Review: The Billionaire Werewolf's Princess by Michele Hauf

This book is so fun. I read it on a long school trip, many hours on a bus with a bunch of teenagers, and it helped immensely to pass the time. While others complained about the long ride, I was like, I'm doing just fine. When else do I get to spend all day reading? And such a great, interesting story to dive into.

That evening, after we took the students out to eat, we were sitting at a park, and I was reading again. The students wanted to know what I was reading - so I tried to summarize it. Wealthy, handsome, billionaire werewolf/fairy meets a woman with a mysterious past - one she isn't even aware of until she meets him and something in her stirs. Anyway, it's been a few months since I read it - I am so behind on writing book reviews - so a little fuzzy on details, but I had the students hanging on my every word. The next day, they were all, "What happened next?" And it got me wondering, has Hauf ever considered writing YA fantasy? Some Beautiful Creatures stories geared toward younger readers, with less steam? Of course, in my descriptions to the students, I left out the sexy times - which Hauf always does very, very well.

I loved these characters, all the wonderful magic and the descriptive Paris setting  (when I was in Paris this summer, I walked by a signs and was all, there's the hospital mentioned in Billionaire Werewolf's Princess). The story is fast paced, and seeing the characters learn about their past made for a thoughtful read. Each of them had to deal with coming to terms with their true identities, both growing up thinking they are something they weren't.

Very much enjoyed this book. Would recommend to anyone who wants a fun, sexy read involving werewolves and fairies and saving the world (or at least the children of Paris.)

I received a copy of this via Netgalley.

Review: The Witch's Quest by Michele Hauf

The Witch's Quest by Michele Hauf
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! Absolutely loved it! Really beautiful story about sacrifice and doing the right thing even when it hurts. Also, very sweet, sexy love story between a fairy and a witch. Hauf's Beautiful Creatures stories are some of my favorites, and I especially love her descriptions of fairy wings. I never thought much about fairies until I read her books involving them, now I'm a little obsessed.

Will attempt to write a more thorough and thoughtful review later. I know "I loved it and it's amazing" isn't really helpful review-wise, and yet, that's exactly how I feel about this book, moments after finishing it.

If you are a fan of paranormal romance, I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy via Netgalley.


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Review: Enchanted by the Wolf by Michele Hauf

I liked this book so much. I've been in something of a reading slump lately, not liking anything I've tried to read for the past couple of weeks. So I tossed aside those other books and decided to read something by an author I trust. Since the book doesn't come out until October, I'd been planning to read it sometime in September, but it was very much needed this past week. I started reading after I went to bed last night and kept reading until I finished the book, sometime around 6 a.m.

In the beginning, the story line felt very similar to Her Vampire Husband, which is not really a bad thing because that's one of my favorite books. Like Her Vampire Husband, the story begins with an arranged marriage to strengthen relations between different creatures. In this case, Kir, a werewolf has been asked by his pack leader to marry the daughter of the faery king. Their first meeting is the day of the wedding,and shortly after, they have to "bond" in front of a witness. Something of an awkward beginning to a marriage.

I loved the couple in this book. Early in the story, I didn't think I was going to like Bea. She seemed a little too spoiled and immature, while Kir is so nice. Nice in a sincere way, not a boring "nice guy" way. He's kind and honorable.  Eventually it becomes clear that Bea doesn't know how else to act. She's never known "nice" or any sort of affection. This is a brand new experience for her. She begins to appreciate this husband of hers, who would do anything to make her happy. Bea's never had anyone care about her feelings or her comfort.

Though neither of them were especially pleased with being forced into the marriage, they quickly realize it isn't such a bad arrangement. They have a lot of adjusting to do - to married life, and for Bea, living in a whole new realm. But the more time they spend together and the more they get to know each other, the more they begin to truly care about each other. Kir didn't think it possible to care so much about someone who had so recently been a complete stranger and the only feeling with which Bea is familiar is hate. Seeing how they move past this creates a very nice, very romantic and sexy love story.

While falling in love with each other happens easily enough, everything else in their world seems to be conspiring against them. There's the issue of Bea being only half faery and not knowing what her other half is, or who her mother is. Then there's Kir's mother, or as Bea calls her, the monster-in-law, and she truly is horrible. Also, Kir is struggling with his feelings regarding his relationship with his father, and uncovering some disturbing information about his own pack, causing him to question his beliefs about family.

There's so much happening in this book, once I got started reading it, I couldn't put it down.  It's a fast paced story, with a lot of action and some powerful emotion. Parts of this story broke my heart, but that made the resolution that much sweeter as the characters worked through their obstacles.

Really great book. Highly recommend for fans of paranormal romance. This has got a bit of everything: werewolves, faeries, demons, vampires and a couple of witches.

Expected publication date October 1.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: The Vampire's Fall by Michele Hauf

The Vampire’s Fall is another excellent paranormal romance from Michele Hauf .  In this book, Blade, a sexy, brooding vampire/fairy falls for a woman, Zen, who has lost her memory and all awareness of who and/or what she is.

That I really liked this book is not a big surprise.  A quick glance through my past book reviews and it’s clear that I’m a big fan of Hauf’s writing.  Love her Beautiful Creatures world, full of paranormal creatures such as vampires and werewolves and fairies.  A couple of weeks ago, I read Her Vampire Husband, about Blu and Creed Saint-Pierre, a werewolf who marries a vampire.  After that I read a few novellas about the couple and their family, and then Ghost Wolf – which is about their granddaughter, Daisy Blu.  (I read Moonlight and Diamonds, about Daisy Blu's brother, Stryke before I read any of the other Saint-Pierre books).  Could not get enough of this family and wanted to do nothing but read while I was engrossed in this world.

I was very much looking forward to reading Blade Saint-Pierre’s story because of the hints about him in the other books.

But in the beginning, I was a little worried because the novel started out slow for me.  Usually I’m involved in the story from the first few pages, and this book didn't feel like that to me.  Maybe that was partially because I simply didn't have time to sit down and read for an extended period of time. 

Even when I wasn't sure I was loving the story, I still loved Blade, who was struggling  with a painful past that made it difficult for him to move forward in life.  But Zen, I didn't like much at all, not at first.  I couldn't understand why Blade wanted her and didn't find their attraction very convincing at first. 

I kept reading though, and once Zen’s memories began to return, she developed a more interesting personality.  Once Blade finally began to open up to her and talk more about his past, I felt the story got much more interesting.

By the time I finished the book, I pretty much loved the story.  This book is heavy on vampires and demons and fairies and angels.  The last few I've read have been mostly werewolf stories, so I enjoyed the change – being that vampires are my favorite. 

What really won me over though was the imagery in this story, especially the description of the wings.  I highlighted several passages in hopes of returning to these when I have my sketchbook in hand to try and capture these visuals on paper.  These are such beautiful and powerful scenes, so vividly described, I could see the black wings facing off against the angel as they battled to the death.  And there is one love scene involving fairy wings which is probably one of the hottest, sexiest scenes I've ever read and completely made up for any perceived slowness in the beginning of the story. 

Overall, I thought this was a great book.  I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances.  These are some of the best.

According to Amazon, this book will be released in paperback on May 15 and as an ebook on June 1.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

And just a general comment about these books because I was reading about the Saint-Pierre's, one right after the other - I have been dealing - rather unsuccessfully - with some health issues that are beginning to adversely affect other areas of my life, and these books have been my salvation.  When nothing else in my life was working, I knew I could dive into these books and find a much needed escape.  Books are important.  Fiction is necessary.  And authors who create worlds like this are, at times, more valuable than doctors.   

Review: Moonlight and Diamonds by Michele Hauf

I've always been a fan of paranormal romances, especially those involving vampires and witches.  However, because of Michele Hauf, I'm also starting to become something of a werewolf fan - something I never thought I'd say.

Moonlight and Diamonds is a very nice, sexy romance between a werewolf from Minnesota and a Paris socialite (who is also a werewolf, but takes medication to keep her werewolf tendencies hidden.)  Stryke is in Paris for a family wedding.  He's hoping to enjoy some sightseeing in the city and maybe meet some beautiful Parisian women.  His first night in the city, he attends an art gallery displaying jewelry, and ends up having a quickie with the owner of the gallery, Blyss in the backroom.  Nice way to begin his trip.

Stryke isn't sure what's going on with Blyss, she seems a bit out of his league, being that he considers himself a country boy/wolf from Minnesota and she's what he calls a "glamour girl."  He's especially surprised when he discovers she's a werewolf, and doesn't understand why he didn't realize that sooner.

Blyss' life isn't quite as comfortable as it seems.  She's been spending a lot of money on the medication she takes to suppress her werewolf and now she'd in debt and desperate.  What Stryke doesn't realize at first is that he was being used that first night in part of her attempt to gain some money to pay off her debt.  (She slipped a diamond in his pocket during that quickie, will plans of retrieving it later.)

I admit to being a little bit confused about the details of the theft of the diamond and who wanted it and why.  That's probably my own fault though, because I was much more interested in the developing relationship between Stryke and Blyss.  I liked the way they both started out with such clear ideas about what they wanted in life and how they envisioned their futures, only to be later be willing to rethink things due to their attraction to each other.  Styke was in search of a female werewolf to start a pack of his own, Blyss wanted nothing to do with werewolves.  Rather than one deciding to give up what they wanted, they were each willing to compromise - without being asked to do so.  (I have difficulty believing any scenario in which someone is willing to give up Paris - anyone remember the last episode of Friends? - so I thought this was handled well.)

Michele Hauf writes some of my favorite paranormal romances.  I know I can rely on her books for an enjoyable story. Lots of action, danger and plenty of steamy romance, plus very nice descriptions of Paris.  I love her characters and as I've begun reading more of her books, I especially enjoy seeing characters from other stories popping into these stories.    (I've got quite a few of her older books on my to-read list so I can learn more about some of these characters.)

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances, especially those involving sexy werewolves in Paris.

Review: Beyond the Moon by Michele Hauf

I liked this book so much.  I started reading it this morning and couldn't put it down until I finished it.  This is the third book of Hauf's I've read, all three books being part of the Company of Vampires series.  I love these stories and these characters.  Vampires, witches, shifters, werewolves and vampire hunters, all living in Paris.

The characters are interesting, the stories are full of danger and romance.  Just the right blend of supernatural, violence and sex.

In this book, Verity, a witch is attacked by vampires and saved by Rook, a vampire hunter.  The two feel an instant connection, which baffles both of them.  Also, this connection they feel seems to be linked to the pendant worn around Verity's neck.  Years ago, acting on some inexplicable compulsion, Verity sensed a soul within a tree, and she carved it out and felt obligated to protect it until she found its owner.  Just so happens, many years ago, Rook made a deal with the devil that involved his soul being taken from him and buried in the ground.

But on the night of the attack, shortly after their initial meeting, the pendant is lost, and Verity is bitten by a vampire.  She has until the full moon to figure out a cure (her attempts at spells aren't working) or hope Rook can stake the vamp who bit her before she transforms.

So this is the story of Rook trying to reclaim his soul, and Verity trying to save hers, all while trying to handle the intense attraction they feel for each other.  Verity has a three date rule, but she figures out fairly quickly she wants more than three dates with Rook.  And discovering Verity is a fire witch, and seeing her perform with fire brings back some terrible memories Rook would rather not revisit.

I don't want to give too much away in this review, because part of what makes the story interesting is the way the backstory is gradually revealed.

Overall, this is a really great book.  I loved both Verity and Rook.
Lots of action, plenty of magic and some very hot sex.  I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys steamy paranormal romances.

Review: The Vampire Hunter by Michele Hauf

I’ve only read two books by Michele Hauf, but based on those two books, I have plans to read pretty much everything else she’s written because she writes some of the best vampire stories I’ve ever read.  She has created such an interesting, gritty world, full of magic – vampires and witches and werewolves and fairies.  I love it. 

The Vampire Hunter is the second book in The Company of Vampires series.  The other book I have read of hers was the first book in this series.  That one was about a vampire and a hunter.  This book though is about a vampire hunter, Kaz, who falls in love with a witch, Zoe.

I loved Kaz, loved how he was devoted to his work, but not entirely afraid to fall for Zoe.  Loved that he was so romantic and sweet and protective, but not creepily so.  I didn’t love Zoe, I thought she was a bit too naïve.  For her to be so clueless about some of the things happening was frustrating.  But I didn’t hold it against her, because it was explained that she did live a very sheltered life, didn’t get out of much, kept to herself.  She lives in a fairy tale-type world of her own creations, and makes no qualms about yearning for a happily ever after.  She just wants to stay out of trouble, help her friends and do good for others.  Even Kaz at one point says to her that she’s entirely too forgiving.  Because it was made clear that this was a flaw of Zoe’s I was okay with it, it didn’t make the story seem too sappy – like oh, she’s so good and perfect she can’t help it.  It was clear that her lack of awareness was the cause of a very big problem.

The setting is Paris, and having been to Paris, I loved recreating the streets in my head.  Very atmospheric, filled with mysterious, dangerous, beautiful creatures.  Romantic, sexy, steamy.  Did not want to put this book down, and when it ended I wanted more because it was that good.

I will definitely be reading more books by this author.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Thinking Woman's Guide to Practical Magic by Emily Croy Barker

I was so excited about reading this book.  It sounded so cool based on the description.  University setting and magic, other worlds and romance.  All things I love.

And it started out okay.  I loved the magical world the main character found herself in.  Everything seemed so beautiful and wonderful.  I was a little thrown by the writing style, seemed to be a lot of, this happened and then this and this and this.  I suppose it was intentional, so that as readers we had the same blurry, fast-paced impressions as Nora.

Once Nora left this world though, and ended up living with an old wizard, I quickly began to lose interest and wished I'd not already invested so much time in the story.

I thought the author did a great job in creating these other worlds and complex characters.  But I didn't like the characters, the more I knew about them, the more I disliked them.  And the world they were in didn't seem all that wonderful either.  It was cold and the people seemed kind of dirty and crude.  It simply wasn't a place when I wanted to spend time.

People I respect have given this book high praise, so I forced myself to finish the book - though I admit to skimming parts of it, because things kept happening that made me angry. 

Nora was so weak.  She was supposed to be a smart grad student, but she didn't seem very intelligent at all.  In the beginning, she's upset about being dumped by her boyfriend, and she doesn't seem to be doing very well at her job either.  It's understandable that she would behave submissively while enchanted.  But even after the enchantment, when she's living with the wizard, she behaves so weakly, I found it difficult to read.

There's a scene where she's ordered to burn her boots - boots which she bought herself.  I got so angry reading that.  I wanted to stop then, but like I said, I'd already put quite a bit of time into the book.

What bothered me the most though is that I felt readers were expected to view the wizard as some sort of romantic hero.  In my mind, he just seemed old (yuck) and grouchy - not sexy.  The idea that Nora would be attracted to him creeped  me out quite a bit.  Just another example of her weakness.

This book simply wasn't for me.  I need the women in my stories to be a bit stronger, a bit more interesting and independent.

I received a review copy of this via NetGalley.  I also received a copy of this book through a GoodReads giveaway, and thus feel quite guilty about not liking it.  I do plan to pass on the copy I won to a friend that I think may like it more than I did.    

Review: The Trouble with Fate by Leigh Evans

It took me a while to get into this book. I’d start reading it for a bit, lose interest and have to read something else and then return to it. Happened a few times before I finally started to care about what was happening.

What bothered me the most is in the beginning, the narrator, who is 21 years old, sounded too much like a teenager, trying to sound tough and cool. After she got past the initial setup and the events began to unfold, I didn’t notice this as much. What did continue to bother me though was her frequent reference to her “inner Were-bitch”. Reminded me a lot of another “inner goddess” in a very popular book I did not enjoy. I don’t like the idea that women are so bothered by their sexual desires that they need to assign them to a separate entity within themselves.

I was almost halfway through the book before I reached a point in which I didn’t want to put it down, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Once Robson Trowbridge becomes a part of the story, things started to get interesting. Hedi’s had a crush on him since she was a child, and once she’s alone with him, things begin to happen – as the title suggests, she seems to have finally discovered her fate.

Even though the love story is the central focus of the book, there’s a lot more fighting action than there are steamy love scenes. And their first time together, which had the buildup of what could have been quite steamy, ended up being ridiculous and maybe one of the worst “love” scenes I’ve ever read. But I think they have a lot of potential to be a great couple.

This is the first book in a series called The Mystwalker. Being that in this book, there isn’t much about Hedi being the Mystwalker, I assume this will be further explored in future books. I’m hoping future books take place more in the other worlds mentioned, but only visited briefly in this book.

This is an interesting story and I liked this book enough that I’ll probably read the next book in the series because I want to know what happens to Hedi and Robson. Also, by the very end of the book, Hedi seemed to have fully claimed her were side – so hoping that means no more separate “Were-bitch” mentions.

I received a review copy through NetGalley. This will be released on December 24, 2012.