Her Perfect Mate by Paige Tyler

Paige Tyler has created a very sexy adventure in HER PERFECT MATE. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did -- Tyler has a fantastic sense of pacing and the book kept getting more intense and more interesting.

The two main characters, Landon and Ivy, have a really strong romantic connection and, after some initial unease (mostly on Ivy's part), they build a very supportive and trusting professional relationship as well. I loved that Landon has major respect for Ivy's abilities and is willing to work with her even though her abilities -- her very existence -- are a complete surprise. Landon's forced to face a whole new reality but it does it with aplomb and an open mind, two things that Ivy wasn't expecting. It was a refreshing change from the "little lady" attitude that we see in some paranormal romances featuring strong male leads; this was just one of the pleasant surprises in HER PERFECT MATE.

The worldbuilding in  HER PERFECT MATE is also well done. The X-Ops series is a closed world with a supersoldier vibe to it since shifters hide from the general populace but have been recruited as part of a crimefighting task force. The shifters aren't trusted by all of their human co-workers, including their partners sometimes, which makes for a tense working environment, particularly for Ivy, who had a would-be rapist and a chauvinist as partners before Landon was assigned to the unit.

As you would expect, there are some large action sequences in HER PERFECT MATE. There are well-written and engaging. Tyler has a nice balance between action and romance in this novel, though there are aspects of the plot that were a bit predictable. This may just be me and my obsession with these types of stories, however, so perhaps you'll be surprised by some of the big moments in the story. ;) I want to stress, though, that I truly enjoyed HER PERFECT MATE, even though some of the moments are not unique to this world.

If you're looking for an extremely steamy romance with a good helping of adventure, you should try HER PERFECT MATE. I think you'll enjoy Tyler's voice and the world and characters she has developed. I, for one, am glad I gave this series a shot and look forward to the next offering in the X-Ops world.

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Netgalley, Paige Tyler, Paranormal Romance, Review, Shifter, Sourcebooks, X-Ops  9 People left their mark

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Mercy's life is never peaceful but nothing could prepare her for the hateful bitch that invaded her territory - Adam's ex-wife, Christie. Of course, she comes off as sweet as sugar, but she  is very good at manipulating people and making Mercy's life a living hell is on her menu. Her life is threatened by a stalker though, so Mercy has to endure her and for the pack's interest, she also has to pretend the situation doesn't bother her. Little did they know, Christie's stalker is much more than the woman let them believe and their lives will all be at risk.

Patricia Briggs never cease to amazed me and Night Broken was no exception. I truly enjoyed this new installment and the best compliment I can say is that even though it's the eighth book in the series, it feels just as fresh and exciting as the first one.

Briggs always find new ways to torture poor Mercy and bringing in the ex-wife, on top of two paranormal foes, was brilliant - and cruel.  We've heard of Christie before, but it was the first time she had such an exposure and I hated her right along with Mercy. She is the most hypocritical character I have ever encountered and her evil schemes and manipulating would put a check master to shame. I am just glad Mercy found a way - a pretty awesome one too-  to get back at her in the end.

Beauclaire, a fae we met in the Alpha & Omega series, is back and throwing an ultimatum at Mercy. Coyote is also back, for better or for worst. I honestly really like the latter's weird and mysterious behavior though Mercy would prefer straight answers from him. We also get to meet 3 new characters, a submissive wolf that didn't have much of a role this time around (maybe Briggs is setting the table for the next novel?), Gary, another coyote (Mercy's half brother - kind of) and Christie's stalker - a very mysterious foe. I grew very fond of Gary and I do hope we'll see more of him in the future. Maybe he will help healing Honey's wounds.

The plot was intricate as always and I truly enjoyed it, having no idea where Briggs would take us with all the different subplots. I couldn't figure out until Briggs decided to let us in, which threat was the biggest, Beauclaire or the stalker, and what was the link with the murders happening in tri-cities. I was completely hooked and read the entire novel in less than 24 hours, quite a feat for me, especially with a newborn on my hands.

The conclusion was exciting as always and I once more find myself wishing Briggs was a faster writer so I could get my hands on the next installment faster. It doesn't have a title yet, as far as I know, and is due for 2015 though no release date was announced.

If you are one of the lost souls who haven't met Mercy yet, I strongly suggest you pick up this series. It's one of my favorite urban fantasy series and I am convinced you won't be disappointed if you give it a chance.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Ace, Fey/Faeries, Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs, Penguin, Publisher, Review, Shifter, Urban Fantasy, werewolf  Leave your mark

Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade by A.D. Robertson

Sarah is setting off to an extremely dangerous mission. She is to sail to a mysterious island from which no one comes back. The Keepers are keeping something valuable on this island, and she must find out what it is. Unfortunately, she was caught right as she finished climbing the rocky cliff and no part of her training could've prepared her to this fate.

Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade is an adult spin-off series of the Nightshade world, initially a young adult series, written under the pen name Andrea Cremer. Andrea had a thing for steamy scenes that weren't appropriate for a younger audience and The Forbidden Side of Nightshade series was born. If I am not completely mistaken, it also takes place twenty years or so before Nightshade.

I kind of have mixed feeling about this novel and I'll try to tell you all about it as clearly as possible ^^ Let's get the negative out of the way, shall we? One element I am not sure about is how miss Robertson introduced the lore in her adult series. Having read the first two books in the Nightshade series (admittedly a long time ago...) I had a good idea of what I could expect, yet I have to admit I was a little bit confused at first. I am not sure someone diving into this world for the first time would be able to fully grasp the gravity of the situation between Keepers, Searchers, and Guardians, and their origins.

Another element bothering me is the time table. The whole novel happens over the course of a week, give or take, and it's 'enough time' for Sarah and Tristan (her kidnapper/jailer) to fall madly in love, and for one of them to betray their side. I am quite aware this is fiction, mind you, but it's just way too fast to be anywhere near believable. Her being a virgin also interferes, in my mind at least, with the quick flammable sexual interactions between the two of them.

If, accent on the 'if', I completely ignore the timeline, I actually enjoyed their flourishing relationship. Tristan is bored and lonely and Sarah is the only interesting thing happening to him for as far as he can remember. He is completely enthralled by her and would do anything to keep her. Despite his questionable actions, namely keeping her hostage, he treats her kindly and he is sincerely, genuinely attracted to her, which I appreciated. Sarah's falling for him was harder for me to grasp (Stockholm syndrome anyone?) but I understand the romantic/sexual appeal of such a  situation in a romance novel.

The plot line was pretty straight forward, without that many bumps in the road. The whole thing revolved around their growing relationship and the only suspense really was to figure out which one of them would leave their old lives behind.

I grew particularly fond of Seamus, the leader of the Guardian pack protecting Tristan, and the closest thing he has to a friend on this secluded island. I loved his personality, his 'spunk' and his sense of humor. His strong loyalty toward Tristan was also commendable. I also really liked Sarah's maid. The girl was shy and scared, but she became a friend to Sarah and she stepped up her game when the time came.

The end was fashionably action-packed and turned out to be satisfying. The actual very end felt like a bomb and the revelation somewhat shocked me. I truly didn't expect it and I loved the connection to the Nightshade series. It might not have to same effect on someone who hasn't read the YA series, but I got a nice jaw-dropping moment lol

Overall, this novel was a good read and if I ignored the small flaws, I had an enjoyable ride. I'll be honest, I haven't decided yet if I'll keep on reading this series, but it's definitely worth a try :)

Read an excerpt

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Posted by Tynga at 01:27

 A.D. Robertson, Adult, Dutton, Erotica, Forbidden Side of Nightshade, Magic, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Publisher, Review, Shifter  1 Person left their mark