Tag: Jacquelyn Frank

Throwback Thursday Review: Hunting Julian by Jacquelyn Frank

Posted March 1, 2018 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Throwback Thursday Review: Hunting Julian by Jacquelyn FrankReviewer: Holly
Hunting Julian (Gatherers, #1) by Jacquelyn Frank
Series: Gatherers #1
Publisher: Zebra
Publication Date: January 1st 2010
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 332
Add It: Goodreads
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three-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

As an Advocate for his colony, Julian Sawyer travels to Earth to bring back the Chosen--women who possess energy potent enough to help revitalize his people. The stunning, silver-clad beauty who strides into his club one night radiates a sensual magnetism unlike any he's encountered, and Julian realizes that Asia Callahan is not just Chosen, she is his kindra: his one true mate.

For months, Asia has tracked the beautiful and mysterious Julian across the country, convinced that he's behind the disappearance of her sister and a dozen other women. She's prepared to believe he's a ruthless killer, but when she presents herself as bait, she discovers that the truth is far more shocking. Taken to a strange, hazardous realm she never knew existed, Asia will face the ultimate choice--between abandoning the life she's always known, and forsaking a passion as dangerous as it is powerful.

***Every Thursday in 2018 we will be posting throwback reviews of our favorite and not-so-favorite books.

This book was originally posted on February 16, 2011.

I picked this up on a whim out of my TBR pile. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a sci-fi novel featuring aliens from a different plane of existence. Despite my lukewarm feelings about the premise in the beginning, I admit the story sucked me in the more I read. I enjoyed the world. Frank’s description of Beneath and the creatures that inhabit it were well done. I also enjoyed Julian. Though it was hard to take his actions in the beginning, I think Frank did a fairly credible job of redeeming him.

Asia was harder to take. Although I understood her actions in the beginning (if I’d been kidnapped I image I’d have tried to escape/flout authority, too) they became increasingly hard to excuse away as the novel progressed. Although that isn’t my main issue. My main issue was her insistence that she “wasn’t made for forevers and happily ever afters”. That’s it. That was all the resistance between her and Julian. It wasn’t the fact that she was from Earth and he wasn’t, or that he brought her to his world without her permission, or that his people needed her to feed them energy, all of which I could have understood. Instead it was just “eh, I’m not a HEA type of girl”. She based this on nothing more than the fact that she was jaded and hadn’t ever had a lasting relationship. Considering the amount of resistance she put up, that was a very flimsy excuse.

Beyond that, there were several holes in the plot. The idea that Julian and Asia had to have sex in order to feed his people energy was somewhat outlandish, but so was the rest of the plot, so I could set that aside. It was harder to set aside disbelief over other things, such as the way Julian and Asia constantly fought with each other. That hampered the progress of the romance, so I didn’t find their feelings for each other believable.

I did like that Frank added more depth to the “destined” angle of the plot. Though Julian and Asia were “kindra”, meaning soul-mates, they didn’t immediately fall in love or accept they were meant to be together forever. Well, Julian did, but that’s to be expected since he’d grown up with the knowledge that it might happen. The fact that Asia resisted simply because it was “meant to be” was refreshing when compared to many other novels featuring the same trope.

Having said that, I’m willing to cut the novel a little slack because it’s the first of a new series. I did enjoy the world enough that I plan to read the next entry, Stealing Kathryn.

3.25 out of 5

three-stars


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What I’ve Been Reading This Week

Posted September 8, 2008 by Tracy in Features | 13 Comments

Hey all!

What a week! Homework has started with a vengeance for my kids, which means for me as well! My first grader has more homework every night than my 5th grader. That’s just wrong!!!

My oldest is back in her “I feel the need to lie about everything” phase. Not that she ever stopped completely but it’s getting really bad. She chose this morning when I was making their lunches to come clean about everything. I’m very happy she came clean but still exhausted from all the lying in the first place. oy! Last night at about 6pm I got comfy on my bed to read while hubby was out with the kids and fell asleep…I didn’t wake up until this morning! I had no idea I was that tired. My hubby said that he almost called the paramedics cuz he couldn’t wake me up but then said I finally told him to leave me alone so he figured I was ok. lol I remember nothing! 🙂

I have to apologize to some people. I’m really bad about getting online or checking my emails in the evenings and on the weekends and sometimes miss things. I’m so sorry if you’ve felt slighted in any way, but that’s the time for my fam and I wouldn’t give it up for the world! I still love you!

With all the homework I’m helping my little one with I didn’t have a whole lot of time to read which is fine. My book shelf is starting to groan from all the books I’ve bought and of course the ones that have been there forever and I haven’t gotten to.

So…those books that I did get to last week:

Walk on the Wild Side by Christine Warren. I liked this addition to her Others series but have to say I thought it was very different from her other books. It looks like her next print book will actually be the first book in the series that has only been available in ebook format until now. Kind of disappointing to not get a new story but oh well.

Next was RAW author Sylvia Day. I read Ask For It which is a historical. I enjoyed the book to a point. There was a lot of mistrust, which due to the story line was understandable I just thought it was taken a little too far. I think I’ll be reading more of her work in the future.

2 novellas I read were Miss January by Madison Hayes and Rock Me by Melody Lane. 2 cute books.

Noah by Jacquelyn Frank was last on the list. This is the last book in the Nightwalker series and I thought it was a good installment. There were a few things about the book I would have changed (like the heroine giggling when she soooo wasn’t the giggling type IMO) but overall I liked it.

Happy Reading!


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What’s Going On?

Posted August 5, 2008 by Tracy in Discussions | 3 Comments

Hi all!

My friend Amanda Cummings is being interviewed over at Texty Ladies today (Tuesday, August 5). She’s giving away a copy of her recently released novella Bound By Magic to one lucky commenter. Texty Ladies

Over at the DIK Blog this week we have guest authors!!

Colleen Gleason will be there Monday the 4th through Wednesday the 6th

Jacquelyn Frank will be there Thursday the 7th through Saturday the 9th.

Come on over and play!


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New Release Tuesday – June 3, 2008

Posted June 4, 2008 by Holly in Promotions | 5 Comments

There are a ton of awesome books out this month! Here are a few I’m excited for.

Nightkeepers by Jessica Andersen
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The exciting debut of a new paranormal romance series

As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly never expected to be strapped to a stone altar, the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual meant to coax up a demon from the underworld. Or that she’d be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king who claims to recognize her from his visions…

Jaguar Strike wishes he hadn’t made the mistake of reuniting his fellow warrior priests, or broken the law by saving their chosen human sacrifice. Now, he has no choice but to join forces with Leah and invoke dangerous magic in a death-defying race against the end of time.

Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker
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A thrilling new sensual paranormal from the author of Hunter’s Salvation.

Lee Ross always knew she was not entirely human. But when the man who has plagued her dreams her entire life appears in the flesh, can she give up everything she knows to follow him to another realm?

Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward
Book Cover

As Primale of the Chosen, the fiercely loyal Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of his race. But his first mate, the Chosen Cormia, wants not only his body but his heart for herself. As tragedy looms over the Brotherhood’s mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love…

The Art of Desire by Cherie Feather
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In this engaging anthology of never-beforepublished stories, twelve authors are united by their unique visions of the female experience… A young woman is torn between the security of her fiancé and the excitement of an old flame…a desperate wife is forced into the workplace for the first time in her life…an ambitious professional woman finally finds the courage to take control of her career—and her man…an emotionally fragile divorcee finds resolve in the ethereal visitations of an archangel…

These are just some of the women who discover and rediscover their own wonderfully fallible but ultimately strong selves in the shadow of love— romantic love, platonic love, new love, and lost love. Readers will be touched, inspired, charmed, and entertained by these original stories of disparate longings, unsettled lives, and the power of love.

Damien by Jacqueline Frank
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They are the Nightwalkers, mysterious beings who dwell in the shadows of our world, and Damien, the Vampire Prince, is among the most powerful of them all. But one woman will tempt him with a desire unlike anything he has known, and together they will face a terrifying and relentless foe.

HE’D NEVER LOVED.

BUT SHE WAS IRRESISTIBLE.

As reigning Vampire Prince, Damien has tasted every pleasure the world has to offer-consorting with kings and queens and delighting in sensual adventure. Now, tired of such pursuits, he devotes his energies to protecting his people. The war between human necromancers and Nightwalkers has escalated, and when the enemy makes a daring move, kidnapping Syreena, a Lycanthrope Princess, Damien boldly follows. He succeeds in rescuing her, but is unprepared for the erotic longing her lush sensuality awakens in him.

Gifted with rare abilities, Syreena grew up in a cloistered setting and was forbidden to form attachments to others, yet the connection Damien feels with her is immediate, intoxicating, and impossible for either to resist. But claiming Syreena as his mate could have shattering repercussions for every Nightwalker-and leave their enemies more dangerous than ever before.

Temptation tastes sweetest at night.

Running Wild by Sarah McCarty
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Three stories of sensual erotic romance. Three werewolves who feed a wild hunger…

Donovan must bring the Pack Alpha home and nothing more. But when he catches the sexy scent of Lisa Delaney, he’s hers, body and soul—and ready to risk both on an erotic desire that will shatter all boundaries.

Kelon intends to return to his pack after helping Donovan, but he never counted on the voluptuous distraction of Robin Delaney. She’s the one woman who can make him contemplate a choice no werewolf should have to make.

Wyatt can’t afford to be attracted to the practical, completely human Heather Delaney. But she isn’t a woman a man ignores—no matter what the cost.

Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis
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When you want to fly the best, you fly Sky High Air. And when you want spectacular adventure and scorching seduction, Jill Shalvis’s tantalizing, talented pilots Noah, Shayne, and Brody will get you there-fast, slow, or any way you want it.

BUCKLE UP. IT’S GOING TO BE QUITE A RIDE.

Despite his brooding bad-boy attitude, Brody knows life has treated him pretty well. His luxury charter airline, Sky High, has given him financial security and the means to take to the skies whenever things on the ground get complicated. And lately, things have become very complicated, thanks to the insanely passionate, or perhaps just insane, kiss he shared with Sky High’s gorgeous, wisecracking concierge, Maddie. He’s tried to keep his distance, but now Maddie desperately needs help, and it’s triggering protective alpha-male urges Brody didn’t even know he had.

For months, Maddie hid her crush on sexy, exasperating Brody behind a cool, kick-ass exterior and then blew that to smithereens by jumping him in the lobby. Yeah, real smooth. She’s tried to break her ties with Sky High, but Brody won’t let her walk away-especially now that he knows that Maddie and her twin sister Leena are in big-time trouble. To save Leena, Maddie and Brody must pose as husband and wife, and Maddie is amazed that the man she thought was oblivious to her existence knows her very well indeed. But that’s nothing compared to the way she’s about to get to know him-intimately, in depth, and over and over again.


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Guest Review: Damien by Jacquelyn Frank

Posted June 3, 2008 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 4 Comments

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Damien
Megan’s guest review of Damien (Nightwalkers Vol. 4) by Jacquelyn Frank.

As reigning Vampire Prince, Damien has tasted every pleasure the world has to offer-consorting with kings and queens and delighting in sensual adventure. Now, tired of such pursuits, he devotes his energies to protecting his people. The war between human necromancers and Nightwalkers has escalated, and when the enemy makes a daring move, kidnapping Syreena, a Lycanthrope Princess, Damien boldly follows. He succeeds in rescuing her, but is unprepared for the erotic longing her lush sensuality awakens in him.

Gifted with rare abilities, Syreena grew up in a cloistered setting and was forbidden to form attachments to others, yet the connection Damien feels with her is immediate, intoxicating, and impossible for either to resist. But claiming Syreena as his mate could have shattering repercussions for every Nightwalker-and leave their enemies more dangerous than ever before.

Temptation tastes sweetest at night.

Jacquelyn Frank does a great job of taking us back to her world of Nightwalkers. She picks up where she left off at the end of Elijah. Ruth is still raising hell and driving everyone nuts. At the beginning she kidnaps Syreena to get back at Siena and Elijah. Lucky for Syreena, Damian is following her and can come to her rescue.

The chemistry between Damian and Syreena feels forced at the beginning. Syreena grew up in a monastery with no affection so now that she feels something for someone besides her sister she has no idea what to do with herself or said feelings. She’s so used to being who she’s told to be she doesn’t know what to do with Damian who just wants her to be herself. As the story progresses though, it all flows together and they make a great couple, working together but standing on their own feet.

Damian is my favorite kind of hero. He knows that he wants Syreena and he’s going to do what ever he needs to for her. He’ll wait for her to grow up and decide to be with him and he’ll forgiver her for her TSTL moments. He can also say “I screwed up and I’m sorry” I love that in a hero. He’s strong and a natural protector, he’s been looking over his race for 600 years, but he doesn’t put her in a cage to keep her safe. He knows when to push her and when to hold her.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to the conclusion of the series with Noah.

4 out 5

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

JacobGideonElijahNoah


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