Heart Thief by Claire Thompson

 

Title: Heart Thief

Author: Claire Thompson

Series: Serving His Master (#5 in the series)

Genre: Contemporary Wester M/M Romance

Publisher:  Romance Unbound Publishing (July 8, 2011)

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: ☕☕

Synopsis: Caught in the snare of a cruel Dom… Only a cowboy’s love can set him free… 

Sawyer Croft has been through hell and back, and come out the stronger for it. A cowboy to his core, he’s determined to help his father save their horse ranch. At the same time, he dreams of one day finding a man who understands the passion of sensual domination and the transcendence of erotic pain.

After a stint in the Army, Luke Malone meets a powerful billionaire who offers him a job…with benefits. He’s intrigued by Glenn’s dominance and experience with BDSM, but Glenn’s penchant for rough sex and extreme control, as well as his reputation for the catch and release of sub boys, takes a toll.  When Glenn sends Luke to an East Texas ranch to scope out a business deal, Luke knows he has been dismissed and replaced. 

While his connection with Sawyer sparks blazing need between them, deep emotional scars make Luke slow to trust again. Sawyer knows Luke won’t get past his anger and pain unless he can move through the feelings and then let them go. Together, they embark on a D/s journey that opens both their worlds in ways neither had ever imagined. 

That is, until Glenn decides he wants his boy back. And what Glenn wants, Glenn gets.

My Thoughts: I really wanted to like this book, but it was seriously a bad example of the BDSM lifestyle. 

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: We have Luke, who realized he was a sub when he was approached by Glenn. Glenn is a really wealthy jackhole who pretty much uses the BDSM lifestyle to abuse his Subs. We weren't supposed to like Glenn but we were supposed to like Sawyer. The author was heavy handed with the way she "guided" us readers to those conclusions. Glenn = Bad. Sawyer = Good. I'd rather draw my own conclusions thank you very much. Also, not once did either Doms discuss limits, safe words, or after care (even though Sawyer did provide after care he didn't discuss this with Luke before any scenes started.) As Luke was new to the entire lifestyle all of this should have been number one with Sawyer after realizing Luke was pretty much a newbie even after spending a few months with Glenn. All Sawyer wanted to talk about was some weird pain equals a spiritual experience that could transcend the sub while deep into a scene. It reminded me of some sort of weird stuff a hippie would spout while high on 'shrooms.

Besides all that there was an issue with the romance itself. we spent 1/3 of the book reading about Glenn's abusive tendencies (3 months in Luke's time) and only one week with Sawyer, where they jumped right into Luke being hog tied and hanging from a support beam on the day they met. Somehow, in that week, they fell in love. Of course, when their eyes met that first day birds sang their song of love, butterflies danced, and fireworks burst only for them. Just kidding but almost not. The author did add some poetic flowery words for the Sa-luke couple. Or is that Luyer? I don't know but I probably won't go back and read any more of this series knowing Thompson regularly writes BDSM stories.

In a Nutshell: I'm glad I read this book using my Kindle Unlimited subscription and even though the rest of the series is available to me with KU I probably won't go back and read any more knowing Thompson regularly writes BDSM stories and they are probably similar to this one. 

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

 

Title: Midnight Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: #5 in the Mythos Academy series

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Kensington Books (July 30, 2013)

Source: NetGalley

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis:  Here we go again …

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there … 

My Thoughts: Another installment of the never-ending battle between good and evil.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between: So, the thing with this book, or rather Jennifer Estep's writing in general, it is a bit repetitive. Reapers attack. A bunch of kids training to be warriors kill most of them. Rinse. Repeat. Don't get me wrong. That doesn't make this a bad book. There are enough new additions between slightly different scenarios and new characters being brought in that the book has enough of a difference between it and it's predecessors to keep us interested. I have to admit though I am glad there is only one more book in this series though. I'm ready for this story arch to end. Last year I read the first book in her spin off series and enjoyed the newness of the new setting and new characters but even it is still all about a bunch of kids battling Reapers. I'm honestly not sure how long Estep can continue with this same theme with the same bad guys.

With that said I did like the forward movement Gwen had in her life by finding a cousin and learning more about her own dad who was an unknown to us and really to her. I liked Rory and Rachel (but then I already met them when I read the first book in the spin off series last year) and really liked the Colorado setting. I liked the return of Logan even though it was almost at the end of the book. I also liked how Gwen was coming into her own person. She has learned to be just as much of a warrior as the Valkyries and Amazons and has stopped doubting herself. 

In a Nutshell: I enjoyed this book a lot and even though I'm ready for this series to come to an end I'm still looking forward to reading book 6 and the conclusion to this chapter of the Mythos Academy.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Title: Silver Borne
Author: Patricia Briggs
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: #5 in the Mercy Thompson series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Penguin Audio (March 30, 2010)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, never knows what the day - or night - may bring in a world where "witches, vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters live beside ordinary people" (Booklist). But she is about to learn that while some secrets are dangerous whose who seek them are just plain deadly...

Mercy is smart enough to realize that when it comes to the magical fae, the less you know, the better. But you can't always get what you want. When she attempts to return a powerful fae she previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secrets - and the fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side - leaving Mercy to cover for him lest his own father declare Samuel's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she may not have many more...

My Thoughts: Another good installment of the Mercy Thompson series. I bought the e-book but chose to borrow the audio from the library. I love listening to Lorelei King and tend to enjoy everything she narrates.

The Good: While I really like Mercy I really think, for me anyway, Samuel's storyline stole the show for me. What a turn of events and I liked the notable difference in characteristics between Samuel and Sam, his wolf. Although there was not a large forward movement in Mercy and Adam's relationship I did like the information we learned about the pack/mate bond between them. I just hope Mercy and Adam become an epic couple like Kate and Curran. They have all the chemistry. I'm just hoping Briggs does them justice.

The Bad: Why are almost all the women in this series proving to be bitches? Mercy is the only one who seems consistent in character. Sylvia, Auriele, Mary Jo...yes even Mary Jo who should be a little bit more courteous since Mercy saved her life in the last book. As I mentioned earlier I did think Samuel's story took more of my attention than Mercy's did but I am not sure about the way his reason for, well, being can about. I don't want to give too much away but it felt very quickly wrapped up for a major storyline.

In a Nutshell: I still love this series and will definitely listen to the next one. I wouldn't recommend this book to newbies to the series as there are incidents that have happened in previous books that are not only mentioned in this one but understanding Adam and Mercy's tiptoeing around their relationship will make more sense if the books are read in order.

Vanish by Tess Gerritsen

Title: Vanish
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Series: #5 in the Rizzoli/Isles series
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 23, 2005)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: A nameless, beautiful woman appears to be just another corpse in the morgue. An apparent suicide, she lies on a gurney, awaiting the dissecting scalpel of medical examiner Maura Isles. But when Maura unzips the body bag and looks down at the body, she gets the fright of her life. The corpse opens its eyes.

Very much alive, the woman is rushed to the hospital, where with shockingly cool precision, she murders a security guard and seizes hostages . . . one of them a pregnant patient, Jane Rizzoli.

Who is this violent, desperate soul, and what does she want? As the tense hours tick by, Maura joins forces with Jane s husband, FBI agent Gabriel Dean, to track down the mysterious killer s identity. When federal agents suddenly appear on the scene, Maura and Gabriel realize that they are dealing with a case that goes far deeper than just an ordinary hostage crisis.

Only Jane, trapped with the armed madwoman, holds the key to the mystery. And only she can solve it if she survives the night.

My Thoughts: This was the second time I've read this book and my opinion is the same as it was so many years ago. A good installment to the series but not my favorite.

The Good: The suspense was so realistic with Gabriel's emotional journey while Jane was trapped in the hospital and the final scene where Jane thought she and her baby were going to die. I liked both Maura's and Jane's input into this book where in the past books the focus was on one woman or the other. In this one it felt a little more balanced between the two of them as they both were hostages at one point or another by Olena and they had input into the investigation in their own way.

The Bad: While I think this book was truly a good installment into this series it just didn't resonate with me. I think there were too many conspiracy theory things going on. It was hard to take some things serious when it appeared the conspiracy theorists were just whackadoos and pointing their fingers at everyone in authority. I also took issue with Maura's opinion that one of the secondary characters was really attractive. I am so glad nothing came of it because it seems that in every book Maura seems to have another man she's attracted to. Come on Maura!

In a Nutshell: I'm happy to have been re-reading these first few books in the series and I'm looking forward to my re-read of the 6th book as well.

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene frost

Title: This Side of the Grave
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress
Published: 2011 by Avon
Source: Purchased Paperback
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.
Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .
With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally"; the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

My Thoughts:While I love spending time with Cat and Bones I have to admit that I've lost a little bit of love for this series only because Vlad is so much hotter (literally) than Bones. There I said it. I'm superficial. I love Vlad. Luckily he was in this book a lot. As was Mencheres with special appearances by Spade. How could I not love love love this book? Well, I'm not sure, to be honest.

Cat continues to be intriguing and her ability to absorb powers from those she drinks from is interesting. I just wasn't absorbed into this story. The power play between the ghouls and vampires, although...dare I say interesting, failed to capture my undivided attention because it felt too political to me (which I hate in my reading). The big bad baddy failed to provide me with heart stopping nail biting suspense and the final battle crested to a disappointing conclusion. No head explosions or anything. Bummer.

Despite my complaints the rest of the book was solid. It was nice to see so many of my favorite characters again and the relationship between Cat and Bones continues to stride towards something most people can only dream about. Granted some of it was a bit sappy but thankfully Vlad was there to point out their lovey dovey ways were pukey.

 

Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep

Synopsis: Old habits die hard for assassins.

And I plan on murdering someone before the night is through.

Killing used to be my regular gig, after all. Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, assassin-for-hire. And I was very, very good at it. Now, I’m ready to make the one hit that truly matters: Mab Monroe, the dangerous Fire elemental who murdered my family when I was thirteen. Oh, I don’t think the mission will be easy, but turns out it’s a bit more problematic than expected. The bitch knows I’m coming for her. So now I’m up against the army of lethal bounty hunters Mab hired to track me down. She also put a price on my baby sister’s head. Keeping Bria safe is my first priority. Taking Mab out is a close second. Good thing I’ve got my powerful Ice and Stone magic—and my irresistible lover, Owen Grayson—to watch my back. This battle has been years in the making, and there’s a good chance I won’t survive. But if I’m going down, then Mab’s coming with me . . . no matter what I have to do to make that happen.

My Thoughts:The fifth book in the Gin Blanco series finally puts to bed the underlying story arc of the Spider vs. Mab Monroe. Although I didn't mind this particular continuing plot I am glad that it is finally at a close and am looking forward to what is in the future for a retired (semi-retired?) assassin.

The romance is minimal in this book but well played out as Gin and Owen's relationship continues to build. To tell the truth the relationships between Gin and her entire makeshift family moved forward in this book which I enjoyed.

My only complaints are the unnecessary repetitions. Estep does a remarkable job of recapping what has happened in previous books for those just jumping on the Gin bandwagon (why would you do this? Go back and start at the beginning!) However, for those of us who are extremely familiar with the series reading that Mab Monroe super heated Gin's metal rune melting it into the palms of her hands, oh, 5 times....is a bit much.

Overall this book was an exciting addition to the series and at this point I hope they remain this good because I look forward to many many more Elemental Assassin books. Plus I can't get enough of Owen.

 

Wilder by Christina Dodd

Synopsis:(back blurb) As a young man, Aleksandr Wilder abandoned his duty--and for that lapse, he was tortured, tormented ... and transformed.  Now he prowls the tunnels beneath the city, fighting on the frontline against the forces of hell, never daring to dream that he can live as a man again. After seven years fighting the world's ultimate evil, Chosen One Charisma Fangorn has become a tough, strong warrior without illusions or joy...even her gift of hearing the earthsong has faded.  Deaf to her own instincts, she never suspects that a monster lurks in the dark underneath the streets. When Aleksandr finds Charisma under attack, he rescues and cares for her, and hope stirs once more in his heart...and in the world. But in the secret recesses of his soul, he knows the truth. A woman so exceptional woman could never love a beast...could she?

My Thoughts: Frankly I was a bit disappointed in this book. It felt disjointed from the rest of the series. Perhaps because there was quite a bit of time between books 4 and this one. Perhaps it was the title that didn't flow with the rest of the series. Or maybe both. 

The first half of the book was quite a lovely beauty and the beast romance but the second half had a different feel to it. I've read these in order so I read this last book after reading the first 4 and it's a good thing. The coming together of the 7 Chosen Ones to beat the great Evil should have read more of a reunion to me but the characters from the previous 4 books felt like strangers. One of those previous characters almost died at the end and it was written as an afterthought as if that character was some unknown Ensign wearing a red shirt in an old Star Trek show. 

Also the back blurb of the book tells us who 'the beast' is but through a large part neither the hero (who as amnesia) nor the heroine knows who he is. It would have been much better if we, the readers, were also in the dark. Sure we could have figured it out, the book was Alexandr Wilder's book after all. BUT if it had been marketed as Charisma's book instead, Dodd could have pulled the suspense out more. 

In addition, there were no indications that the beast (aka Guardian) was actually Alexandr yet at one point Charisma decided he could be him anyway. I don't know how she came to that conclusion. He didn't look anything like Alexandr and his personality was different also. The only thing that fit was Guardian didn't know who he was and the timing lined up.

Anyway, there were some good moments in the book (really liked the Beauty and the Beast theme) and some not so good and someone not familiar with this series should not read this one first. You won't get the full impact on any of the secondary characters (those common to the entire Chosen Ones series) because they aren't in this book long enough. To tell the truth, the big battle will seem almost pointless if you haven't read any of the other books. It will be just a bunch of strangers trying to fight their way into a building.

At Last by Jill Shalvis

Synopsis: HER LOVE HAS COME ALONG... — Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor.  A waitress in the local diner, she's looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains.  But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers.  And even though she's tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won't make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob.

A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn't let anyone get too close.  But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner.  After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can't deny their attraction -- or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more.  Now it's up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.

My Thoughts: I've been struggling over the last couple days to put into words what I felt about this book. Honestly it isn't a favorite but it was more enjoyable then an average book. Amy is vulerable yet stubbornly independent. She's struggling to create a life for herself and become something better than who she was in her past. Matt is fascinated with her.

What I Liked: Their attraction. It's really what brings them together, (that and our heroine being lost in the middle of the woods needing a hunka-hunka DNR officer to rescue her) so, anyway, I was not surprised that the love scenes were sizzling. I was surprised that I enjoyed reading them as much as I did. I'm a habitual skipper of the noisy moisture sharing parts in my romance books but didn't skip even one word of the hot lovin' that Ms Shalvis created. I think this attests to her skill in writing these scenes and that she doesn't throw them in to meet some hot monkey sex quota.

The secondary characters were equally fascinating. I am looking forward to the hunky doctor's story and to see where the young homeless person's storyline goes. I'm hoping that we see more of her anyway and she gets a happily ever after someday.

The secondary storyline of Amy's grandmother and her journey to the mountains near Lucky Harbor was also very well done. We learn about it through Amy who is trying to follow the journey made so many decades ago in hopes of finding herself. This storyline gave us insight into Amy.

What I Didn't Like (or rather what I thought could have been a tad better): There was yet another storyline within the book that could have been fleshed out more. We see a group of juvenile delinquents wrecking havoc on Matt and his job but after having read another book with a similar secondary storyline I couldn't help compare them. Which honestly, isn't that fair to Jill to compare her to Nora Roberts but as I just finished reading the Roberts' book I just can't help it. Nora just did it better. I think this secondary storyline was important to the characterization of Matt as it showed his morals, values and his ability to stand against evil (or one snot nosed special brownie eating punk teenager). Because it was important I would have liked to have seen more of it.

Overall a good read that I'm glad I had the opportunity to read. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series (Forever and A Day). Jill Shalvis is quickly becoming my go to author for fun contemporary romances.

 

Navy Baby by Debbie Macomber

Synopsis: It was a night she'd never forget. . .two strangers coming together in one breathless moment of intense need and heart-stopping desire. But now sheltered Hannah Raymond is expecting the child of rugged naval seaman Riley Murdock--a man she never thought she'd see again. . .

Riley has been searching for the elusive Hannah for months--ever since that night of searing passion left him shaken to the very depths of his soul. Now fate has finally reunited them. Determined to give his child the chance he'd never had, Riley marries Hannah.

They had created he miracle of life together, but would that be enough to spark the miracle of love?

My Thoughts: I think this book overall was a decent one but it did have some flaws that are more book irritants to me than actual flaws.

The heroine is much too naive, virginal and immature to me at the beginning. She didn't take ownership of her own life and she allowed her minister father to tell her that she was getting married because she ended up pregnant even though, by lack of school activity, it appeared she had to be an adult. Her age was a complete mystery too. Despite the book setting up that she was a naive virgin because she was raised by her preaching father I still couldn't buy it. In 1991 when this book was written (and I graduated high school) her lack of maturity just felt false. She wasn't living a sheltered life in the middle of the country in corn and cow land for Pete's sake. She lived near Seattle Washington. And a shotgun wedding? In 1991? In America? Really?

Another 'deal breaker' for me is the additional God talk peppered into the book. No, I was never quoted scriptures but did tire of hearing that a certain incident happened because it was God's will.

I did like the volatile relationship that Riley and Hannah had. They were virtual strangers who ended up man and wife. I liked how hard each of them tried at one point or another to get along with their spouse. I also found myself getting irritated when one of them would provoke another misunderstanding. Glad the book wasn't any longer though because the lack of communication resulting in misunderstandings would have gotten on my nerves too.

Another plus to this particular book is that even though they met and had sex within hours of bumping into each other the love story developed over the period of 8 months or so. There was no instantaneous I love Yous. Thumbs up for that!

So, not a bad book for a Harlequin. Glad I read it. I will not read it again though and am not rushing to read the rest of D-Mac's Navy series.

(originally published in 1991 as a Silhouette Special Edition #697)

Highland Knight by Hannah Howell

This book was read by me in March of 2009 and I wrote the review but never posted it to my blog. Better late then never.

The first thing I need to say about this book is that I was an unfortunate victim in the republish with new cover conspiracy. I don't buy many of my books new but finding myself without a book (forbid!) and a possible lengthy wait at a doctors office had me skipping into the local Walgreens for a new release. I really should have checked the copywrite date. It says 2001, 2009. So yes, I bought a rerelease and yes I have the original also. UGH. (which is why there are two covers here....I own both. The top on is the newest from 2009. The bottom is from 2001)


Ok enough of my complaining. This book was a book that for me started out slow despite the interesting theme. It has Avery and her young cousin given to a man for a payment of a past debt. He thinks to use her the same way her brother used his sister.
So the theme of this book was for Cameron to seduce Avery into his bed. Got it. I was pretty concerned when 1/3 of the way through the book it looked like it would happen. I was worried as to what would be the point of the rest of the book. I really shouldn't have worried. It does take this book a little bit to heat up. Kind of like a slow spark that takes awhile to develope into a burning fire. But don't worry this book did become a burning fire.

Avery is a great heroine. She is kind, smart, funny and completely understanding as to the way things work despite her being a virgin. Cameron is a dark brooding kind of man who doesn't want a woman in his life but finds he really doesn't want Avery out of his life either.

The secondary characters are terrific and I hope Howell will write or already wrote their stories also. I do know that this is part of a trilogy but this is the only book I have read out of it and I believe it is number 2. It reads wonderfully as a stand alone but now I really need to get my hands on the others to find out who's stories have been told. Who knows, I probably have them and don't even know it.

I originally was going to give this book a 3.5 star rating but since I found myself staying up all night to finish it, I think it really does deserve a solid 4 stars