Paranormal - novel
TBR Reviewer: Amanda

In the second book of Kacey Mark's Dark Muse series, Tobin, Quenton's bad-boy brother from the first book, is back with a story of his own. Tobin is a Muse with no taste and no principles; or so everyone thinks. His habit of using women indiscriminately to feed his Muse soul and tossing them aside like used tissues comes back to bite him in the rear when his soul-mate shows up and wants to run away from him. Tobin's Mate, Kyla (Ky) is a Muse that grew up first in foster care and later under a gymnastics coach but with no real understanding of her heritage as a Muse and little to no training. She is searching for her
father, running from her past and trusts NO ONE, especially Tobin. Unfortunately, all their secrets and mistakes come back to haunt them, both pushing them together and trying to drive a wedge between them. As Tobin and Ky meet and realize that they are mates, they have to fight off a huge army of Shades looking for Ky and trying to destroy the Muses altogether.

I enjoyed getting to see a little more of the real person hiding under Tobin's facade that was just hinted at in the first book in the series. His vow to quit being a womanizer and only take what was freely offered made their romance quite interesting, since Ky spent her entire life under the "protection" of her coach's son, Lochlan, an Arcan. The addition of another magical species within this series, Arcans - bear-shifter guardians, just added to the interesting world. As each small piece of Ky's past was revealed to show who she really was and why, she seemed like a better fit for Tobin. I liked the way her father was finally revealed as well. This paranormal/urban fantasy series continues to intrigue me. I recommend A Muse Gone Commando, especially for those tired of vampires and werewolves!

Paranormal, Romance - novel
TBR Reviewer: Amanda

Quenton Blake is the most powerful of the Greek Muses, immortal beings that inspire others in exchange for feeding off their souls. Unfortunately, dead Muses become Shades, unnatural beings that invade and stretch out dead bodies, creating zombie-like creatures and looking for the next meal. Quenton and his team try to kill off the Shades. When Quenton's ex dies in a car accident and becomes a shade, he heads back to the home he left behind to claim his toddler daughter. Marie is Anna's daycare provider who steps up and offers to be her nanny after the car wreck. Unknown to Marie, she is about to enter a world she doesn't understand, where she is bait but could also be Quenton's salvation, for her soul could make him mortal.
 
This book had some confusing twists and turns, mainly because Marie has no idea what is going on and keeps bumbling into things she doesn't understand. There were a lot of convoluted threads to the plot - missing women, Tobin's hostility, Anna's illnesses, Marie's fears, Quenton's close-mouthedness - but all in all, the plot was entertaining. I enjoyed the fact that it was a different version of paranormal than many others out there in the market. I
liked Marie, who as fearful as she was with her past history, still stood up to the jerks in her present. She was a strong woman character. With all the factors ranged against him, Quenton didn't come off very well, so I had a hard time seeing them as a couple. There were also several editing errors that really bothered me, but overall the story had real promise and I want to see where the series goes. It also had some great lines in it; my favorite was when Marie though Quenton looked like "An extra hulky, extra irritated mime on meth." It is certainly worth a read if you are looking for something different in paranormal romance and do not mind occasionally fumbling to understand the plot.