Review: Sympathy for the Devil by Christine Pope

Sympathy for the Devil by Christine Pope

Publisher: Pink Petal Books
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

You know what they say about deals with the Devil…
This time the deal the Devil makes is with God, who offers him a chance at redemption if he can experience human love. Easy enough, according to the Devil, who thinks that making the woman God has chosen fall in love with him will be a simple task. Unfortunately, Lucifer didn’t count on interfering demons, blundering boyfriends, and a young woman who has more questions than he’s willing to answer.


Denise's Review

Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

I really don’t know where to begin with this one. Admittedly, it took me a bit to “get into it”, but once the action started, it didn’t stop. Talk about creative writing, wonderfully-construed characters, an interesting premise, and slow, sizzling heat that climbs so slowly you don’t realize you’re burning until you’re halfway into your cold shower.

Lucifer wants out of Hell, and upon taking his request to God, is issued a very specific task. From there, readers are given insight into Christa, the woman with whom Lucifer is meant to fall in love. He shows up periodically through her childhood, until one day—her birthday—introducing himself as the Devil and whisking her away on a romance she can’t trust, but ultimately can’t get enough of. Throw in this with bits of philosophy—the Devil’s take on The Da Vinci Code, souls, free-will, what does or does-not constitute a Hell-worthy crime—and you have an incredibly entertaining, sizzling read that keeps you involved intellectually and stimulated in all the other areas. To say I was impressed is an understatement.

5 Tea Cups and a Recommended Read!

      

Review: Axel’s Obsession by Teirney Medeiros

Axel’s Obsession by Teirney Medeiros

Publisher: Amira Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Jolene Victor has lived her entire life haunted by the curse on her family. It has been foretold to bed a man will result in an obsession that can only end with her death. And she’s survived it—until now.

Enter Axel Danvers, a man plagued by his own past and guilt, returns home to claim Danvers Island as his own. One encounter with the mysterious Jolene draws Axel into the storm that’s been brewing for years. Someone else is watching, and he’s hungry



Hunter’s Review

In this follow up to her debut novel, Ivory’s Addiction, Teirney Medeiros once again introduces us to a wounded warrior, this time in the form of Axel Danvers. He has come home to take care of an inheritance left to him by his grandmother. After he witnesses, the beautiful Jolene Victor pleasuring herself in the moonlight he becomes obsessed with the idea of possessing her.

Jolene is clearly attracted to Axel. The problem: She has been raised to believe that she is cursed. Any man that beds her will become obsessed with her and ultimately cause destruction for both of them.

But this isn’t a case of your standard paranormal romance, beat the curse, fall in love scenario. No, Medeiros is much more subtle than that. It’s not one hundred percent certain that there is, in fact, a curse to be broken. Is it possible that by believing you are cursed and behaving like you are cursed that you create a self-fulfilling prophecy that leads you to be cursed?

Ultimately, Axel is forced to use his skills—and that of his friends who I really hope will have their own books—to save Jolene from someone who is obsessed with her. I’m not sure what this author’s background is but I’m sure she’s spent some time with military men because she really writes about these strong, capable, and yet emotionally wounded men in a way that makes them irrisistable to the reader.

I loved Ivory’s Addiction and it was Medeiros’ debut novel. Axel’s Obsession is even better. Clearly, she is a writer to watch out for. I wish she had more books released so I could read them right now.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Ivory's Addiction by Teirney Medeiros

Ivory’s Addiction by Teirney Medeiros

Publisher: Amira Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Social worker Ivory Black has seen the effects of addiction too many times to count. The latest: A baby girl whose mother died in an overdose.

What would have been an easy case turns into a fight for her heart when bad-boy Jax Morgan enters the picture.

As the only living relative, Jax is by law, the child’s assumed guardian. As Ivory struggles to open Jax’s cold heart to the child, and keep her own protected from him at the same time, Jax is dealing with severe PTSD.

Addiction is never pretty, but Ivory can’t stop wanting Jax.



Hunter’s Review

Teirney Medeiros has written a fast paced, erotic romance that both tugs at the reader’s heartstrings and makes them remember some timely issues everyone should be thinking about.

Right from the beginning, Ivory is an easy character to love. She is empathic and tough as nails when it comes to protecting children. Enter the hero, Jax Morgan. He is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and angry at the world having just come back from war. He doesn’t want to love Ivory but he can’t seem to stay away from her any more than Ivory wants to get as emotionally involved with Jax as she does. But their mutual chemistry is undeniable and they can’t keep their hands off each other.

The love scenes are hot and well written. Medeiros achieves what so many authors try to do, which is that she makes the love scenes work on many levels, through the erotic hotness of the moment we are also able to see how the characters are connecting with each other as well as the ways their relationship is changing.

I will admit that at the end of the book I shed a few tears at Jax’s turn around and the way he opens himself up and lets Ivory love him. The only thing I might have liked to have seen more of was some interaction between Jax and Ivory later on. We are asked to take the characters word that some things have changed and I would, personally, have loved to have seen more evidence of it for myself.

But, Ivory’s Addiction is a fantastic read and fans of Military Romances and the Contemporary Genre should look out for Medeiros. This was her debut novel. So impressive. I’m looking forward to the next one in this series.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: My Serbian Wolf by Charisma Knight

My Serbian Wolf by Charisma Knight

Publisher: Amira Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Niko sacrificed himself once for the sake of his pack, but will he discover another lesson of self sacrifice that may release him from his spiritual imprisonment?

Centuries later, he discovers his life mate, Rebecca, the one who can make him whole once again. For Niko and Rebecca, a second chance at love is just a breath away.



LynnMarie’s Review

My Serbian Wolf is a story about love and fate and beating all odds. Rebecca can remember pieces of a past life and is able to visit her wolf shifting lover when she dreams at night. I enjoyed the fact that a modern, contemporary woman could escape into the past in her dreams. Though she loves Niko, she can’t commit to him fully, unable to recall the full details of their century old romance.

The day comes for Rebecca to make an impossible choice. Her dream visits with Niko are about to end. She must choose to live with him in his cold Siberian world or choose to never see him again. Since she can’t leave her two daughters behind, she says good bye to the only man she’ll ever love.

My Serbian Wolf was an interesting tale about decisions and how they affect the future. Rebecca has a strong relationship with her two daughters, putting them before all else, even her love for Nico. Unfortunetly, a large portion of the novel involves parenting and the relationship with Rebecca and her girls, and I enjoy escaping the kids for awhile when reading a romance.

For a quick read about love beating all odds and surviving centuries and lifetimes, My Serbian Wolf is a unique mix of contemporary and paranormal elements. I’m interested to see what Charisma Knight will come up with next.

3 Tea Cups!

Review: Alien Mate by Eve Langlais

Alien Mate by Eve Langlais

Publisher: Amira Press
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

What would you do if an alien materialized in your living room and told you he was your leader?

Plump Diana is ironing her underwear when the hottest blue babe in all of the galaxy appears in her living room. Did she forget to mention he was naked? Abducted, decontaminated, and dressed like a harem girl, she’s been chosen to become his mate.

Kor asked his ancestors to find him a biddable, docile mate. Instead they found him Diana--a curvy, argumentative earthling who sets his pulse pounding and his loins on fire. He might be an alien who doesn't understand the meaning of love, but he sure knows what he feels is more than lust.

LynnMarie’s Review

Eve Langlais is great at characterization. Diana calls herself a ‘plumper’ and figures a worthwhile man will never desire her. Her last boyfriend had a fetish for chubby girls and wouldn’t be seen with her in public. The entire experience tore down her confidence.

When a hot and buff alien man appears in her livingroom, insisting he wanted her for a life mate, she thinks she is dreaming. He transports them to his spacecraft and they begin the long journey to his home planet. Diana fights her abduction, but also knows she has nothing to leave behind on Earth.

Diana is hilarious! I could read about her thoughts all day and enjoy every minute of it. It was the humor and the characters that made this book stand out for me. Well, the sexy blue alien on the cover helped.

The relationship developed slowly, as Diana was cautious with Kor. Once things started rolling, there were plenty of spicy sex scenes. You can’t help but love Kor. He’s controlled, logical and eager to please his mate. Though he wishes his new woman was a little more cooperative, he soon learns what love is.

Once they arrive on Kor’s planet, the pace of the story slowed somewhat, but picked up again in the last quarter.

For a funny, touching, romance with a stud of an alien and a reluctant heroine, this is the book for you. I highly recommend Alien Mate, and can’t wait for more work by this talented author.

4 1/2 Tea Cups!