Review: No Such Thing by Sandra Sookoo

No Such Thing by Sandra Sookoo

Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

When magic fails, sometimes trust and a second chance are all you need.

Magical things are happening once again in the tiny town of Crystal Falls, Indiana. But this time, the source of that magic is in trouble. May (Malaya) Wiggins, the owner of a boarding house, has been called to task by a member of the magical enforcement league. It seems May has been practicing magic and nurturing the special spark in others without a license.

Enter Tavian Brightmore the good-looking, play-by-the-rules magical enforcement officer sent to drain May’s energy. He’s also her former lover and the man who betrayed her ten years ago.

As Mrs. Wiggin’s May Day celebration nears, she and Tavian must learn to interact with each other, regardless of the attraction and anger that sizzle between them, magical and otherwise, before the power-hungry dean of the institute of magical instruction kills them both.


Dodie's Review

We need a new aphorism. You know like absolute power corrupts, absolutely; which is also appropriate for this story. Something like – lack of trust kills a relationship – but that's not quite pithy and catchy enough for an aphorism.

May and Tavian were on track to their own H.E.A. ten years ago, but then something happened, and May believes that Tavian betrayed her. May ran to Crystal Falls. Tavian pursued her. Their lack of faith in each other – their lack of trust in each other – ruined their relationship before and is well on its way to ruining their relationship this time around. May and Tavian are great characters. Their previous relationship makes the heat between them more believable and palpable – right from the beginning of the story.

While this is the fourth story in the series, I never felt like I didn't understand what was going on. Previous stories were alluded to, and some of the characters made a brief reappearance, but I had a firm grasp of the characters and the framework of the series right from the beginning.

I enjoyed my time in Crystal Falls – brief as it was. I hope that Tavian and May's H.E.A. and trust in each other, bring them lots of happiness in the future, and I hope that we get to see glimpses of their lives, and perhaps a bit more resolution to their story in future installments of the series.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: Wolf At The Door by J. Damask

Wolf At The Door by J. Damask

Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Being an ex-teen vigilante comes with its own set of problems.

Housewife, ex-teen vigilante…and shape-shifting wolf…Jan Xu has enough problems without adding her sister's to the mix. Marianne is returning to Singapore and she's filled with strange ideas. She's also not alone. She's coming home with a new boyfriend who has a dark agenda of his own.

With sibling rivalry threatening the inevitable: a battle-to-the-death with fang and claw, Jan and Marianne must overcome their issues if they're ever going to find peace within their troubled relationship.

Content warning: Violence, fang-and-claw fighting.



Claudette's Review

Jan Xu is a werewolf, as is almost everyone else in her family. I love that though she’s married and has children this doesn’t hinder her from being a butt kicking protagonist. Her sister Marianne and she haven’t been close since Marianne failed at puberty to gain the ability to become a wolf. When Marianne returns home to Singapore, after years away from her family, she brings her new boyfriend Steve. Though Steve is also a werewolf, he very clearly has a hidden agenda. Only Jan seems to be aware that he is a threat however. Soon Jan’s world is rocked by mishaps that are befalling everyone she cares about.

This is a story with sibling rivalry at its heart. At times the narrative was disjointed, abruptly mentioning events from the past and introducing new characters without any obvious context or introduction; as though the reader knows exactly who they are. The rich detail and originality of both the setting, culture and story, more than make up for that. I found this novel to be fascinating, gripping and thoroughly enjoyable. A werewolf fantasy with a difference.

4 1/2 Tea Cups!

      

Review: The Bachelor’s Return by Clarissa Yip

The Bachelor’s Return by Clarissa Yip

Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Returning home brings the most unexpected surprises…

Melissa Johnson, aka, the Brat, didn’t believe in happily ever after. She also blames James Bauer for ruining her for other men. After years of crushing on him, Melissa knew she had to get him out of her system.

James Bauer needs to protect his bachelorhood. He's always enjoyed the single life and dreads returning home to see his matchmaker mother. Fate had other plans however, when he finds his nemesis in tight black leather...working at a dance club, of all places.

One touch ignites a fire between Melissa and James, but will it be enough to keep them together?



Hunter's Review

Clarissa Yip has become a must-read for me. In this book, she has taken a short story and done all the right things with it. While brief, she expertly set up conflict, plot, heat, and familial relationships. I left the story feeling like I had spent a lot of time with the people in the story.

James and Melissa are fantastic. They have heat when they look at each other and they steam in the bedroom. I just adored it. I think fans of really good writing and really hot love scenes will ADORE this book. I did.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Howl by Silke Juppenlatz

Howl by Silke Juppenlatz

Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

When life hands you wolves, howl.

The alpha wolf in Zalin's pack is slowing going insane, which is tough enough to contend with, but the guy is gunning for the woman Zalin loves--the rancher's daughter who saved his hide. He's torn between taking off to avoid a confrontation with the Alpha, and sticking around to protect Lucia. Opening his heart to her is not an option-- he's had enough rejection to last a lifetime.

Lucia is fascinated by the "wolf" she saved--at the time unaware he was more than a canine. Zalin seems out to save her from his Alpha, but she wants more than protection from him. When spilled family secrets make her doubt everything she knows, she turns to Zalin for stability, only to learn he's planning to leave.

Will Zalin desert the one he loves when she needs him most, or will he howl a challenge on her behalf?


Yadkny's Review

Their paths were never meant to cross, but once they did the temptation to know more about her proves too much. Since the moment fate brought Lucia into Zalin's life and then saved it, he knew that couldn't be the last time he saw her. His thoughts become clouded with her and each time he scents her, he finds himself drawn to her more. Zalin knows his time is almost up and leaving the pack is the best option, but a mission set on him by the Alpha holds him back and now so does Lucia.

Lucia's life quickly turns upside down after meeting Zalin. When a betrayal is exposed, turning to Zalin for comfort seems natural to Lucia regardless of his true nature. The chemistry and attraction is instantaneous, so when she learns of their similar tragic pasts, their future is sealed. However, a threat looms on the horizon and the suspect could be anyone.

An exciting paranormal romance with a little mystery and eroticism combined. Zalin and Lucia are perfectly matched with balanced perspectives throughout the story. Reading it was not only enjoyable, but quite easy with the quick pacing. There's not a lot of drawn out sexual tension or frustrations built around a characters' acceptance of multiple situations. That may have made it a bit less believable, but definitely light reading at it's best with instant gratification.

This is my first read by Ms. Juppenlatz and I will absolutely be on the hunt for more. Readers looking for a howlin' good time should check out this sexy shifter story!

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: This Side of Dawn by Dara England

This Side of Dawn by Dara England

Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Some secrets you can’t walk away from…

One icy winter night Teagan Grant feels reckless…and desperate. But when she takes her fate into her own hands she may not survive long enough to regret it.

Teagan is about to learn that some secrets don’t die easily. Not when they belong to a cursed man who will do anything to ensure his darker side remains undiscovered. And it will take more than the break of dawn to save anyone who stands in his way.



Lena's Review

Living in an alley with trashbags is what her life has become. For months now Teagan Grant has learned to survive in the city. She expected a lot of things in living in the streets but never a man like J. Rotham. Living a day at a time and eating out of trash cans has made her feel desperate and Rotham is her salvation. The thing is that he scares her. Teagan has no idea what he is up to only that he is her ticket out of the streets. Working nights with him she starts to feel like something is not right with her boss. Yet instead of fear Rotham has started to become more than a boss employee relationship. A once in a lifetime at finally getting out of the streets could mean sacrificing her life. Can she risk it?

Dara England has once again created a tale of secrets, betrayal and deceit all in one story. Though it is short it packs a lot story in one package. Teagan is a woman who has had such bad luck lately and Rotham is the key to her comeback to life. These two are very strange yet through it all Dara England shows us love can appear in any way. Great job.

3 Tea Cups!

Review: Seduced by the Playboy Heir by Grace Cox

Seduced by the Playboy Heir by Grace Cox

Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb
A mystery benefactor promises wealth, but passion gets in the way…

After being whisked to Scotland by private jet upon discovering she’s to inherit a fortune, Lucinda learns there’s a competitor for the unexpected wealth – the impetuous playboy Matthew Hardcastle. In order for either of them to gain the money, they have to run the prosperous estate together for no less than three months.

Despite the explosive sexual chemistry between them, Matt’s playboy attitude repulses the work-driven Lucinda. But in order for them to work together they'll have to put their passionate disagreements aside and call a temporary truce.

Their time together proves they aren’t so different…until their personalities once again clash and the only thing that can bring them back together is love.


Warning; Contains scenes of a sexual nature.


Hunter's Review

This was the type of book that once upon a time made me fall in love with Romance Novels. Ms. Cox has done what is so hard ot find—she has taken two interesting characters, given them great chamistry, a romantic setting and made romance blossom.

Matt is hot, despite his difficult ways and Luce is wonderful and extremely likable. I cried at the end because I was so overjoyed. I recommend this book highly.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Ordinary Angels by India Drummond

Ordinary Angels by India Drummond

Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

An angel is about to fall…

Although most of Zoe Pendergraft's friends are dead, that means nothing to her. After all, they died long before she meet them. What does matter is the angel who took her dancing and turned her world upside down.

But grim reality intrudes when she finds a body, and the Higher Angels accuse her of the murder.

Knowing she's the only one who can stand against the Higher Angels, Zoe uses any means necessary to save her friend…all the while, wondering if the tempestuous love she's feeling is real.

The blood on her hands forces Zoe to question herself, and her angel to question her.

Contains strong language and supernatural sizzle


Denise's Review

Ms. Drummond has woven an interesting tale of various mythologies with some interesting twists that make ORDINARY ANGELS a fascinating read from start to finish. Zoe Pendergrafft has a variety of friends, but only one or two of them have a pulse. With the ability to see and commune with the dead, she has resigned herself to the reality that her life will always be a little less than normal. When she meets Alexander, who is posing as the mail carrier, she senses immediately something’s off about him. Granted, her first conclusion likely wasn’t “angel,” but Zoe doesn’t react to the news like you might expect. After all, this isn’t her first rodeo.

Overall, I really enjoyed this ORDINARY ANGELS and how not everything is clearly good or bad. When we meet Alexander, he’s in trouble for rescuing a man marked for death, and explains how that man’s death was to instigate a series of events that will now never come to be. It provided an interesting outlook on the butterfly effect and beliefs concerning predestination.

Regrettably, I didn’t find Zoe all that interesting. Even with her ability to see and speak with the dead, I expected a larger response at the prospect of encountering an angel. She seemed to take everything in stride. Granted, my opinion of Zoe improved the further the author drew me into the world, and by the end I liked her well enough to root for her.

Be that as it may, fans of those paranormal romances that tackle angels and demons won’t be disappointed. And for whatever problems I had with the book, the writing is strong enough to tempt me into seeing what other works Ms. Drummond has on the horizon, and even pick up the next book in the series.

3 ½ Tea Cups!

   

Review: Wait for the Wind by Brynna Curry

Wait for the Wind by Brynna Curry

Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Ryan and Kate must reunite to break the second of a three-part thousand-year-old spell.

Kate O’Connell grew up loved by the Corrigan family, all the while suffering from the inescapable reality of her own alcoholic father. At a young age she gave her heart and innocence to Ryan Corrigan. For once happiness seemed within her reach, until in one horror-filled night, the monster she called ‘Daddy’ changed everything.

Too many misunderstandings forced Kate and Ryan apart, but now Kate’s come home to open her clinic and raise her daughter, Allaina, closer to his family. Will she be able to open Ryan’s heart to his magic?

Ryan is glad to be back on Irish soil, but the reason he left still haunts him. As he tries to build a new life and redeem his past, can he forgive Kate and reclaim his healing gift in time to save his sister and her twins?

Content Warning: Steamy love scenes, adult language


Hunter's Review

Wait for the Wind is the third book in a series. I haven’t read the first two books in this series, but I will after this. It is so well written. From moment one, the tension that propels this unique story forward is palpable. Ms. Curry obviously knows how to create and keep action and romance. I was very impressed.

I did find some parts of this book confusing, having not read the first two books. But it was my own choice to pick up a story in the final part. I recommend this book to everyone but I would suggest that perhaps it might be best to start with Book 1.

4 Tea Cups!