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Showing posts with label Brava/Kensington Publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brava/Kensington Publishing. Show all posts
Monday, December 3, 2012
Review: Angel In Chains by Cynthia Eden
Angel In Chains
Author: Cynthia Eden
Release Date: Nov. 27, 2012
Publisher: Kensington Brava
The Fallen #3
ISBN: #978-0758267634
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (352 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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As a fallen Angel of Death, Azrael is cursed to walk the earth alone in search of redemption. One night, as he wanders the streets of New Orleans, he discovers a woman surrounded by panther shifters. No longer able to contain the anger simmering within, Az summons his dark powers and attacks, determined to protect this innocent human from certain death.
Only Jade Pierce is no delicate flower. She’s spent years learning to survive and fight the evil forces sent by her ex-lover who refuses to let her go. But after seeing Az in action, she figures she could use a little supernatural help. And so she plans a course of seduction guaranteed to arouse his interest and his angelic passions…
What B is talking about:
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Jade Pierce may be human, but she’s also deadly, strong, and clever. A survivor first and foremost, she’s lived her life on the run from her psychotic shifter ex for years. As much as she’d like to see Brandt dead, she knows she can’t kill him on her own, and has gotten very good at knowing when it’s time to escape. Getting close to anyone else has only led to the destruction of those she cares about, and standing up to Brandt was never an option she could allow herself to consider. Until she met Azrael.
Though he now roams the streets of New Orleans as a “fallen,” Azreal spent his entire heavenly existence bringing death to those whose time on earth had ended. Once the commander of angels, Az will do anything to get his wings back, but something about the fiery woman he’s decided to help makes him think that Heaven isn’t what he really needs after all. As much as he wants redemption, Az soon discovers that temptation is even better.
Angel in Chains is essentially a rescue story at its onset, but becomes much more than that by the end. Jade and Az both have ulterior motives for joining forces, and have no qualms about using each other to those ends. Jade wants protection from Brandt, and Azrael believes that saving her will be his redemption and path back to Heaven. But, as their story progresses they discover what sacrifice really means, and their determination to see each other survive will either save the earth, or destroy it utterly. It’s not an easy transition, but Ms. Eden manages it with feeling and sincerity that continues to grow throughout the story.
Azrael and Jade are absolutely perfect for each other. Hot, sexy, erotic—all three apply in this case, as both characters briefly try to resist each other, knowing their mutual surrender to their desires is inevitable. Azrael is a virgin, but he’s clearly a sexual creature, and Ms. Eden thankfully never attempts to portray him as an uncertain innocent. There’s nothing particularly innocent about either of them, as a matter of fact, which I really enjoyed. Az never puts up a strong defense against the temptation of Jade, but instead convinces himself that, since he’s already fallen, pleasure is an acceptable and worthwhile pursuit. Az is, in short, a very bad angel. And I, like Jade, wouldn’t have him any other way.
Angel in Chains was a captivating read, and I’m once again sorry that I’ve not read the first two novels in the series, something I intend to correct soon. While Jade and Az are fantastic characters, the author gives her other characters just as much complexity, and I was unable to dismiss any of them as truly “minor.” Brandt is the bad guy I loved to hate, and I was very pleased that his traumatic history wasn’t used as an excuse for the atrocities he committed. Never trading sex for substance, Angel in Chains is more than just a romp between humans and immortals, it is an exciting, engaging story about falling in love and the salvation that goes with it.
B’s Rating:
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Loved it - enthusiastically recommend (A)
Purchase Info:
Angel Betrayed (The Fallen #2)
Angel In Chains (The Fallen #3)
Labels:
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Review: Eternity's Mark
Eternity’s Mark
Author: Maeve Greyson
Release Date: Feb. 28, 2012
Publisher: Brava/Kensington
ISBN: #978-0758273390
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (320 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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A sexy Scot. A mystical inheritance. What could go wrong?
Veterinarian Hannah MacPherson knows better than to believe in love at first - or any - sight. True, being swept away by Taggart de Gaelson to the vast Scottish castle she's mysteriously inherited is uber-romantic. The legacy is totally legitimate, and its messenger is big, broad-shouldered, and smokin' in more ways than one...
Too bad Taggart forgot to mention that Hannah's also a Guardian of magical dragons called the Draecna. And as Hannah's sworn otherworldly protector, Taggart is honor-bound not to lay a hand on her, no matter how close he gets...
But turning duty into pleasure is just too tempting. And for Hannah, mastering her powers and saving two worlds from evil will be way easier than showing one hardheaded warrior that breaking all the rules means they are eternally made for each other...
What G & U are talking about:
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Much to our shock, Eternity’s Mark appears to be a standalone novel. Gikany and Una are much chagrined because, although there was a bit of a slow start, this is a great read! Another bonus, there’s nothing like having a sexy Scot (complete with accent) being heard in your mind for an afternoon.
Hannah and Taggert are just a wonderful pair. Their rocky (and slow) start in the beginning resembles the beginning of a fire. It just smokes and is a bit annoying and then…then a spark of flame appears and the fire begins to roar. Eternity’s Mark is just the same. The beginning in Hannah’s hometown is essential but slow. Once they start traveling to her inheritance, the novel quickly picks up. We loved the subtle nuances of their banter and how they try so hard to fight their attraction to each other -- going so far as to blatantly lie to themselves (fully knowing what they are doing). Their story is so heart-warming. Both of them are nursing painful wounds and trying to guard against a similar pain – even if it means missing out on something that could be soul completing. Their love story is just engrossing. With the twists and turns, we are amazed we have fingernails left!
The world is so fascinating with the idea of portal guardians. Our world is linked to others and we just don’t know about it. These guardians try to keep us safe from evil that could emerge through these portals. The world building is fairly seamless and enchanting. The blending of the different worlds and of long-lived races was well done. The politics and pain that only those you loved could inflict is powerful.
If you want a standalone (though hopefully there might be another book in this world) that can make you laugh, cry and warm you from head to toes, pick up Eternity’s Mark. You won’t regret it.
Their Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Review: Fever
Fever
Author: Joan Swan
Release Date: Feb. 28, 2012
Publisher: Brava/Kensington
Phoenix Rising #1
ISBN: #978-0758266385
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format(s): Paperback (354 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish… But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with a ripped body, a determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she’s in deep trouble…. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more.
A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose… Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.
What I’m talking about:
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Teague Creek (yes, that is his name!) is a wrongfully convicted felon in a high-security prison. His only wants are to escape, reunite with his young daughter, and live a long life away from those who want him behind bars, hurt or worse. His plans involve kidnapping a technician from a local hospital, who happens to be the girlfriend of the man who is guardian over his daughter. Of course, when he kidnaps Dr. Alyssa Foster - the wrong woman - things go from bad to worse. Top that off with a fellow inmate who is pure evil joining the escape plans, and you have a mix for an action-packed, suspenseful journey towards freedom. Nothing goes right for Teague, and he is being hunted by government officials that would rather see him dead than free again.
Right from the start I was engrossed in this story. The details and events unfolded before me in the perfect manner. The reader is given little nuggets that are just enough to keep you going and find out more. The tone is harsh, the mood is dark, but our heroine, Alyssa, seems to find a way to make it lighter and easier. In addition, Ms. Swan demonstrates excellent descriptive abilities, smoothly integrating rich detail about the scenery and plot into the story.
Overall I liked Alyssa and Teague. They fit together well and complimented one another... when he was rash, she made him stop and think, when she was hurt, he healed her. They have one of those back-and-forth, give-and-take relationships. And boy did they have steam! Thanks to a mysterious fire Teague was involved with several years back, he has the ability to increase his body temperature to way above normal. He uses his “power” to help heal, jump-start cars, and melt metal. And I can only imagine how hot he is in bed (and other places!)
I did feel that Alyssa was a bit too forgiving of Teague at times. She was held hostage and harassed. Teague may not have meant to physically hurt her, but he did cause emotional abuse. It is a bit unbelievable in the context of the real world... that she would take his "abuse" and keep coming back. I liked how Alyssa's brother, Mitch, described the situation... Saying about Teague, he may have been an upstanding citizen going into jail, but jail changes everyone. It's true, Teague is a harder man. Luckily Alyssa continues to chip away at Teague's exterior, exposing the tarnished gem inside. And since it's a romance, I forgive the rough start and enjoy them as a couple.
The ending of the story did wrap up a little too neatly and easily for my tastes, but it is a satisfying conclusion. The author left many open doors, and I am interested to see where this goes. There are some people very interested in the group of firefighters that were exposed to chemicals which altered their body chemistry (like Teague). I want to know what will happen to the other men in Teague’s band of brothers, and what is the ultimate goal of these dark nefarious players.
I also want to comment about the use of racial slurs in this story. There had been much discussion on GoodReads about the use of racial slurs in this book. There is a character who is pure evil and YES, he uses just about ever cliched slur available. If this is something you know will bother you, then this book is not for you. It's okay not to be okay with the content in this book. It is also okay to still enjoy this book, even though it has some nasty parts. Neither opinion is wrong. This character is not a big part of the overall book and does make an exit a quarter of the way into the book. For me, the character's use of the slurs fit his persona, and I was able to read past the content and focus on other aspects of the story, but it isn’t for everyone.
Fever has the perfect amount of world-building for a first book in a new series. The story was easy to follow, unfolded at a great pace, and had just the right amount of frustration without overkill. It was an enjoyable, quick read, and I want to know what will happen next.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Want to win a copy of FEVER? See author Joan Swan's guest post HERE and enter (March 13-15, 2012)
Purchase Info:
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