Summer Reading

The fun thing about going away for a week is that you can kick back and enjoy a book or two.  Last week I had just that opportunity and amongst others I had the chance to read and review these books.

Turn the Page by Ditter Kellen

Catherine Grier seemed to have it all—money, prestige, and a beach house that would rival the Hamptons. But an old scar buried deep in her soul hides a life filled with lonely nights and painful memories…until a dusty old book lands in her lap, sending her back in time to 1767 and into the arms of sexy Lord Bryne Adair.

Forced from his country on charges of treason, Bryne trusts no one, especially not the blue-eyed, blonde-haired vixen he discovers in his bed, claiming to be from the future. Unable to resist, he’ll play her game to the end. He has nothing left to lose but his heart.

Thrown back in time as fate decides to give Catherine a chance to love again, but will she be able to let go? I enjoyed this book by Ditter Kellen, the characters were well developed and the plot moved smoothly. I am not usually a fan of historical romances and although this was set in the 1700's there were enough references to the modern day for it not to be seen too much like a classical period romance.

The PlayDragon Billionaire by Maria Amor

“Can She Tame The PlayDragon?” 27 year old Billionaire Bran Garret is loving his playboy lifestyle and does not want it to end. However, as a dragon shifter the time has now come for him to find a mate and produce an heir. A baby dragon that will, one day, take over his empire. Bran was surprised when he met the young and beautiful Seraphina. There was something about her that made her stand out from all the other women that he has previously met. Now Bran wonders if she has what it takes to become his mate.. Little does Bran know, Seraphina has more then what it takes to tame a PlayDragon like him and he is about to find out exactly why... 

A delightful tale of finding a mate and dragons. This was a really quick read but managed to create an interesting story with believable characters, though I felt the ending lacked.  It needed an epilogue to satisfy the unanswered questions of whether Seraphina's heritage has an effect on the gene pool. A complete tale with HEA.

Bitten Surrender by Rebecca Royce

Hanzi has been a vampire so long he has forgotten what it is to be human.  But the curse which made him a vampire also promised him a bride.  His time has come and the darkest of all vampires intends to collect what is rightfully his.  Only the American woman fate has selected for him isn’t at all what he expected.

Tattooed, pissed, and not at all interested in being any Vampire’s bride, Adrienne intends to make her fated coupling as difficult on Hanzi as possible.  The Vampire who shows up to collect her isn’t at all what she expected and suddenly she can’t help but think she might be the perfect person to warm his soul and heat his bed.

Can their newly formed, tentative joining survive the darkness stalking them both?

What a wonderful short story, with plenty of action and interesting characters, I really enjoyed this tale. This story is perfect as a quick read for those who like a bit of bite to their characters.

Billionaire Dragon's Bride by Anya Nowlan

He's blazing hot and this dragon won't take no for an answer.

Devon Bluewing is a billionaire playboy like no other. Cocky, strong and sexy as hell, he's used to getting anything and anyone he wants. But when it comes a time to step up and stand as the head of his family, and the dragon council of Treasure Lane, Devon is met with an inexplicable problem. He needs a mate or his whole legacy could be in jeopardy. Now, that doesn't work at all for the fire-breathing bad boy, who's used to getting his own way.

Gemma Teeley can't stand injustice. She's sassy, smart as a whip and always ready to fight for what is right. So when the newest Bluewing heir decides to wrack up the taxes on her hometown, Gemma isn't about to stand for it. But what she doesn't know is that her fight against traditions might just get her into a whole lot of steamy trouble! The curvy, headstrong woman has all the fire of Devon, and when he gives her an ultimatum, they're both in for more than they bargained for.

Even if she'll play along, it doesn't mean that she'll make it easy on him. But it isn't just Devon whose making decisions for Gemma, and soon it becomes very clear that it's not only Gemma's pride that's in danger of getting burned…

Devon has but two weeks to find a bride or forfeit his place as leader of the dragon council, so when Gemma storms into his castle demanding that he see sense over tax payments, Devon decides that she will be his bride whether she likes it or not.
A wonderful dragon tale easily read in a couple of hours. Devon is arrogant and Gemma stubborn, making a stormy relationship as they battle with their developing feelings. I really enjoyed this offering from Ms Amour and it should appeal to those who like dragons.

The Art of Claiming an Alpha by Marian Tee

I need werewolf prince Alejandro Moretti as my bodyguard, but he wants my body in exchange for his services. Calys has two things standing in her way of being alpha of her panther pack. One: she's an adopted human, and two: she's a woman. However, if werewolf royalty Alessandro Moretti agrees to be her Cavaliere, she just might have a shot at being the next pack leader.  A good plan, right? Or at least it should be...until Calys learns that the infamous playboy werewolf will only fight for her if she agrees to do everything he says...in bed.

This is  box set containing the three parts to the tale of Calys and Alejandro. I loved the strength of character from Calys as she fought to be the pack leader despite her heritage. This was a well written tale with plenty of action and a few unexpected twists that added strength to the plot. More than your average Shifter story.

I hope you like some of them, they can all be found on Amazon and some on the other platforms too.  Happy reading!

Just Bears

Just Bears

A paranormal collection from Simply Shifters

1 The Bear In Me – Amy Star 
When curvy Emily met hunky bear shifter Sam in Alaska it seemed perfect. However, Emily's scent is familiar to Sam and he knows she is hiding a secret....

2 Bear In The City – Amira Rain 
Werebear Blake does not find it easy to be a bear in the city and keep his secret from everyone. However, when he catches the scent of curvy Bree he has to have her but he also knows his secret is going to come out too...

3 The PlayBear Billionaire – Maria Amor 
Billionaire Bear Shifter Alexander is often known as being untameable and forever a playbear. However, when he meets curvy Daphne everything changes, has the bear finally met his mate?

4 The Bear's Mate – Rosa Foxxe 
When Nicki Bryant looks at the wrong file at work she discovers a secret world she never knew existed. Now a handsome stranger named Max is willing to reveal all...

5 Taken By The Bears – JJ Jones 
Curvy Juliette finds herself taken from her bed in the middle of the night by 3 mysterious men. She thinks they want to kill her but really they want to mate her...

6 The Bears Baby – Jade White 
When Ursula visits a sperm bank in order to get pregnant she has no idea what she is in for. She is not just carrying a baby, she is carrying “the bears baby”...

7 The Bears Shared Bride – Amy Star 
Lavinia King is set to become the queen of her bear tribe. Only thing is, in this tribe there is 1 queen but 2 kings. Can she really please 2 alpha bears?

8 Her Bear In Mind – Maria Amor 
Investigative reporter Sierra has her suspicions about Joe Basnight. However, when she looks into him she discovers a secret more shocking then she expected. Now he knows that she knows, what will happen next?

9 The Bears Princess – Ellie Valentina 
Princess Aurelia is slated to marry a Prince that she does not love, so she runs. Now with her people coming after her she has found comfort in the shape of 2 werebears named Afonso and Nico who plan to do more then just protect her...

10 Sold To The Bears – Amira Rain 
Curvy Lila is about to be sold due to the fact she is one of the few remaining fertile women left on the planet. The men she is going to be sold to are bear shifters Adrian and Grant and they want to use her as their personal sex toy…

This is a collection of ten paranormal shifter books focusing on bear shifters as the primary characters.  They are all standalone books though some also form parts of series and some of the books have been published before as individual books. The collection is for 18+ readers as the writing is explicit and in some cases feature menage not just M/F interaction. I have read some of the authors before and find their work to be easy flowing and enjoyable. As a collection it is great value for money especially if you like your shifter big and furry.

Redemption

Redemption by Cara Carnes

Mira grew up in a savage tract of existence known as Hell’s Highway—a parcel of land for genetically impure humans (Impures) cast out during a savage battle between humanity’s government (the NAH) and the Paraspecies. When a cease fire was declared, the two opposing sides retreated and regrouped, but the fight for survival had just begun for Impures forced to exist within a kill or be prey existence.
As a runner for The Alliance, Mira ran messages and provisions back and forth between her camp and Redemption—a bartering outpost created by the Paraspecies to help Impures within Hell’s Highway. But for the past two years Mira has been a prisoner of war, detained and tortured in an unsanctioned NAH facility within the lawless lands of Hell’s Playground. Now free, she must risk her life to fulfill a promise made to a fellow prisoner—travel to Redemption and enlist the aid of the Paraspecies. Returning to the outpost, though, means reuniting with the Alpha wolf she’d once hoped to have a future with.
As Quadrant Alpha of the most dangerous section of Paraspecies land, the last thing Adrik needs is the Impure from his past suddenly returning. He ripped apart Hell’s Highway searching for her two years ago, and his pack reaped the consequences. Now, with a civil war threatening on his southern border, the constant battles with the succubae on his eastern border, and the latest political nightmare from Command Central he doesn’t have time to wander Hell’s Playground searching for a secret facility that doesn't exist.
But the opportunity to spend time with the Impure he’d once intended to mate proves too tempting. Together they must heal the wounds and find a way to survive the dangers awakened.

Redemption featured some complex world building and a multitude of characters.  I was glad of the glossary at the beginning that once bookmarked, I was able to refer back to. There was plenty of action, with lots happening and a good focus on the plot. Also the many differing paranormal species present in the story gives lots of scope for interesting future books.  This would be an excellent story for all those who like paranormal, not just of the shifter variety.

Phoenix Crossing

Phoenix Crossing By Cara Carnes

She’ll commit the ultimate betrayal to save those she loves….
Xandra was forged in the fires of heaven’s nemesis and sharpened by humanity’s executioners. As a child, she failed to protect her little sister. With Riles located, Xandra will do anything to save her—even if it means committing the ultimate crime. Forced into a perilous situation, she’s drawn to the Alpha wolf shadowing her every move. Trust comes with a high price—one she’s paid too many times to count. But the sexy man her inner beasts desire refuses to give up.
The half-phoenix, half-angel was an assignment at first, a potential threat to the campus pack Lane had assumed leadership of. The longer he follows her, the more his wolf is drawn to protect her. Frustrated with her inability to trust him and his pack, he’ll do anything to keep her safe. Claiming the curvaceous hellion would be simple, but he’s determined to win the trust of the warrior beasts within her.

This was a follow on book in the series, taking place just shortly after Phoenix Rising.  It was well written and fast paced.  Complete with captivating strong characters.  Whilst I had not read the previous in the series, I was able to follow this story all right.  I will however be going back to read Phoenix Rising now.

Shifting Ground

Shifting Ground by Tabitha Conall

A new BBW shifter romance in the White Fir Bend Cult series from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Tabitha Conall...

Army Ranger and bear shifter Tiger Kane got kicked out of the cult he grew up in when he was fifteen. Now he's back to rescue his estranged mom from the clutches of the cult leader.

BBW Dr. Piper Holmes thought she was going to be studying dropping fertility rates in a rural shifter town. If she'd known she'd be trapped in a cult compound where grown men married twelve-year-olds and grown women wore bruises, she never would have agreed.

Thrown together, Kane and Piper work to help two women escape the cult. But other forces are at work, and Kane and Piper don't know who they can trust.

They're not even sure they can trust each other.

Book two in the series by Tabitha, gave an easy flowing story where the principle characters met trying to help different people. I liked it as there was not an immediate attraction unlike so many of the shifter tales where the pairing is instantaneous. The cult setting for the plot although a difficult topic, gave a different feel to the book though this may not appeal to some, I appreciated the different slant. Overall, an enjoyable story.

The Billionwere

The Billionwere by Elle Valentina

“The Billionaire has more then one secret.....” When Malinda Rose accepted a job as a live in nanny at a plush mansion in Manhattan it sounded easy. Room, board and a nice paycheck, however she had no idea what she was letting herself in for.. The owner of the mansion is reclusive billionaire Garrett Millieur. A man who surprises her with his youthful good looks and attractively authoritative nature. Amongst other things, he makes an odd request, that his son Brandon must NEVER leave the mansion. EVER. It is clear to Malinda that the stunning Garrett has many secrets and as she gets closer to him, it seems she is going to find out everything she ever wanted to know about his dark and furry side. And she might just like what she finds… 

This was a standalone story with great characterisation and depth to the tale, along with plenty of action and suspense.  I enjoyed this easy flowing shifter tale with a difference and should appeal to others who enjoy paranormal romance stories.

To Love a Mate

To Love A Mate by Krystal Shannan

Surviving charity functions by day and automatic weapons and death threats by night, Emma Carrington learned to be as hard as the men her daddy hired to protect her. Hell, she even carried a military grade stun gun in her Prada bag and could shoot just as well as any of her ex-military bodyguards if the need arose.
When a failed kidnapping attempt forces her to hide out in Somewhere, Texas, Emma finds herself stranded, floundering through cow patties, and desperate for a car. Who better to “borrow” from than the sexy naked man she sees turn into a wolf and leave his perfectly good pickup truck available for use. It’s not like he can drive it in his current condition, right?
College senior Noah VonBrandt knows the pack law better than anyone ---only a bonded mate can know his secret. He watched his brother find the mate of his dreams and he wants the same thing, but you can’t just make the “right” girl appear out of thin air. To his surprise, lightning does strike. When a beautiful blonde woman trespasses on the ranch and sees him transform, he knows he only has two choices ---claim her or let the pack erase her memories. But even as Noah fights to save her, Emma’s past is hot on her heels and out for more than memories.

This is the second book in the VonBrandt family saga and is full of action and thrills. It is a relatively quick read, finishing it in one afternoon but has sufficient development with characters you can love. It was an enjoyable read that comes complete with a HEA.