Review: The Steamside Chronicles by Ciar Cullen

The Steamside Chronicles by Ciar Cullen

Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb


Emily Fenwick, formerly with the NYPD, is now the reluctant defender of 1890 New York. Unfortunately for Emily, who hates "the creepy stuff", she ignored her inner voice, went to a carnival in Central Park, and entered a Victorian tent in hopes a psychic would have some encouraging news about her woefully boring love life. The guarantee she received of meeting a tall, dark, and handsome stranger comes with a huge catch - he lives in an alternate dimension of the past. 



Jack Pettigrew leads a quirky band of lost souls in a battle to save New York circa 1890. Nightmares have come alive and threaten to terrorize a fragile era. Jack leads the “punks,” who have been sucked back in time through a vortex. Each has a fleeting memory of their own death–or near death–and must determine for themselves why they have been chosen for this mission. Is Steamside their Purgatory? Could an Egyptian obelisk in Central Park be the cause of the time rift, or is Emily herself to blame for the goblins, zombies, and other nightmarish scenes plaguing them?



If the Punks want to return to 2010, they must ensure there’s going to be an 1891. If they conclude they’re really ghosts, then it might be time to party like it’s 1999.



Hunter's Review

I think this is one of the best books I’ve ever been lucky enough to stumble upon accidently. From the title, I expected to read a book similar to MelJean Brook’s Iron Duke undertaking, a more traditional steampunk romance. While this book has those elements, it is so much more complicated than the so-called (if there is at this point a so-called) steam-punk romance.

Ciar Cullen has created two characters if Emily and Jack that are unforgettable. Jack is the kind of hero all writers wish they could create. He is at times wonderful, sexy, and Alpha and then he turns around and he is insecure, pigheaded, and confused. Emily is lost in a world she doesn’t truly understand but is trying to navigate just the same.

I cannot imagine how much research must have gone into this book. The author has captured police work, the year 1890, religious motifs, paranormal elements, sex, and Egyptology. Not to mention time travel and circus life…

Cullen writes like an expert. Her writing is as good as any I have ever read anywhere—it is clean, perfectly crafted, and well thought out. Every character in the book sounds different and unique. She is not afraid to take chances.

I do realize I’m raving about this book like a teenager but what can I say? I was blown away. Please go read this book. I’m hoping the author will write more!

5 Tea Cups and a Recommended Read!

      

Review: Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole

Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole

Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

A vampire warrior consumed by madness,

trapped in the lair of an otherworldly temptress only he can see.

The beauty wants him gone--the warrior can't leave.

Let the games begin…

Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina in the early 1900s, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with powers, but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away any trespassers--until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.

To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth's brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. There only Conrad can see the dancer with wild raven hair--who seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature inflames him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi and claim her completely, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?


LynnMarie's Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series so far, and look forward to reading the rest. Although I can't imagine Ms. Cole writing a book that I deem less than five Tea Cups, this was my least favorite in the series so far. Still, it was a great read by a very talented author. This is one of my favorite paranormal romance series out there!

Conrad is a crazed red-eyed vampire. At first his POV was in present tense and very disjointed, which annoyed me. But when I realized it was a purposeful technique by the author to mirror his madness, I was truly impressed. As his madness diminishes, his POV turns past tense and becomes easier to read. He doesn't know love, only hate, death, and revenge. He's a muscled alpha male that the reader soon learns to adore.

Neomi is a ghost. This made the book challenging as our couple can't even touch each other for most of the book, only dream about it. She's trapped in the home where she was murdered and thrilled that the crazy, scarred vampire male chained in her house can see her.

The relationship developed slowly and seems destined to failure because Neomi isn't flesh and blood and Conrad has many enemies after him. The last quarter of the book picked up steam and kept me reading the pages. Beautifully written, with some visits by Lore characters we love from previous books. I did miss the humor and action from the other books in this series, but the relationship in Dark Needs at Night's Edge was more serious and intense.

If you're looking for a new paranormal romance series to start, look no further!

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Shame on Me by Eve Jameson

Shame on Me by Eve Jameson

Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Zack King—gorgeous hunk, military hero, her brother’s best friend. But to Blair Masters, he’s also an arrogant jerk, her first lover and an expert heartbreaker. He walked out of her life without a word and that’s where he can stay.

But fate has thrown Zack a second chance with the woman who has filled his dreams for over a decade. This time, he isn’t walking away.


Christy’s Review

I really liked this story. Shame on Me is the first story by author Eve Jameson that I’ve read and won’t be the last. Although a short one, the plot is quite good and the characters are enjoyable.

I sort of figured out the “who done it” before it was reveled but that didn’t stop me from finishing up story.

I really liked both Zack and Blair’s characters. They seemed to be well suited for each other and I was happy with the way the story ended.

If you’re looking for short story with a strong alpha male and a great plot then Shame on Me is definitely worth your time.

3 ½ Tea Cups!

   

Review: Krakow Waltz by Kate Allan

Krakow Waltz by Kate Allan

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

The Honorable Miss Annabel Wells needs to marry to save her reputation. Yet even in her dire straits she cannot bring herself to accept Mr. Henry Champion, an ordinary English gentleman without property or pedigree, no matter what she feels about him. She marries a Polish count but when her husband is killed in a duel and Henry comes all the way across Europe to her rescue, can there be a second chance for love?

Leaving behind the drawing rooms of High Society London where he's feted as a Waterloo hero, Henry Champion finds more danger lurking in the dark streets of the city of Krakow than he bargained for.


Clare's Review

Henry Champion is sent to Poland on a simple journey to bring back the English widow of a Polish count. The trip turns out to be anything but simple, when the Countess turns out to be Annabel, the woman who humiliated him nine years ago. This historical regency novel by Kate Allan is full of intrigue, likeable main characters and moments that will make you smile as well as want to find out what happens next.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: Wild at Heart by Crystal Kauffman

Wild at Heart by Crystal Kauffman

Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

What is more passionate than forbidden love?

Penny Thompson’s impending marriage to a prissy easterner she’s never met signifies the end of her idyllic freedom. A tomboy at heart, she’d rather work her family’s cattle ranch from the back of a horse than bake and sew. The thought of marrying a man she doesn’t know is bad enough, but when she meets a half-breed Indian who ignites her desire, the idea of a wedding night with a stranger she doesn’t love turns abhorrent. John Black Feather’s touch causes a storm of passion Penny fears she cannot live without.

The son of a Navajo chief and a white captive, John Black Feather has always walked between two worlds. Conceived and educated specifically to help the tribe’s relations with the spreading white world, his dalliance with Penny Thompson could ruin his father’s decades-old plan. But Penny enflames him and drives him to take foolish risks for their love…even though he knows a future with her is impossible.

Content warning: Passionate, sweaty sex in the out-of-doors.


Monica's Review

Forbidden Love….

Can arranged marriages actually work? Maybe that depends if the heart of one is willing to make it work but what if their heart belongs to someone else?

Penny is a spunky young girl with a mind of her own. She has her own ideas of what her life should be like even when she knows her brother has promised her to someone whom she does not even know. Penny has found attraction for someone else and believes that she is falling in love with him but because of his race believes their love will be forbidden. In her heart she knows what she needs to do but will she have enough courage to stand on her own two feet and demand to be heard? I liked watching how she learned that someone can fall in love the way it is described in books—the tingly feeling, the pitter patter of your heart racing. Those feelings can exist in someone when they have found true love. I enjoyed reading about her true admiration for John and her ability to see him as a man, not merely as an Indian, but someone that she hold dearly in her heart.

John believed that tricking Penny was going to be solely that but he had another thing coming. John is a half-breed, Indian and white descendent, but dear at heart. I loved how John was loyal to his tribe, his friend and to himself but above all loved and adored Penny. He brought sunlight to Penny and true experience of love but his loyalty to his friend cut his heart, his soul in half. No matter how much John wants to believe that Penny deserves the best even if that means stepping aside can he truly give up. There was a moment that where I was sure he could not turn away from her but he did and the lovely words he said to Penny had tears streaming down my face.

I lost myself in their world of how love can flourish no matter what, during an unexpected trick or maybe just love at first sight. If they are willing to trust each other and have a little faith why should their race have anything to do with each other’s feelings and whom they love?

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: The Edge of the Woods by BL Bonita

The Edge of the Woods by BL Bonita

Publisher: Noble Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Sometimes digging for the truth unleashes deadly consequences . . . .

In the remote Alberta wilderness surrounding Cold Lake, a madman wanders the provincial park. His victims are happy to share his company . . . until they suffer by his blade. Journalist Carmen James and her cameraman are there to cover the story, but as darkness falls they must fight to stay alive.

John Molloy lives a simple life in his cabin in the woods, until he stumbles upon a half-naked woman hiding in his woodshed. She's bloodied, bruised and terrified, compelling him to aide her. As Carmen mends under his care, unexpected and irresistible passion ignites between them. But The Cold Lake Butcher has plans of his own.

Can love overcome the twisted mind of a killer?


Denise’s Review

A killer is stalking tourists and locals alike in the Alberta wilderness. Journalist Carmen James and her cameraman and casual lover, Adam, are there to give Carmen one hell of a sendoff before she embarks on a new career. Their guide, Abel, might be crazy enough to be a deranged killer…and the naked man in the water basin seems, at first, creepy and aloof, and possibly homicidal.

Ms. Bonita tells a gripping story that manages to mislead, surprise, and titillate. The setting for this novella was highly captivating and succeeded in providing an ethereal, eerie feel to the story’s more suspenseful moments. Likewise, the heat between Carmen and John, and Carmen and Adam, for that matter, sizzles.

As a suspense and true-crime enthusiast, as well as a fan of whodunits, I did find several aspects of the plot to be full-on suspensions of disbelief. With a killer roaming the landscape, I wondered why Carmen and Adam didn’t come better prepared for what might face them. Also, I would advise anyone crafting a whodunit to provide a wider variety of suspects who get equal ‘screen time,’ or at least more than a scene or two.

Ms. Bonita is a very skilled author, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

3 ½ Tea Cups!

   

Review: Five Card Stud by Gem Sivad

Five Card Stud (Bounty Hunters, #2) by Gem Sivad

Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb


When bounty hunter Sam McCallister sees Eden Pace playing poker for the first time, he loses all interest in the cards; instead, the thought of playing stud with the lady gambler stirs his cock to life. Eden’s the prettiest woman and the best card sharp Sam’s ever met. Good thing he has a few cards up his sleeve.

Eden’s doing her own outlaw hunting. She’s on the trail of her husband’s killer and Sam’s in her way. To get free of this hardheaded, softhearted, gorgeous man, Eden tries strip poker and naked truth-or-dare, but when Sam ups the stakes, carnal submission and desire are unleashed.

When Sam discovers Eden’s wanted for murder, he figures his bed is the safest place for her. But taking Eden prisoner isn’t as easy as Sam expects. He’s in a high-stakes poker game with lust on the table and his heart on the line, because one taste of Eden just isn’t enough.



Yadkny's Review

The game is on and neither knows who's holding all the cards, but this game is for keeps.

Eden Pace is a woman scorned in more ways than one and she's out for blood. She gambles her way across Texas saloon's to lure out her prey. She keeps a calm, level head while she plays all the while withholding the emotions that threaten to eat away at her. Her calm facade takes a backseat when she finds herself in the middle of a stage coach hold-up and ends up meeting the one man who is determined to unravel the mystery of Eden. Sam is an interesting character, but Eden can't afford to be thrown off her mark, so she decides to use whatever he's willing to offer... protection, reputation, and his body.

Sam McCallister is one-third of a profitable bounty hunting trio. He wants for nothing... whores and booze are plentiful when you've got money. The need for permanent female companionship is a hassle that will just cramp his lifestyle, Eden's reputation precedes her and when she ends up in the line of fire, Sam decides to step in and not just because it's the right thing to do. This time around though he's chasing the biggest bounty of his life. Eden gives him a run for his money with her quick wit and charm, but childhood trauma has made him an emotionally distant adult, so the feelings that Eden stirs are unexplainable.

Eden's got to be one of the strongest heroine's I've come across with everything she's gone through and the determination, patience, and intelligence she displays to finish what was started is magnificent. Sam's the ultimate man's man and is absolutely delicious in all his roughened godliness. He is Eden's perfect match in every way and the determination, patience, and intelligence he displays in wooing her is explosively passionate and undeniable.

Gem Sivad is a master with words and is able to bring forth every emotion she wants her readers to feel with absolute clarity. I am so excited about this story and the series! This book has to be the best historical western I've ever read! The pages really come to life in all of their red dusted glory. From the character dialogue and scenery descriptions, to the gun-slinging action and intense sexual gratification, this book is perfect! Ms. Sivad captured my imagination and effortlessly held it throughout the entire story and all I could think of after reading it was... “I want more!” I'll definitely be going back to see what other sorts of gems, Ms. Sivad has for me to discover.

Reader Advisory: This book could be read as a standalone, but I strongly recommend starting with the first book in the series, Wolf's Tender. This will help set up some of the other characters featured in this story and give you the background needed to familiarize with the setting. Besides after reading about the mysterious Charlie Wolf, you'll want to go back and read more about him.

5 Tea Cups and a Recommended Read!

      

Review: Quarterback Blitz by Frances Stockton

Quarterback Blitz by Frances Stockton

Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

All Anna wants for her fortieth birthday is a ladies’ night out. Her plans are stalled when she ends up stuck in her griffin costume. The mascot for the Alexandria Griffins, she never expects to be rescued by the star of her midnight fantasies, quarterback Kyran Black. Called “The Rebel” by the press because of his long hair, tattoos and playboy stats off the field, he’s everything Anna should avoid.

Kyran is gorgeous and irresistible and he suggests they celebrate her birthday together. Certain she’s too old for him, she agrees to one night. Kyran’s charm and dominance in bed blitz Anna’s defenses, teaching her things about sex she never thought she’d experience.

But when their one-night stand turns into a relationship, his bad-boy past comes back to threaten their future.


Hunter's Review

This is one of the best erotic romances I have ever read. It is Anna’s fortieth birthday and although she has managed to get stuck in her mascot uniform, a job she uses to supplement her teaching career, she is excited about going out with her girlfriends to look at strippers. Kyran has other ideas. He has lusted after Anna since he first saw her, even if she gave him a fake phone number that night so that he couldn’t call her.

There evening together prompts a series of events that make for intriguing suspense, pain, and love all mixed into one wonderful book. Kyran is an ideal hero: real, flawed, and sometimes arrogant. I loved Anna. She’s smart and capable. Together, they were a fantastic couple.

I say bravo to this book and bravo to the author for writing it.

5 Tea Cups and a Recommended Read!