race of immortal warrior angels. The heavy responsibility of continuing the Paladin line falls to him, and the last thing he should do is get involved with a human. Then fate throws Jessica Waters, a homicide detective who doesn't believe in fate or divine intervention, into his path. Her devotion lies in her Glock and a good set of handcuffs. Like Logan, she's a warrior for her people, and she awakens within him something he'd never thought he'd feel. But she's also as human as they come...

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Associate Reviewer - Mich M:

This is the 2nd book in Tes Hilaire's Paladin series and it was even better than the first!

The plot threads left open in book one are picked up again in this book only the focus has changed from Roland and Karissa to Logan. Logan is a Paladin warrior and next in line to be their leader. When he is inexplainably drawn to Jessica, the Homicide Detective who is trying to arrest his brother-in-law for murder, he has to decide whether to go against tradition and mate with a human or put the needs of his brethren above his own.

Logan and Valin captured my attention in the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Logan in this book, he certainly doesn't disappoint and the little snippets of Valin have me eager for more.

I loved the twists in this one and the addition of succubi & incubi to the vampires, angels & demons. It makes for an interesting cast of characters.

I highly recommend this series :)

LITERAL ADDICTION's Associate Reviewer gives Deliver Me From Temptation 5 Skulls.

Deliver Me From Temptation

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Ghosts of Memories

Barb Hendee lives in a quirky small town just south of Portland, Oregon.

She is the author of the Vampire Memories series and the upcoming Mist Torn Witches series, as well as the Noble Dead Saga which she writes with her husband J.C.

J.C. and Barb share a home office with their desks pushed up against one another.

They garden year-round and grow a good deal of their own food.

They also seem to spend a good deal of time researching myths and folklore about vampires.

Ghosts of Memories, book #5 of the VAMPIRE MEMORIES series

Author: Barb Hendee

Synopsis:

With her vampire protector Philip Branté and their human companion Wade Sheffield, a former police psychologist, Eleisha Clevon searches the world for isolated vampires—and offers them sanctuary. She wants to provide a home where she can teach them to follow the Four Laws that will protect them and their kind.

But not all vampires want to live by anyone’s rules but their own. Christian Lefevre has been posing a psychic, catering to the upper crust of Seattle society by making contact with their dead loved ones—and leaving his clients faint and weak after each encounter. Now Eleisha must confront the most deadly predator she has ever faced—or lose everything she has fought to protect…

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

*ARC provided by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ghosts of Memories is the 5th installment of Barb Hendee's VAMPIRE MEMORIES series, but can easily be read as a standalone novel.

In this installment, Eleisha, our sweet & charming 'vampire social worker' is still on the hunt for others of their kind to offer them refuge at the Underground, the shelter she runs out of a church with her damaged protector and lover Philip and heroic human partner Wade. She's also still making a home for Maxim, Rose, and their ghost Seamus, while helping each to heal in their own way. They've become more than just a group helping one another. They've become a family.

Unfortunately, there's still a diabolical and unstable vampire out there whose only goal is to wipe out any and all vampires whom he sees as competition, and in his head, that's pretty much any vampire except Eleisha, whom he feels he needs to track down those remaining of their kind - in order to eliminate them all.

When Wade and Eleisha find Christian and Ivory, two vampires running a bit of a con game, they set out to make contact and try to convince them to return with them to the Underground where they can keep them safe and introduce them to others of their kind. Things don't go quite as planned, however, and those that they're trying to help just might end up being more trouble than they're worth.

I loved the way that Barb introduced more than 1 villain into this story, and even though the greatest threat started out as Julian in continuation with the books before, it became clear that a calculating vampire with a God complex and an unbalanced sense of self-righteousness is a much greater threat than any crazy psycho with a blade.

I also loved how she used flashbacks to give us more character information and introduce additional emotion into the story. The overlapping histories were a beautiful spin as well and made the interaction between the characters in this release that much more compelling.

While one storyline of the series may have been wrapped up in this installment, the door was opened for a multitude of other possible plotlines for either this series or a spin-off and I can't wait to see where Barb takes us next in this unique and gripping world.

Ghosts of Memories was a wonderful 4 1/2 skull read. I love these characters and I love the emotion that Barb brings in every book!

Ghosts of Memories

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Claiming the Wolf

Michele Hauf has been writing romance, action-adventure and fantasy stories for over nineteen years. Her first published novel was “Dark Rapture”.
France, musketeers, vampires, and faeries populate her stories. And if she followed the adage ‘write what ou know’, all her stories would have snow in them. Fortunately she steps beyond her comfort zone and writes about countries she has never visited and creatures she has never seen.
The proud creator of the BEWITCHING THE DARK, WICKED GAMES, OF ANGELS AND DEMONS, CHANGELINGS, THE NETWORK, THE SAINT-SYLVESTRES, and THIS WITCHERY series, Michele continues to amaze release after release.

Claiming the Wolf
Author: Michele Hauf

Synopsis:

Werewolf Christian Hart thought he missed the action of battling vampires—until an encounter with vampiress Danni Weber. She bites him during their fight, the worst fate imaginable for a wolf. His pack would banish Hart forever if they find out. Nevertheless, Hart finds himself drawn to Danni, his sworn enemy, a woman he knows is as deadly as she is beautiful.

Then the blood hunger hits. Hart refuses to harm a mortal, even as his desire for blood and sex becomes too overwhelming to fight. His solution: turn to Danni to satisfy his cravings….

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

*eARC provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review

Claiming the Wolf was another great read by Michele Hauf!

It was sweet, hot, interesting, & had just enough action to keep me turning pages eagerly.

Michele always writes gripping Novellas. I'm not sure how she's always able to put so much into so little words, but she does it beautifully...

Hart and Danni are great characters. The enforcer werewolf and the independent vampire, brought together under very unusual circumstances and thrown together by fate.

Their journey was very interesting, and I liked the way that Michele laid out the tale. I would have loved a bit more build up before they ended up getting together, but that's the draw back of novellas, shortcuts have to be taken somewhere and it's always a choice of losing back story or losing present, hot, steamy love scenes and action sequences and I think that we'll all agree we'll take the latter. :)

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Claiming the Wolf 4 Skulls and would recommend it to all Paranormal Romance fans, fans of Michele Hauf, and vampire and werewolf lovers.

Claiming the Wolf

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Daughter of the Spellcaster

Maggie Shayne It was a sleepless night spent caring for a sick baby that jump-started New York Times Bestselling Author Maggie Shayne’s writing career.

A voracious reader and prolific writer from childhood, Maggie found herself without a book to read while coddling the colicky child. So instead she began spinning a tale of her own, creating a plotline that evolved in her thoughts until, a few days later, she sat down and wrote the story in longhand.

Now the author of more than forty novels, ranging from stories about Witches, vampires, psychics and ghosts, to bone chilling, edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense and beyond. The genres she has mastered include women’s fiction, category romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal fiction. Maggie has honed her lyrical prose and made a name for herself on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon.com, B.Dalton, Booksense, Ingram’s, Barnes and Noble, and Waldenbooks (where she reached #1) bestseller lists.

Maggie is the winner of numerous awards, including two Romantic Times Bookclub Career Achievement Awards, the National Readers Choice Award, and the coveted RITA Award, for which she was nominated twelve times before finally winning.

She has also written for CBS daytime dramas, Guiding Light and As the World Turns. One of Maggie’s novels, Eternity, has been optioned for film.

Daughter of the Spellcaster, book #2 of THE PORTAL series
Author: Maggie Shayne

Synopsis:

Has a spell been cast?

Lena Dunkirk is a practicing witch, Ryan McNally a wealthy playboy. Logic says mismatch, yet from the first they share a passion that defies reason, as if they know each other from another place, another time. Then Lena gets pregnant and runs for the safety of home.

Months later, when Ryan appears at her door looking to help raise their child, Lena doesn’t know whom to trust–particularly now that “guru to the stars” Bahru has taken an interest in her baby, offering gifts forged of magic.

Soon she and Ryan are sharing eerie dreams of ancient lands, while a vengeful demon plots to take possession of their child. As the moment of birth approaches, the demon’s power rises, forcing the hand of love to wield the blade that will decide the fate of a child’s soul–and the future of the world.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

*eARC received from NetGalley.

If you follow my reviews, you know that I'm a huge Maggie Shayne fan. I love her writing, I love her worlds, I love her characters... This book most certainly did not disappoint. In fact, my exact words upon finishing the book were: "Unbelievably, amazingly, fantastically good!! Writing a review to do this justice may prove to be difficult. I simply loved it."

Even with that said though, let's try...

Daughter of the Spellcaster was a beautifully written Paranormal Romance full of hope, magick, intrigue and heart.

Lena and her mother are witches living in a tiny town in NY and getting ready to welcome their new addition - Lena's daughter, Selma's granddaughter - into the world. When Lena hears that a close acquaintance from years ago has died and left something to her in his will, she must leave the security of Havenwood to go to the memorial.

Ryan is a high society playboy who has just lost his father whom he's felt abandoned by pretty much his whole life. When the death brings his old girlfriend Lena back into his life with a bit of a surprise, he begins to rethink his priorities and his future.

The two embark on a journey to find answers to Ryan's father's lifetime quest while learning more about each other along the way. After so many years and so many misunderstandings though, trust is a bit hard to come by, not to mention the fact that there are dark forces at work undermining their growth each step of the way.

Maggie introduced some very 'human' characters in this installment of the Portal series. I loved everything about them and adored the way that Maggie painted the story with words, providing a vivid canvas of a tale that I won't easily forget.

I also adored how she tied together books #1 and #2 of the series and paved the way for book #3 in January; it was genius.

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Daughter of the Spellcaster a well deserved 5 Skulls. The Portal series has easily become one of my very favorite series out there, though that doesn't surprise me given the author. :) I simply cannot wait for book #3 to become available.

Daughter of the Spellcaster

Monday, October 22, 2012

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Lucas

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Duncan

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Sophia

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Rajmund

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Jabril

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Raphael

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Daughter of the Sword

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Deliver Me From Tempation

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Ghosts of Memories

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Claiming the Wolf

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Daughter of the Spellcaster

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