Flora's Musings...: shapeshifters

Showing posts with label shapeshifters. Show all posts

Wednesday, 19 April 2017

Flora Reviews... A Fire in the Blood by Amanda Ashley

Flora Reviews...

A Fire in the Blood

by Amanda Ashley

Read: 18^th – 19^th April 2015

Format: Kindle

My Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars

The expected publication date for both paperback and ebook is 25^th April 2017

So, before we get into what I thought about this book, I want you to know that I was lucky enough to be given a digital version of this book for free from the publisher (Kensington Books) via Netgally.com in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for the advance copy.

...So what’s this book about?

A Fire in the Blood is a standalone novel of approximately 400 pages. I feel that the story is a classic paranormal romance and would happily sit in the young adult genre due to the lack of 18+ content.

If you’ve read any of my reviews before, you’ll know, I don’t post spoilers of any kind or reveal any plot twists in my book reviews, so here’s what the official blurb has to say about the story:

“I see a man. He is old. Very old. He will come into your life in a moment of danger. He will watch over you and protect you.” The gypsy’s hand gripped Tessa’s tighter. “He will bring you death,” she whispered, her voice like the rustle of dry leaves. “And life.”

Ten years later, when Andrei Dinescu saves Tessa from a vicious attacker, she has no idea that the handsome stranger the gypsy fortune teller predicted is not a hunter but a seven-hundred-year-old vampire. Darkly powerful, unbelievably compelling, he is obviously pursuing Tessa, but is it her love he's after or her blood?

...So, what did I like about it?

Amanda Ashley is a new-to-me author and I enjoyed her easy to read, writing style. I never felt lost in this story; the first chapter sets up the world, introduces our leading lady, Tessa Blackburn, and the relevant background for the story.

The pace of this tale isn't fast or frantic and it’s definitely not dark or gritty but it does have suspense and oodles of romantic gestures.

The suspense comes from never knowing when or where Tessa will be attacked by vampires; her blood calls to them. I should mention that the scenes in the book where killings, fighting and hunting take place are never explicit or described using vivid imagery.

The romance element starts very soon after our romantic couple meet, which some reviews have frowned on but don’t we hear about people who experience life threatening incidents forming instant attachments? I think so. Where this book differs from so many others is the fact that our main character, Tessa, believes in (and practices) the Christian value of no sex before marriage, so it was a refreshing change to see the sexual relationship between her and Andrei, being allowed to develop over the chapters; I enjoy it when the physical side of a relationship is allowed to bloom gently, prolonging the sexual anticipation of when they will finally do the deed.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

I understand that this book is first and foremost a romance novel, focussing on the evolving relationship between Tessa and Andrei, however, I am disappointed that there wasn’t more made within the story about the mystery of Tessa’s blood. I would have loved them to research it more; why is it so special? Surely all the vampire hunters in town could be tapped for information, the internet maybe or a trusted witch, gypsy or shaman? I just found it a bit frustrating; researching the mystery could have added an extra dimension to the story.

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

This is a good paranormal romance and I enjoyed it. I would recommend this book if you like books in the young adult (YA) genre or sweet paranormal romances. If, however, you are looking for a dark and gritty vampire romance, then this isn’t for you.

So, has my review of A FIRE IN THE BLOOD sparked your interest? Just click on any of the links below to check out the book yourself, or to find out more about other books I’ve read, take a look at my profile on Goodreads.

See A FIRE IN THE BLOOD on Goodreads.com

Buy A FIRE IN THE BLOOD in the usual places including Amazon.com or through Amazon.co.uk

Visit AMANDA ASHLEY‘s own little corner of the web

Tuesday, 23 August 2016

Flora Reviews... Fractured Immortal by E.L. Wicker

Flora Reviews...

Fractured Immortal (The Bearwood Series #1)

by E.L. Wicker

Read: 20^th – 22^nd August 2016

Format: Kindle

My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

...So what’s this book about?

This novel is the first of E.L. Wicker’s two book Bearwood Series and is a paranormal romance story of approx 412 pages that features vampires, a shape shifter, witches and a couple of Immortal Guardians. As my regular followers will know, I don’t put any spoilers in my reviews, so here’s what the official blurb says;

After a terrifying vampire attack in 1810, Ilia Rose spends the next two centuries hunting Sol, the man responsible for turning her and her friends into vampires.

When Ilia discovers he’s run to the one place she’s running from, she’s forced to face her most painful memories back in her hometown, Bearwood.

There, Ilia finds herself face to face with Nathaniel, an insanely hot vampire, and despite the evidence he’s working for her enemy, Ilia can’t fight her attraction to him, especially when he seems to show up whenever she needs him most.

But Nathaniel is keeping secrets and as they begin to unravel, instead of running away from him, Ilia finds herself falling for him. When his last secret is revealed Ilia’s past comes together in a way she never imagined and she’s left with only one option: trust Nathaniel to help her kill Sol, or risk relinquishing her new found strength thus causing catastrophic and devastating consequences for her and everyone she loves.

Ilia begins a gut-wrenching battle to save her life and the lives of her friends, a battle which not everyone will survive.

A vampire tale like none other, love, pain, devastation and revenge, all weave together to create the first in a dark and unmissable new adult series.

Due to sexual content, this book is intended for readers age 18+

When I originally downloaded this book from Amazon UK back in June 2015 I got it for free - what a bargain!! Although, it’s not free anymore, it’s still reasonably cheap considering it’s length.

...So, what did I like about it?

I was very impressed with Ms Wicker’s first attempt at a published novel; her writing style and how she crafted her story. I felt that her tale’s timeline was easy to follow (even when our main character flashed back to the 1800s) and the locations used throughout this story were beautifully described; utilising all of the senses.

I understand that Ms Wicker has studied Social Science at university meaning that she understands our human society, social relationships and the implications of the myriad of interaction and choices we make every day. This may be the reason why the characters felt so real to me; the deep platonic friendship/bond between Ilia and Lucas, her valued friendship with Lana, the emotional turmoil between Ilia and her first love, Kyle and Ilia’s unrelenting obsession with hunting down and killing Sol.

Please be warned, there are a few very traumatic, violent scenes in this book that some readers may find disturbing but I think that Ms Wicker handles them very eloquently, giving us enough graphic detail to shock us with the horror of each situation but then balances that out with expressive prose to convey our heroine’s viewpoint and her emotional state of mind.

This story made me smile, cry, growl in frustration, blush and kept me turning the pages.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

Honestly, not much.

The final chapter in this book is a “present day epilogue” which does leave us with a bit of cliffhanger ending. Now as my regular followers will know I HATE big cliff-hangers, however, this isn’t what I call a life threatening cliff-hanger, e.g. “our heroine is running through the wood to escape her captors when suddenly she falls off a cliff…” or “…comes face to face with her enemy, who’s pointing a gun at her…” because those sort of endings leave the story up in the air and are very frustrating. In this case, however, a bit of a cliffhanger was not unexpected as it is only two book series after all.

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

This paranormal romance story gripped me from the very first chapter; it’s got tears, angst, fighting and pain but it’s also got love, passion and laughter. Although Ms Wicker is a huge fan of Young Adult (YA) fiction and is labelled an author in this genre, I feel that Fractured Immortal has more “gritty/explicit” scenes than the average YA novel which some younger YA readers may feel uncomfortable with.

So, has my review of FRACTURED IMMORTAL sparked your interest? Just click on any of the links below to check out the book yourself, or to find out more about other books I’ve read, take a look at my profile on Goodreads.

See FRACTURAL IMMORTAL on Goodreads.com

Buy FRACTURED IMMORTAL on Amazon.com or through Amazon.co.uk

Visit E.L. WICKER ‘s own little corner of the web

Friday, 1 January 2016

Flora Reviews... Grave Attraction (Grave #4) by Lori Sjoberg

Grave Attraction (Grave #4)
by Lori Sjoberg

Read: 24^th – 29^th December 2015

Format: Kindle

My Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

...So what’s this book about?

This is a paranormal romance with more than one storyline running throughout but with a HEA (Happily Ever After) conclusion for our romantic couple. It is the fourth book in Ms Sjoberg’s Grave series but I read it without reading the previous books, confirming that it also works as a standalone novel too.

The official blurb says:

He’s a reaper who works by the book. But a sexy shifter will have him changing the course of fate just to be with her—if a killer doesn’t get to her first...

After four years as a reaper, helping souls cross into the afterlife is a job Adam Javorski has finally gotten used to. But when he arrives at the site of a serial killer’s latest victim, finding a living—not to mention gorgeous—hostage is the last thing he expects. The young woman captivates him in a way no one ever has—so much so, he breaks rule number one by helping her escape…

Marlena Walther doesn’t remember the man who rescued her. But when she sees Adam again, she recognizes him instantly as her soul mate. While the two work together to track down a killer determined to finish what he started, their undeniable attraction draws them even closer. Now Adam is the only one who can protect Marlena from a vengeful murderer—if he’s willing to sacrifice everything for her.

Although this book is not being published until 5^th January 2016, I was lucky enough to be given a digital version early from the publisher (Kensington Books) via Netgally.com for free in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you.

...So, what did I like about it?

I haven’t read any of Ms Sjoberg’s books before but found her writing style very easy to read, I appreciated the way the story was told from both Adam and Marlena’s perspectives and I enjoyed the way her tale unfolded. Her world is set here in our time (so it was easy to picture the places where her scenes took place) and is sprinkled with various characters/species with paranormal abilities; reapers, witches, demons, shifters who secretly live among us humans.

I liked the fact that our main male character, Adam, wasn’t a typical alpha male. It was a breath of fresh air; yes he’s had his fair share of romantic liaisons *wink*wink* but he is a decent, good guy; he cares, he’s loyal to his friends, he keeps his head down and just gets on with his job of collecting the souls of the recently departed to move them on to the next phase.

I really enjoy it (begrudgingly) when an author can add depth of character to a story’s bad guy, making me feel sympathy for them and, for me, Ms Sjoberg did it twice in this book, Jeremiah and Adam’s boss, Samuel (ok so Samuel isn’t one of the bad guys per se but it’s made clear in this book that he isn’t liked – by anybody).

My intellect relished the triple storyline running throughout this book; Adam & Marlena’s romance, the threat of a serial killer on the loose, targeting Marlena and Samuel’s predicament. I love puzzles that add pace and depth to a tale and these separate but interwoven threads all added together to keep me absorbed, eagerly turning the pages, keen to find out what would happen next.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

Ok, so it didn’t get 5 stars from me, my regular followers will know that it’s the little niggles that take the edge off for me, so what were they here?

As I said above, when an author adds mysteries to their tales of romance, I feel that it adds a further depth and pace. I liked that this book had two such storylines running through it; the serial killer and Samuel’s predicament.

I felt that the serial killer story arc is billed as the main threat to our romantic couple when reading the blurb but, unfortunately, it didn’t live up to all of my expectations. I loved the build up, his relationship with his accomplice and the fact that our killer was so careful, meticulous and patient, I just felt let down with was how it was concluded. I felt it was rushed to make sure that it was finished by the end of the book and I think that it was due to the development/escalation of the “Samuel’s predicament” storyline that the serial killer thread ran out of time.

I understand from a number of authors that word counts and page numbers is a very high priority and tightly restrictive when publishing a book so I accept (begrudgingly) the compromise made here i.e. no romantic or serial killer cliffhanger ending. ;-)

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

I really enjoyed this paranormal romance novel. It has action, romance, twists & turns and some *blushing* smexy scenes, so if that’s the sort of story you like to get lost in then give this one a try – it’s quite a ride.

Just click on any of the links below and read about the book yourself.

Sunday, 20 December 2015

Flora Reviews... The Warrior Vampire (Last True Vampire #2) by Kate Baxter

The Warrior Vampire (Last True Vampire #2)

by Kate Baxter

Read: 14^th – 19^th December 2015

Format: Kindle

My Overall Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

So what’s this book about?

This is the second book in a new paranormal romance series about vampires, half breeds, slayers and other creatures that go bump in the night.

The blurb says:

The vampire was built for sin, every inch of him tight and bulky with corded muscle. A killer, that much was apparent, and she couldn't help but wonder if his appetite for violence would rival his appetites for other...things.

A WOMAN SEDUCED
Naya Morales is no ordinary mortal. Born with a shaman's power, she has devoted her life to tracking down stolen magic-and punishing those who take it. But one fateful night, she follows the alluring call of a sensual magic that is too glorious to be true-and finds herself face to face with a stunningly handsome thief who is too magnificent to resist...

A VAMPIRE ENSLAVED
From the moment he sees her, Ronan knows Naya is his mate. Driven by a deep, almost mystical connection, he aches for her body, hungers for her blood, and swears their souls are anchored together. Naya refuses to believe the words of a vampire-or risk the wrath of her tribe. But when she tries to make Ronan her prisoner, neither chains of silver nor fires of hell can help her escape the truth: she is the one who's been captured...

I was lucky enough to receive a digital version of this book for free from the UK publishers (Headline Eternal) via Netgally.com in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you. :-)

...So, what did I like about it?

I found Ms Baxter’s writing style very easy to read and never felt lost being introduced to Naya’s world of demonic slayers, the Bororo Tribe, in this book. I find her world building very good; I like the idea of all Vampires’ memories being connected (The Collective), the part that the Dhampiri (vampire half-breeds) play and their relationship to the Vampires and the Bororo Tribe’s ancient duty to protect innocents from malicious magic.

Those of you who have read my reviews before know that I am an old romantic at heart so the “two halves of one soul reunited” love story part of this tale satisfied my mushy side but it was the real relationship doubts and insecurities that added a very real and contemporary romance element to this tale that keeps you guessing if Naya and Ronan will ever get their happily ever after.

The balance between tense scenes, action scenes and sexual scenes was good, as a modern woman I was irritated at the “traditional values” of Naya’s pod (the term for her local Bororo Tribe clan) a number of times reading this story and I can’t tell you how many times the temperature seemed to mount while reading certain scenes too!

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

In a word - no.

Although this story didn’t take the direction that I was expecting after the way book 1 (The Last True Vampire) lead into it I was completely captivated by Naya and Ronan’s trying romance.

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

I really loved this amazing novel, I think it has it all; relationship/family drama, mystery, action and thrills when tracking demons, fighting and passionate sex scenes! Woohoo!

If you’re a fan of adult paranormal romance stories where your heroines are intelligent, witty and independent and your heroes strong, sexy with a big heart waiting to be unleashed or if you’ve enjoyed reading the “destined soul mate” theme of Felicity Heaton’s Eternal Mates Series or Dianne Duvall’s Immortal Guardians Series, then I think you’ll love this paranormal romance novel too.