Dec 27, 2017 | reviews, romance
With wings of midnight and an affinity for shadows, Jason courts darkness. But now, with the Archangel Neha’s consort lying murdered in the jewel-studded palace that was his prison and her rage threatening cataclysmic devastation, Jason steps into the light, knowing he must unearth the murderer before it is too late.
Earning Neha’s trust comes at a price—Jason must tie himself to her bloodline through the Princess Mahiya, a woman with secrets so dangerous, she trusts no one. Least of all an enemy spymaster.
With only their relentless hunt for a violent, intelligent killer to unite them, Jason and Mahiya embark on a quest that leads to a centuries-old nightmare… and to the dark storm of an unexpected passion that threatens to drench them both in blood.
Archangel’s Storm, by Nalini Singh
One of the things I really love about Nalini’s books is her willingness to explore different parts of the world. While three of the first four books were set in New York (with the fourth taking place mostly in the Refuge), Archangel’s Storm takes us to India and the fortress of the Archangel Neha. Of course, because of the events in Archangel’s Kiss, Neha is unwilling to open her lands to one of Raphael’s Seven without some assurance that the information he learns will not harm her.
As Raphael’s Spymaster, Jason is used to being overlooked as he assembles the big picture from smaller clues — exactly the skillset he needs to help solve the mystery of the murder of Neha’s consort. A challenge, given that the victim had been imprisoned for the past 300 years. Knowing that Neha’s rage must be defused, Jason agrees to swear a blood oath to Princess Mahiya, the only other surviving member of Neha’s bloodline. This grants him entry into Neha’s Court of Poisons. Of course, Mahiya has secrets of her own — secrets she is desperate to keep from a man who already sees too much. Her freedom is almost within reach and she would be a fool to risk it now.
I really liked both Mahiya and Jason as characters. Jason definitely has the strong and silent type thing going on, but there’s a reason for it. His past has a strong influence on the man he’s become and after catching glimpses of him in the previous books, it’s great to get a view “behind the scenes,” as it were. Like Raphael and the rest of the Seven, his core of honor makes him a hero worth rooting for.
Mahiya, on the other hand, is completely new to us. Her upbringing in her aunt’s court might have broken a weaker angel, but Mahiya has a core of inner strength that keeps her from giving up her humanity. She bends, but she doesn’t give up on kindness or give in to hate like so many others might. At the same time, she’s not willing to be a doormat for other angels. I really like the quiet way she stands up for herself, particularly early in the book when she and Jason are still dancing around each other. It’s nice to see a strong heroine in paranormal romance who doesn’t quite fit into the normal “kicking ass and taking names” mold.
Together they make a satisfying couple without being a copy of the previous relationships we’ve seen in the series and I rather like that. There’s a huge diversity in relationships and how they work and Nalini does a great job of exploring that, where the scars both of them carry don’t disappear but are smoothed over to form a beautiful whole without ignoring their existence.
I think the tension builds nicely to a satisfying finish without too many loose ends. (Some are to be expected, of course, with the series continuing to build.) If you’ve read this far into the series, you’re probably fairly invested in the characters and the overall story arc at this point, and there are hints of what might be coming next beginning to surface. All in all, if you have enjoyed the previous books, there’s every reason to keep on reading with this one.
Dec 19, 2017 | reviews, romance
Alexander Sinclair, the Fourth Earl of Falmouth, has a reputation for revelling in vice. But his taste for wine, women and dice is only a fraction of the dangerous truth, for the Earl is the force behind a powerful gang, smuggling contraband between France and Cornwall.
Never afraid to get his hands dirty and with an abiding love of living recklessly, Alex leads many of these runs himself, until one fateful night when the Revenue appear. Forced to sail into a violent storm, the ship is lost and Alex is washed ashore, barely alive, close to the French port of Roscoff.
Innocent beauty, Célestine Lavelle, has lost everything. The daughter of a noble French family forced to flee during the Revolution, she has been forced to work in the kitchens of the local whore house, where her future is shrouded in sin. Desperate and completely alone, the discovery of a half drowned English smuggler on the shore will lead her heart in directions she never dreamed of.
Determined to save his beguiling rescuer, Alex plans that her future should be full of everything that is good and honourable, but will the temptation to take her as his own be too hard to resist?
The Earl’s Temptation, by Emma V. Leech
I will start this review by saying that this is the second book of a series and I read it without having read the first book. In retrospect this probably was not the best plan, as Alexander is the brother of the hero from the first book and (from what I can gather in the text) plays a substantial role in it. Because of this, I was left with the feeling that there was a lot of backstory I was missing, something that definitely influenced my opinion of the book.
That bit of framing out of the way, onto the review! Alexander Sinclair is the Fourth Earl of Falmouth but also runs a smuggling operation in Cornwall, bringing back luxuries from France. During one of the nighttime runs, they are surprised by the Revenue and he is forced to sail into a storm shorthanded. His ship is wrecked and he is the sole survivor, washing up on the beach near the port of Roscoff. There he is found by our heroine, Celeste (as she is called for the majority of the book).
The daughter of a noble French family, Celeste’s life has been marked by tragedy. The family fled during the Revolution but her father was eventually killed and her mother committed suicide after her father’s death. Her only claim to her heritage lies in the papers she has documenting her heritage and those don’t put food in her belly or a roof over her head. As such, she works as a maid in the local brothel, where the Madam has been trying to coerce her into selling her body. (Given that we are told that the Madam is more than willing to drug recalcitrant girls with laudanum, her patience with Celeste’s refusal is …impressive.) Despite all this tragedy, Celeste does not want to see anyone else die and so brings Alexander back to her room, hiding him from the Madam, and nurses him through the chill that follows.
When Celeste overhears the Madam agreeing to sell her virginity to a cruel merchant, she knows she can no longer stay in Roscoe. Alexander, who is captivated by her beauty and wracked with guilt over what he believes she is doing to put a roof over his head, refuses to take her virginity but instead insists that she come with him. The pair makes their way to his family’s estate in France, stopping along the way at the chateau that belonged to Celeste’s family. Despite the sexual tension between them, Alexander refuses to touch her, believing she deserves better than he can offer. Upon meeting his family, she is shocked to discover that he is an earl. Meanwhile, it’s apparent to his family that Alexander has fallen in love with Celeste but he continues to deny it, holding steadfast to his belief that she deserves more.
Not even an attempt to kidnap Celeste can shake him from this belief, and she is sent off to live with his aunts in preparation for her debut. There, she tries to turn herself into the kind of English beauty she believes Alexander wants, while writing to him of all the men who come by to visit — part of the benevolent conspiracy his family endorses. Upon her debut, she makes it a point to flirt with the rogues and rakes and Alexander realizes that he cannot let her slip out of his reach. Of course, there are still one or two twists to be resolved.
Overall, I enjoyed it but it wasn’t a stand-out read or a shining example of the genre. (That’s fine, not every book can be.) It was solid, even if there was a reasonable amount of repetition in the angst of why Alexander felt he couldn’t be with Celeste. The ending also felt like it dragged on longer than was necessary, but it was a happy ending. However, my biggest complaint is probably that we are told repeatedly that he doesn’t feel good enough to be with her and that he is an awful person without seeing a lot of evidence for why he feels this way. This is something that might have been explained in the previous book, but I would hope for at least some level of that exposition or backstory to have made its way into this one.
Dec 12, 2017 | reviews, romance
The son of a duke and an infamous mother, Alistair Mabry, Marquess of Rexton, fought his way to respectability. Now, the most eligible bachelor in London, marriage-shy Rexton will take only a wife with an impeccable reputation, good breeding, and a penchant for staying out of the gossip sheets. But when he strikes a deal to be seen “courting” a sweet young debutante whose notorious older sister has blemished her chances for marriage, Rexton is unexpectedly drawn to the highly inappropriate, calamitous Tillie, Lady Landsdowne herself.
After a scandalous incident that sent shockwaves throughout society and disgraced her, Tillie refuses to cower in the face of the ton. Instead, she will hold her head high as she serves as chaperone for her younger sister, but Tillie is convinced Rexton’s courtship is shrouded with secrets—ones she vows to uncover. However, doing so requires getting dangerously close to the devilishly handsome and forbidden marquess…
An Affair With A Notorious Heiress, by Lorraine Heath
Well, my intentions were to review a bunch of holiday romances this season but the season has been leaving me very little time actually read and write them, so here’s a classic Regency tale instead. Maybe this week, I tell myself, ignoring the steadily growing list of things to get done before Christmas…
Alistair Mabry grew up knowing what the consequences of love could be. His father might be a duke but that wasn’t enough to shield his son from the insults, pranks, and fisticuffs of his peers when he was a boy, all because his mother didn’t meet the expected standards of the ton. He might love his parents dearly, but he has no desire for his children to repeat his experience. The most important qualifications for his wife will be impeccable breeding and a spotless reputation.
Not that he’s looking for one yet, of course. There’s still plenty of time. On the other hand, he’s desperate to breed his prized stud to a particular horse — and so when the price of that is to pretend to court the younger sister of a notorious American divorcée, he agrees. What’s a little harmless lie to use his influence to raise her profile, especially since the girl herself has done nothing beyond being related to a scandalous woman?
Unfortunately for him, the scandalous woman has her own set of criteria for her sister’s potential husband. Tillie made a mistake with her marriage and has paid for it many times over. Her reputation is in shreds and she’s shunned by society. If not for her promise to her mother that she would see her sister happily married, Tillie would have fled back to America long ago. Aware of what her presence would mean for her sister’s chances, she’s stayed in the background — but she’s damned if she’s going to let her sister marry someone who doesn’t love her the way she should be loved.
This being a romance, of course, sparks fly immediately between Alistair and Tillie. She’s horrified because he’s supposed to be courting her sister. He’s horrified because she’s precisely the type of woman he’s trying to avoid. Still, he can’t help but invite her along to be her sister’s chaperone — on a drive in the park, on an outing to the theater. He even finds himself convincing his parents to give a ball so that he can send her an invitation.
I liked Tillie a lot. She’s aware of the mistakes she’s made and wants to keep her younger sister from making the same ones. She knows she can’t go back and change the past. She’s strong enough to handle the disapproval of society and can admit where she might have taken things too far in her hurt and anger. She also has places where she’s vulnerable and it’s a reminder that strength isn’t infinite. Alistair makes a good partner for her even as she forces him to grow and examine what he wanted in his life. He respects her experiences and can admit where he was guilty of failing to see beyond the surface.
There are a number of side characters that suggest that this is not the first book in this universe; indeed, I wouldn’t be surprised to find the story of Alistair’s parents somewhere, and there are plenty of friends mentioned whose stories must have previously been told. Tillie’s sister seems a simple enough debutante at first but appearances can be deceiving and I look forward to her story. If you’re a stickler for historical accuracy this may not be 100% to your taste but I don’t mind bending the rules here and there (especially since some consequences do remain!). All in all, it’s an enjoyable romp and a solid Regency.
Dec 5, 2017 | fantasy, reviews, romance
The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past…but Dmitri’s need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.
Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel’s right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality…the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.
As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting…and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more…
Archangel’s Blade, by Nalini Singh
I’ve been busy this week with Christmas prep and some crafting and as such am behind on actually reading, so this week’s review comes out of the queue. Since Archangel’s Consort finished what I think of as the story arc of Elena’s transformation and the initial fallout, as well as introducing us to the world and some of the characters that inhabit it, I was really looking forward to seeing where Nalini went next. Given the amount of time spent getting to know the Seven in the first three books, it’s unsurprising to see one of them take the lead now.
Dmitri might be a vampire, but he’s old and powerful — powerful enough to serve as second in command to Raphael. That and his friendships with Raphael and the rest of the Seven serve to keep him from growing too jaded, even if part of him continues to mourn for the wife and children he lost over a thousand years ago. That’s what makes his reaction to the hunter the Guild sends in response to a vampire murder so unnerving.
Honor spent two months at the questionable mercy of unknown vampires, nearly dying before her friends managed to rescue her. The experience has left her scarred, a shell of the person she was. Yet when she meets with Dmitri, the reaction he inspires in her makes it clear that she is far from broken. Whatever it is between them, it burns hot and fast even as evil both old and new haunts their path.
I will admit that I was happy to step away from Raphael and Elena for a bit and explore the world from a different point of view. Dmitri has been an intriguing character since the first book, when he and Elena butt heads, and as we learned about his past I was a little skeptical of Nalini’s ability to pull off a happy ending. It speaks to her skill that I fully believe in how she managed it.
Honor comes to the relationship with her own scars, both physical and mental after her ordeal. One of the things I really like about the plot is that Dmitri doesn’t usurp Honor’s vengeance while still maintaining the necessary control over the vampires beneath him. He has to be involved because he is Raphael’s second in command, but he manages to handle it in a way where Honor is able to achieve the closure she needs. Honor’s recovery is more believable because of that, and it lets her inner strength shine through.
If Angels’ Blood was paranormal romance and then Archangel’s Kiss and Archangel’s Consort were both urban fantasy, Archangel’s Blade swings back into the paranormal romance category. This is a definitely a series where you want to read the books in order, so if you haven’t already, this isn’t the book to start with. If you enjoyed the previous books, however, I think you’re definitely in for a treat with this one. I’m looking forward to enjoying the next one.
Nov 29, 2017 | reviews, romance
Certain individuals might consider Lady Amelia Pembroke a managing sort of female, but truly, most people would be lost without her help. Why, the latest on-dit is that rakish Viscount Sheffield is canceling the fete of the year because he hasn’t time for silly soirees. He doesn’t need time—he needs her!
When a flash of lightning destroys the venue for his family’s annual Christmas ball, Lord Benedict Sheffield intends to enjoy a relaxing holiday for once. But after twelve days of beguiling Lady Amelia’s guerrilla tactics, he’s up to his cravat with tinsel… and tumbling head over heels in love.
The Viscount’s Christmas Temptation, by Erica Ridley
Thanksgiving has passed and as such, it is now fair game to put on the Christmas music and decorate the house and dive into all the Christmas-themed books that I otherwise leave off. Not because they’re not enjoyable but because there’s a special magic to read them in the lead-up to the holiday, reminding me of all the love and joy that I associate with the season.
And while I haven’t managed to get my tree up yet or the ornaments pulled out from storage (Thanksgiving travel does not help with this, nor does being sick), I have gotten one novella read already.
Lady Amelia Pembroke is the sort of woman who plans. And plans and plans and plans, so that no potential calamity is left unaccounted for. Unexpected guests? Illness? No problem. She’s prepared for every possible outcome, having run her brother the Duke’s household since she was 14. However, it occurs to her that the reason her brother has yet to take a wife is because he doesn’t want to set up a conflict between his sister and his duchess. As such, she resolves to marry — and quickly, as her thirtieth birthday is fast approaching. The annual Sheffield Christmas ball seems the perfect place to size up potential husbands and make her selection.
Unfortunately for her, the Christmas ball has been canceled thanks to a lightning bolt. For many women that might seem like an insurmountable obstacle, but not for Miss Pembroke. She takes herself over to Viscount Sheffield immediately, ready to offer her services to relocate and run the ball with less than two weeks to go.
Viscount Sheffield isn’t at all sure about the lady who turns up on his doorstep, demanding that he allow her to organize and throw the ball his family has hosted for generations. Not that he has much attachment to the ball, but he’s not willing to simply stand by and let someone else take it over. Despite this, he’s intrigued by this woman who is neither a shrinking wallflower nor one of the women he’s spent years dallying with. He agrees but only if he can oversee the process.
The story proceeds rather predictably from that point, with the timeline tight because this is a novella. Still, an absence of side characters means the story stays focused and I enjoy how even though Amelia is falling in love she still retains the core of who she is. I admit to feeling at least a small amount of kinship with Amelia because her journals sound like something I would do. Possibly something I do do.
As far as Christmas stories go, there’s relatively little “Christmas” about this one; I could probably read this one outside the Christmas season and be okay with it. It’s free on Amazon (at least at the moment) and serves as the introduction to the Dukes of War series, which I suspect I’ll read at some point. The writing was certainly crisp and enjoyable and while this might fall into the “slightly less realistic” category of Regencies, I enjoyed it all the same. An excellent short diversion from the holiday prep if you’re looking for one!
Nov 21, 2017 | reviews, romance, scifi
When a female Shifter comes to town seeking refuge, Feline Shifter Sean Morrissey claims the new arrival and finds a beautiful woman who looks him straight in the eye without fear, stirring the mating frenzy within him.
To relocate to a new Shiftertown, half-Fae, half-Shifter Andrea Gray must accept a new mate. But Andrea’s intense attraction to Sean is something she never expected-a perilous complication for a woman with a troubled past.
Primal Bonds, by Jennifer Ashley
This was a bit of a different read for me. As much as I might love the Psy/Changeling series, I’ve read a few of the other big-name paranormal series in the past and haven’t found them to be my cup of tea. Still, tastes change and I occasionally try to revisit that particular subgenre to see if there’s something that might catch my eye.
Primal Bonds is actually the second book of the Shifters Unbound series; I picked it up on sale (like I do so many these days) since the reviews indicated that the first book was helpful but not required to understand the universe. I think I would judge that as perhaps 75% accurate — while I could certainly follow the story easily enough, there are a few holes in my understanding of the universe that might not exist if I’d read the first book. I can’t be sure, however, since I have yet to read the first book. Keep that in mind as reading this review.
The book starts with an attack at the bar where Andrea Gray is working. She’s a relatively recent transplant to the Austin Shiftertown, having moved to escape the wolf pack where she grew up when the man who wanted to claim her as his mate refused to take no for an answer. Of course, in order to move to the new Shiftertown, she must accept a mate-claim from one of the males already in the pack. Sean Morrissey offers for her sight unseen, intending to give her some space to get settled before deciding what she wants to do. Of course, the best laid plans and all that…
Sean is a Guardian, one of the Shifters who uses a magic sword to sever the soul from the dead body. This allows the Shifter access to the afterlife. Even though there’s debate within the Shifter community about how necessary this act is, most Shifters still want his services available when the time comes. Rarely do they acknowledge the burden it places on him, however, especially when the soul severed is one of a close family member or friend. Sean had given up hope of finding a mate, since although he was popular with the ladies, none of them were interested in sharing that particular burden.
Andrea, on the other hand, is used to hiding her half-Fae side. For years, she’s been told she’s the lowest of the low and completely worthless in the pack, tolerated only because male Shifters heavily outnumber females. Her mother passed away when she was young, leaving her behind in the care of her stepfather. In the new Shiftertown, she’s hoping to learn more about the Fae who sired her — especially as her Fae magic seems to react to the Guardian sword that Sean carries.
There were definitely some interesting bits and pieces to this universe. Shifters are collared and forced to live together in Shiftertowns, even thought they might be members of different packs. There is definite discrimination by humans against Shifters. Less is clear about the Fae, but there are hints that they are involved in a more shadowy role, both with the Shifters and with the humans.
On the flip side, the story seems to move from instant lust into love very quickly and it feels like there are a lot of loose ends in the story. Some of this is likely deliberate, in order to keep the reader invested in the series, but to choose an example, it’s repeatedly emphasized how Andrea doesn’t seem phased by other Shifters’ displays of dominance where she should be reacting to them and the reason for this isn’t clearly articulated. There are multiple points like this, where something is clearly highlighted but no explanation is given. That’s frustrating for me as a reader. I can overlook it more easily if the love story felt more natural but…
In the end, I enjoyed the world enough that I will consider picking up another one or two of the books if I can catch them on sale. Hopefully the first book will be one of them — this does feel like a universe where that first world-building book is important!
