May 20, 2013 by Tina Williams

Update from Tina

This week hot on the heels of my review of Eve Rabi’s Burn’s World, I reviewed her new release You Will Pay – She Left Her Abusive Husband, He Took Revenge. I can’t get enough of this author’s novels at the moment and could not resist reading this, which is currently free on Smashwords.

I found it to be a a somewhat darker read than Burn’s World and even Gringa. The main focus of the novel is how a sociopathic man seeks revenge on his wife who leaves him after he subjects her to emotional and physical abuse. The book has elements of a thriller, although it does contain some sweet romance.

I reviewed Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s Storm , which is another awesome read in her Guild Hunter Series. In it Jason, Archangel Raphael’s spymaster, is sent to the court of Archangel Neha to discover who has murdered her consort. To complete his mission, Jason is compelled to tie himself to the princess Mahiya, via a blood bond. Cue for a suspenseful and sensual plot!

I have read Charades, by Ann Logan, a romantic suspense, where an innocent young woman finds herself in a web of deceit, where no one is who they seem, least of all the hero. I found this to be an entertaining read and I will be posting a joint review with Caroline soon.

Coming Soon

I have just started to read The Silk Romance, by Helena Fairfax, which is her first novel, published by Muse It Up Publishing. It is a sweet contemporary romance, with a Frenchman as the alpha hero and is set in the romantic city of Lyon. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this and I will be posting a review on May 24th. Helena has also kindly submitted an intriguing author post entitled ‘Romantic Lyon and Teenage Crushes.’

In the next few days we plan to post our recommendations of werewolf themed books we have read and we will also share with you those we have on our wish list! Caroline plans to post her reviews of Mere Enchantment by Alicia Rivoli (followed closely by the sequel Rings of Enchantment).

In my usual fashion I am sure to be tempted by other reads which beckon me with their siren call!

Happy reading and have a great week.

Tina 🙂

Cover art for The Silk Romance by Charlotte Volnek

May 17, 2013 by Tina Williams

You Will Pay – She Left Her Abusive Husband, He Took Revenge, by Eve Rabi

A Dark and Intense Journey

This is not one of those tales where the hero seeks revenge on the heroine, falls in love with her and seeks redemption. Instead, the plot, which is a cracking good read, has elements of a thriller, although it does contain some sweet romance. The main focus of the novel is how a sociopathic man seeks revenge on his wife who leaves him after he subjects her to emotional and physical abuse.

In You Will Pay, Arena, a young South African woman, is married to Tom, a rich Australian. Tom likes to control every aspect of her life and Tom’s needs and desires come first. Arena is vulnerable, her confidence has been eroded, and she is far from her family, with a young baby to cope with and no means to support herself. When this abuse turns more physical and Tom actually hits her, she resolves to leave him. However she is shocked to find out that she is again pregnant and for a time is compelled to remain with him.

Once Arena’s baby girl is born the abuse intensifies and Arena carefully plots to safely escape Tom’s clutches and file for divorce, on grounds of abuse. The plan works and despite Tom’s chilling words that he will hurt her in such a way that she will never recover and she will suffer every day, she finds a modest apartment of her own and gets her life back. She makes friends, socialises and even finds a new man. Tom appears to have backed off and is cooperative over the split. Yet it all appears too easy…….

One day Arena finds herself in a nightmare situation and is again rendered powerless and vulnerable. She is sure that Tom is behind it, yet she has no proof. She suffers greatly for something she suspects that he is responsible for and must remain strong if she is to get her revenge and outwit a man who has all the cards stacked in his favour.

This tale contains violence, domestic and child abuse and I found it to be an intense read, with some really dark moments. However, there are scenes of hope, such as when Arena flees Tom and gets her life back together. There are also some moments of happiness and humour, from her relationship with the new man in her life, Bear, and from her new friend Soong. I liked the way Arena carefully plots and executes her escape, showing that she is a strong woman, despite Tom’s efforts to subjugate her. I was with her all the way through the dark times in the book and was satisfied with the outcome which is told in Eve Rabi’s unique and indomitable style!

Tom is a truly evil man and to elaborate any further on his deeds would ruin the story for those of you who want to read it. With the character of Tom, the author gets into the psyche of many abusers. Tom clearly relishes the control he wields over Arena and enjoys her pain, physical and emotional, a mark of a true sociopath. Bear, Arena’s new man, is an adorable character, who clearly loves her and shows it in some tender and romantic scenes. He has secrets of his own and it is those secrets that come into their own as the plot unravels. Soong, the young mother and Arena’s neighbour, also proves to be a loyal friend. Both Bear and Soong inject some humour and lightness into the plot.

Overall You Will Pay is an engrossing read, which I stayed up until the early hours to finish, holding my breath at the awesome ending. This read was a lot darker than Burn’s World and even Gringa, the other books I have read by the author. It contains what I am beginning to recognise as Eve Rabi’s trademarks: strong heroines who find the resources to cope with what life throws at them; characters and plots which stray into activities that are not always within the law and dark themes and (sometimes) humour. I recommend it to readers who enjoy an intense and unique emotional ride that will stay with you a long time after you have read it.

This book is currently free on Smashwords (click on the link) as it hasn’t been professionally edited as yet. Once it’s edited, the price will be $2.99.

Eve Rabi’s website

May 15, 2013 by Tina Williams

Archangel’s Storm, by Nalini Singh

Sensual Tale of Love and Vengeance

Nalini Singh is one of my automatic ‘go to’ paranormal authors, where I know that I can be guaranteed an awesome read. I have been following her series of Guild Hunter Novels and also her Psy/Changeling Series for some time now and they are both amongst my favourite paranormal series. The Guild Hunter Series novels, the first of which was Angels’ Blood, take place on an earth where the Cadre of Ten Archangels, supported by vampires, rule across the various continents. These angels however, are far from angelic. They are thousands of years old and have become jaded in their immortality, indulging in great power games to stave off their boredom and trying to avoid the madness that can overcome them.

In Archangel’s Storm, Jason, the taciturn spymaster for Archangel Raphael, is sent on a mission to the court of Archangel Neha. Neha’s consort Eris has been murdered and her rage threatens cataclysmic devastation unless Jason uses all his skills to unearth the killer. Neha, like many of the Cadre’s Ten, is deadly and capricious and to earn her trust necessary to complete his mission, Jason is compelled to tie himself to her bloodline through a blood bond to the princess Mahiya. Jason believes that Mahija will pose no threat to his investigations. However, Mahija has secrets and an agenda of her own and neither she nor Jason is willing to trust each other. Neha’s court is dangerous however, and there is a great deal more than politics at play as the body count continues to rise. As Jason and Mahija are thrown together they are blindsided by an unexpected passion they feel for one another. Yet can Jason, who has kept his emotions tightly controlled after a horrific childhood experience, find it within himself to let Mahija in, and will Mahija survive the machinations of the Archangel and her court and other dark forces that are at play?

Mahija and Jason, like all of the author’s heroines and heroes are a great couple. Mahija has been abused both physically and mentally by Neha, her aunt. Her crime being that she was born out of a liaison between Neha’s sister Nivriti and Neha’s consort Eris. Neha murdered Nivriti as soon as she birthed Mahija, who has paid for her mother’s sin on many occasions. Despite her tortured past, she has not allowed her aunt to poison her mind. Indeed, she has an inner strength and optimism, despite her outward facade of compliance, which many see as weakness. Jason soon sees through this outward show however and connects with the strong but vulnerable woman within.

Such was the extent of Jason’s childhood trauma, that he has closed his mind to any close emotional attachments. He tells Mahija that he can never offer her a long term relationship. However, I loved that Mahija little by little, through her acceptance of what Jason was willing to give, managed to break down the barriers that he had put up for his own protection. It was beautiful to watch how the relationship developed between them and there were plenty of sensual and erotic lovemaking scenes, which the author excels in.

I also enjoyed the character of the Archangel Neha, who we meet in previous books. Although not at all likable, she is complex and unpredictable, with her own code of honour, which Jason and Mahija must play on to survive. It was also gratifying to meet other characters integral to the Guild Hunter world, such as Archangel Raphael and his consort Elena, the vampire Dmitri and his new wife, the Guild Hunter Honor and other characters such as the vampire Venom.

Nalini Singh has a fantastic ability to create a beautiful love story at the heart of each of her Guild Hunter novels, setting them within the framework of the overall story arc, neither of which detracts from the other. Her novels also contain vivid and beautiful descriptions of the magical world she creates. In this novel, for example, many of the buildings comprising Neha’s court she has based on forts in Rajasthan, India. This beauty contrasts vividly with the violence which she does not shy away from featuring in great detail. Her descriptions of broken bones, blood and internal organs ripped from body cavities is not for the squeamish, but reflect events which can occur in the world she has created.

I recommend this novel for lovers of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Whilst I feel that it could be read as a ‘standalone’, the reader would gain maximum enjoyment by reading the Guild Hunter Series novels in sequence.

Cover art by kind permission of Patrick Knowles

Author Nalini Singh’s website

www.orionbooks.co.uk

www.gollancz.co.uk

May 13, 2013 by Tina Williams

Update from Tina

Latest Reviews

This week I reviewed Eve Rabi’s Burn’s World, which describes a love triangle between a mixed race girl called Burn, an all American guy called Brody and badass Trojan, who wants what Brody has had a taste of…… It is a great read full of humour, mayhem and emotional highs and lows, which I found to be compulsive.

I also started to read Charades, by Ann Logan, a romantic suspense, which sees a shy young woman, Mercedes Fuentes, take the opportunity to pay off much of her student debt by posing as girlfriend to Wulf Rheinhart. Wulf needs a fake fiancée for a week to close a business deal. But is the over-worked oil tycoon really what he seems or are more sinister forces at play?

For our werewolf theme I reblogged a review of Linda Mooney’s From Out of the Shadows, from our Sizzle and Burn site. We also examined Werewolves in Paranormal Romance and Caroline posted a reiew of A Night of Howling Dogs, by Henri Bauhaus.

Coming Soon

Next week we hope to post our joint review of Ann Logan’s Charades and we will be recommending werewolf themed books we have read and sharing with you those we have on our wishlist!

The following books are at the top of my ‘to read’ pile for the next few weeks: Archangel’s Storm, by Nalini Singh; Minutes Before Sunset; by Shannon Thompson and The Silk Romance, by Helena Fairfax. Caroline plans to read Mere Enchantment by Alicia Rivoli (followed closely by the sequel Rings of Enchantment).

Author News

Drummer Girl, by Bridget Tyler

We were lucky to receive a proof of Bridget Tyler’s novel, Drummer Girl to review from Templar Publishing – click on the link to see our reviews. The novel describes a coming of age story for a group of five London schoolgirls that wins the semi-final of an international talent contest. When the band lands in Hollywood for the big final, things are not quite as they seem. The lead singer, Harper, just wants to use sex, drugs and rock and roll, not to mention the band itself, to win back her bad-news ex-boyfriend and the other girls, including Lucy, the Drummer Girl of the title, have to cope with all of the temptations that Hollywood and fame have to offer. Drummer Girl has now been released and has a special website (click on the link) dedicated to it. The Drummer Girl blog tour is also happening this week, with author interviews and giveaway and Drummer Girl is also the skin on http://www.sugarscape.com/bookclub for the week.

The Genie Ignites by Kelly Ann Zuzulo

Author Kelly Ann Zuzulo’s book, The Genie Ignites – click to see review, has been recommended among the top three in the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal category of The Abalone Awards, which recognize “outstanding ethno-cultural romance.” While Zubis is a jinni and Bethany is a human, the cultural issue in The Genie Ignites is the divide between her Western world and his Eastern view. But true love sees no color, sees no difference in how the heart loves. The winner will be announced at the Romance Writers of America (RWA) National Conference in July and we wish Kelly Ann the best of luck. For more details of the book and the award see Kelly Ann Zuzulo’s site.

Special Offers on Books

If you are tempted to read the Captured Series, by Erica Stevens, now is a good time to buy it as the first three books in the series are on offer on Smashwords for $3.99. I have reviewed the first two books, Captured and Renegade and they were excellent and I recommend them if you like to read vampire romances. I’ll be reviewing book 3, Refugee soon and June will see the release of Salvation the fourth book in the series.

Happy reading!

Tina 🙂

Drummer Girl – Cover art by Will Steele

Image of man and the moon: Minerva Studio/Shutterstock.com

May 11, 2013 by Tina Williams

From out of the Shadows, by Linda Mooney

This is a great novel to read if you like to read werewolf romances. This is a little on the erotic side, so for those aged 18+. However, it is a very romantic and sweet romance too. The author Linda Mooney has, to my mind, created a very unique and believable take on the werewolf myths. I reviewed this a while ago on our Sizzle and Burn Book Reviews site, but thought that you may enjoy it! Tina 🙂

May 11, 2013 by Tina Williams

Werewolves in Paranormal Romance

The paranormal romance genre has generally been more sympathetic in its treatment of werewolves, often portraying them as the hero, rather than an evil entity, for example Jacob in Twilight. Twilight was not the first paranormal romance book to portray werewolves in a positive light however, Kresley Cole doing an excellent job in her Immortals After Dark series as does Nalini Singh in her Psy-Changeling Series. There are no doubt many more examples, but these are the ones that are most familiar to me!

The positive traits which paranormal romance authors sometimes emphasize include: heightened sensitivity; superhuman speed and strength; synergy with nature/environmentalism; loyalty to the pack and their mate; longevity and of course heightened sexual desire, which leaves the reader panting for more!

Werewolves are often portrayed as extremely attractive in their human form, with mesmerising eyes and having an innate ability to sense their true mate. Mating rituals often play a key role in werewolf paranormal romance, as does the ‘turning’ of the future mate into a werewolf. Of course authors do not shy away from referencing the more bestial side of the werewolf, the duality of the werewolf nature often playing a key role in the plot and providing a rich font to draw on when developing werewolf villains.

Authors typically have their own take on werewolf culture within their novels, including some or all of the above elements and many from their own imagination and this makes the genre so interesting to read.

Let us know which of the traits identified here are your favourite, or if there are any traits we have not included.

Many thanks!

Tina and Caroline 🙂

Post image: Minerva Studio/Shutterstock.com

May 9, 2013 by Tina Williams

Burn’s World, by Eve Rabi

Crazy and Compelling Love Story!

Burn’s World (books 1-4) describes a compulsive and addictive love triangle. Once again Eve Rabi has created a unique plot full of humour, mayhem and emotional highs and lows. The tale is also peppered with hilarious observations of the human condition. This is the second book that I have read by the author, the first being Gringa – In the Clutches of a Ruthless Drug Lord (click for review). Once again I could not stop reading until I had finished it as I was so enthralled. Although more light hearted than Gringa, it does contain profanities, racial slurs, drug taking and some violence and is therefore suited to those aged 18 and over.

In Burn’s World, we witness the trials and tribulations of Burn, an American of mixed race, from her teenage to her adult years. Her main source of both joy and heartbreak is the love she develops for two men who are polar opposites, thus creating the classic love triangle. She also has to grapple with a ‘special gift’ she has inherited, giving the story a paranormal twist.

When the tale begins, Burn and her little sister Angel are living with their aunt Carlene and her two daughters Daisy and Lanie, where they have lived since the death of her parents. Carlene is a tramp and her daughters are lazy and selfish and all three are happy to let Burn keep house and hold down a part-time job on top of her school work. Burn does all this so that Angel, the sister she adores, does not go without.

At school Burn is the butt of many a racist remark, especially from a group of white boys led by Bud McGraw. She meets Brody McGraw, the school heartthrob and all American boy and they fall in love. Brody is Burn’s first boyfriend and she is ecstatic. However, their love is doomed as Brody’s parents do not approve of a girl of mixed race. Heartbroken, Burn walks away, realising that she will never be good enough for Brody’s family. Brody and Burn however, still have strong feelings for each other, which manfest in some memorable scenes throughout the tale. At this point badass Trojan moves in on Burn, wanting what the ‘white boy’ has. His gang has had a run in with Brody and his cousins and Burn fears that Brody is Trojan’s next target. In return for leaving Brody untouched, Burn allows Trojan to ‘date’ her. Trojan does so and tones down his bad boy image and he supports her through some rough times. They form a strong attachment and become a couple.

However, how will Burn react when Brody once again walks into her life? Is her future with Brody or Trojan, who has given up so much for her? The road to love is a rocky one for Burn as she leaves her teenage years and enters adulthood and there are many unexpected plot twists, where Burn is forced to examine her feelings for Trojan and Brody. The tale is both tragic and heart warming. Where will it all end? Will Burn’s ‘special gift’ endanger her as it exposes her to those who have secrets to keep? There is resolution to the love triangle but it is a tale that had me hooked from start to finish and made me laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between.

Burn is a great heroine, sassy and strong, with an inner goodness that shines through. I really felt for her when she was faced with the open hostility of Brody’s racist parents and I empathised with how she could love two men. Although I thought that Brody stayed under the influence of his parents for too long, I was pleased with how his character turned out and that when Burn faced some difficult situations he did step in to help. Unlike Brody, Trojan has had to fight to survive. He has a heart of gold and is very protective of her and those she cares for. Yes he is violent on occasion, but he does change for Burn and this was endearing. I really felt the love that the two guys had for Burn and the love making scenes between Burn and Brody and Burn and Trojan ranged from sweet to downright hot and I loved them!

There is a great cast of supporting characters, from Burn’s skanky aunt, to her cousins, friends and co-workers. Of special mention are Hawk and Erro, who are connected with Burn’s special gift. I love Eve Rabi’s characters, as they embrace all types of human strengths and frailties and the plot highlights these traits in the extreme, making for an entertaining and insightful read. Her characters are not perfect, they do not always make the right decisions or act within the law, but they are all the more believable and lovable because of it.

I recommend this series to those who like an emotional and sometimes hilarious read, full of romance, mayhem and vibrant characters.

A copy of the Burn’s World series was given to me by the author for the purpose of providing an honest and fair review.

Eve Rabi’s website

Burn’s World on Goodreads, Amazon UK, Amazon US and Smashwords , where there is also a great video promo of the series.

May 7, 2013 by Caroline Barker

A Night of Yowling Dogs – short story by Henri Bauhaus

A Night Of Yowling Dogs Initially, although not a bad start, I was a little disappointed with the lack of connection to the characters. However, as this is a short story I carried on reading, hoping that the events of the yowling dogs and what was to ensue would be exciting.

The story begins with Lewis, a guy from New York, taking a break in Colorado. He stays at the Blue Spruce Zen Centre and on booking in he meets the new manager, Marisa Suri. They go hiking, across from the highway, up into the hills and whilst atop Slatetop Mountain they attract a pack of wild dogs from across the woods. These wild dogs chase them and begin to yowl. Whilst there is some action when it dies down it was unclear to me where the story was heading thereon.

The ending of the story did arrive too soon and it would have been nice for the author to elaborate on the main character, Lewis’ feelings and how the yowling dogs affected him thereafter. I felt that the reader is given a snippet of this but not enough. The yowling, wild dogs obviously affected him, as they did most of the town for the night. This left Lewis questioning himself about these wild dogs. It would have been fantastic to read about the answers to these questions and how he would handle them. Maybe a short story sequel would be great to follow on from this.

This short story was free on Amazon for the Kindle at the time of purchase, however I believe it is currently 77p at Amazon UK and $0.99 at Amazon US. I would welcome anyone who would like to spend a few minutes reading this story to go ahead and perhaps mention their take on it as I would welcome a different opinion.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

May 5, 2013 by Tina Williams

Update from Tina

My Recent Reviews

My most recent reads, the first two books in Regan Walker’s Agents of the Crown Trilogy transported me to the early Nineteenth century. The first, Racing with the Wind, to Regency London and post Napoleonic France, where Bonapartists and Prussians plot against the restored Bourbon monarchy. In Against the Wind, the government, fearing revolution in England, instruct agents provocateurs to incite rebels in the North Midlands to act, to justify repressive measures quashing reforming fervour. Both novels feature fantastic romances between the author’s heroes and heroines, in tales of danger, intrigue and passion.

I also read Christina Phillips’ Betrayed, an erotic historical romance, set in Roman Britian, featuring a forbidden romance between a Roman Tribune and a Druid priestess, whom he enslaves. It is a tale full of passion, where the heroine is honour bound to betray the hero and if she is discovered will pay the ultimate price.

As part of our werewolf theme I posted my reviews of the first two novels in Karin Tabke’s erotic paranormal Blood Moon Rising Trilogy, Blood Law and Bloodright. The wolves in this series are definitely alpha and the heroine Falon, whose life is on the line, has special powers of her own.

Our Coming Reviews

This week I will be reading Eve Rabi’s Burn’s World (books 1-4), describing a love triangle involving a sassy, mixed-race, girl called Burn, a wealthy, white teen and an African American street thug named Trojan, who wants what Brody has and who won’t take no for an answer!

After reading and reviewing The Wolfstone Curse by Justin Richards, this week Caroline will be reading and reviewing Mere Enchantment by Alicia Rivoli (followed closely by the sequel Rings of Enchantment). These are fantasy fiction for the younger and adult reader alike where a group of friends end up fighting for survival. After entering a cave to shelter from a storm, more and more strange happenings keep occurring the further they go inside the cave. With magic, wizards and other strange people surrounding them, the group become separated and try to find each other in this new magical world. The new kingdom is also under attack from a traitor. Will the group become one again? Will they survive? Caroline is looking forward to reading this novel as the synopsis itself sounds very exciting!

Caroline also has a short story review to post on A Night of Yowling Dogs by Henri Bauhaus for our Werewolf theme and she is also hoping to begin a contemporary romantic suspense Charades, by Ann Logan which will be a part of a double-review with myself. Charades will most likely be ready for the beginning of the following week.

Have a great week everyone!

Tina:)

Book cover images for Racing with the Wind and Agaisnst the Wind Publisher Boroughs Publishing Group. Digital edition created by Maureen Cutajar www.gopublished.com

Permission to feature cover art for Betrayed kindly received from Ellora’s Cave. Edited by Victoria Reese. Cover design by Fiona Jayde. Cover photography by Andreas Gradin and Medvedev Vladimir/Shutterstock.com

Cover art for The Wolfstone Curse by the-parish.com

May 4, 2013 by Caroline Barker

Justin Richards’ (author of ‘The Wolfstone Curse’) biog

A Reader’s Review Blog have been lucky enough to receive a copy of the forthcoming ‘The Wolfstone Curse’ by Justin Richards from Templar Publishing. Due to be released in July 2013 Tina and myself have decided to review ‘The Wolfstone Curse’ separately, beginning with my review below, along with an author biography of Justin Richards. Tina’s review will follow closer to the release date with, hopefully, an exclusive video trailer for the book!!!

JUSTIN RICHARDS

www.JustinRichardsWriter.com

Twitter: @JJCRichards

The Wolfstone Curse is Justin’s first novel for Templar Publishing, and the research was sometimes rather ‘hairy’. Justin is not permitted to divulge how much of the story is actually true and how much based on supposition – or to reveal the real name and location of Wolfstone or the people (and were-people) involved.

When not tracking down werewolves, Justin has written for stage and screen as well as writing novels and graphic novels. He is the author of the popular children’s series The Invisible Detective, and for younger children, he writes Agent Alfie – about a school for the children of spies and secret agents.

Justin’s novel for older children – The Death Collector – was published in 2006, followed by The Chaos Code in 2007, The Parliament of Blood in 2008 and The Chamber of Shadows in 2010. The Skeleton Clock is available as an eBook in iBooks, Kindle, and most other formats.

The first novel in his adult SF series The Never War is due to be published by Del Rey in the autumn.

Before writing full time, Justin has worked in the computer industry, and as an odd-job man at a hotel exclusively for postmen. Justin currently acts as Creative Consultant to BBC Books’ range of Doctor Who titles, as well as writing quite a few himself.

Married with two sons, Justin lives and works in Warwick, within sight of one of Britain’s best-preserved castles.