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REVIEW: Primal Shift, Episode One by Griffin Hayes

12/22/2013

Primal Shift
Episode 1
by Griffin Hayes
Length: Short
Genre: Horror
TBR Reviewer: Christine
Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read.

I found this whole book really interesting. It’s a plot I’ve never read or heard of before. You meet all the characters and see how they experience the ‘lights and earthquake’. It wasn’t confusing and each character had a great depth.

However, it was jumpy. We meet all the characters and then jump back to Finn facing this caveman guy with a pipe and shaky legs. The story continues on this way, jumping back and forth between the characters. Now, you should know this is not a full story, beginning, arch and ending. It’s like the first snippet of the book but it is free (At least at the moment), so I recommend picking it up.

The story is still good with only a few editing issues. I have to say I couldn’t stop reading. Strange lights, earthquake and then people suddenly go crazy. It reminded me of The Happening with a dose of The Walking Dead. I really wanted to learn more about what the hell happened and how these people were going to survive.

I can’t wait to read more!

Download here (At the time of this review, Primal Shift is free on Amazon.)

REVIEW: Blood in Berlin by Celine Chantillon

12/22/2013

Blood in Berlin
The Kindred 3
by Celine Chantillon
Genre: Vampire
Length: 124 pages

TBR Reviewer: Bella Star
Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read

I haven’t been in a big vampire mood lately but when I read this blurb I really wanted to read Blood in Berlin. I have not read any books in the series previously and I haven’t read this author before. That said, the characters were fabulous, well written and I fell in love with Edwin! He is a gorgeous bisexual vampire or as Klaus calls it a fruity Frenchman, lol. Anyway, he is investigating his former love and the rumor that she is experimenting to create human/vampire super soldiers for the Nazis.

This book was fabulous until I got to the sex scene, it was so jumpy and rushed. There was no connection. The heat was non existant. And this is labeled as a M/F book so I don’t think they should have had a m/m/m scene in it. A lot of potential readers who don’t read m/m will not be happy. I think that scene could have been omitted and the story would have read better. The rest of the sex scenes were very similar in that they didn’t feel very well conveyed and there was no emotion between the characters.

Anyway, the story continues. It really is a unique and excellent plot. I didn’t want to stop reading and could hardly put the book(nook) down. To sum up this book, the plot and characters are fantastic. The romance is okay but the good story line made up for that lack. With the except of the romance everything in this book was perfect: plot, characters, action, pace.

I enjoyed this book a lot and would read more from this author. I recommend this book for anyone who likes a well plotted book or vampires.

PURCHASE HERE

REVIEW: Friends to Lovers by Christi Barth

12/22/2013

Friends to Lovers
Author: Christi Barth
Length: 365 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tbr Reviewer: Shyla
Rating:5 Stars - A Must Read
Heat: 3 - Blush Worthy

Friends to Lovers, blew me away completely. Just when I thought I had a handle on what was going to happen, a crazy new twist popped up out of nowhere! Up until the very end I wasn’t sure the happy ever after would arrive! Ms. Barth had complex characters with full, fascinating lives that intertwined and separated, contrasted, and melded. The end result was a beautiful tapestry of richness that welcomed you into their close knit circle, taught you new things! I’ve never known a manager of a high end hotel, or had a close friend who ran a florist business, but now I feel like I do. One of the most impressive things about Ms. Barth did was peel back the layers of her characters one piece at a time. Every chapter I think I learned something new, and fell a bit more in love.

I loved the heroine. Daphne Lovell was amazing, though she didn’t know it. Raised by her father along with four brothers after her mother died, she’s not the average love interest. Action movie addicted, sports loving, floral designer with a wicked sense of humor and a laid back attitude. I know, what’s not to love! Her flaws were real and relatable and I straddled the line between wanting to shake her and hug her. In lust with her best friend, Gibb she takes the plunge during a black out on new year’s eve and kisses him. The problem is the man has no clue it’s her. Determined to let the event pass over, but craving more, she finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. A very sexy, British hard place. *licks lips*. The main issue, Gibb is a flight risk. Voted Chicago’s most eligible bachelor his bedroom is a revolving door. I could go on forever, but then I’d ruin all the surprises.

The hero made me want to slap him at first. The British Don Juan seemed to be fixated on conquests, and flippant about the notches on his bed post. Then Ms. Barth put a whammy on me, revealing the cause for the behavior. Grab your tissues and get ready to want to give someone a piece of your mind. I got on board with Team Gibb fast after that. The Charming Hotel Manager from across the pond is the walking wounded. God bless his heart. * Holds a hand to her chest*. In the end watching him grow, and open up was both intense and greatly satisfying. I stayed up late to read this page turner in one sitting, and I highly recommend it to fans of romance. Part Romance, part mystery , and adventure, this story offers up everything you could want.

PURCHASE HERE

REVIEW: Gabriel by Lorraine Nelson

12/22/2013

Gabriel (The Hudson Ranch Series)
Author: Lorraine Nelson
Length: 161 pages
Genres: Romantic Suspense
TBR Reviewer: Victoria
Rating: 3 Stars - A Good Read
Heat: 2 - Flirty

Kristin (Kris) has just finished vet school and has wanted to specialize in large animals her entire life. Because she's a woman, however, she's been unable thus far to land a job. Gabriel, along with the other two of the Hudson identical triplet trio, inherited a ranch and baby brother from his long-estranged father, but since inheriting, the ranch has been plagued by someone who clearly wants Gabriel and his brothers out. Gabriel's in the process of starting up a farm-animal-oriented vet clinic and gets an emailed resume from out of the blue.

This was the third book in the Hudson Ranch series. You don't need to read the other books before it in the series as this one stands alone, at least in respect to the romance part of the book. The issue with the ranch...ehhh, I'm iffy on that part.

I liked Kris's determination not to let her gender stop her from the job of her dreams. She knew what she wanted and went after it, even if she had to lie (I fail to see how using her initials in anyway comprises a lie, and feel that Gabriel way over reacted when he found out KB was a man but that snit didn't last long).

Gabriel - gotta love a guy who's willing to fire the woman he loves to protect her. Once the pair got over a certain trust issue (more on that later), these two started moving forward very quickly toward finding love. They made a charming couple and I was definitely rooting for them.

So if I seem to like the book so much, why only 3 stars? Here's why:

Bad events keep plaguing the ranch throughout the book and if you're looking for a resolution to that issue, it will not be found in this book. I mention this issue only because I fully expected a resolution and didn't even get a partial resolution of the issue. I expected some part of the overall plot to be resolved. Think Empire Strikes Back - there's definitely some closure, and sense of the characters moving forward even though Han is encased in carbonite. This book just blam - ends. No warning.

A few other issues - I found Kris's age to be a little unbelievable, given the schooling that would be required. Of course, it could be totally different in Canada, but you need a 4-year degree before you can get into Vet School here in the US, yet Kris was only 21 and fully graduated and an animal doctor.

There was the issue that led to the trust issues that got resolved with absolutely no hint as to who the guilty party might be. It seemed like a completely random event (the whole subplot) and I don't understand why it was necessary.

Finally, Gabriel gets a major injury that requires surgery. He's let out of the hospital with very specific instructions to be on strict bedrest for 5 days. The following day (unless I missed a reference to "several days later"), Kris and Gabriel's own brother were talking about letting him be in the vet clinic, though he could relax on a couch if he needed to. That is not bedrest.

Despite those issues, I did like this book and I will probably track down the others. It's a quick, easy read and enjoyable. Ms. Nelson has a nice writing style to her work and I'm glad to keep reading her books.

Thanks to the author for sending this to review!

PURCHASE HERE

REVIEW: Beneath the 13th Moon by Holston and Bruce

12/16/2013

Beneath the 13th Moon
Author: H.L. Holston & Eleanor Bruce
Length: 127 pgs.
Genres: M/M paranormal romance
TBR Reviewer: Amanda
Rating: 3 Stars – A Good Read
Heat: 4 – Smoking Hot

Liam Van Zandt is a Baltimore County police officer investigating a very strange murder at a local cemetery. As he digs into the history of the location, he finds out that the statue the body was found near has a terrible reputation for deaths, and calls on a local expert to get the story. Dr. Bartek Szala is a vampire, but when he realizes how skittish Liam is about the supernatural, he tries to turn the attraction he has for the man off. However, Liam pursues him, and soon the combination of the case and Bartek's secret causes their relationship to reach a breaking point.

Although the book has a great premise, there were enough editing mistakes to really irk me as I read it. The wrong name being used during a scene is frustrating; when it happens several times in one book it gets on my nerves. I liked Liam, but Bartek's on-again, off-again way of relating to him also irritated me some. Finally, there was a real lack to the mystery part of the storyline as well.

There were positives to the book as well, though. Once both men committed to each other they were intense together. Liam's last thought when he thought he was dying was that he wanted more time with Bartek, and once Bartek reached that point, he was willing to spend forever together. I also liked seeing the characters from the first book and how they were still bickering with each other and how Liam fit in with them so well.

PURCHASE HERE

REVIEW: The Demon's Blood by RJ Scott

12/16/2013

Demon's Blood
(Supernatural Bounty Hunters #4)
Author: RJ Scott
Length: novella
Genres: M/M paranormal romance
TBR Reviewer: Amanda
Rating: 5 Stars – A Must Read
Heat: 4 – Smoking Hot

In the fourth book in this series, RJ Scott gives us a romance for Phin's secret half-brother, Asher, who
was introduced in one of the previous books in the series. Asher has kept his royal Elvish parent a secret his entire life, but when Phin comes back to the Second Kingdom hoping to gain allies for his lover Joseph's cause, Asher gets drawn into more political intrigue and is forced to stop hiding. Simeon is the
feline shifter sent with Phin as bodyguard and ambassador to his own family. Like Phin, he prefers to avoid the Second Kingdom and its problems, but his immediate desire for Asher causes his thinking to widen slowly to include more than just himself.

The pairing of Simeon and Asher seemed unlikely at first, but the way the events developed made it make so much sense by the end of the story. I enjoyed the way their strengths played off each
other and how Simeon learned to care about a species other than his own and really pay attention to the ugliness of his home kingdom. I was really surprised by the king of the elves and his solution for the succession issue. Again, the main villain of the series showed his long reach without ever actually showing up in the book - I look forward to seeing the overall resolution of the series, but the journey is very enjoyable. As always, I am sucked in by RJ Scott to the world the author has created and don't really want to leave it when the book is over!

PURCHASE HERE

REVIEW: Pack Business by Caitlin Ricci

12/16/2013

Pack Business
(Pine Hollow Wolves #2)
Author: Caitlin Ricci
Length: 104 pgs.
Genres: M/M paranormal romance
TBR Reviewer: Amanda
Rating: 3 Stars – A Good Read
Heat: 4 – Smoking Hot

The second book in Ms. Ricci's Pine Hollow Wolves series. It follows a few months after the first one. Concerned that Hannah can see the members of his pack, Liam's Alpha calls him to a meeting and reprimands him for not teaching the two year old not to call out the shifters she sees. Liam refuses, and rather than send Travis and Hannah away, he leaves the pack and races home to the two people he considers the most important in his life. The events that follow risk lives and Travis and Liam's relationship as Liam tries to figure out what to do without his pack and as they react to his leaving.

Although I still think Hannah is adorable and like the way the two men are with her, I did not like this book quite as well as the first one. Part of the problem was that it seemed like decisions kept being made without really thinking through the consequences and that began to annoy me. I also thought the
whole situation with the pack was odd and Liam's denial that Travis needed to know what was happening ridiculous. I did like how Travis pushed when he knew Liam needed him to and that the resolution of their fight was as satisfactory as could be. Travis is probably my favorite character in these books, but since they are written from Liam's perspective, that could be because Liam is so crazy about him that he seems perfect. If you read the first one, then I think you should read this one as well, but I do not recommend trying to start with this one.

PURCHASE HERE

CONTEST: Just a Holiday Fling by Tiffany Marie

12/9/2013

Just a Holiday Fling (Pine Lake 1)
Author: Tiffany Marie
Length : 76 pages
Genres: Contemporary Romance
TBR Reviewer: Victoria
Rating: 4 Stars - Recommended Read
Heat: 3 - Blush Worthy

Samantha is headed home for the holidays – she’s just gotten into a bad situation at work shortly after things ended with her fiancé. Jack has long been attracted to Samantha, and they were friends throughout childhood into their teens. Now that she’s back, he finally has a chance to get together with her if he can just convince her to take that chance. Of course there are multiple obstacles, and
new jobs on the horizon that could forever spoil their future.

Let me first say I am soooo not a Christmas person, although the last few years it’s gotten a little better since I have kids. So I was absolutely in love with this book just by the opening few paragraphs, including this little gem: "She made it through one song—albeit with gritted teeth—before turning the music back off. “Oh by gosh, by golly, I’ll show you where you can shove that mistletoe and holly,” she muttered.”

The cast of secondary characters is great and I loved the ongoing Christmas house decoration rivalry between Sam and Jack’s respective fathers. It made for a great little side humor.

Now, Sam – she’s a great, realistic person who has admittedly made some mistakes (sleeping with her boss comes to mind) but she hasn’t let that utterly destroy her and she’s looking for a new path to take,
including a new job on the horizon which, while not being her dream job, is with her dream company. She’s not afraid to eat, which is awesome. She has a major cookie fetish going and doesn’t hesitate to gobble them down, believing there’s no such thing as too much sugar. I can so get into a woman like that.

Jack’s a nice small-town boy with an investment firm (weird to have an investment firm in a small town, but it works for me) who knows what he wants and doesn’t hesitate to say how he feels very quickly.
Unlike so many alpha males these days, he’s determined, but not a jerk about it.

What kept this book from being a five-star review was I felt the author held on just a bit too long, carried out Jack and Sam a little too immaturely with the job issue. I felt Sam’s reaction was way over the top,
and Jack had his moments on the situation as well. I can’t go into further detail about the problem without spoiling things. However, I liked how things ultimately resolved.

All in all, this was a great Christmas book for a person who doesn’t like holiday books in general. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a short little romance with some heat to keep you warm – and those in the middle of the country could probably use it right now.

Thanks to the author for sending this to review!

PURCHASE HERE
Giveaway: The author is giving away an Ecopy of Just a Holiday Fling. The TBR Pile is giving away a book from our Prize List. To ENTER: Comment below on why you want to read Just a Holiday Fling!

REVIEW: Steamy Cider and Apples by Jackie Nacht

12/4/2013

Steamy Cider and Apples
(Holiday Jobs That Don't Suck #8)
Author: Jackie Nacht
Length: 62 pages
Genres: M/M contemporary romance
TBR Reviewer: Amanda
Rating: 4 Stars – Recommended Read
Heat: 3 – Blush Worthy

Tyler is a gay athlete, frat boy and scholarship student. When his current finance leaves him short on his frat dues, he reaches out to the fraternity treasurer for help. Mitch sends him to talk to Mitch's twin about a job at the cider mill where Sawyer works, in a bit of obvious matchmaking. Sawyer and Tyler realize that their attraction is mutual right away and begin dating.

This book is really just a sweet, short read. There is no real crisis that needs to be resolved, just a story of two college students finding each other and trying to find time in their schedules to be together. I really enjoyed the scenes of Sawyer taking care of Tyler during his illness and the one where they made up
for missing the Halloween party at Tyler's frat house. Although I have not read any others in this series, I did not feel like I was missing anything starting with this book.

PURCHASE HERE

REVIEW: Delta Blues by Ellen Cross

12/4/2013

Delta Blues
Author: Ellen Cross
Length: 101 pages
Genres: M/M paranormal romance
TBR Reviewer: Amanda
Rating: 4 Stars – Recommended Read
Heat: 4 – Smoking Hot

In this paranormal world, Alphas are the law, Betas are the muscle, and Omegas are the brains, which leaves Deltas as the meat. Oppressed and uncared for, Ryan is one of many Deltas kidnapped, drugged, and forced to work as strippers and/or prostitutes in a club called The Howling. However, a group of Dire Wolves visit the club one night and immediately know that wrongs must be righted.

This story moved very quickly, and I loved how clueless Gray was to his instincts when he first met Ryan. The scene where Marcus explained to him that the stripper he had just watched was his one and only mate made me laugh out loud. I also liked how the Dire Wolves were willing to do whatever it took to rescue the shifters trapped by the club's owners as well as getting the drugs off the street. I also appreciated the way the epilogue showed how they all looked several months down the road from the
Halloween rescue.

I recommend Delta Blues for anyone wanting a quick paranormal read where the bad guys get their comeuppance and the underdog gets out.

PUCHASE HERE

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