Review: Bite Me by Tracey Fischer

Bite Me by Tracey Fischer

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Kyra Burke is a thirty something cynical writer living in Paris, France when one night a vampire knocks on her door and changes her life forever. Caught between a battle of good and evil she must make the choice to live her life with her earth soul mate or become a vampire and be with who she thinks is her eternal soul mate.



Hunter’s Review

I am torn about this short story. On one hand, I have never read anything like it and I read constantly. On the other, I was left very disappointed by the end of the book and kind of unsure of what actually happened, which is actually a good thing too. Sheesh. I really I’m not being clear. Let me back up.

Kyra is a gossip writer located in Paris. She lives with her cat, Camelot and within the course of several days makes a bunch of decisions that ultimately leads to a very strange ending. My real problem? The author tried to do too much in 13,000 words. There were too many characters, too many plot twists, despite the fact that I loved, loved, loved the heroine’s smart, funny first person voice I still am not really sure what was going on by the end of the book.

I think that Kyra was very captivating and I think people looking for something a little bit different will enjoy this odd little book.

2 Tea Cups!

Review: Clothing Optional by Virginia Nelson

Clothing Optional by Virginia Nelson

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

On the rebound, Brie is thrilled at the idea of a vacation on the beaches of Florida. It will be especially great since it is with two men who are absolutely irresistible…and equally unattainable.

Murphy and his boyfriend are offering the escape and maybe, if she spends enough time with them, maybe she will be able to resist wanting to strip them every time she sees them.

Murphy has always been oddly attracted to his best pal, Brie. But he has never touched a woman in that way. When his lover and boyfriend Andy suggests they make love to her, that she is perfect for them to experience a ménage, Murphy wonders if he is not enough somehow.

But the temptation of having them both…

When they get to the resort and find out that “Clothing Optional” should have been in bold print on the brochure, the three of them are in for the weekend of their lives.


Lily's Review

Clothing Optional grabbed me as soon as I read the title. Mmm, I had to read it. And I did. In one sitting. It’s a great ménage story with characters who are likeable and sexy. Ms Nelson has a wonderful way of describing the men in particular and I could almost see them standing before me. Delicious.

Murphy is gay, but has such a wonderful bond with his best female friend, Brie that when his bi boyfriend, Andy suggests they all get it together the fireworks really fly. All I can say is lucky old Brie, on a re-bound and feeling alone suddenly she is in man heaven. The sex in this book is well written as hot as the Florida setting! Phew!

Verdict:
I enjoyed this story and was disappointed when it ended. Which it did, a little abruptly. I would have adored to keep on reading and I think these characters are worthy of more tales about their adventures. I recommend Clothing Optional if you have a spare half hour and want something steamy to feast on.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: Bound by Darkness by Buffy Christopher

Bound by Darkness by Buffy Christopher

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: BDSM Romance

Heat Rating: 4

Blurb

Lila Anderson’s is having visions of murdered women in the back alleys of San Francisco through the eyes of a man. She’s supposed to be a dominatrix, not a psychic! The man is Drake Bennett. Drake leads a solitary life as a vampire and when Lila invades his mind he wants her out.

Then a known murderer kidnaps Lila, and uses her life experience in bondage and domination to break her and turn her against Drake. Will the deep feelings of desire she has for Drake and their psychic link be enough to save Lila before it’s too late?



Clare C's Review

Bound by Darkness is not a romance novel. It is a horror novel with a romance in it. The majority of the sex consists of the use of BDSM for mental/physical abuse, torture, and rape. Both of the main characters are subject to these things. I quickly came to loath any scene where BDSM might be present because I knew someone was being tortured. It was not hot, erotic, or exciting. It’s like the author only saw BDSM as a way to show the abusive, dirty side of sex. It’s disheartening. As an unrepentant romantic, I don’t really want to see that kind of portrayal. No attempt was made to draw a contrast between the use of it as abuse and the use of it in a loving, consensual relationship.

As a horror story, the plot is interesting, though not original. Several times, especially in the first half of the novel, the narrative repeats details or over-explains things. It slowed down the narrative a bit, and it’s a long novel. I liked Lila and Drake, the main couple, but I didn’t love them. It seemed odd to me that, at times, Drake could sense Simon, one of the bad guys. Yet he never seemed to be able to stay on his trail when he was about to torture and murder someone, even Lila, with whom Drake has a psychic connection.

While the novel makes for a decent horror story, it’s not something you want to read if you’re looking for something erotic. There are some scenes between the principal players that are sweet and loving, but those are few and far between, and they do not include BDSM elements.

3 Tea Cups!

Review: Seven Souls A Leaping Anthology

Seven Souls A Leaping by Lisa Pietsch, K.F. Zuzulo and Heather Long

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

At the New England New Age (NENA) Investigations, no case is too weird. The paranormal detective agency relies on the familial talents of siblings Duncan and Samantha MacDougal and their cousin Tara Conroy. While Duncan and Samantha tend to the field work, Tara mans the office tapping sources in both the physical and spirit world. Fate takes a hand when a killer named Jeffrey Wiles begins a death-dealing spree that puts the lives and loves of these investigators on the line.



Lia’s Review

Frozen Hell by Lisa Pietsch:

Danyelle Roy is a private investigator feeling the pinch of the economy. When she begs her friend Murphy, a bail bondsman, to give her some work, he does so reluctantly. Jeffrey Wiles isn't the kind of criminal you want to send a cute redhead after. He slaughtered a 13-year-old girl while her parents slept and then used her blood to paint Satanic graffiti on the walls. Duncan MacDougal is a specialist in paranormal investigations and he's never seen anything like the Satanic spellcasting done by Jeffrey Wiles. When Duncan and Dani team up to capture Wiles, the magic is overpowering.

The instant I started reading this story I felt as though I was watching a bad movie filmed in a scenic location but with robots instead of actors. This story concentrated so much on details and what everything looked liked instead of character feelings. In the second scene of the story when Wiles attacks and kills a little girl, instead of her feeling any real emotion, all the details concentrated on the candles that Wiles lit. Although the story did get better as it progressed, it lacked conflict. I felt like the only reason that Dani and Duncan fell in love is because her cat told him they’re soul mates. I liked Dani, she was an enjoyable character, although the rest of the story needed to be developed more.


Star Light, Blood Bright by K.F. Zululo:

Samantha MacDougal can see auras. Her gift usually helps her pursue rascals and wraiths for her family’s business, New England New Age Investigations. But when she begins to track Satanic serial murderer Jeffrey Wiles along icy Boston streets, her own life’s light is in danger of being extinguished. She is alone in her struggle until handsome Boston detective Ike Marshall mysteriously provides a supernatural shield of light that warms her as never before.

I didn’t like this story at all. There was too much concentration on details (just like in the first) and no concentration on plot or character development. It lacked conflict, especially in the romance department. Ike Starr, the hero, had no personality whatsoever and Sam MacDougal was a very dumb heroine. When she started to see the evil specks of aura, instead of realizing them as Wiles spirit, she instead just wrote them off as nothing. Then, when Wiles (while possessing her neighbor) came to her door, and she was warned that it’s Wiles, Sam still opened the door instead of run and hide. By the end of this story, I was so annoyed with this heroine that I skipped the last three chapters and moved on to the last story.



13th Night by Heather Long:

Since the day she learned to put her ABCs together, Tara Conroy has been sharing a ghostly correspondence with the spirit world. One spirit, in particular, Darian, has been talking to her since she was twelve years old. His letters take a darker turn as she and her cousins hunt down killer Jeffrey Wiles.
Darian Barnes ran afoul of a witch in 1929 as the stock market crashed. She cursed him, and for nearly a century Darian has existed as a spirit, always seeing, never touching or experiencing, until one day he encountered Tara. For the first time in eighty years, someone could hear him. He watched over her, guiding, protecting and advising—always there when she needed a friend.
Now Darian and Tara must find a way to bring their love into the physical world and destroy Jeffrey Wiles once and for all…

After reading and being disappointed with the first two stories, I was a bit reluctant to read this one. I was very shocked to see that this one actually had a plot and well developed characters. The conflict wasn’t just a part of the plot, but there was conflict between the characters. Tara and Darian were both very enjoyable characters. I was rooting for them to succeed the entire time. This story was not filled with any of the purple prose the first two stories contained. It was an enjoyable end to this poorly written anthology. Ms Long definitely gained a new reader with her story.

2 ½ Tea Cups!

Review: Halloween in the Catacombs by R.Ann Siracusa

Halloween in the Catacombs by R.Ann Siracusa

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

Harriet Ruby: Tour Director Extraordinaire, has had some real winners when it came to tourists, but this group, wearing Halloween costumes on an all day tour of Rome, took the cake. Well, it was Halloween, but these folks were seriously…different.

When nine of them decide to explore on their own and take off down a restricted tunnel of the Roman catacombs, Harriet has to find them…for their safety and her reputation…and ends up involved in something she never expected.


Lia's Review

Light romance, intrigue, colorful characters, and traces of humor. This story had it all. Although I felt like it was a little too short, I instantly fell in love with Harriet Ruby. All around, it was a very quick and enjoyable read.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Time Stalker by Sabrina Conrad

Time Stalker by Sabrina Conrad

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

Fleeing from the clutches of a stalker, Vicki Crawford is mysteriously whisked from modern-day Tampa, Florida to the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia…circa 1857.

Following her into this strange ‘new’ world, her stalker remains in constant pursuit, fixated on her becoming ‘his and his alone’.

In 1800’s Virginia, Vicki meets a man who could be her soul mate. With danger just behind her, should she fight for true love or risk it all to return to her own time?


Hunter’s Review

This book felt really disjointed to me. It starts out incredibly well. The opening scenes are so intense that I actually shook in my boots reading them. But then when Vicki crosses over through time it started to feel incredibly unrealistic to me. (Yes, I’m talking about unrealistic when it comes to time travel) Characters don’t behave the way they would, Vicki loses her edge, unbelievable things happen and I found that I had completely lost the ability to suspend my disbelief.

The end comes very abruptly and the characters all become cartoon versions of themselves. However, I do think that people who like time travel romance will enjoy visiting Virginia in 1857 for a while.

2 Tea Cups!

Review: Destruction of the Great Wall by R. Ann Siracusa

Destruction of the Great Wall by R. Ann Siracusa

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

I’m Harriet Ruby, Tour Director Extraordinaire. At last, one of my fondest wishes has come true! Will Talbot, my favorite Super Spy and the love of my life, wants to include me in his covert mission to recover a list of double agents for the U.S. government.

Wow! Usually, I want to know everything, and he can’t tell me anything. Now, I’ll be part of the action. I am so-o going to love this!

Not that I have a big role. I only have to act as if we’re husband and wife when he accompanies me on my China tour. The tour group members are strangers we’ll never see again, and we can spend three intimate weeks together.

I mean, how hard can that be?

Surprise, surprise! My parents show up on the tour as replacements for some cancellations. Now we have to pretend we’re married to protect Will’s cover.

And then, other problems erupt when someone tries to kill me, and terrorists kidnap me and my mother to lure Will into a trap. Not to mention the damage my assault rifle does to the Great Wall…

Oh, man. It isn’t my fault. Really!



Hunter’s Review

This is a really fun book. It continues the story of Harriet Ruby, Tour Director Extraordinaire. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I’m going to suggest that you go buy them because (a) they’re fun to read and (b) they help you understand what is going on in this book.

The writing is light weight and the hero and heroine continue on with their love affair, which is, as always, satisfying. Ms. Siracusa does a wonderful job of describing China—sometimes too good of a job, occasionally description slows down the plot—and I think you’ll enjoy the setting as really unique.

Will there come a point when I get enough of Harriet’s antics? Maybe. But I haven’t gotten there yet and I’m really enjoying the series. I think you will too. So go buy book 1 if you haven’t so you can read this book. You won’t be sorry you did.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: Prime Evil by Heather Long

Prime Evil by Heather Long

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Nearly a decade ago, Randall Oakes left hedge witch Chance Monroe for dead— Now he’s back along with her ex-lover Jack Parker. The FBI wants Chance in protective custody, but Chance knows that it won’t be enough to protect her from Oakes.

Connected to the earth, Chance must rely on her supernatural senses and her own wits to survive this game of cat and mouse



Hunter’s Review

The book opens up very intensely, with Hedge Witch Chase Monroe helping a man with an imp problem. The action doesn’t stop there. Ms. Long has a real knack for drawing readers in and not letting them go. She does that in a major way with this book by creating Chase—a truly likable character—and by contrast, Randall Oakes, who is downright scary.

If I had any complaints about it at all, I would say that sometimes there was simply too much detail, so much that I would occasionally—to steal a cliché—lose the forest for the trees. But she always managed to draw me back in and it was an enjoyable read!

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: Siren's Song by Virginia Nelson

Sirens Song (Book 2 in the Odd Stuff Series) by Virginia Nelson

Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Janie Smith is ready to get her life in order. She just needs to control her powers, feed without killing someone, deal with a sick witch, a vampire boyfriend committed by fate to another, and an ancient serial killer’s ghost who has settled inside an unsuspecting human. She must also put up with Queen Mab’s demand that she accept an elfin fiancé, while dodging Chance, the man who claims to be her soul mate, and help her daughter adjust to life after divorce. Seriously, not a big deal.

More Odd Stuff is breaking out all because of a Siren’s Song.


Kylie’s Review

Virginia Nelson is rapidly becoming my newest favorite author. Janie Smith and her Odd crew are back in Sirens Song, the sequel to Odd Stuff. I must reiterate, if you are a fan of paranormal romance, you must read these books. Virginia Nelson is providing a new and unique voice, that dispels old stereotypes and creating a fun and exciting new world of sirens, witches, vampires, and all other things that go bump in the night.

The odd crew is back with some new additions and a slew of new problems. Janie has her first official assignment from the F.B.I., to find out who The Harbor Hammer is. Simple enough except he has been killing people since roughly the 1930's and only shows up during leap years. Then there is the fact that Mia has a cold and every time she sneezes unintentionally cast a spell. Let us not forget about the vampire boyfriend Vance, and possible soul mate of undetermined origins, Chance, debacle. And it's only Monday.

Virginia Nelson has created a world that draws you in and leaves you wanting more. Where the fantastical is expected and the ordinary made that much more special by its rarity. Sirens Song focuses more on Janie's personal life, as she learns to control her new Siren powers, and struggles with the men in her life. All the while trying to be a good mom to a daughter who may have inherited more from Janie than just her eye color, and trying to dodge her own mother Queen Mab, who has taken it upon herself to reinstate Janie on the Fairy Counsel a position that comes with a fiancé. Neither of which Janie wants. Janie deals with all these new complications the way she deals with everything else a good dose of sarcasm and a full speed ahead, act first think later approach. While her tactics seem to get her into a much trouble as they get her out of it works for her.

As if Vance and Chance weren't enough to deal with Janie has two new men in her life, Avery and Frank. Avery is the fairy fiancé, while he harbors no romantic feelings for Janie he craves the power he would command as her husband. Unfortunately having never lived top side, he is unprepared for life among humans, let alone with Janie and get broken repeatedly. Frank thought he has no romantic connection to Janie, frustrates her more than the other men in her life. Frank is Mia's muse; his job is to inspire people. The fact that he mostly inspires chaos is a source of endless annoyance to Janie. However, Frank derives such enjoyment from his work that you cannot help but be delighted right along with him.

Sirens Song is captivating from the very first line to the last. Complete with a rich cast of characters and an engaging story, Virginia Nelson's work is magic. Proving yet again, the best parts of life are made up of Odd Stuff.

5 Tea Cups!