Tag: Kindle Unlimited

Review: Flame

Posted in booksTagged , , , , , , ,

Book CoverFlame by Donna Grant
My Rating: 2 Stars
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Formats: eBook, Paperback

Flame is book #17 in Donna Grant’s Dark Kings series. I’m going to start with a disclaimer: when I requested an ARC of this book on Netgalley, I had no idea it was so deep in a series as the cover and title did not indicate as such. This is the first book I’ve read in Dark Kings and my opinions are likely skewed by that fact.

Living among the Dragon Kings, Cain has spent lifetimes learning to distrust both mortals and Fae. He is a warrior born—and every instinct demands that he fight to keep his own kind safe. But when a fringe member of the Dark Fae contacts the Kings with an urgent warning, Cain is torn for the first time. How can he trust this beautiful creature when resisting his primal attraction to her is battle enough?

Noreen is horrified by what her kind and the malevolent Others are planning for the Dragon Kings. Dark Fae or not, there are lines she will not cross—even if it means risking her life. But she never imagined that she would risk her heart until she meets Cain. She wants him with a soul-deep desire that frightens her…and endangers them both. Is saying goodbye to everything Noreen has ever known worth a love that will span time and realms?

Flame is backstory heavy, which was helpful to someone who didn’t read the prior books. The fantasy setting, alternate Earth setting, and various types of magical people were described and thought-out quite well. The epilogue did a good job of setting the stage for the next book in the series.

However, after a few chapters of backstory it began to feel like bloat that an editor should have suggested large cuts to, and combined with lack of action and development by the main characters, it made this book difficult to get invested in. Continue reading “Review: Flame” →

Review: In the Dark With the Duke

Posted in booksTagged , , , , , , ,

Book CoverIn the Dark With the Duke by Christi Caldwell
My Rating: 4 Stars
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: June 9, 2020
Formats: Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback

In the Dark With the Duke is book #2 in the Lost Lords of London series, and features a supporting character from one of Caldwell’s 2019 releases, The Spitfire. It can be read as a standalone, but reading The Spitfire first will give further insight into Lila’s growth as a character.

Lady Lila March is spunky and tenacious by night and filled with terror by day. Her past trauma from the events at Peterloo, where she was trampled during a military crackdown against the lower class, has scarred her both figuratively and literally. Lila seeks a way to cope in the world so that she doesn’t feel quite so helpless, and that connects her with Hugh Savage.

Hugh has experienced a life of violence and shame. He loathes what made him the man he is today, yet is still drawn to Lila’s entreaty for help. Events unfold that change his life in drastic ways and he must determine what from his past to hold onto, and what toxic pieces are worth shedding.

Both Hugh and Lila have good character growth in this story. They both have troubled pasts and demons, and while those will continue to haunt them, it bridged a connection between the two and allowed them to move forward in their lives.

In the Dark With the Duke starts out slow but picks up its pace about nine chapters in. It continues the discovery of the lost lords of London, revealing that the underground network of stolen noble children may be deeper than anticipated in Caldwell’s previous books (the first lost lord was found in the Wicked Wallflowers series).

I feel like a broken record at this point with Caldwell’s books, but I’ll say it again: the book needs an epilogue. We’re left not knowing what happens with Hugh’s partners or the antagonist of the book, and since both were involved in the plot, no epilogue leaves the ending feeling rushed and unresolved. (Don’t worry, there’s still a HEA. I’m just picky and want to know how everything works out, not just the relationship.)

In the Dark With the Duke is available now in eBook and paperback formats.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews

Review: Sworn to the Shadow God

Posted in booksTagged , , , , , , , , ,

Book CoverSworn to the Shadow God by Ruby Dixon
My Rating: 4-Stars
Genre: Epic Fantasy Romance
Release Date: February 14, 2020
Formats: eBook, Paperback

The Anticipation has arrived.

It’s been hundreds of years since the last, and now believed to be myth. But as the Twelve—gods cast out of their realms by the High Father as punishment for their sins—appear in Aos, its people are overwhelmed by the presence of their gods. Each god, split into the Aspects of four personalities: Apathy, Arrogance, Hedonism, and Lies. Each Aspect, burdened with a mortal anchor, a person intended to improve those undesirable facets, to purge it from their very essence, before the god can ascend again to their realm.

Rhagos the Undying, Lord of the Dead, has returned to his place in the Underworld. He discovered that this time, the High Father decreed that one anchor will remain with each god until the next Anticipation. The god known as Death is displeased with the sniveling fool anchored to him—and he’ll do anything to get what he really wants.

An illicit bargain with the Fates returns Rhagos to the beginning of the recent Anticipation. Death is not above cheating, after all.

Maxine (Max) Chavez, a corporate assistant and gamer from Earth, stumbles upon a portal to Aos. What at first seems like an adventure turns into a waking nightmare as Max finds that in order to return home, she must be anchored to Death. She must survive attempts on her own life to help Rhagos overcome his other three Aspects by slaying their anchors.

And when they’re the last ones standing? Max must convince Rhagos to return her to Earth.

Sworn to the Shadow God is Ruby Dixon’s second entry in her Aspect and Anchor epic fantasy romance series. Reading the first book isn’t necessary (though I recommend it as well), as this book does a great job in introducing the reader to the strange circumstances of the Anticipation. Shadow God clocks in around 645 pages, which fly by as you’re transported to the eclectic world of Aos.

On the surface, Max is a naive and at-times annoying character, simply because you, as the reader, catch onto things that she misses until much later in the book. Most of her growth happens in the various ways she causes Rhagos to change and become a better god. Rhagos starts out as a selfish prick in the prologue, and while he’s still imperfect by the end, Max’s influence is seen through his awareness of how he can make a difference to the souls living in the Underworld. It’s an exciting journey to watch the pair overcome the many obstacles thrown against them, from hostile humans to angry magicians to poop ropes to the tattoos scrawled across Rhagos’s back and arms. (Yes, poop ropes. I highly suggest reading the author’s note at the end. It’s hilarious.)

Even Death gets lonely sometimes. Do him a favor and read his story.

Sworn to the Shadow God is available now in eBook and paperback formats. Both books in the Aspect and Anchor series are available for Kindle Unlimited subscribers as well.

 

View all my reviews

Series Review: Hell Squad

Posted in booksTagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Book CoverHell Squad by Anna Hackett
My Rating: 4-Stars
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Series Size: 20 books (#20 coming June 2020)
Formats: eBook, Paperback

Who knew that the apocalypse could be so sexy?

Aliens have come to Earth—and not in peace. Millions of humans died in the first few waves of attacks. Hidden deep in Australia’s fictional Blue Mountain Base, squads of fighters band together in the struggle for humanity.

Australian author Anna Hackett integrates elements of science fiction and action into all of her romance novels. Over the past five years, her “Hell Squad” series has followed a rotating cast of characters as they battle against the aliens—called the Gizzida—while discovering that even at the end of the world, there’s always someone to live for.

Yes, this means that in-between scenes of reconnaissance missions, firefights, helicopter chases, and more, these characters find time to fall in love. It’s a nice balance of intense action in the Gizzida-laden world above and intense passion in the beds (and showers, and gardens, and desks… etc) in the human’s hidden base below.

The series gets its name from Squad Six, known as the Hell Squad. Considered to be the toughest fighters in Blue Mountain Base, the Hell Squad is filled with former military who aren’t shy when it comes to kicking some Gizzida ass. This alien race is likened to “raptors” in the early books, and much of their demented creations, from space ships to mutated beasts, are dinosaur-like in appearance as well. Appearances can be misleading—and with the Gizzida, cunning and extreme intelligence lurks behind those red eyes.

Hell-Squad-Book-Covers

Each book follows one pair of characters who must best the aliens to accomplish the current mission, whether it be gathering vital information, stopping the Gizzida from their perverse experimentations, or sabotaging the aliens. As the series progresses, other squads such as Squad Nine (which is full of kickass women) and Squad Three (known as the berserker squad, filled with daredevil men of dubious backgrounds) are featured, with the various squads swooping in to lend support on the field.

The ultimate goal is to reclaim Earth for humanity, but an overarching storyline laced throughout “Hell Squad” reveals that the Gizzida has plans to eradicate all human life. Hackett’s series is now 19 books long—the most recent, Survivors, was released on Feb. 11. The situation has hit a crisis point for these survivors, and the outlook is grim. “Hell Squad” will wrap up when the squads (presumably) rid the Earth of alien scum in the final series book, Tane, which is scheduled for a June 2 release.

Hell Squad books 1-19 are available now in eBook and paperback formats. The first book in the series, Marcus, is free in eBook format, and the entire series is available for Kindle Unlimited subscribers as well.

This review originally appeared in the Feb. 21, 2020 issue of White Pine Press.

View all my reviews

Review: The Spitfire

Posted in booksTagged , , , , , , ,

Book CoverThe Spitfire by Christi Caldwell
My Rating: 4-5 Stars
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: September 17, 2019
Formats: Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback

The Spitfire is book #5 in the Wicked Wallflowers series. Even though it’s a departure from the Killoran family featured in the first four books, and wasn’t in Caldwell’s original plans for the series, this is the best book of the five.

Clara Winters has left behind the life as a courtesan and madam to become a self-made woman by opening a respectable music hall to be enjoyed by the masses. Henry March is an earl living a tightly-ordered life, obsessed with creating law and order across London. A late-night attack in Clara’s neighborhood leaves Henry nearly dead and Clara as his rescuer and nurse. Despite the provoking thoughts and interesting banter the two have, can their new-found friendship survive Henry’s return to politics?

This story didn’t have an insta-love situation and instead, Clara and Henry grow to know and love each other over many weeks. Both characters changed a lot from their involvement in each other’s lives. Clara grew beyond the shell of a woman who was burdened by her past and Henry emerged as a person who learned to love and appreciate who was around him, not just what he could accomplish.

The plot was engaging and moved quickly. Neither Clara nor Henry are perfect, and their flaws play well into the story. The first chapter kicks off so unconventionally that you can’t help but be hooked.

Henry’s sister, Lila, was a great supporting character in this story. She has her own demons and they won’t be easy to conquer. I’m hoping that she gets her own book someday, as her story is bound to be compelling.

This book was nearly a five-star review from me, which is rare. The reason it lost half a star is a sad but increasingly recent trend in historical romances: there is no epilogue. The final chapter did bring the main plot to a satisfying conclusion. But I want a look at the ever after part of happily ever after. I’m left wondering too much⁠—will they actually get married, will society cause problems, will they ever have children, and much more. Does all of that need answered? No. But without any of it, this story ends with a happily for now.

The Spitfire will release on September 17, 2019.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

View all my reviews