Tag: Urban Fantasy

Review: Force of Temptation by Suzanne Wright

Posted June 5, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Force of Temptation by Suzanne WrightReviewer: Casee
Force of Temptation by Suzanne Wright
Narrator: Jill Redfield
Series: Mercury Pack #2
Also in this series: Echoes of Fire (Mercury Pack, #4), Carnal Secrets
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: December 13, 2016
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 319
Length: 11 hours and 37 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Harley Vincent is resigned to life in the human world. Sure, being a margay shifter is half her nature, but life among humans gives her the freedom to roam and do as she pleases. That is, until anti-shifter extremists target her, putting her life in immediate danger.
When an old acquaintance and onetime fling, Jesse Dalton, shows up to offer the protection of his pack, Harley hesitates. She may have feelings for Jesse that go beyond their one-night stand, but life among shifters means giving over her independence to the needs of pack. Plus Mercury Pack has its own threat to face: a rich half-shifter is determined to claim their territory at any cost.
Jesse, who lost his true mate as a child, has wanted Harley since their night together, and he’s not letting her go again. They may not be destined for each other, but he knows she belongs to him and with his pack. Even if he can convince her to join him now, can he convince her to stay?

Harley Vincent is a margay shifter that lives in the human world. After her friend, Mia, died of a drug overdose, the entire pack blamed Harley except for Mia’s brother Jesse. After a one-night fling with Jesse after Mia’s funeral, Harley leaves him in the morning & doesn’t expect to see him again. After all, the Pack blames Harley, so why wouldn’t Jesse? She has no idea that Jesse has decided that they are going to be together. Until Cassidy (a young shifter in the Pack) has a vision of Harley dying. Jesse knows it’s time to claim what he believes is his. Although he lost his true mate when he was a child, Jesse wants Harley with everything he has. Now he just has to convince her that the fact that they are not true mates doesn’t matter to him.

Harley crushed on Jesse for years, but thought it would always stay a crush. She’s stunned when he shows up at the bar she works at & claims her.

I don’t play games, Harley, so I’ll tell you straight. I want you. In my bed. In my life. Where you belong.

What I really liked about this book was that there was not any back and forth or BIG MISUNDERSTANDINGS between them. Jesse simply tells Harley that he wants her & expects her to fall in line. As a margay shifter, Harley doesn’t fall in line with anyone. She’s still not sure about the mating thing as true mates are sacred in their world. Harley wants Jesse to talk about his mate that dies, but he refuses which makes Harley feel like they will never imprint. I have to admit that even as a new SW reader, I was wondering how the whole thing would pan out since his true mate died.

I really enjoyed this one. The Mercury Pack is one big family & they take no shit. How can you not like that?

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The Mercury Pack

four-half-stars


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Review: Spiral of Need by Suzanne Wright

Posted May 29, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Spiral of Need by Suzanne WrightReviewer: Casee
Spiral of Need by Suzanne Wright
Narrator: Jill Redfield
Series: The Mercury Pack #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: September 29, 2015
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 320
Length: 10 hours and 40 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Ally Marshall isn’t just a wolf shifter — she’s a Seer.
But a girl doesn’t exactly need special powers to know that Derren Hudson despises her entire kind. Disdain practically rolls off the Beta of the Mercury Pack . . . disdain mixed with a healthy dose of desire. And no matter how much the ruggedly handsome male appeals to her, this is one call of the wild she’s determined to ignore.
After one betrayal too many, Derren doesn’t have much use for Seers — except for Ally.
Forced into acting as her protector, he finds himself intensely and passionately drawn to the woman who incites his primal instinct to claim.
And when enemies target the pack, Ally’s gift may be just what the Mercury Pack needs.
Can he put his distrust aside, or will he force himself to turn his back on the one woman who makes his inner beast howl?
Coming September 29, 2015...

Ally Marshall is a Seer and empath. When she is accused of hurting the Beta female of her pack, Ally knows it’s time to go. After drifting from pack to pack over the years, Ally is ready to find her place. She never expected that place to be with the Mercury Pack. Unbeknownst to Ally, her foster brother contacts Derren Hudson, who is the Beta of the Mercury Pack, to protect her, Ally knows instantly that Derren hates her kind. He wants nothing to do with her, which is fine with Ally. She is used to being on her own and taking care of herself. It only takes a few short days for Ally to prove herself to the pack when she saves the Alpha female’s life.

This was the first book I’ve read by Suzanne Wright & holy shit was it steamy which is exactly how I like my romances. The struggle that Derren felt over his feelings for Ally was very real. He had a real prejudice against Seers, but as he got to know Ally better, he realized that she is nothing like the Seers that he knew in the past. It takes awhile for the Pack to warm up to Ally (except Shaya), but she eventually proves herself. Ally is very dominant herself, which makes her and Derren butt heads quite a bit. He loves her dominant side, but he always wants her to submit to him in some ways.

I found this book to be very likeable & an easy read. As of this writing, I am on book five of the series & I’ve loved every single book. I can’t wait to go back and read the Phoenix Pack series!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Mercury Pack

four-stars


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Review: Ancient Warrior by Katie Reus

Posted May 15, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Ancient Warrior by Katie ReusReviewer: Casee
Ancient Warrior by Katie Reus
Series: Ancients Rising #8
Also in this series: Ancient Vengeance, Ancient Sentinel
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: April 11, 2023
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 246
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The last time she saw him…
Long before The Fall, before the world changed forever, tiger shifter Harlow worked in Black Ops for the safety of all shifters. She excelled at her job, loved everything about it, until the male she loved tried to kill her. So she was forced to kill him first.
She killed him.
Now Aodh is back. And this fierce, dominant dragon shifter won’t stop until he gets answers. But things aren’t what they seem and now he has more than a battle with Harlow on his hands. If they want a chance at a future, they’ll have to take down an ancient enemy who has targeted not only them, but their friends—and it’s going to take uniting all their skills to survive.
Author note: Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone, complete with HEA and no cliffhanger.

Harlow has always been a character that I was curious about. She was such a badass from the moment she appeared. I was really looking forward to seeing who the hero would be that could deal with her dominant personality.

Long before The Fall, Harlow & Aodh worked on a Black Ops team. They were responsible for policing the supernatural. When Aodh turned against Harlow, she was forced to kill him. Or so she thinks. Even after all the years that have passed, Harlow still feels the loss of her would-be mate. Now Aodh is back and wants revenge on Harlow & the rest of the team for deserting him. The only problem with that is that he loves Harlow deeply & could never hurt her. He has no idea why she or the rest of his team abandoned him, but he does know that he won’t let her go so easily.

When Aodh returns, Harlow knows that something went terribly wrong. The man that she thought she killed was not Aodh. It was a witch that wanted Aodh for the dragon inside him. After draining him of his powers for decades, Aodh is finally free. Now Harlow & Aodh have to work together with the rest of their pack to find the witch that destroyed both their worlds.

I loved both Harlow & Aodh. While it was hard for both of them to forgive the other one, they realized that they would have to work together to bring down the witch responsible for so much pain & suffering in their lives. I enjoyed Harlow immensely. She was a great heroine. Aodh wasn’t bad himself, but it was really Harlow that shined on the pages. My only complaint was that the book was way too short.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5.

Ancients Rising

four-stars


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Review: Ancient Sentinel by Katie Reus

Posted April 10, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Ancient Sentinel by Katie ReusReviewer: Casee
Ancient Sentinel by Katie Reus
Series: Ancients Rising #7
Also in this series: Ancient Vengeance, Ancient Warrior
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: January 24, 2023
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 137
Add It: Goodreads
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three-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

He never expected her…
Jaguar shifter Ren never expected to fall for anyone again—not after the last woman he opened his heart to tried to cut it out. Literally. But the moment he met Grace, he fell fast and hard for the sweet human. Except she’s made it clear she’s only looking for friendship, and he wants it all.
But he’ll do anything to claim her heart.
Grace officially has a crush on her friend—a quiet jaguar shifter with kind eyes and deadly skills. However, he hasn’t given any indication he wants more than friendship. So she vows to move on—until they’re given an assignment by their Alpha. When they’re stuck together under the same roof, sharing one bed, it becomes impossible to hide her attraction. But then an unknown threat surfaces, putting Grace’s life in danger, and Ren will stop at nothing to protect the woman he knows is his mate.

Grace has had a crush on Ren for quite some time. At the beginning of the book, she decides that she’s going to lay it all out there. She’s going to go for it & tell Ren exactly how she feels about him. Her plans are derailed when she heads to his home & finds him hugging a woman. Her hopes & dreams of being with Ren are instantly dashed. It seems that all they will ever be is friends. Ren wants Grace with a fierceness that surprises even him, especially after what he’s gone through in the past.

This is a rather short review because it was a rather short book. I would say that it is more a novella than a full-length book. I didn’t really connect with either Ren or Grace. There was no backstory into Ren’s past. They got together fairly quickly, then the book just ended. It wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t my favorite in the series.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Ancients Rising

three-stars


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Review: Ancient Vengeance by Katie Reus

Posted February 6, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 2 Comments

Review: Ancient Vengeance by Katie ReusReviewer: Casee
Ancient Vengeance by Katie Reus
Series: Ancients Rising #6
Also in this series: Ancient Sentinel, Ancient Warrior
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: December 27, 2022
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 300
Add It: Goodreads
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

She’s been sheltered her entire life…
Stella is from a fierce and ancient dragon line, but when her kingdom was invaded and half her family slaughtered, everything changed. She’s been taught to fight, to protect herself, but now that one of her sisters is back after being thought dead, she realizes it’s time to make some changes. After years of being smothered, she needs freedom, to spread her dragon wings and experience life. So when her grandmother tasks her with a job in New Orleans, she jumps at the chance to strike out on her own and prove herself.
He's never met anyone like her…
Dragon shifter Rhodes is a killer. An assassin. And he’s been ordered to kidnap the dragon princess Stella as vengeance against her clan. He’s always finished his contracts—until he meets her. Now he’ll do anything to keep her safe. To claim her forever as his mate. But first they’ll have to overcome the danger stalking her—and then he’ll have to figure out how to get her to forgive him for betraying her.

I love dragon shifter books. Other than reading Thea Harrison’s Elder Races series, I haven’t really read dragon books. Katie Reus is one of my favorite new-to-me authors & favorite authors in general. She writes such an amazing story & really brings the characters to life. As a reader than has gotten pickier as the years pass, I really appreciate her even more.

Rhodes has been hired by the fae to kidnap Princess Stella of the Nova realm. Except he knows she didn’t do the things that the fae are accusing her of doing. After following her around for weeks (i.e. stalking) her, he decides that he has to protect her. When she heads out of the realm on a mission to New Orleans, Rhodes barely stops her from being taken by the Fae.

Stella wants to prove to herself & her family that she is more than just an ornamental princess. After being sheltered her entire life, Stella is ready to spread her dragon wings. She wants to prove that she can be an asset to her clan & her people. When Rhodes arrives right when she is poisoned by the fae, she immediately (& incorrectly) assumes that he is a bodyguard sent by her family. Rhodes doesn’t correct her. To do so would mean she would be unprotected as she would certainly never forgive him for lying to her.

Stella is on a mission to find a crown that someone stole from her clan. Although she knows that the fae are a problem, she won’t stop looking for the crown. She feels it’s her only chance at proving herself. Both Stella & Rhodes are drawn into the new world in New Orleans where clubs are only open twice a week & payment goods are traded for services. It is quite a post-apocalyptic world that Reus has created here. I love it.

Rhodes knows that Stella is his mate, but her mating manifestation isn’t appearing which is pretty devastating to him. He doesn’t even consider the fact that the poison could have affected her in that way. Which is weird, because even I guessed that is why. Overall, I loved this book. I thought Stella & Rhodes were both amazing characters & a great team. I’m so excited that these books are being released almost back-to-back. Yay for dragons!

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

Ancients Rising

four-half-stars


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