Tag: Brava

Review: Hunted by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted July 24, 2018 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Hunted by Rebecca ZanettiReviewer: Casee
Hunted (Dark Protectors, #3) by Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Dark Protectors #3
Also in this series: Marked (Dark Protectors, #7), Fated (Dark Protectors, #1), Claimed (Dark Protectors, #2), Consumed (Dark Protectors, #4), Provoked (Dark Protectors, #5), Marked (Dark Protectors, #7), Shadowed (Dark Protectors, #6), Vampire's Faith (Dark Protectors, #8), Demon's Mercy (Dark Protectors, #9), Alpha's Promise, Hero's Haven, Guardian's Grace, Rebel's Karma, Immortal's Honor, Garrett's Destiny
Publisher: Brava
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 333
Add It: Goodreads
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Ready Or Not Moira Dunne is a witch--the quantum physics kind. Time and space are her playthings. Which might explain why her one-night stand from a hundred years ago has turned up to "claim" her--and request her family's assistance with the war he's brewing. But the more she learns about Connlan Kayrs, the more she comes to think this is normal behavior for him. . . There's Nowhere To Hide When Conn and Moira tumbled on the moonlit grass, Conn hadn't meant to mark her as his mate for all time. She was only twenty! But it wasn't easy to wait for her. It was even harder to forget her. So when he finally returns for his wicked-hot witch, he's ready to let the sparks flying. Even if he burns up in flames. . . "Paranormal at its best!" --Cynthia Eden Praise for the Novels of Rebecca Zanetti "Hot and fast from beginning to end." --Kate Douglas on "Fated"

The third book has been the best book in the series by far. Conn and Moira were an even match in strength and will. Not that Cara and Emma didn’t have strength or will because they did. They just didn’t understand the world that they were getting into. Moira knew exactly where she belonged and it wasn’t with Connlann Kayrs. He accidentally mated her when she was something like 17 years old. Honestly, the details escape me at the moment. Moira is the seventh sister of a seventh sister so she has a powerful destiny. Being mated to a Kayrs isn’t part of it. Her coven convinces Conn that she is too young to be taken away from them at such a young age and gets him to agree to give her a century to “grow up”. Pretty nice of him, no?

A century has come and gone and Conn is ready for his mate to come home. When he goes to Ireland to retrieve her, he finds a much different person than he left. For one thing, Moira is all woman. There is no sign of the young, innocent girl that she was when he left. She’s not only a powerful witch, she’s also an Enforcer for the Coven Nine. The Coven Nine is made up of the nine most powerful witches in existence. Among other things, they make sure that magic is not being used and abused. The Enforces, well, they enforce that law. They are also bodyguards to the Coven Nine witches. Moira knows everyone expects her to become a member sooner rather than later. Something she’s honestly not interested in.

“Hello, mate.”
“You need to go home, Connlan.”
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll destroy you.”

When Moira learns that one of her own has betrayed them, she turns to her mate for help. Although she has tried to forget him over the last century, there is no forgetting Conn. In the deepest part of herself, she wonders if something is wrong with her. Why didn’t he come get her when the century she was promised had passed? She doesn’t know that Conn was only trying to give her time and it was the hardest thing he ever had to do in his three hundred years of living.

The biggest hurtle in this book is that the Coven Nine wants to break away from the Realm. Conn’s brother Dage is King of the Realm. See the problem? Through it all, Conn vowed to remain loyal to his mate. He wouldn’t betray her nor would he make her choose between him and her coven.

Make no mistake, you and I remain solid even if the rest of the world blows up. We start at that point, then move outward.

Hunted really moved the series forward. Still, Conn and Moira are the real reason I adored this book.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Dark Protectors

four-half-stars


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Review: Claimed by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted July 17, 2018 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Claimed by Rebecca ZanettiReviewer: Casee
Claimed (Dark Protectors, #2) by Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Dark Protectors #2
Also in this series: Marked (Dark Protectors, #7), Fated (Dark Protectors, #1), Hunted (Dark Protectors, #3), Consumed (Dark Protectors, #4), Provoked (Dark Protectors, #5), Marked (Dark Protectors, #7), Shadowed (Dark Protectors, #6), Vampire's Faith (Dark Protectors, #8), Demon's Mercy (Dark Protectors, #9), Alpha's Promise, Hero's Haven, Guardian's Grace, Rebel's Karma, Immortal's Honor, Garrett's Destiny
Publisher: Brava
Publication Date: October 25, 2011
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 321
Add It: Goodreads
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three-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

A Daring Rescue Emma Paulsen is a geneticist driven by science. But she's also a psychic, so when a dark, good-hearted vampire frees her from the clutches of the evil Kurjans, she realizes he must be the man who's been haunting her dreams. But with a virus threatening vampires' mates, Emma may discover a whole new meaning of "lovesick".

A Deadly Decision As King of the Realm, Dage Kayrs has learned to practice diplomacy. Still, it's taken three hundred years to find his mate, so he'll stop at nothing to protect her—even if it means turning his back on his own kind...

I think something is wrong with me. How can I enjoy a book where the male completely takes over the female’s world? I just don’t understand that. If a man did that to me, I can’t imagine that I would find it sexy. Emma sure as hell didn’t find it sexy when Dage took over her life. She found it pretty appalling actually. I didn’t blame her, yet I found myself getting annoyed with her, rather than him. To my defense, she was annoying as fucking hell. The woman was never happy. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve read this book, but I know that I was really annoyed when I was reading it and it was because of Emma.

Dage is the King of the Vampire race. His race is in a war against the Kurjans, which is a race of evil vampires that are trying to infect the mates of vampires with a virus. They are also trying to infect shifters in order to turn them into mindless werewolves (werewolves are killers in this world). They have succeeded thus far. Emma’s sister, Cara (Talen’s mate), has been infected with Virus 27. Virus 27 attacks the 27 chromosome of a vampire’s mate which takes away the mating. In Cara’s case this is not a good thing since she is carrying a vampire baby and needs the immortal strength that mating Talen gave her. Not to worry, Emma is on the case! And Dage won’t let anything happen to his sister-in-law. Ego much?

Backing up a bit, Dage has been dreaming about Emma for three hundred years. Emma has been dreaming of Dage for years. They’re both psychic and have a link. In Dage’s dreams, Emma is his mate. In Emma’s dreams, Dage dies. Emma will not let anything happen to the man she is falling in love with. In her dream, Dage is happy. Right before the world explodes. The only thing she can sees that makes him happy is her (there is that ego). Therefore, in her logical brain, she can’t mate him. Like she will stop a Kayrs? Bitch, please.

A lot of stuff ensues, which moves the series along. That’s why I didn’t this “book” against the wall. I enjoyed the interaction of the other characters. I love the brotherly love, their relationship with the shifters, and Cara and Emma’s relationship. I was really looking forward to Conn and Moira’s book. I’ve since read it and loved it. Don’t let this review get you down if you are thinking about giving this series a try. It’s a must-read to understand the movement in the series, but you can skim. I loved Dage, I really did. Emma just wasn’t for me.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Dark Protectors

three-stars


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Review: Fated by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted June 22, 2018 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Fated by Rebecca ZanettiReviewer: Casee
Fated (Dark Protectors, #1) by Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Dark Protectors #1
Also in this series: Marked (Dark Protectors, #7), Claimed (Dark Protectors, #2), Hunted (Dark Protectors, #3), Consumed (Dark Protectors, #4), Provoked (Dark Protectors, #5), Marked (Dark Protectors, #7), Shadowed (Dark Protectors, #6), Vampire's Faith (Dark Protectors, #8), Demon's Mercy (Dark Protectors, #9), Alpha's Promise, Hero's Haven, Guardian's Grace, Rebel's Karma, Immortal's Honor, Garrett's Destiny
Publisher: Brava
Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 299
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Marry Me! Cara Paulsen does not give up easily. A scientist and a single mother, she's used to fighting for what she wants, keeping a cool head, and doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter Janie. But "whatever it takes" has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous-looking stranger with an attitude problem.

Or Else! Sure, the mysterious Talen says that he's there to protect Cara and Janie. He also says that he's a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he's had that long to practice. . .

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This was my first look into the Dark Protector series and I have no idea why I waited so long to dive into it. I’m hooked on Zanetti’s Scorpius Syndrome series, love paranormals in general, so why did I wait? I have no clue. There were a few parts of this particular book I wasn’t down with, but…shrug. I got past it.

Cara Paulson is a special type of person. She has been an empath since she was a young girl. So it makes sense that she would give birth to a very special child. She had no idea that her child would be prophesied to save a race of evil vampires. Vampires that she had no idea existed until one burst into her home to save her and Janie’s lives. Cara isn’t having any of it even when Janie tells her that Talen is the one that is going to save them. All she sees is a strange man coming into her home trying to kidnap her and her baby. Forget the fact that she has this inappropriate and completely confounding attraction to the man. Being disgusted with herself can come after she gets away from him.

Talen had no idea that Cara was his mate until he comes to her rescue. And come to her rescue he does because he can sense the Kurjans, the evil counterpart to his vampire race, coming to get them. Three hundred years of peace are broken because of Cara’s young daughter Janie. They have no idea what’s coming for them. Before he knew she was his mate, it was his job to protect Cara and Janie. Now it is is duty and honor. He can do nothing less that protect the woman he has looked for over the centuries and the little girl that is now his daughter. If only he could convince Cara that she isn’t getting away from him.

There were a lot of things that I liked about this book. I liked the instant connection between Cara and Talen. Talen was very sweet. The love between the two was very sweet. Talen really cared about how Cara felt. He knew that she had a hard time living in their headquarters below ground and made sure she had plants that she loved to help her cope. He just did little sweet things that really made me like him. Other the other hand, I really disliked how he referred to her as “mate” all the time. Like it was her name. It made her sound like a possession. I didn’t enjoy that all. As for Cara, she was a strong heroine, but made stupid fucking decisions. Including a TSTL one that almost got her killed. Just because she was mad at Talen over a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING. TSTL decisions always happen after stupid BIG MISUNDERSTANDINGS, don’t they?

Even with the things that bothered me, I did find this book enjoyable and am looking forward to continuing this series.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5.

Dark Protectors

three-half-stars


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Review: Babycakes by Donna Kaufmann

Posted December 4, 2012 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Babycakes by Donna KaufmannReviewer: Rowena
Babycakes (Cupcake Club, #3) by Donna Kauffman
Series: Cupcake Club #3
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: October 30th 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 336
Add It: Goodreads
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three-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

Molten Chocolate…Cinnamon Spice…Gingerbread…Old-Fashioned Vanilla…You can’t stop at just one.

And the women of the Cupcake Club love to indulge…

Kit Bellamy was raised on pie. Mamie Sue’s Peanut Pies, to be exact, the family company her scheming brother-in-law sold out from under her. Now Kit needs a new recipe for her life—and sleepy Sugarberry Island is the first ingredient. Running mail-order cupcake business Babycakes is a chance to get her baking on again—until she meets tall, dark, and adorable lawyer Morgan Westlake. New to the island to raise his goddaughter, he’s as mouthwatering as any of Kit’s creations. It’s just her luck that he’s the spawn of the very law firm that helped crush her dreams…

Fortunately, Kit’s new friends can assure her that Morgan is no typical Westlake—and that even lawyers, not to mention single dads, need romance. If Kit can just be persuaded to follow her appetite—and set another place at her holiday table—her sweetest dreams just might come true…

This was a really quick read for me.  It was light and fluffy and didn’t take itself too seriously which I appreciated.  This was a straight up contemporary romance and from time to time, I eat these up.

This book follows Morgan Westlake and Kit Bellamy toward their happy ending.  Kit has moved to Sugarberry Island to start fresh.  She’s heartbroken because she lost her family pie making business and she’s looking for something to fill up all of the time that she’s got on her hands now that she doesn’t have a company to run.  She’s still in that once burned, twice shy stage and coming to Sugarberry is starting to look like a good decision.

She’s overlooking the new addition to Lani’s (from Sugar Rush) new cupcake shop called Babycakes and she’s baking a whole lot of cupcakes which is a nice change from baking pies.  After no time at all, Kit is starting to make a home for herself there on Sugarberry and  when Morgan and his niece Lilly come into her life, more changes are to come for Kit.

The story was cute and cuddly and all kinds of cute but it was really slow in the beginning.  It took me far too long to come to care for Morgan and Kit and even little Lilly.  A lot longer than it did for everyone to warm up to Kit at the bakery.

The romance between Morgan and Kit was cute but there were times when Kit’s indecision made me want to pop her a good one in her head.  It was more than apparent that Morgan was nothing like his family and while I understood her reservations in the beginning, the longer she held out from Morgan, the more I wanted to kick her in the shins.  I was really glad when she let go of all of her insecurities and let Morgan love her.  When that happened, they turned back into a cute couple.

This was a short and sweet romance with a colorful cast of characters that I was happy to get to know.  Even though it was slow to pick up, I enjoyed the story and the romance.  I’m not at all mad that I picked this one up for review.  I recommend this book to those that are fans of the series (Cupcake Club) and fans of the author’s work.

Grade: 3 out of 5

This book is available from Brava. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

three-stars


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Lightning Review: Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis

Posted January 12, 2012 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Holly‘s review of Instant Temptation (Wilder Adventures, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis

T.J. Wilder is the perfect package of breathtaking adventure and raw sex appeal. Even better, he’s about to reconnect with the one woman he’s never been able to forget. . .

Get Your Pulse Racing

To Harley, the landscape around Wishful, California, is exhilarating, untamed, and more than a little dangerous. The same could be said for T.J. Wilder, who’s invited himself along on her trek to study a rare coyote. Harley’s career is riding on this trip, and she doesn’t need a stubborn, incredibly sexy distraction. But T.J. is a professional guide who knows when to stay back and when to provide invaluable expertise–just like he’s done since they were in high school. And Harley, as usual, is torn between throttling him and giving in to the raw attraction that’s been smoldering all these years.

T.J. knows how proud and capable Harley is, but he’s damned sure not letting her put herself at risk when there are illegal hunters in the area. She needs him, with the same soul-stirring urgency that he’s always craved her. And here, in this beautiful place days from civilization, he’ll finally have a chance to prove it–over and over again.

This is the 3rd and final book in Shalvis’ Wilder Adventures series. I really enjoyed the first two and was looking forward to reading about TJ and Harley.

In the previous books TJ seems the least likely to fall in love. He’s aloof and detached, though he obviously cares about his family. I was surprised then that he was the one who was willing to think about more than a casual relationship. Harley’s reasons for not wanting to pursue a relationship with TJ were sound, but they seemed to go on just a bit too long.

I loved TJ and Harley together. Not just the sex, but their friendship. Harley didn’t want TJ’s help, but he gave it anyway. I loved that. I also loved how well they fit together.

The backdrop and secondary characters were was wonderful as always. I love the relationship between the three brothers and Harley and her sister, Skye. They were very well written.

Shalvis does contemporary romance very well. This whole series was light and fun, with just the right touches of emotion. 

4.25 out of 5

This book is available from Brava. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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