Lara Adrian--Darker after Midnight (Midnight Breed series)

Paranormal Romance-Vampire

In the dark of night, a blood war escalates within the hidden world of the Breed. After existing in secret for many long centuries, maintaining a fragile peace with the humans who walk beside them unaware, a single act of retaliation has put the entire vampire nation at risk of discovery. It falls to the Order—a cadre of Breed warriors pledged to protect their own and humankind alike—to stop Dragos, the power-mad vampire at the center of the conflict, before his push for domination can explode into catastrophe.

At the center of the Order’s quest is Sterling Chase, once a morally rigid enforcer of Breed law, now a warrior fallen from grace, whose biggest battle is the one he wages against his own savage nature. With addiction beckoning him toward eternal darkness, Chase’s path to redemption has never seemed more out of reach. But when his eyes meet those of Tavia Fairchild, a beautiful witness who identifies him at the scene of a mission gone terribly wrong, Chase finds himself drawn to the woman—and convinced she is something much more than she seems.

Pulled into a vortex of intrigue and danger she can neither resist nor understand, Tavia is uncertain whom to trust. And while everything sane and logical warns her against getting close to Chase, she cannot deny that the handsome, deeply haunted male stirs something primal and ravenous within her. But even as she surrenders to her cravings, nothing can prepare her for the shattering truth of who—and what—she truly is.

As the Order’s enemy mobilizes for the battle of the ages, Dragos and his Minions unleashing a hell on Earth like nothing ever seen before, Chase and Tavia are thrust into the heart of the violence. With time running out and the streets running red with the blood of innocent lives, both Breed and human, together Chase and Tavia must find a way to defeat Dragos once and for all—or die trying.

{5 stars}

***SPOILER ALERT***

I have forever been a dedicated fan of the Midnight Breed, each one has gotten better and better to me. And rumors have been circulating for some time that this could be the last book. And if it is, Adrian has finished up nicely. (But I don't think this is the end) Not only is this about Chase and Tavia, but it's about the war with Dragos. Chase has to come back from the edge of bloodlust and Tavia has just discovered she is not human....but Breed. A whole new kind of Breed. Half Gen One and half Breedmate. Their love story is not so much passionate, but one of overcoming a life no one wished for or expected.  I enjoyed the "reality" of their storyline. We also get to see everyone again, and they all have a part to play. Adrian definitely spins things around with a new theory of where the Breedmates originated from, and the storyline as a whole must take a new route with Dragos finally defeated. The Breed are out in the open and the world must come to accept them and work together to co-exist in this new era. Where will Adrian take us next, all the couples are having children and building lives together. But if we have no enemy to fight, where will this series go??

Karin Slaughter--Thorn in My Side (short story)

Short Story-truly unique topic

It could have been just any night, and they could have just been any two brothers -- but it wasn't, and they weren't. The scene is an Atlanta bar. The music is loud and the dance floor is packed. The good-looking brother picks up a girl. But when dark deeds ensue out in the parking lot, what happens next can only be described in two words: vintage Slaughter

{5 stars}
I don't usually review short stories, but I am a devout fan of Karin Slaughter and couldn't resist the temptation of this short story. She has one of the most unique and twisted imaginations I have ever read. Without giving any of the suprises and details away, I will just say that if you are a Karin Slaughter fan, you must read this.

E. L. James--Fifty Shades Freed (Fifty Shades #3)

Erotic Romance

When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian’s singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed.

Now, together, they have more – love, passion, intimacy, and a world of infinite possibilities. But Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy, and being together poses challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity, identity or independence; Christian must somehow overcome his compulsion to control, and lay to rest the horrors that blighted his past and haunt his present.

Just when it seems that together their love can conquer any obstacle, misfortune, malice and fate combine to make Ana’s worst nightmares come true. Alone and desperate, she must face down the poisoned legacy of Christian’s past.

Seductive, shocking, sad and funny, Fifty Shades Freed is the compelling final volume in the Fifty Shades trilogy.

{5 stars}

Perfection.......

This whole series is worth more than 5 stars. It has been a suspenseful, passionate, thrill ride following Christian and Ana's romance. And now that we have come to the end, E.L. James does not disappoint. In most of the romances I've read, the story ends with the couple finally bridging their differences, or, whatever has kept them apart. But with this one, we finally get to see what happens past that moment. We get to see what it is like for Christian and Ana to solidify their relationship. They still have a few major bumps in the road to overcome, but I was bouncing in my seat happy to see their life past the moment of "will you marry me?" (My inner goddess went through a whole box of kleenex.) We really get to go all the way to the true happily ever after. I am so emotionally invested in this story that it will be hard to forget, and I will probably re-read it many times over the years. I hope E.L. James keeps writing and gives us some more great stories in the years to come.

The series as a whole is wonderful, don't shy away because of the erotic content. It truly is about overcoming one's own demons, doubts, trauma, and finding what we all want in life. Trust, love, happiness, and being cherished by the one person who takes your breath away........

Sophie Oak--Beast (A Faery Story #2)

Erotic Romance-faery tale--adult content

Fresh from his latest scandal, vampire playboy Dante Dellacourt has been given an ultimatum – take a consort and settle down or be disowned.

Exiled by her pack, the werewolf Kaja is stolen from her frozen plane and awakens in a foreign world. Frightened and alone, she savagely fights for her freedom.

When Dante and his Fae cousins are called to defend the gnomes of the marketplace from their feral prize, he discovers that Kaja glows like no other consort he has ever seen. Exotic and wild, her body calls to him in ways he had not dreamed possible.

In order to claim his werewolf, he must first tame this ferocious beauty. But to earn her submission, will Dante be forced to unleash his inner beast?

{3 stars}
I hate to admit it, but I was rather disappointed in this one. As much as I love Sophie Oak, and she is an amazing storyteller, this one seemed to be just a "bridge" story to get us to the next one. It lost is "fae" charm the first book held for me. I felt no emotional attachment to Dante, and Kaja was so innocent, at times, Dante's sexual attention bordered on creepy. I found myself skimming most of the book once they were on the Vampire plane just so I could find out what happens with Beck, Ci, and Meg. And even though I didn't "feel" this one, I am looking forward to the next one, it sounds like we will be returning to the "faery story" I became attached to.

Sophie Oak--Bound (A Faery Story #1)

Erotic Romance-faery tale--adult content

Megan Starke has never been special to anyone. With an unrewarding job and a failed marriage, no one would confuse her life with a fairy tale. So when she is kidnapped and taken to a magical world to be the grand prize in a fierce and bloody tournament, she isn't sure if she is in a dream or a nightmare. Beckett Finn was supposed to be Prince Charming. He and his brother, Cian, were to inherit the throne of the Seelie Fae and rule over a fantasy kingdom. But the thrust of a traitor's blade stole that future. Now the brothers are fading, cursed by their royal blood unless they find a mate who can restore them. When Beck sees Meg, her body calls to him and he knows she is the key to their salvation. Bound by passion and fate, it's time for Meg to find her happily ever after.

{5 stars}
Sophie Oak you are a Goddess!!! What a wonderful, sexy, passionate, drool worthy faery tale. I don't usually go for Faery stories, but since it was Sophie Oak writing it, I gave it a shot. And believe me, it was so worth it. Sophie Oak has a way with story telling that draws you right into the tale and has you hooked and in love with all the characters. Megan has nothing worth staying in the Earth plane for, and when she wakes up to find herself in the Faery plane, she is a little confused, but is a quick learner and finds she is the center of two gorgeous Fae twins who would be king. The twins are magnificent halfs of a whole, both unigue and charming and totally sexy hot. Their cousin Dante is absolutely the court jester in this tale, hilarious and charming. I can't say enough about this story without giving away spoilers, but it was wonderful. I read it in one afternoon and did not want it to end.......

D. B. Reynolds--Duncan (Vampires in America #5)

Romantic suspense--vampire
Washington, D.C. … capital of an empire. Powerful. Exhilarating. Corrupt. And in the shadows … vampires far older than the nation itself.

A power unto himself, Duncan has served at Raphael’s side for nearly the entire two hundred years of his existence. But long laid plans have finally borne fruit, and the time has come for Duncan to leave Raphael and tackle the greatest challenge of his life. He will face treacherous vampires and murderous humans. He will rock the halls of human power if necessary. But Washington, D.C. will be his.

Emma Duquet cares nothing for vampire politics. She just wants to find her missing roommate and best friend, Lacey. But Lacey’s been playing with vampires of a particularly dangerous kind, and Emma will have to deal with the new vampire in town if she’s going to find her friend.

Battling powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets, Duncan and Emma will dig beneath the corruption and depravity that is Washington, D.C. and uncover the most heinous conspiracy of all.

{5 stars}
Don't let the covers fool you, this is definitely a series to read. Suspense, murder, power, and passion. Duncan has been Raphael's lieutenant for more than 100 years. But now its his turn to take over a territory, one that badly needs to be cleaned up. Emma just wants to find her friend, even though it may not be the ending she is hoping for. Emma is a strong willed character much like Cynthia. And next to Raphael and Cynthia, Duncan and Emma are my next favorite couple. I really didn't want this book to end, I wanted to spend more time with Duncan and Emma and watch their story grow. But Reynolds has other ideas, and is the Queen of cliff-hangars. She leaves us with another tease into the next territory we will discover. It seems that Reynolds has a grand scheme for the revitalization of North America, only time will tell how this will all turn out.

D. B. Reynolds--Sophia (Vampires in America #4)

Romantic suspense--vampire

The Pacific Northwest . . . home to lush forests and constant rain, to lumberjacks and computer geeks, especially those of the vampire kind.

Sophia, beautiful and deadly, has spent the last hundred years dancing her way through the balmy nights and hot-blooded men of South America. But when her Sire sends an urgent summons, Sophia rushes home to Vancouver only to find he has disappeared, leaving nothing behind but three dead vampires and a letter with Sophia’s name on it.

Colin Murphy, a former Navy SEAL, came to the Northwest seeking a quiet place to heal the scars earned in more than a decade at war. But when someone starts killing local vampires and torturing their mates, Colin takes on the mantle of a warrior once again as he sets out to find the killers and do whatever it takes to stop them, even if that means hunting with vampires.

Following her Sire’s trail of death to a small town in northern Washington, Sophia unexpectedly discovers the heat of a South American night in Colin’s arms. But all too soon Sophia and Colin find themselves in a race to uncover the killers before the next dead vampire is Sophia herself.

{3.5 stars}
This was my least favorite of the series so far, Sophie was not a great character. And her and Colins story line was really just a tie in for the real story. Raphael and Cyn are called to investigate the deaths of 2 of Raphaels vampires. The storyline is a murder mystery plot, but somehow starts with Sophia's sire Lucien screwing up royally in Vancover. I think this story could have survived without Sophia all together and could just have been another Raphael and Cyn mystery. But I'm not the author, just the reader. And I found myself skimming the book through most of the interaction between Sophia and Colin, they just didn't hold any interest for me. Overall, it just seemed like this was a bridge or "filler" until we get to the next book, which is about Duncan. I am really looking forward to Duncan's story.

D. B. Reynolds--Rajmund (Vampires in America #3)

Romantic suspense-vampire

RAJMUND GREGOR is a vampire . . . and the undisputed Master of New York City. He bows to no one but his Sire, Krystof, who is the Vampire Lord for the entire Northeastern U.S. Based in Buffalo, NY, Krystof is an old vampire—-too old, it would seem, because he’s slowly losing his mind. Summoned back to Buffalo by his Sire, Rajmund finds his master out of touch and rapidly w...moreRAJMUND GREGOR is a vampire . . . and the undisputed Master of New York City. He bows to no one but his Sire, Krystof, who is the Vampire Lord for the entire Northeastern U.S.

 

Based in Buffalo, NY, Krystof is an old vampire—-too old, it would seem, because he’s slowly losing his mind. Summoned back to Buffalo by his Sire, Rajmund finds his master out of touch and rapidly weakening. He knows the territory will crumble if something isn’t done, and he’s the only one of Krystof’s children strong enough to seize power. But there’s also the matter of some missing women and a rogue vampire who seems to be moving in for the kill.

SARAH STRATTON has a secret, one she’s never shared with anyone–—at least not anyone who knows her now, not even her good friend Cyn. It’s a secret that could destroy her carefully constructed life, but it’s one she may have to share with a vampire, if she’s going to save the lives of the missing women.

 

{4 stars}

Reynolds is driving me crazy with the "to be continued" endings. The need to know drives me right into the next book. This one was a little slower than the first 2, not quite as action packed. Sarah doesn't get into as much trouble as Cyn seems to almost daily. But Sarah has a knack for getting into situations that seriously piss off the possessive Raj. Some of Kristof's children have decided to leave sanity behind and get into a plot with a human researcher, who is attempting to research the "fountain of youth" found in vampires blood. While investigating the kidnappings and looking for the vampires behind it all, Raj discovers Sarah again. Their storyline moves slower than I wanted, building until they both are ready to explode. But they are well worth the wait though. Raj's children add a great deal to the storyline, and Em is one of my new favorites. I would have loved to have had this book go on longer than it is, but as usual, Reynolds leaves us with a whopper of a cliffhanger at the end!!! Must go and read the next one.......

D. B. Reynolds--Jabril (Vampires in America #2)

Romantic suspense--vampire

Houston, Texas—Cowboy boots, baseball and journeys to the stars . . . right?

Wrong. Because Houston is also home to Jabril Karim, one of the eight powerful Vampire Lords who control all of North America. And as Private Investigator Cynthia Leighton will soon discover, not all Vampire Lords are created equal. For Jabril is the face of evil in the new world, a vampire who values no life but his own, who enslaves those he desires, steals whatever he covets and destroys anyone who stands in his way.

Running from L.A. and its seductive Vampire Lord, Raphael, Cyn sees the Houston job as a welcome refuge, a place to get away and heal her broken heart. But Texas will be no vacation. For in Jabril Karim, Cyn will confront a true enemy, one who will go to any lengths to satisfy his lusts, enrich his coffers and expand his power.

Fighting for the lives of two young sisters, Cyn’s journey will take her through the streets of Houston and back to L.A., where the human police are determined to bring Raphael down for the murder of one of their own. But the danger doesn’t end there. For Jabril has set his sights on Cyn, and he will stop at nothing to have her.

{5 stars}
So......I absolutely love this series! It is fast paced and full of action. Never boring, and really hard to put down and go to bed. I ask myself what took me so long to start this series, it didn't initially catch my attention until I read all the great reviews. Now I am reading them all back to back as fast as I can, thankfully they are all available by kindle. Cyn is a very independent woman with her own business and her own life. But she seems to have a knack for getting into some serious trouble every time she takes a case involving a vampire. She heads to Houston on a case for another vampire lord to put space and time between her and her broken heart. It's just a matter of time before both Cyn and Raphael admit they can't live without each other, right? The sensual aspect to this series is just enough to keep your heart engaged without overwhelming the story unnecessarily. But the passion is always there with Cyn and Raphael. I can't wait to see what happens next.

And let me say that I don't think it should have been titled Jabril, he is a monster, and didn't deserve the title. It should have been titled Mirabelle, because she was the reason for the story. Also, who is Sara? She appears in the epilogue as if she is of some importance to the story and Cyn. But I don't recall reading her name anywhere in the story line in either book. Oh well, not an earth shattering detail, just puzzling.

D.B. Reynolds--Raphael (Vampires in America #1)

Romantic suspense-vampire

Malibu, California-home to rock-and-roll gods and movie stars, the beautiful, the rich . . . and vampires.
Powerful and charismatic, Raphael is a Vampire Lord, one of the few who hold the power of life and death over every vampire in existence. Thousands call him Master and have pledged absolute loyalty on their very lives. But when, in a brazen and deadly daylight attack, a gang of human killers kidnaps the one female vampire he'd give his life for, Raphael turns to a human investigator to find his enemies before it's too late.
Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough and sexy, a private investigator and former cop who's tired of spying on cheating spouses and digging out old bank accounts. When Raphael asks for her help in tracking down the kidnappers, Cyn's happy to accept. But she soon realizes her greatest danger comes not from the humans, but from Raphael himself.
Battling Russian mobsters and treacherous vampires, and betrayed by those they trusted, Cyn and Raphael find themselves fighting for their lives while caught up in a passion of blood and violence that is destined to destroy them both.

{4.5 stars}
After reading review after review, and seeing all the group debates over this series, I finally gave in. It was not what I was expecting at all. It has a true suspense story line, Cynthia is hired to find a kidnapped vampire by Raphael, The Lord of this territory. And in the process, gets attacked, betrayed, and falls hard for the gorgeous Vampire. The cast of characters surrounding Raphael are a great addition to the plot. They are each charming or evil in their own way, depending on the side they fall in. But the passion between Raphail and Cynthia, and her willingness to defy him, is what drives to story. Will they wind up together? Unfortunately that is the cliff-hanger at the end and now I must immediately download the next book to find out what happens. I am now hooked.