Review: Claiming the Wolf by Michele Hauf

Claiming The Wolf by Michele Hauf
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading This Strange Witchery, in which a character from this book is mentioned. Having read a lot of books set in this same world, I was surprised that I wasn't familiar with the character. But at the end of the book, the authors lists the other books in which characters are mentioned. I looked up this book and for some reason it was marked as "maybe" - I think maybe this character was mentioned in another book that I read a while ago and I didn't like him so I wasn't going to read his book? I'm not sure why I would have marked this as maybe because I read just about anything I can find by this author.

Anyway, I downloaded the book last night to read it. It's a novella, so it's a quick read, but still a really good story. Because of the shorter format, the characters don't waste anytime to getting to know each other. This story is so hot - but still in a way that seems real and convincing. A werewolf gets bitten by a vampire. He's furious that he now craves blood, and goes to confront the vampire. He can't stay angry with her though because he realizes that she's also trapped in a situation in which she never asked to be. There they find common ground and realize it makes more sense to help each other out than remain enemies. It's a really nice love story, as well as being really sexy.

And because of the book I read last night, I sort of know what the future holds for these characters, so that was nice.

I enjoyed this story a lot. Read most of it while at the salon getting my hair highlighted, but it was a great way to pass the time and make the most of a day off work.


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Review: This Strange Witchery by Michele Hauf

This Strange Witchery by Michele Hauf
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'd been annoyed with myself for taking so long to read this book, and then once I started, took a while for me to find the time to sit and read - but how appropriate that I finish it just an hour or so before I get ready to go out to watch the lunar eclipse for the super blood wolf moon. Now it almost seems intentional, since in the book, they're having to wait for the blood moon to perform the spell, and there's an eclipse that night.

Wonderful book, loved the characters, loved the story and all the character background. As always, the romance is great, and so sexy. The characters are quirky and funny, and also so noble as they do their best to try to do the right thing, even when it means struggling with their wants and needs and a battle between the heart and mind. I always enjoy the Paris setting, and the descriptions of magic - such beautiful imagery. And it's always nice to see characters from other stories - makes me want to go back and read their books again, but there are still so many books I've not read yet.

I'm sad that this is Michele Hauf's last Nocturne with Harlequin, because this is Harlequin's last Nocturne. I know she's going to be writing some different things for a while, but I do hope she returns to this world of Beautiful Creatures that she's created. It's really one of my favorite worlds to visit in books. I've enjoyed these characters so much.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.


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Book recommendations - comforting/empowering reads

I'll get right to the point: I'm very much a feminist, and quite liberal, and on some topics, I'm even something of a radical. So, I was a bit shocked and horrified when I began to see tweets in my feed supporting ideas that I find, well, horrible. Who the hell was I following that would re-tweet this kind of trash into my timeline?

Alas, it was a romance writer whose books I've read and bought in the past. I immediately unfollowed the author on twitter, went to facebook and unliked her fan page. Mostly though, I was feeling kind of disgusted for having spent money on her books. Sad about the time I'd spent reading her books.

That same day, not too long after I noticed this, I saw quite a few other people commenting on it. Clearly, I wasn't the only person upset - for me, this is the benefit of twitter, knowing others feel the same. Turns out she wasn't the only author expressing some rather icky opinions. I wasn't familiar with the other authors, but suffice it to say, I won't be reading any of their work. I very much appreciate the book bloggers who put together a list of authors to avoid.

Maybe a writer's political opinion doesn't bother some readers. That's fine. No judgement. But for me, I feel like the way a person thinks will reflect in their work. Also, time and money are limited and I don't want to be wasting either on people who hold beliefs I find abhorrent. There are so very many books out there to read. Right now, I've got 871 books on my "to-read" list, and that isn't even counting the hundreds of free kindle books I've gotten from amazon. It only makes sense that I would choose to focus my reading time and money on people I don't mind supporting.

I don't think it's a random coincidence that most of the authors I love tend to hold similar beliefs to mine. Their work resonates with me for a reason.

Now to the point of this blog post. I felt like a I directed a lot of energy toward "authors to avoid" last week. But now, I want to direct some attention to authors I love. These days, a lot of us need an escape into fiction, and these are a few of the books and authors I recommend for that. The following are books I consider to be comfort/empowering reads.

One of the books I keep thinking about lately is Jennifer Bernard's Set the Night on Fire. The story is very relevant to one of the big stories that has been dominating the news lately - except on more of a small town political level - not the Supreme Court. The first time I read this was in July of 2017 - and I feel almost certain there was a similar news story happening at the time, but I don't remember the details, only that after I read the book I thought, "It's so nice to read a story in which the corrupt, bad politician gets what he deserves." I recommended the book to all of my friends at the time. Now, it seems appropriate to do so again. I thought Bernard did a great job at showing what a woman goes through in keeping a secret like that, believing she needs to protect her family, and knowing the risks associated with coming forward. Also, Jennifer Bernard writes the best contemporary romances. I don't read a lot of that genre, but I try to read everything she writes. Her books are so good, really sexy, with great story lines and interesting characters.

Paranormal romance tends to be more my thing. My favorite author in that genre is Michele Hauf. Her books, set in her Beautiful Creatures world are often my escape when the real world is too much to handle. The one I'm going to recommend now though is called An American Witch in Paris. I liked the way Hauf directly addressed issues such as feminism and consent. It felt very relevant. Besides all of that, the story is exciting - they're saving the world from falling angels - and very sexy.

Another great romance that I have read recently is Pas de Deux by Wynter S.K. I hadn't heard much about the book, but the description intrigued me. I don't know much about the author, this is the only book of hers I've read - but I thought she did a great job of showing people realistically dealing with trauma and its effects - both mental and physical. And it is one of the most beautiful love stories I've read in a while. Really wonderful book about a couple who have to endure a lot before they can get to a point where they are truly honest with each other.

My next recommendation is a favorite of mine. I read it every October. Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is the perfect fall read - witches and vampires, libraries filled with magic, history and science - it's all there. It's a story about discovering that love looks beyond differences and long-held prejudices, and families are built on much more than blood connections. Once you read that book, you'll want to read the whole trilogy.

My last recommendation, because I felt like I should have five books, is City of Darkness, City of Light by Marge Piercy. This one, unlike my other recommendations, isn't a romance. It's a story about the French Revolution that focuses on the women involved. These days, we're kind of bombarded by stories of horrible things happening to women, and it might help to read about women trying to claim a bit of power in shaping the direction of their country.

Those are what I could think of right off the top of my head. I'm sure I'll think of others as soon as I post this.

I've attempted to hyperlink the book titles to amazon because that's where I tend to buy books, but I have no affiliation with them. 

Tempting the Dark by Michele Hauf

Took me a while to get into this - but that was not the book's fault, more along the lines of I had too many other things happening to allow myself to sit and read for a while.

When I did finally have some time to read this, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Michele Hauf's paranormal romances are my go-to escape when I cannot deal with the rest of the world. She creates the most beautiful stories, full of interesting characters dealing with life and love, and the complications caused by the magic they harbor inside.

In this particular story, Savin runs into a friend he believed he'd lost twenty years earlier. As children they fell into Daemonia - a world inhabited by demons. Savin managed to escape, but believed Jett had died there. He returned with a demon trapped inside of him, and now spends his days working with others who have magical abilities to send trouble causing demons back to Daemonia.

He's overjoyed when he sees Jett again, but something has changed inside of her. As much as she wants to return to the human world, she and Savin both have to accept that she's no longer completely human.

This is a story about battling demons - both real and mental. The characters have to face their guilt and the truth about who they are and what happened to them in order to truly find their way back to each other. To make matters more difficult, since Jett's return, Paris has been suffering from an influx of demons. Much to Savin's dismay, he discovers the only way to protect the city may involve a horrible sacrifice.

As always from this author, a very sexy, very fast paced, engrossing story set in the beautifully described city of Paris.

Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys sexy, paranormal romances full of magic.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: An American Witch in Paris by Michele Hauf

I have read a lot of books by Michele Hauf, (32 books, counting this one, according to Goodreads) and I've liked them all, loved many of them, but this one, this may be my favorite. It's possible that I say that after every new book by this author, but only because it's true.  This book has everything I always love about her books - great characters, interesting story line, fascinating magic, beautiful imagery and sexy, steamy romance - and then taken up to the next level. Tuesday may be my favorite out of all the wonderful characters in Hauf's Beautiful Creatures world. And have I mentioned, this story is so, so sexy? Reminded me a bit of Hauf's Paris Secrets erotica series that she writes under the name Michele Renae.

The women Hauf creates are always strong and independent, that is a big part of why I enjoy her books. These women can take care of themselves, and they're powerful - literally - but they're able to fall in love, absolutely and completely, while still holding onto their power and that's something that I find very appealing in a romance novel. In this particular book though, I feel like Hauf went a step further, giving us this character of Tuesday, a centuries old witch who has devoted much of her life to helping other women, because as history has shown us, that's what witches did. There's a line in the book that says, "Feminism was her right" and when I read that, I knew immediately that Tuesday was going to be one of my favorite characters. While a lot of romance authors write characters who are clearly feminist in their actions, I feel too often they're afraid to use the word. Not the case with Tuesday.

Another aspect of this story that I really loved was the dynamics of Tuesday and Ethan's sexual relationship. There is something so very sexy about Ethan asking, "May I?" Yes, explicit consent is sexy! There's something very mature and respectful about their relationship. They both know exactly what they're doing. Both of these characters have been around for a long time, they've seen a lot over the centuries and they're a bit jaded about the idea of love, but wonderfully philosophical about sex. "It's about finding yourself in someone else, yet not getting lost there." That quote was one of my favorites, but I highlighted so many lines in this book. The talk of "worlds." Another favorite, "I'll share myself with you, lover. But let's never take ownership."

And the visuals Hauf creates. Her descriptions always make me want to get out my sketchbook and attempt to draw what she'd described. Sometimes it's amazing fairy wings, but in this book, it was Ethan at the window of his Paris apartment, drinking Scotch. I could see that so clearly and it was beautiful.

Besides the romance, there's also a rather tense story line about stolen codes that could bring about the end of the world, and trying to find the demon who took those codes - which is the entire reason Tuesday and Ethan are together. Then there's the appearance of an former spouse and a deadly curse. Pretty much everything you need for a great book.

This book felt very relevant and important in the current landscape. This is the story of a vampire and a witch trying to prevent a demon from destroying the world, but it's also about two very powerful people, who realize they have to look beyond the horrors they've experienced in the world to save each other - because somewhere along the way, they've become a part of each other's world.

I highly recommend this book. If you like hot, sexy vampire/witch stories, you want this book.

I received a copy of this book 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: Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For me, this was easily the most anticipated book in a long while. Was so excited to get invited to read an advance copy. And even more happy to say it completely lives up the hype.

This book is wonderful. I read Practical Magic years ago, before the movie came out. I might have read it in anticipation of the movie. (As readers know, the movie is a bit different from the book, but the spirit is the same and I love them both.) That book turned me into a huge Alice Hoffman fan. I love the books in which she so skillfully weaves magic into every day life. Rules of Magic is one of her best at doing this.

The story begins with Franny, Jet and their brother, Vincent. (Not really a spoiler, but Franny and Jet will eventually be the aunts in Practical Magic.) Their mother, an Owens, tries to keep her children away from magic, hence the rules. But her efforts are in vain.

This is the story of how the Owens children discover magic, and the effect it has on their lives, for better or worse. This story is about family and secrets and uncomfortable truths. It's filled with romance and heartbreak - as is the lot of an Owens witch.

Reviews of books I love are the most difficult to write. It's tough to say much more than, I really loved this book. I can't think of anything wrong with it or anything that bothered me or I felt should be changed. The story is beautiful and of course, magical. I also really enjoyed the New York setting during the 60s.

I found it so interesting to learn about the lives of the aunts, before they became the aunts. They had dreams and plans and lovers and they wanted more out of life than to simply be, the aunts. But the Owens curse is a powerful one.

After I read this, I listened to the audio book of Practical Magic, and as much as I love that book, I believe I like Rules of Magic more.

I am so glad that Hoffman chose to return to this world. I hope she continues to do so.

I read this book in July and have every intention of reading it again, closer to Halloween because what better time to read about magic and witches?

If you like Practical Magic, if you like stories about magic or witches, if you like stories about women and families and struggling to be yourself while in opposition with a past over which you have no control, I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.


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Review: The Witches of Cambridge by Menna van Praag

As soon as October begins, I like to read nothing but witch themed books. I make a few exceptions, but I tend to set aside these books until this time of the year.

I started with Menna van Praag's Witches of Cambridge. I'd been looking forward to reading this for a while. I love academic settings. One of my favorite books is about a witch in Oxford. I'd hoped for something similar with this book in regards to intellectual stimulation. Didn't happen.

The book started out well, and I enjoyed the first half. Very light read, focusing on relationships and babies and baking. In the beginning though, it reminded me a bit of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, which I loved. But about midway through, I began to lose interest. I thought the beginning was written in the way it was as a way to introduce characters and establish  the setting, but it never moved beyond that style of writing. In fact, about halfway through, it became even more distant and choppy.

There are six different witches in this story, and each of them have their own story lines, with some slight overlap. It was hard to follow their stories though because we would get about four to eight paragraphs about one character, and then it would jump to a completely different story line. This happened for a significant portion of the book. It made it difficult to stick with the book. I think it would have worked much better as a collection of short stories, each character getting her or his own story, with the same characters making a few appearances. Had I not already been about 70% into the book, I would have simply stopped reading because I didn't care about the characters. I never felt any kind of emotional connection to what was happening with their characters. They were suffering with problems in their families, their marriages, problems with their children and lovers, and I simply didn't care because I never felt like we learned enough about the characters to understand what they were feeling.

Also there were a few factual errors that bothered me. One person is a professor of art, another is a student, so in the beginning, there are several mentions of art. As an art lover, I thought this would endear me to the book, but instead, I was just annoyed with the mentions of art. Klimt's The Kiss is not on display at the Fitzwilliam (it's in Vienna), nor is Van Gogh's Starry Night (that's in New York City) or his Church at Auvers (Paris). I know the story is fiction, but if someone is going to mention real works of art, maybe at least explain why they're on display in other places - special exhibition or something. For other people, this might not be a big deal. But I travel to a lot of art museums and have seen these paintings, and I teach art, and when I show students works of art or have them look up information about paintings, I also require that they find out where the painting is currently located. So maybe don't mention specific paintings if the rest of the info about the paintings isn't accurate?

Overall, I didn't enjoy this all that much. Started out well, but by the end, was kind of wishing I hadn't read it.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: This Wicked Magic by Michele Hauf

Another enjoyable read from Michele Hauf. This Wicked Magic is about witches, and dark magic.

After spending some time in the underworld, Certainly Jones returned with demons trapped inside him. This reminded me a lot of the way the demons exist in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. I've been suggesting this book to my friends who like that series.

Certainly wants the demons out, and he thinks he's found a way to do that, with the help of Vika. But things get complicated, and Vika's attempts to help end up backfiring. Next thing they know, Vika and her sister are in jeopardy of losing their souls.

Very good, sexy read, filled with dark and light magic, as well as a battle for their souls.

Review: The Werewolf's Wife by Michele Hauf

I started reading this book while waiting for my car to be serviced. They took forever with the car, and I didn't even car because I was enjoying this book so much.

This is the story of a werewolf, Ridge, who years ago married a witch in Vegas, but the marriage ended as quickly as it began, and he hasn't seen her in thirteen years. He finds her, wanting a divorce, but learns she needs his help to save her son. After some time together, they aren't so sure a divorce is the right move.

Really good book. There are a few issues regarding timing that bothered me. An editor really should have corrected that. But I decided to over look it because otherwise, I really loved this book.

Another great paranormal romance from Michele Hauf.

Review: The Vampire's Protector by Michele Hauf

I loved The Vampire's Protector. It has all my favorite things in it - vampires, demons, musicians, Paris setting, complex characters battling personal demons (both figurative and literal) of their own and a very steamy love story. I love this world Michele Hauf has created and the characters that inhabit it.

I think the last time Summer Santiago made an appearance in a book I read, she was just a baby in her dad's arms, calling Stryke a puppy (Moonlight & Diamonds). Now though, she's all grown up and working for the Council. On this particular job she accidentally resurrects the musician, famed violinist, Nicolo Paganini. I don't want to give away what happens, but he was an actual person, known as the Devil's violinist, so that should give you a clue.

This book was the perfect way to spend the rainy Memorial Day weekend.

Highly recommend to any fans of paranormal romance.

Review: Her Werewolf Hero by Michele Hauf

This is such a good book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. There was never a point in the story where I thought it was okay to take a break and set the book down - that's how well-written and fast paced this is.

Bron, a werewolf, is a retriever, on a mission to retrieve the Purgatory Heart. What he does not realize is the heart is still inside a living person. Kizzy's a human, but her strong interest in the paranormal fuels her career as a photographer. She travels and posts on the internet what appear to be photos of paranormal landscapes. So she isn't all that surprised when she meets a werewolf and begins to understand that so many things she wanted to believe about the paranormal world are real.

Bron's not about to rip Kizzy's beating heart out of her chest. There has to be another way to save her and do his job. I loved these characters, and the chemistry they had together. Bron and Kizzy have both been in situations that now make them wary of relationships, but they can't deny their feelings for each other.

While there's lots of action and plenty of steamy
romance, the heart of this story is the theme of forgiveness. Forgiveness of those who hurt them and inflicted pain, as well as learning to forgive oneself. Bron and Kizzy are both haunted by events in their past. Mistakes made, and some bad decisions that caused harm to those they loved most. Because of the guilt, neither of them have been able to move forward with their lives. This story is very much about them finally learning to forgive those who hurt them, as well as themselves in order to learn to love each other.

Overall, really great book, which is what I've come to expect from Michele Hauf and the stories set in her Beautiful Creatures world. These are my favorite paranormal stories because there are so many different characters and always something new to learn about the people and creatures in this world.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Captivating the Witch by Michele Hauf

I loved Captivating the Witch. Easily one of my favorites from this author - though I have quite a few favorites from her. According to my Goodreads stats, this is the nineteenth book I've ready by Michele Hauf and I'm going to guess that I've liked all of them, loved most of them. But as I said, this one stands out as a favorite.

What I liked most about the book are the two main characters.

Edamite Thrash is a demon who doesn't trust witches. He describes himself as an evil overlord, and others consider him to the be the leader of a demon mafia, but the truth is, he's taken on the responsibility of watching over the demons of Paris, and doing his best to keep the peace. Ed has made brief appearances in other books in the Beautiful Creatures world, as he's a half brother to Kir (Enchanting the Wolf) and Blyss (Moonlight and Diamonds). He had a rough upbringing and a difficult relationship with his parents. But clearly, despite being a demon and his sometimes questionable decisions - providing essentials for others - he's a very good guy.

Tamatha Bellerose is a witch who spends most of her time in the archives, surrounded by books. She'd like very much to study a demon and one day, late at night on her way home from work she literally runs into Edamite. It's an awkward encounter and after a strange mixture of a hostility and attraction, they go their separate ways.

Ed is trying to figure out why a coven of zombie witches are killing demons in Paris. He sends his minions (yes, he has minions) to bring him the most powerful witch in Paris, they return with Tamatha. The attraction between the two is still there, confusing to both of them, but undeniable. Also, they need each other for business purposes.

I really enjoyed their story, and seeing how they grew to like each other more and more and how their relationship went from something they intended to be fun and casual to something much deeper. These are two very serious, passionate people, with rough pasts that make falling in love difficult.

I also liked the setting - Paris - and all the magic and spell working in the story. When I go too long without reading a paranormal book, I am reminded of how much I love this kind of setting and world. Hauf creates some of the best paranormal atmospheres, I can easily visualize the magic swirling around the Paris streets she describes so well. Her characters live in a world filled with both light and dark magic, and a wide assortment of powerful creatures, in this case witches with a variety of skills and a demon who can transform into a unkindness of ravens.

Besides the very hot romance in the story, the investigation Ed is conducting provides an interesting story line which adds a few more complications to his and Tamatha's relationship.

Overall, really a great book. Highly recommend if you're a fan of paranormal romance.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Make a Christmas Wish by Julia Williams

This book is sort of twist on Christmas Carol or a reverse It's a Wonderful Life.

The main character, Livvy, is dead. She died one Christmas in a parking lot after sending her husband an angry text letting him know she hated him after she learned he was having an affair.

At first you may be tempted to feel sorry for Livvy, neglected wife who works so hard to care for her autistic son. But as she goes about haunting her husband and attempting to make life miserable for him and his new girlfriend (same woman he was cheating with while married to Livvy) it becomes clear that Livvy was kind of a nightmare to live with. A mean alcoholic. She wasn't nearly as great of a mother as she seemed to think she was she was an even worse wife.

Livvy is informed by her guide in the after life - a black cat - that she has to make things right before she can move on. In her mind, making things right means continuing to make her husband miserable. But as she begins to see her past actions she gradually realizes it's time she shoulders some of the blame for her failed marriage.

I'm not sure how I felt about this story. It held my interest, but I don't feel like I enjoyed it very much. I didn't like any of the characters. I felt bad for a few of them, I completed disliked Livvy. And I felt like a lot of the story involving the after life was confusing. The parts involving the medium and the underground club got a little too weird.

When I picked this up, I was hoping for a good ghost story, but this wasn't it. The book didn't leave me feeling enlightened or entertained. There was very little joy in this story. I think holiday stories should be a little more heartwarming or even heartbreaking. This was neither. This may appeal more to people with families and children, as a big part of the story was Livvy's connection with her son - and I'm not one of those people.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: To Kiss a Mermaid by Michele Hauf

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. This is the first mermaid book I've read, and I liked the history and mythology associated with the mermaids.

James Morgan grew up believing he was the descendant of a mermaid, and his whole life he's yearned for a mermaid to love. One day, when retrieving his fishing nets, there's a mermaid tangled in the nets and he believes that finally all he's ever wanted has become his.

James is a kind, good man, and as much as he loves the mermaid who he has named Molly, he begins to feel guilty as he sees her struggling with life on dry land.  And Molly very much loves James, she has for years as she watched him from the sea, but adapting to a life outside of the sea is more difficult than she imagined it would be.

I liked the characters quite a bit, they were people I cared about and felt emotionally invested in their lives. I also, liked the setting, a seaside Welsh village during a historical time period (1800s?).

I didn't like the way the story ended. This is a romance, so rest assured that there is a Happily Ever After, but it wasn't the one I had hoped they would get. I read this book this morning and have been thinking about the ending all day, which I figure is the sign of a well-written book. But there was something so sad about James and Molly and I'd hoped they would find the happiness they wanted. Maybe what they got instead was better, I'm sure that's what readers are supposed to assume, but it still made me sad. But probably won't have the same effect on other readers.

Overall though, this is a very good book. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in mermaid stories.

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: Deal with the Devil by Cynthia Eden

Deal with the Devil is the fourth book in Cynthia Eden's Purgatory series. Purgatory is the prison where paranormals are kept. Earlier in the series the prison was infiltrated, but has since been cleaned up and Eric Pate is in charge.

All along there's been something a bit shady about Eric. Sure he's the "good" guy, but it was clear he was keeping secrets and had some ulterior motives.  His intentions were never straightforward. This is the book in which those secrets are finally revealed.

It's been a few weeks since I've read the book, so my memory is a little cloudy, but I believe the heroine of this story, Ella, was first seen and rescued in the third book, Charming the Beast. I might be wrong. I began reading this book as soon as I finished the third, as in on the same flight, and the two stories have sort of merged in my head.

Ella was being held prisoner and she wants to escape, but Eric feels as though she needs to be protected  What exactly Ella is is something of a mystery. But she feels a connection with Eric that she can't quite explain.  She thinks she has finally found someone like her, but she's in for a few surprises.

This book provided some very interesting backstory about Ella and the paranormal creatures origins.

Like all the books in this series and everything I've read by this author, the story was fast paced, action packed, full of suspense and very heavy on some steamy romance.

I liked this book a lot. Highly recommend to fans of paranormal romance.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Charming the Beast by Cynthia Eden

I sort of feel like all of my reviews of Cynthia Eden's books sound the same. Fast paced, lots of action and danger, plenty of mystery and suspense and smoking hot sexy times.  Something like that. But if it works, stick with it. That's why I love these books.

Also, they've become my perfect travel companions. Stuck for hours in an airport, long, uncomfortable flight, boring train ride - these books provide the perfect escape. This one I read on my flight from Dallas to Milan and it worked well.  Nice to be able to open up a book and all of a sudden, you're not in some grimy airport anymore, you're running for your life, alongside some sexy as sin werewolf.

This was the third of the Purgatory books, and it's been a few months since I read the first two, but it seems like I enjoyed this one and the next book much more than the first two. Could have just been my mood or the setting in which I was in when reading them.  Not sure.  But thoroughly enjoyed this book.

In this book Connor - who was sort of a bad guy werewolf in previous books - is now having to work with the "good" guys.  He's been assigned to guard Chloe. Chloe just wants to be free, despite her attraction to Connor, she's tired of being a prisoner. But she's not safe on her own.  There are too many people after her and she doesn't know who to trust.  So they're together, reluctantly, at first. But they can't fight their attraction for each other. I think Connor is one of my favorites, something about the bad guy doing good, even though he still sees himself as a bad guy, always gets me.

This book has everything you need for a perfect escape: action and romance, with a heavy dose of paranormal. Highly recommend if that's your sort of thing.  

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.