Blind Tiger by Rachel Vincent

Blind Tiger by Rachel Vincent

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
eBook: 356 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: February 13, 2017

Series:  Wildcats #2

Source: 

Reviewed by: 

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Robyn Sheffield wants her life back.

As the only female stray in the US, she's had to deal with bloodlust, flashbacks, a lack of impulse control (which might not have anything to do with being a shifter), and weeks under house arrest for crimes she never meant to commit. But when she overhears the territorial council plotting to marry her off to an eligible tom? It's time for this chick to fly the coop.

Titus Alexander wants recognition.

He’s spent the past year carving his territory out of the Mississippi free zone, forming a community for strays exiled and forgotten by the US Prides. As the first stray Alpha, he’s sworn to bring the toms under his authority the rights, support, and respect that official confirmation from the council will bring. But then the council’s precious female stray sneaks into the free zone in the back of his car and demands sanctuary.

The council gives Titus a choice: send Robyn back and have his Pride acknowledged, or prepare for war. Citizenship for his men is within his grasp. So why is it so hard for him to let one rebellious tabby go?

Robyn has been on house arrest for what seems like eternity after she killed multiple shifters' murderers and now she's done. The first opportunity she has to escape presents itself in the form of a sexy stray and his unguarded Mercedes SUV. Robyn doesn't think of possible consequences (which is a pattern for her..) and dives into the car to hide and run away once she's in the free zone. Sexy Titus finds out though, and everything he is worked for is jeopardized by this young wild tabby.

I love Rachel Vincent, and I always recommend her Shifters series, but I must confess, while I enjoyed the Wildcats books, they are not as great as the Shifters series.

Robyn has a lot of potential, I like her spunk and how she fights for her ideas. BUT she comes off a bit childish and self-centered. She falls in love with Titus and decides to help him save his pack and all, but if she'd just taken her responsibility from the beginning, it would've been much easier. On the other hand, I like Titus. He is doing his best to be responsible, making the right decision but he also has a very passionate side I really appreciated.

I think one of the biggest elements that make me favor Shifters vs Wildcats is the action and the passion and the drive that was omnipresent in the Shifters series but cruelly absent in the Wildcats novels. Everything is about politics and what should or shouldn't be done. Lots of talking, and not much action. I really miss the down and dirty fights, the thrill of the chase, and the knock out suspense of not knowing if someone will die in the battle. I know Wildcats books take place in a time of 'peace' but I need to find that passion again! In the first book, Abby is more of a subdue female so I expected that from her, but Robyn is a firecracker so I was hoping I'd get more action and I was disappointed.

The intrigue was interesting though and I had a really strong opinion about what happened and who was the culprit (I won't go into details, don't want to give it away) and it turned out I was wrong. Which was an happy surprise. I liked how that particular mystery unfolded and I think it was very smart of Vincent to play it that way. On the other hand, The very conclusion, the way the characters dealt with the consequences seemed fake. I think Rachel felt like we should get somewhat of a happy ending but I just know the council wouldn't settle for that so I'm on the fence. *Tiny spoiler* I think Robyn should've gone back to the council and from there work out the details and consequences and that she'd have to work her way back to Titus in another book maybe.

I know my review isn't super positive and I did enjoy the book. It just didn't live up to my expectations. Will I read the third book? Yes, definitely. Would I recommend this series? If you love the Shifters series and want more of this world, yes. If you haven't read the Shifters series yet, then pick that one first!

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by Tynga at Friday, April 07, 2017

 Adult, Purchased, rachel vincent, Review, Self Published, Shifters, Urban Fantasy, werecats, Wildcats  Leave your mark

✎

Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs

Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Hardcover: 371 pages
Publisher: Ace Books
Release date: March 7th 2017

Series:  Mercy Thompson #10

Source: 

Reviewed by: 

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

In the #1 New York Times bestselling Mercy Thompson novels, the coyote shapeshifter has found her voice in the werewolf pack. But when Mercy's bond with the pack and her mate is broken, she'll learn what it truly means to be alone...

Attacked and abducted in her home territory, Mercy finds herself in the clutches of the most powerful vampire in the world, taken as a weapon to use against alpha werewolf Adam and the ruler of the Tri-Cities vampires. In coyote form, Mercy escapes only to find herself without money, without clothing, and alone in the heart of Europe...

Unable to contact Adam and the rest of the pack, Mercy has allies to find and enemies to fight, and she needs to figure out which is which. Ancient powers stir, and Mercy must be her agile best to avoid causing a war between vampires and werewolves, and between werewolves and werewolves. And in the heart of the ancient city of Prague, old ghosts rise...

For once, Mercy was minding her own business, heading to the convenience store, a necessary step to feed chocolate chip cookies to a horde of video game playing werewolves, when she got caught in a near-deadly kidnapping plot. Unconscious and very badly injured, she was hauled all the way across the Atlantic ocean, in Italy, far from everyone she knows and cut off from her pack bound. How will she get out of this one alive?

The Mercy Thompson series has been one of my favorite for years and I am happy to say this novel did not disappoint. It actually made me fall in love all over again with my favorite characters! As much as I love my heroines getting the guy of their dream along a book series, couple lives can get a bit dull around the corners so I was very happy that I would get to see Mercy, and Adam, on their own in this novel. There is just this special and desperate energy going on when you are facing extremely dangerous situations by yourself and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Mercy's determination, resourcefulness, and surviving skills were at the fore-front and I truly enjoyed it. I loved her spunk and the way she built on her coyote skills in this novel. On the other hand, I loved how Adam was forced to let Mercy deal with things on her own and how he had to develop his negotiating skills in a dire situation. Honey, a character I wasn't a fan off in the past, also happily surprised me. I did not expect it from her, but she really rose to the challenge.

This novel has a very special time-line and you have to pay close attention if you don't want to be confused. Add to it narration alternating between Mercy, Adam and other important characters and you have a recipe for chaos (if you don't follow along!) or sheer genius (if you pay close attention lol). Briggs really took her story-telling skills up a notch in this installment, and I'll tell you off the bat she threw one spectacular curve-ball that made me want to re-read the novel as soon as possible.

I don't think I could ever tire of these characters and it's a shame we have to wait so long between installments. I'm already super impatient for the next novel to release! If you haven't picked up this series yet, I urge you to start with the first novel, Moon Called, and I am sure you will crave for more!

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by Tynga at Friday, March 17, 2017

 Ace, Adult, Fantasy, Mercy Thompson, Netgalley, Paranormal, Patricia Briggs, Penguin, Review, Romance, Shifters, Urban, Urban Fantasy, Vampire, werewolf  2 People left their mark

✎

Where the Wild Things Bite by Molly Harper

You know you're reading a Molly Harper book when the main characters are stuck in a crazy, life threatening situation but the author still manages to make you laugh. Molly Harper has this wonderful recipe for paranormal romance novels and it's infallible. I've never been disappointed by one of her books, probably because I understand her type of humour. Her characters are relatable, despite their peculiarities and you can't help but get attached to them. Where the Wild Things Bite, despite being short, is a wonderful addition to the Half-Moon Hollow series.

Anna, a rare book expert on the paranormal, is on a mission to return a valuable book to none other than Jane Jameson, after having appraised it, and confirmed it as an authentic and important document in the history of shifters. However, things go wrong as soon as she enters the plane that is supposed to bring her to Half-Moon Hollow. The pilot is deranged and threatens to kill her with a knife if she doesn't hand over the book, and when that fails, he tampers with the plane and crashes it in the middle of Kentucky lakeland. Anna would have crashed and died in it if it wasn't for Finn, the only other passenger of the plane. Anna accuses him of throwing her out of the moving plane but Finn guarantees her that he jumped, cradling her in his arms.

Together, they're lost in the woods, with no supplies and no sign of civilization. Only an old, but valuable book. So valuable that people are willing to kill for it. Anna, a germaphobic and very anxious person, quickly learns to survive in the woods. With shifters after her, she relies on Finn, who happens to be a vampire, to find her way through the woods. However, smart as she is, she soon realizes that Finn has somewhat questionable reasons for helping her. A liar, a thief and a con man, Finn tries to convince skeptical Anna that he really wants to help her, despite his previous motives.

Anna is a wonderful and realistic character, despite her neuroses. Her tendencies to learn every survival statistics and her obsession in reading survival guides to everything, helps her survive the Kentucky woods. Finn might be a liar and deceitful but I think he really wants to help Anna. I don't know exactly when he started to like her, but their close proximity leads up to steamy scenes. They're the most unlikely couple, but I think that's what so charming about the pair.

I really wish we could have gotten more out of Anna and Finn's story. Their trek through the woods was hilarious and entertaining, but what happened after the woods just went by so quickly. I'm glad Jane and the Half-Moon Hollow gang made an appearance but they didn't have much to do with the story. In a way, that made Anna and Finn the focus of the story. A delightful read, Where the Wild Things Bite is a must read for Jane Jameson fans.

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by Tynga at Monday, September 05, 2016

 Half Moon Hollow, Library, Molly Harper, Paranormal Romance, Pocket, Review, Shifters, Simon amp; Schuster, Vampire, werewolves  Leave your mark

✎

The Talon of the Hawk by Jeffe Kennedy

Everything Andy and Ami went through in the past two novels leads to this Epic conclusion, this time lead by Ursula, the eldest sister. The faith of the Twelves Kingdoms lays on her shoulders as she has to juggle between an erratic King, the disappearance of her youngest sister along with her children, and her desire to honor her mother's memory.  Of course, there also needs to be a man in the picture, and this one is probably my favorite of the series!

First let me tell you that Ursula is nothing like I imagined from the first two books. She was pictured as stoic, obedient and heartless, and even though she has to uncontrollable desire to please the King, she is no where near as stuck-up as I thought she would be. Even though I was excited for this book, I was actually scared I wouldn't like her, but I was totally wrong. She has had a very difficult past (one she hid from her sisters to shield them) and has a lot of issues to work through. On one hand she wants to follow her heart, and on the other she is fiercely loyal to her father, and both instincts clash terribly.

At first I thought Harlan would be an enemy, but as the story progressed it was clear I had misjudged him. I really liked how attentive he was, how patient and supporting of Ursula he has been the entire book, even though she really was a bitch about it. The only thing that bothered me a bit was how he fell in love with her the first time he saw her, and pledge his life to protect her a couple of hours later. That kind of devotion should be earned, and I thought he handed it wayyyyy too easily. That element aside, I thought the progression of their intimacy was nicely paced and believable (at least from Ursula's side).

The sisterly bond is also an aspect I really liked from this third novel. We see them interact a lot more than in the previous books.

I thought the plot was very engaging and I really liked how one thing lead to another to really escalate toward the final rescue. BUT things went down hill for me after that. The three sisters launched on a mission and it felt extremely rushed. Personally, I think the third book should've ended after this rescue, and there should have been a fourth book, with the narration shared between all three sisters, to really give the final events/battle the attention to detail and intensity it deserved. I liked the major points and how it unfolded, but it needed so much more meat on the bones! It killed me really :(

I liked this book anyway, mind you, and I really love this trilogy as a whole. Jeffe Kennedy was a new to me author before this series, and I was pleasantly surprised. If you like high fantasy you should definitely give it a try, but make sure you start with book one, The Mark of the Tala.

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by Tynga at Friday, May 22, 2015

 Adult, High Fantasy, Historical, Jeffe Kennedy, Kensington, Magic, Netgalley, Review, Shifters, The Twelve Kingdoms  2 People left their mark

✎

Lion's Share by Rachel Vincent

Let me start this review by saying, FINALLY! I've been awaiting another Shifters book for so long, and it's finally here! For those who don't know, Lion's Share is the first book in a new spin-off series. The original series, Shifters, was Rachel's first published series and it was really awesome. This original series featured Faythe, Marc and Jace and from what I gathered, this new series will feature a different couple each novel, following the traditional paranormal romance series (Shifters was more Urban Fantasy). You don't NEED to read the Shifter's books to read Lion's Share, but I strongly suggest it. It will allow you to really grasp the nature and laws of the Shifters, Jace & Abby's pasts and honestly, it's heart-poundingly good, so why skip it?

Jace is everything a girl could hope for. He is swoon worthy, powerful & loyal. I was sooo very happy to learn this book would feature him, because let's be honest, he had more then his share of trouble, and unfortunately, he gets even more this time around. At least, he now got the girl for his trouble haha. Abby was a traumatized girl who's grown into a confident woman and I loved that change in her. She definitely needs to learn some self-control, but it makes for some interesting scenes!  I really loved the two of them together, their chemistry and their fights.

The plot was action-packed and I was totally hooked even though the intrigue was very predictable. I wished Rachel didn't remind us every other page that Abby was hiding something because I figured it all out pretty quickly. It did not hamper my enjoyment of the novel so no harm done.

The conclusion was a killer though! I DID NOT expect that! I had a  couple of possible scenarios in mind, and it wasn't one of them! I would've paid good money to see the face of all those stuck-up alphas at the end and I can't wait to see how the series will evolve from there.

Rachel Vincent is self-publishing this series because no publisher wished to purchase the rights because it had been too long since the last Shifters book. Because of that, the very existence of future books depends on the sale of Lion's Share so I URGE you to purchase this amazing novel and encourage her. I really really hope there will be more novel in the series and I wonder which couple will be next!

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by Tynga at Friday, March 20, 2015

 Adult, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, rachel vincent, Review, Self Published, Shifters, Urban Fantasy, werecats, Wildcats  4 People left their mark

✎

Hunt by Rachel Vincent

I am a huge fan of the Shifters series by Rachel Vincent, and I was super sad when she announced, a couple of years ago, that Alpha was the last book. Hunt was released as part of the Chicks Kick Butt anthology and even though I bought the book I hadn't come around to read it yet. In October, Rachel announced that she's trying her hand at self publishing!!! She decided to start a spin-off series of the Shifters world, starting with a story about Jace and Abby. To do so, she decided to revamp the original Hunt story a bit, and release it on Amazon. Now that you have the back story... here's my review!

Abby was a fragile little thing in Shifters, due to a big trauma and it was nice to see her stand up for herself in this novella. The story takes place a couple of years later and Abby live on Jace's territory. He is now Alpha of his own area. We don't see much of Jace in this story, but I love this man to death so I'm super thrilled of this new development.

The story arc is really short with only 49 pages but I still had this thrill I loved so much when reading past Shifters books, so I'm sure fans won't be disappointed.

The end is promising a tumultuous relationship between the two protagonists and I can't wait for the first book of the new series, Lion's Share, to release! Rachel talking was about a late December 2014 release and as of now (I'm writing this on December 23rd) there's still no updates.

I don't know how necessary it would be to read the Shifters' books to understand this new series, but really, you SHOULD read the Shifters series anyway, because it's just so damn good. One of my favorite in fact!



 

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by Tynga at Friday, January 09, 2015

 novella, Paranormal Romance, Purchased, rachel vincent, Review, Self Published, shapeshifters, Shifters, Urban Fantasy  8 People left their mark

✎

Obsession Untamed by Pamela Palmer

Following the difficult events the feral warriors had to deal with in the first novel, Desire Untamed, the boys are now looking for their missing, treacherous brother and the soul-threatening evil clone of Tighe. The latter is the star of this novel and he is dangerously attracted by a human his clone failed to kill. For some mysterious reasons, she 'stole' from him the visions that would allow him to catch the evil being, and obviously he can't let that happen. The problem is, she is an FBI agent, and she somehow resists his mind-controlling skills.

I did enjoy this novel and it's a good installment in this series, but I have to confess I liked the first novel better. Maybe it's the 'second-in-a-series-curse' but I felt more involved and more passionate about the first featured couple.

Tighe is an interesting guy with a shady and troubled past, but he came off as somewhat brooding in this novel and when I met him in the first novel he seemed kind of an easy-going guy. Maybe it's post-battle trauma, or even soul-splitted symptoms, but I didn't feel as sympathetic toward him as I thought I would when I first met him. Delaney on the other hand was easy enough to like and I loved that even though her body reacts to Tighe like crazy, she manages to distance herself from that and keep as much of a clear head as possible in the situation. Her hesitations to trust him made their evolving relationship that much more believable.

Steady-paced and satisfying, the plot did deliver even though this is all a big hide-and-seek game. The ferals have to lie in wait and hope to catch the clone when he makes a mistake, but the author managed to keep things interesting anyway. This installment is really filled with violence and murder and thankfully Palmer spared us the most gruesome details, most of the time. I'm alright with a good murder, but no need for too detailed, gory images in my mind.

Palmer managed to surprise me with some unexpected turn of events and I liked that I was kept on my toes. The conclusion proved to be rather original and even though I was trying to figure out possible outcomes, this particular ending never came to my mind. And who doesn't like a good surprise? Also worth mentioning, the "black dagger brotherhood' vibes I mentioned in my review of the first book weren't as strong in this novel, cementing its status as entirely different and original series in my mind.

Paranormal romance lovers will be serve with this gang of alpha males fighting to protect the world from demons. And if you love shifters, you'll be that much more pleased :) You should definitely give this series a try, and with the last novel already published, you won't have to wait between releases.

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by Tynga at Friday, February 28, 2014

 Adult, Avon Books, Feral Warriors, Harper Collins, Pamela Palmer, Paranormal Romance, Publisher, Review, Shifters  3 People left their mark

✎

Night Owls by Lauren M. Roy

The life of seven unlikely people will change forever the day Father Value, Jackal (aka Creeps) hunter, dies on a mission. He died to protect a mystical book and his partner, Elly, will risk her life - and the one of many others- trying to keep it out of Creeps' hands. Will she succeed or will his death be in vain?

I dove into Night Owls hoping for a good old urban fantasy, and while the genre is accurate, I'm afraid to say I wasn't impressed. This review will be very hard for me to write because I usually mention the things I liked and things I disliked about the book, but in this case, I didn't like nor dislike the novel, it kind of left me unaffected. While this isn't a bad novel, I just didn't feel passionate, or even involved in any of the proceedings. I didn't even care who lived or died, which is sad.

I think one of the main reason I didn't feel connected is the lack of a clear main characters. Reading the synopsis now I realize Valerie and Elly were suppose to be the main characters, but it was far from clear. Valerie (a vampire), Chaz (her human Renfield), Elly (Creeps Hunter) & Cavale (former Creeps Hunter) share, it seemed to me, equal parts of the main spotlight. On top of this, Justin (human) and Sunny & Lia (succubi) bring up the rear with secondary roles. All of these characters sharing the scene, fighting for our attention, just made it hard for me to connect with any of them in particular and it didn't help with my lack of caring. Not only are they many, none of them are particularly amazing.

The plot was correct if not particularly engrossing. We followed a rather linear line of action, without many surprises, but the fighting scenes were well delivered. Unfortunately, the solution to their problem was so simple in the end, it was simply ridiculous. Miss Roy should've thought harder to find something complex enough to justify the trouble they all went through.

I think the best aspect of this novel was the lore because it featured a type of characters I hadn't encountered before: Jackals/Creeps. They are some kind of cannibal (because they eat human flesh) shape shifters who smell like rotten flesh. They have abilities and weaknesses similar to your traditional vampires (sunlight, silver, etc), but they kind of look like wolves when turning and some of them have special skills.

All that being said, I did finish reading this novel without dragging my feet too much, so it wasn't a bad novel, it just didn't stir any passion from me whatsoever, so I didn't like it either.  As far as I know, this was Lauren's first book and I think she has potential, so even though I won't keep reading this series, I won't disregard anything she writes in the future either. I would suggest you read an excerpt (I couldn't find one for you sorry!) before you decide the buy the book, and see if you think you might like it.

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by Tynga at Friday, February 14, 2014

 Ace, Adult, Edelweiss, Lauren M Roy, Lauren M. Roy, Night Owls, Penguin, Review, Shifters, Urban Fantasy, Vampire  9 People left their mark

✎

Desire Untamed by Pamela Palmer

I was offered to review the last book in the series, Wulfe Untamed, which released on January 28th, but since I hadn't read the series yet, the publisher sent me the whole series! Totally awesome right? I'm especially glad they did because I hadn't heard of this series before and I truly enjoyed the first book!

If I had to describe the book in a few words it would be, 'Imagine the Black Dagger Brotherhood... but with shifters!' Honestly, I felt a very strong BDB vibe when reading the book, but fear not, they are completely different stories. There are similarities that sure contributed to my feelings and here they are. First, it's a bunch of celibate living together in a kind of manor. Secondly, they are all alpha males, warriors protecting their race and not all of them are amiable.  They have also weirdly spelled names such as Lyon, Hawke, Wulfe, Paenther, etc. And last, the story evolves in a closed world, which means humans don't know they exist.

I particularly enjoyed the lore Palmer developed. The warriors are a circle protecting the Therians (their race) against mages and draden (incorporeal demon things). They draw their power from their Radiant, a chosen by Fate woman that can connect to the earth and allows the warrior access to their full powers, including the one to shift in their respective animals. I thought it was very original and miss Palmer managed to introduce every aspect very seamlessly. The first book is all about Lyon (the leader) tracking, finding, and trying to train the new Radiant after the last one died. One problem? She thinks she's human. It was great to discover everything alongside Kara!

The passion runs really high in this novel and I really enjoyed how it was handled. We are used to both heroes being meant to be together, but it's not the case here. Very slight spoiler ahead [spoiler] There is a ceremony at the beginning of the novel, part of the rituals to make Kara ascend to Radiant status, and this ritual determines who her mate is. Against all expectations, it's not Lyon! [/spoiler]. This situation brings in a forbidden element and both parties fight their mutual attraction because it's unfortunately the right thing to do. Let me tell you, this brings the sexual tension rocket high, to our delight!

The plot really is romance driven, but there is still a healthy amount of action involved and there are some extremely interesting plot twists I had not expected at all! I was completely engrossed from the get go and it was really hard to put the novel down. Being surprised by the conclusion is also a nice addition!

Paranormal romance lovers must get their hands on this series, especially fans of Ward and Cole. I'm sure you'll find yourself right at home. And the best thing? All eight books in the series are already released, so you won't have to suffer between releases!

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by Tynga at Friday, January 31, 2014

 Adult, Avon Books, Feral Warriors, Harper Collins, Pamela Palmer, Paranormal Romance, Publisher, Review, Shifters  6 People left their mark

✎

Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan

Two years after being tortured for is his blood by demons and being rescued by the lovely Mary Chase, Jack Talent is still trying to recover from the mental damage. His own brand of therapy includes murder, which would be frowned upon considering he is an investigator. All is well though, until the SOS decides that Miss Chase should become his partner and she starts poking around. His strategy to keep the woman his heart desire as far away as possible is utterly destroyed.

Shadowdance had a very different mood than the previous novels in the series and I enjoyed it all the same, if not more, because of it's dark complexity. Talent and Chase have been lashing at each other for four years, since they first met, and things don't get better because they are partnered. See Talent has a terrible secret involving Chase weighting him down and he cannot risk her finding out. So despite his desire to keep her close and cherish her, he does his best to be despicable to her and keep her at bay. Not knowing better, the poor Chase reciprocates teeth and nails and it makes for some quite heated up exchanges. I truly enjoyed their colorful exchange even though I felt bad for them. Callihan did an awesome job keeping their angst and banter believable.

Both main characters are highly lovable individually and they are a diamond in the rough when together. Each of their tormented past is endearing and I can only command Kristen for the complexity of their past. They are entwined in a much deeper way than we are first led to believe and I enjoyed discovering the different layers of their involvement. Their feelings of betrayal and unworthiness felt true and broke my heart on more than one occasion.

I found the main plot line to be jaw-dropping and engrossing. Despite discovering early on who the Bishop of Charing Cross (the killer) is, many plot twists kept us on our toes as a copy cat started mocking the first series of murder. Miss Callihan also introduced new supernaturals we hadn't encounter in the series yet and I enjoyed learning more about this new lore. A new character also made an apparition and I can't wait to know more about him! Lucien also really grew on me and I really hope he gets his own novel in the future.


I really liked how the conclusion played out and I have to say I had all kinds of speculations going on as to how it would end and I got quite a scare at some point! Thankfully, I got my feeling of happy feelings in the end and even got a bit teary-eyed, emotional mess that I am lol


I haven't found information on a fifth novel in the series, but the conclusion leads me to believe their will be an other novel, this one featuring Will Thorne, an old friend of Jack Talent. The Darkest London series is an extremely well written and engaging paranormal romance series and I would definitely recommend it to lovers of historical settings. Steampunk lovers will also find elements they'll like in this amazing series!



 

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by Tynga at Thursday, December 19, 2013

 Adult, Darkest London, Forever, ghost, Hachette, Kristen Callihan, Netgalley, Paranormal Romance, Review, Shifters  4 People left their mark

✎

Jaguar Fever by Terry Spear

Maya and Wade met in the amazon before and left a strong impression on each other. Fortunately for Wade, Maya isn't married with Connor as he first thought, she is his twin sister! Less than favorable circumstances will bring them together once more as they fight a bunch of hunters trying to capture jaguars (the cats, not the shifters) to sell them in the States for illegal hunts. Who would've thought murder and romance can share the spotlight?

Jaguar Fever is the second book in the Heart of the Jaguar series, and despite not having read the first book (something I usually never do!) I didn't have a hard time getting into this world. I figure that first book was about Wade helping Maya, Connor & Kat in the amazon, and without really sharing the particulars, Spear provided enough back story to make my experience comfortable.

At first I wasn't really comfortable with Spear's writing. I couldn't quite put my fingers on the problem but something felt off, slightly awkward, but as I got used to it, I started enjoying the story. Terry did a really good job creating an inviting world with some nice touches. In her world, there are two kinds of jaguars shifters, the wild ones whom return to the wild nature regularly and the city cats who never set paw out of the city. I thought it was an interesting personal touch. Furthermore, I truly appreciated the author's dedication to the protection of this endangered specie. Using her novels to raise awareness is a smart move and it did not impair the reader's experience in any way.

One thing bothered me though, and it's not that significant but I have to mention it. Everyone and their mother seems to have a twin in this series. What's up with that? Maya and Connor are twins, so are Wade and David & Kat (Connor's wife) is expecting twins. There are two other pairs of siblings as well (Maya's cousins and the Bettinger brothers) and it wasn't explicitly mentioned that they are twins also, but it wouldn't surprise me. I don't know where this twin fixation is coming from but I thought it was just too much. Twins aren't uncommon, but c'mon there isn't a pair at every street corner either!

Now about the characters themselves, it wasn't love at first sight, but they did grow on me as I discovered them. I particularly liked David despite his having a secondary role, and if I decide to keep on reading this series (haven't made up my mind yet) I would definitely love to see more of him. Surprisingly, Wade & Maya's romance didn't blow me away. It was ok, but I wasn't hooked onto their every moves. Maybe there was something missing chemistry-wise? I don't know.

My favorite part was definitely the plot. I liked how action-packed this novel was and it's what kept me turning the pages at a steady pace. The exotic Belize set-up set my imagination free and I could almost feel the hot humid air. The character's determination to protect their non-shifting pairs was commendable and I truly enjoyed how the author handled that situation.

Jaguar Fever isn't perfect, but I'm sure the shifter lovers out there will find something they like in this series. Jaguars aren't that popular in paranormal romance and it's always fun to discover new species!

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by Tynga at Friday, December 06, 2013

 Adult, Heart of the Jaguar, Netgalley, Paranormal Romance, Review, Shifters, Sourcebooks, Terry Spear, Terry Spears  2 People left their mark

✎

Rogue by Rachel Vincent

"Okay, so cats don't always land on their feet.

I know that better than most. Since rejoining the Pride, I've made big decisions and even bigger mistakes: the kind paid for with innocent lives. As the first and only female enforcer, I have plenty to prove to my father, the Pride, and myself. And with murdered toms turning up in our territory, I m working harder than ever, though I always find the energy for a little after-hours recreation with Marc, my partner both on- and off-duty.

But not all of my mistakes are behind me. We re beginning to suspect that the dead are connected to a rash of missing human women and that they can all be laid at my feet--two or four, take your pick. And one horrible indiscretion may yet cost me more than I can bear..." -Book Cover

Faythe is holding on her part of the deals she made with her father in Stray. She is working as an enforcer for him, and is lucky enough to be paired up with Marc, Alpha's right-hand, enforcer and boyfriend - sometimes. This is another action-packed novel and multiple events which seems unrelated at first, are all part of one big puzzle. An unknown cat is calling to report dead tomcats, human strippers are going missing in multiple areas, Faythe's ex-boyfriend, Andrews, is calling her with weird declarations. How all of this mix together? Well you'll have to read the book to find out =)

Romance wise, Faythe is kind of back with Marc in a no strings-attached relationship, Jace keeps to himself more then ever and like mentioned before, Andrews gets back in the big picture. Nothing is simple when a series of event blurs all our tabby was counting on.

I loved Stray and I wasn't let down by Rogue. I LOVE the series, in fact Pride and Prey are in a nice package on there way to my place right now *winks*. Rachel as a very personal way to put her characters to life, you really feel like you know them personally, and yet, they always surprise you with their course of action. I like the relationship between the pride, all of the boys have something special and unique and you care about them. Faythe and Marc are indeed my favorite but Owen isn't far behind.

The plot is very nicely knot and I couldn't guess most of the action before hand. Actually the only things I guessed was Andrews new status and who his accomplice was. The end makes you dies for more, it's cruel to keep readers on a hook like Rachel! *smiles* Thankfully I discovered this series not long ago so I only have to wait until Monday for my delivery haha!

Seriously if you haven't picked that series yet go and do it! I was holding back because I read bad comments on amazon but when I cruised the blogging network I realised that the series have many fans out there, so I picked it up and I don't regret it!

Read an excerpt

Shifters series:

Stray

Rogue

Pride

Prey

Shift (2010)

Alpha (in writting process)

Book stats:

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Mira Books; Library ed edition (August 21, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0778303403

ISBN-13: 978-0778303404

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by Tynga at Saturday, August 08, 2009

 Harlequin, rachel vincent, Review, Shifters, werecat  4 People left their mark

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Stray by Rachel Vincent

"I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays—werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back…for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever—and whoever—I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays—'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them…." - Book cover.

Faythe left her pride 5 years ago to go to University, try have a normal life and avoid Pride responsibility such as getting married and have many babies. She left behind her boyfriend Marc after he proposed her. And guess who's picking her up when daddy calls Faythe back home? Marc!

Rebel in so many ways, Faythe tries to fight her way out of the family farm to get back to her normal life and it promises to be no easy quest. She has to put her plans on hold to save her friends kidnapped by some crazy stray. Hands full with troubles, Faythe does her best to keep her head out of the water.

I have been attracted by that series for quite a while but after reading some bad reviews on amazon I held back. Discovering the wonderful world of blogs I noticed that many people truly loves the series so I gave it a try and Geez I wasn't disappointed! I completely LOVED the book.

Faythe is definitely my kind of girl, big mouth, big attitude and the strength to back up all of her crap. Marc is one awesome guy if you ignore the compulsive jealousy. All of Faythe's brothers and friends are one totally cool crew and I would hang out with them anytime.

Rachel's writing is plain awesome and I can't believe and held out so long for that series. I was desperate yesterday when I realised the second book of the series (Rogue) is sold out on amazon (both Can and US), Indigo Chapters, and all book stores in my area! I finally ordered on The book depository in the UK and they have free shipping worldwide! That made me an happy kitty *winks*

Click for an excerpt

Shifters Series:

Stray

Rogue

Pride

Pray

Book stats:

Mass Market Paperback: 624 pages

Publisher: Mira (June 1, 2007)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0778324214

ISBN-13: 978-0778324218

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by Tynga at Wednesday, July 29, 2009

 Harlequin, rachel vincent, Review, Shifters, Urban Fantasy, werecat  3 People left their mark

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