Review: Charming The Alpha

Charming The Alpha by Liliana Rhodes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



An exceptional beginning that puts The Crane Curse series on my Must-Read list!

Hannah Crane thought that she knew what to expect from life. Raised by her Mother and Grandmother, the magic that runs in her blood ties them together even when disagreements and misunderstandings put a strain on their overall relationship.

Then she meets werewolf Alpha Caleb Overstreet and everything changes. Inexplicably drawn to the handsome shifter she learns that there is more to her family than simple magic. They are the living embodiment of an ancient curse that was woven years ago. Caleb and Hannah must work together in order to unravel the mysteries of the past. Some secrets were never meant to be kept and others are too dangerous to ignore.

A well written and fast paced paranormal romantic short story; Charming The Alpha is the first book in Liliana Rhodes latest series. A complete story from start to finish, this book introduces readers to the Crane women and left me panting for more!




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Review: Accidental Love

Accidental Love by Lacey Wolfe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jane was having a really bad day. Her boss, the man she thought she loved, dumped her. Since her best friend is away Jane finds herself reluctantly confiding in Francesca, a high-maintenance woman with countless superficial relationships under her belt.

Francesca helps Jane devise a plan to deal with her heartache.
Step one: Total image makeover
Step two: Hot fake-boyfriend
Step three: Make Matt jealous

It sounded like a great plan, except for one TINY little detail. Ben, the fake-boyfriend that Francesca finds is the sexiest man Jane has ever seen. The more Jane learns about Ben the faster she forgets Matt! Ben is equally attracted to Jane, but Matt is willing to play dirty in order to get Jane back. Will their May to December romance crash and burn under the strain or will true love conquer all?

A well written and entertaining novella, Accidental Love is the story of what happens when opposites attract and love is found in unexpected places!



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My thoughts on a few bad apples.

I recently read a very negative review on a book that I enjoyed immensely. It bothered me for several reasons, so much in fact, that I felt compelled to share.

I write a lot of reviews, officially as well as on my own. I think reviews are important so I carefully consider what I'm writing and the potential impact of my words. I start each book with the idea that it deserves 5 stars. It amazes me that people leave 1 or 2 star reviews. It has to be almost unreadable or blatant plagiarism to deserve that kind of harshness. 

Another pet peeve I have is when reviewers attack the author personally; that's just uncalled for. If a reviewer didn't care for a story, say why, POLITELY.  Just because I personally didn't enjoy a story doesn't mean I can't see the potential for others readers to love it. I don't take stars away just because a book wasn't my particular cup of tea unless the reason I didn't enjoy it was lack of storyline or character development. 

Finally, quoting an author's work out of context drives me crazy and completely invalidates the entire review, as far as I'm concerned. If a particular story or writing style is that flawed, there should be plenty of examples to be found in context. 

Reviews have such a huge impact. They can encourage or discourage sales. Other readers depend on them when deciding where to spend hard earned money. They impact Amazon algorithms and indicate to authors how readers are responding to a particular line of work. Writing a review is something that should be taken seriously. I feel like apologizing to every author who has had a bad review experience! 

Books are wonderful gifts; every single one is a window into another place or time. It takes courage to write stories and send them out into the world all on their own. I guess it just goes to show that you can't please some people, no matter how hard you try. A poorly written review does not reflect negatively on the author's work, only the small mind and harsh attitude of the review writer because even a negative review can be written in a positive manner.

Review: Love of the Wild

Love of the Wild by Susan Laine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Proving that as long as you're young at heart, it's never too late to find true love!

Jim is a journalist who is losing his edge. Every day, his bones remind him that he's not as young as he used to be. No longer able to keep up with his more energetic competition, Jim decides to take a trip into the wilds of Wyoming to write an exposé on wolves. He's heard a rumor that shifters run free high in the mountains and believes that writing a lycan-interest piece on the beautiful animals is the perfect story to revive his struggling career. He never expected to spend his first day in the mountains suspended from a tree, while staring into the eyes of the most beautiful man he's ever met.

Dak isn't your average wolf shifter. He's a progenitor, older than recorded human history, and father of the original Alpha shifters. After spending years watching his mates fade from his life, Dak has isolated himself in the Wyoming mountains, content to live out the rest of his days alone. The last thing he expected was to have his next mate literally drop out of the sky. Determined to avoid Jim at all costs, he does everything he can to drive the ruggedly handsome journalist away.

Jim isn't easy to get rid of, and even harder to forget. Ever since meeting Dak, his mating pheromones have been on the rise, sending out an ambrosia-like beacon to all the progenitors, signaling his potential mate status. Even though Jim's heart is captivated by Dak, he has reluctantly accepted his rejection and is attempting to move on. Unfortunately for Jim, not all the progenitors are as honorable as Dak, and the drive to claim a new mate quickly puts Jim's life in danger, forcing him to seek help from the only man his heart desires. The man who has made it clear he wants nothing to do with Jim's affection.

LOVE OF THE WILD is a well written and engaging love story that takes the quest to find a mate off the usual path and introduces a unique twist. Dak and Jim's story is filled with well-developed characters, exquisitely described landscapes, and a unique balance of darkness and light that sets this tale apart from other paranormal romances. Containing a minimum of editorial and formatting errors, once again, Susan Laine delivers the quality reading experience, full of adventure and heart, that her fans have come to expect!

OFFICIAL REVIEW written for The Romance Reviews.com
http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...

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A blogger's life for me!

Today I have the day off from my "real" job and I've spent it writing a few book reviews, haunting my Facebook pages, and working on some blog formatting. I ran across this little nugget of wisdom earlier today and thought I'd share it with my friends; both those who are word wizards and the ones who are just writers at heart! 

Review: Bright City Lights

Bright City Lights by Declan Sands
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An irresistible story of adventure and paranormal romance!

It is forbidden for a shifter and a vampire to exchange blood. For 95% of the vampire population it leads to madness and so the Vampire Council decreed that the punishment for breaking the law is death.

Brant is a vampire in love with a shifter. Rabb's soul soothes him, but the call of his blood is stronger. In order to protect Rabb from the Council's wrath, Brant walked away from their relationship and the Vampire Council's rule five years ago. Ever since then he and has denied himself blood of any kind since. The hunger is excruciating but he considers Rabb's life to be worth the cost. Integrating himself into the human world, Brant is now the Mayor of Bright City and does his best to keep his town shifter free.

Rabb has never been one to follow rules, especially those he deems unnecessary. No shifter he knows would allow a vampire to feed on his blood without consent. As angry as the situation makes him feel, Rabb respects Brant's decision to walk away and has left him alone. Instead, he focuses on his duties as pack Alpha and works tirelessly to bring his pack out of the wilderness and into the modern era.

When murdered shifters being to turn up in Bright City, Brant and Rabb must unite both vampires and shifters, working together to find a killer that threatens them all. The close contact, after so many years apart, reignites the passion and love for each other that never died. Threats loom on all fronts and suspicion fills their ranks. Facing death has a tendency to cut through doubt and reveal that which is truly important, but the fact remains that their love is forbidden.

A well written, fast paced, and darkly entertaining tale, Bright City Lights is a delightful addition to the M/M romance genera. When steamy Alpha males, strong supporting characters, vampires, shifters and magic abound, who could ask for more?

A copy of Bright City Lights was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Caught

Caught by Cassandra Carr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Take a walk on the dark side!

Three years ago Callie found her perfect subspace while under the dominance of Jack, the sexy professor she met while enrolled in his college class. She fell in love, hard and deep, but Jack didn't return her feelings and she was in danger of losing herself to the despair of unrequited commitment. Callie did the only thing she could to protect herself, she ran.

From the moment Jack saw Callie he knew she was the woman meant to be his to command. Her craving for painful pleasure, unconditional submission and sensual curves fulfilled his darkest desires. It wasn't until after she was gone that he was able to admit to himself that his feelings were deeper than desire and no submissive has satisfied him since.

Three years is a long time to be apart, but the instant chemistry they shared long ago quickly returns as they explore the powerful highs that can only be found in each other's arms. Callie has changed, Jack has changed, but the one thing that hasn't changed is their inability to communicate outside of the playroom. Callie longs for more and Jack doesn't know if he's able to give her everything she needs but is unwilling to accept a future that doesn't include his naughty submissive.

An intensely written BDSM/fetish romance that delves deeply into the dark side of the lifestyle. When two imperfect people are drawn together irresistibly sparks fly, emotions run high, and the potential rewards far outweigh the risks.

A copy of Caught was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

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