Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Darkest Passion


Title: The Darkest Passion
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Lords of the Underworld (Book 5)
Genre: Paranormal Romance



Aeron is the keeper of Wrath. Whenever he meets someone he sees the bad things they've done in the past and wants to punish them in the same (or similar) way that they've hurt someone else. If he comes across a wife beater, he wants to beat them to death. A womanizer who has broken many hearts, he wants to slice their heart into pieces. This makes it difficult for him to be with women because he wants to punish them all.

Aeron has an "adopted daughter," Legion. She is a small demon creature that is bound to Aeron. He cherishes her and does everything he can to keep her happy, including decorating his room in pink and lace. Legion is the one "person" who his demon seems to accept. Unfortunately, she is a little possessive of Aeron and can hurt everyone by the poison that drips from her teeth.

Lately Aeron has been feeling a presence watching him. Legion has left due to this presence that she tells him is an angel. Little does Aeron know, but this angel has been sent to kill him because he has helped Legion escape from hell. Fortunately for Aeron, this angel has strong feelings for him and has chosen to fall from Heaven and loose her wings so that she can be with him and not have to kill him. The only problem with this is that another angel is going to be sent in her place.

The angel's name is Olivia. She is pure as angels should be and has had to literally claw her way up from hell to find Aeron. Aeron feels drawn to her, but doesn't want to like her due to too may complications. If he's with Olivia, Legion cannot come back, he has been threatened by another angel with death if he soils Olivia. On top of all this, there is still the normal Hunter business to deal with and looking for the artifacts.

Wow. I think this is one of the best books I've read all year. I always forgot how much I love this series (and the author in general) until I pick them up again. Her scenes are so vibrant and her love scenes so steamy. She introduces you to the characters in the perfect way where you don't feel overwhelmed by the amount of them. (Unlike The Sword, which I also read recently)

I feel so connected to the characters, even the ones that are not the main character for this particular book. I cannot wait to read Paris' story, especially after the little tidbit at the end of this book. I feel like he is such a tormented sweetheart. I also cannot wait to read Gideon's Story (The Darkest Lie - up next).

Friday, July 23, 2010

Divine By Blood


Title: Divine By Blood
Author: P.C. Cast
Series: Divine (Book 3)
Genre: Fantasy, Romance



Morrigan is the daughter that Rhiannon died giving birth to. She lives with her G-ma and G-pa (Shannon's parents) and they have tried to raise her knowing and loving Eponia. Morrigan feels like she just doesn't belong. She has taken many drama classes so that she can act in her real day to day life and seem normal. She hears voices on the wind as well as other times and constantly worries that she is going to be swayed by evil, since she has been warned by her grandparents.

She goes on a little road trip with her friends from high school before they all part for college and go their separate ways. They go to an underground cave where Morrigan realizes that she can hear voices in the stones and that they call her "Light Bringer" She also discovers that she can make light radiate out of the stones if she asks them.

This eventually leads to her going through a large stone and ending up in Partholon. There she is received in one of the southern areas away from where Shannon is living her life. She emerges in a civilization that lives basically solely in the caves. They worship her as another Goddess' Chosen (although we later find out it's just another name for Epona). She starts to learn this new society and feels for the first time like she is fitting in. But of course darkness comes and tempts her.

I felt like the story was decent, although I was saddened at how much we didn't hear about Shannon and the life she was living. I had several moments in the book where I had intense crying bouts and really felt like it was an emotional journey.

There are 2 more books that are kind of a spin off of this series for young adults. They are about 4 generations after Shannon, her great grandchildren. I really love the land of Partholon and think that I may look into those as well.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Sword


Title: The Sword
Author: Jean Johnson
Series: Sons of Destiny (Book 1)
Genre: Fantasy Romance


Kelly Doyle has a bit of a hard life. She's skin and bones, eating sometimes only one meal a day because she can't afford food. She owns a shop but her neighborhood believes that she is a witch and therefore deters people from shopping there. One night they decide that they are going to burn down her house while she's sleeping inside, an appropriate punishment for a witch.

Saber is one of the 8 Sons of Destiny. 4 sets of twins who look nothing alike, they all wield magic powers and have an affinity for something. A famous Seer who has never been wrong has sung their destiny. Their destinies all revolve around women and what will happen when they come around. Saber's verse says:

The Eldest Son shall bear this weight:
If ever true love he should feel
Disaster shall come at her heel
And Katan will fail to aid
When Sword in sheath is claimed by Maid

The 8 brothers are exiled to Nightfall Isle, where they are not allowed to leave, have visitors and most importantly No Women. This all changes when the youngest and most magically talented brother Morganen rescues Kelly from her death and transports her to their world.

Of course, once Kelly comes and she and Saber cannot help but fall in love a Disaster is on it's way.

Holy Description. Holy Information. I had a very difficult time with the beginning of the book. So much information is thrown in initially with pages and pages of description. Each brother is thoroughly described in several different ways. Their looks, their attitude, their affinity for magic and anything else that could be described. The castle isn't left out either.

Once I got past that part I did think it was pretty good. I loved the contradiction of Kelly (our) world and the world that the magically gifted brothers live in. Kelly has a very strong personality and bosses around all the brothers helping them to clean up their castles and their lives.

Each brother has his own book and fulfillment of their portion of the song. Next is The Wolf, which tells the story of Wolfer, Saber's twin.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Twice Tempted By A Rogue


Title: Twice Tempted By A Rogue
Author: Tessa Dare
Series: Stud Club (Book 2)
Genre: Historical Romance



Rhys St. Maur is one of the members of the Stud Club. He seems to have all the luck in the world, which he isn't too happy about. For most of his life Rhys has had a death wish. He has fought in countless battles and tried unsuccessfully to get himself killed. It just doesn't work. He's a pretty broken man due to a past that haunts him. He decides to do something about it and ends up in his "hometown" where he is the Lord. There he meets Meredith.

Meredith has always had a thing for Rhys. When she was younger she would secretly follow him around and doodled her name with his. Now she is a grown woman who has had no easy life. She is surprised when Rhys comes back to town and even more surprised when out of the blue he asks her to marry him.

There is something about Meredith that Rhys just can't get out of his mind. He wants to make her happy and make things up to her that he thinks he owes her. He is big into fate and keeps telling her they're meant to be together so stop fighting it. Meredith wants to hear not how he's going to marry her because it's fate, but because he love and wants her. So she continually denies it.

Another fantastic book from Tessa Dare. There was something about the two of these characters that fit just right. Meredith was such a well rounded woman who had to look out for herself and the others that depend on her. Rhys is one of those characters who your heart just goes out to because in some ways he is self conscious of himself and there are a few misunderstandings that wrench the heartstrings.

I eagerly await book 3, the final book. Three Nights With A Scoundrel, although I am a little worried because its main character is Julian Bellamy, who I don't particularly enjoy as a character.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

One Dance With A Duke


Title: One Dance With A Duke
Author: Tessa Dare
Series: Stud Club (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Romance



Amelia is a 26 year old spinster. She goes to the balls, but doesn't really expect anything to come of it. She is a wallflower of sorts although loves her siblings dearly.

The Duke of Midnight shows up every night at the balls and dances one set with one lady. Then he leaves. For some reason on this night Amelia walks in his path and accepts a dance from him that he hadn't offered.

This leads to an interesting position. The Duke, Spencer, gets sick when around crowds and has to run outside to feel better. Amelia goes with him and sees that he's not well. Shortly after they learn that a mutual friend of theirs has been murdered, and they leave to inform his sister.

After the two have been out all night together and for some other reason unknown to the Duke at the time, he proposes marriage to Amelia and she accepts. It looks like it will be a good marriage, except that the Duke is obsessed with the Stud Club.

The Stud Club members are "owners" of an ancient racehorse. There are 10 tokens and to be a member of the club you must obtain your token through a game of chance. Spencer owns 7 of them - Leo (the friend who died) had one as well as 2 other gentlemen. Spencer wants to own them all and own the horse, because he doesn't like to share.

This leads for many misunderstandings and hurt feelings in their marriage.

Another spectacular read by Tessa Dare, I bought this one hoping that it'd be as good as Goddess of the Hunt, and I wasn't disappointed. I cannot wait to see where the rest of the series goes.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Chains of Ice


Title: Chains of Ice
Author: Christina Dodd
Series: The Chosen Ones (Book 3)
Genre: Paranormal


Genny Valente has been bullied into doing things by her father her whole life. While she wanted to be a veterinarian, her father made her go to business school. She eventually has basically given up on her own hopes and dreams when her father surprises her with a trip with a renowned expert to study an endangered species, the Ural Lynx. Unfortunately, the trip is tainted. Genny made a deal with an agency so that she could get the money to go to college. She thought she was going to pay them back in money - but now they are calling in a favor. They want her to seek out John Powell and bring him back to NYC.

It's not an easy trip and right off the bat, Genny hears stories of the "Yeti" A man who has secluded himself away into the wilderness and only shows up in town for one of two reasons: his mail or to choose and ravish a woman with the best sex of her life. Of course, this is John Powell.

Genny knows that someone is watching her and assumes it is John. This suspicion doesn't get confirmed until she nearly dies while watching for the Lynx, and John saves her life. After that they seem to have some magical pull to each other. John shows her where Mama Cat and her kittens live and Genny is blessed with some of the best photos and experiences of her life.

But John isn't all happy and loving. He is dealing with some dark issues from his past, that he eventually confesses to Genny. It doesn't matter to her and she tries to help him heal and see things from a different view.

But then John finds out what Genny's original motive was for seeking him out. He is furious with her and she leaves him and leads him to believe that she has died.

Up until this point, the story could have basically been a stand alone book. None of the characters from the previous books really make an appearance, with the exception of the mention of Gary. But thinking that Genny is dead, John goes and seeks out the remaining Chosen Ones and offers his services.

I really enjoyed this installment to the series. I read it in one day and just felt like I couldn't put it down. The relationship between Genny and John for the most part was pretty cute, although I was a little put off by how soon after meeting John spills all his darkest secrets. You think he would have waited a little longer.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Divine By Choice


Title: Divine By Choice
Author: P.C. Cast
Series: Divine (Book 2)
Genre: Fantasy, Romance


Rhea (Previously and secretly known as Shannon) has been sick. She can't keep anything down and thinks that she's seeing evil lurking in dark corners. Go figure - she's pregnant.

ClanFintan and Rhea go to a grove to try and help out Epi, who is also not acting herself. Imagine their surprise when Rhea is pulled through the trees back to her life (or what's left of it) in Oklahoma.

Here we meet Clint, the mirror image of ClanFintan. Evil has transferred between the worlds with Rhea and she needs to fix it before she can go back to Partholon. The person behind the evil crossing the line is the real Rhiannon.

A beautiful addition to the series. I cried and had my heart squeezed quite a few times. The story has progressed nicely and I really enjoyed seeing Rhea come face to face with Rhiannon. I also loved seeing their similarities/differences. That goes the same for Clint and ClanFintan. Cannot wait to read the next one.