Category: Shifters, Weres

A MelanieM Pre-Release Review: Dragon Home (Supernatural Consultant #5.2) by Mell Eight

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

With Rios happily mated and planning an entire future, Aqua can’t help but feeling left out. The brother that was always been his chief playmate and best friend is going to leave him behind, which isn’t at all acceptable. The obvious answer is to leave first, so Aqua packs a bag to go on an adventure. But this adventure isn’t anything like his last one and the chances of him returning home alive dwindle every moment.

I actually liked Dragon Home better than its previous story, Dragon Adventure, which I thought was really cute.  Here in Dragon Home (Supernatural Consultant #5.2), Mell Eight goes into a little more depth into her universe by revealing wonderful unknown details about  characters and dragon growth we hadn’t known before. We also meet some new supernatural creatures are introduced as well when Aqua, like Rios, sets off to find new friends and perhaps a mate like his twin.

When we begin this story, Uncle Willy himself seems to be undergoing a physical change which I found interesting although not explained exactly.  I’m hopeful that Mell Eight will find a mate for William as well and his change will be a part of that. He deserves one for his accepting attitude and loving behavior towards his “wards” and their antics.  Intriguing bits like this keep me thinking throughout the story.  Dragon Home (and indeed all of Mell Eight’s stories) is full of things of a similar narrative nature tucked here and there, just waiting for the reader to notice them and wonder.

Aqua is lonely and unhappy with his twin now spending all his time with his mate and his new found interest in the Coast Guard.  Rios has shot up physically with his mental and emotional maturity. Not so poor Aqua.  Now they don’t even look like twins, making him feel even more isolated, something William is aware of.  It’s adventure time for Aqua, he needs to see what it’s like to get out there by himself and he does in a big way by going where no water dragon should.

I won’t go further but this story has some surprising depth here.  The place Aqua “falls” into is a tumultuous one. It will take bravery, maturity and respect for others to see Aqua and others safely through.  That he does so is no surprise.  But the companion he brings home?  A delightful surprise, especially at the end which left me charmed and smiling as it did William.   Plus this story gave us a whole new side of William still to be seen.  I hope that book is coming.

Who knew I would love William and his kits as much as I do Dane, Mercury and their bunch?  Turns out I certainly do!  I just loved Dragon Home (Supernatural Consultant #5.2) by Mell Eight.  It’s not a standalone story, you really need to read the others.  Luckily they’re short and you can catch up quickly.  Read the entire series.  It’s a joy! I recommend not only Dragon Home but all of the Supernatural Consultant series.

Cover art by Aisha Akeju is one of my favorite in this series.  Dramatic and speaks to the story.

Sales Links:   Preorder at Less Than Three Press

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: June 21st 2017 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781684310333
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSupernatural Consultant #5.2

An Alisa Review: Darien’s Omega (Dire Pack Reborn #4) by Stephani Hecht

Rating:  2.75 stars out of 5

 

Blaze’s dreams just may come true when the top Beta, Darien, finally notices him.

 

For years Blaze had a crush on Darien. Yet, the Beta never looked twice at the shy, small Omega. Why would he? After all, Blaze is the packs’ art teacher. He was never anything special and Darien was way out of his league.

 

Darien spots Blaze in the cafeteria and instantly drawn to the Omega. At first Darien thinks he’s blown things when he’d forgotten that he had known the Omega when they were both young. Luckily, Blaze forgives him. But, just as they are getting close, a danger looms, threatening the entire pack. Has Darien found love only to lose it? Or will they overcome the evil is out to get them?

 

This story did not really click for me.  Darien notices Blaze when he is bullied in the cafeteria and wants to take care of him.  Blaze has been the “useless” omega for so long he can’t believe that anyone would really want him especially his long time crush.  Darien does everything he can to show that his intentions are real.

 

We get to see both of the characters’ thoughts and feelings throughout the story so we know how they were reacting to everything that was happening around them.  Darien is so lost in how to actually date someone it’s pretty bad and not adorable like it usually comes off in books, it takes him basically getting told what to do in order for him to actually ask for a date.  Blaze has to see how true Darien is before he can fully commit himself.  There were so many references to the couples from the previous books but the couples were mixed up within the first few pages of the book and I had to keep looking back at previous book descriptions to make sure I remembered who the characters were.

 

The cover is nice and gives a great visual for the Beta.

 

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 107 pages

Published: May 12, 2017 by MLR Press

Edition Language: English

Series: Dire Pack Reborn #4

An Alisa Review: The Running Fields by Sydney Presley

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

Fate brings them together in the end…

 

Ansgar wakes to find himself outside—somewhere he’s never been before. He’s scared out of his wits and wonders whether The Scientist is conducting another experiment. Is Ansgar naked, leaning against a large building so The Scientist can monitor his reactions? Ansgar doesn’t know, but what he does know is that the black wolf staring at him from the darkness isn’t something he expected to see.

 

The black wolf is Ben, and he didn’t expect to see a naked bloke on a cold night, sitting on his bare arse beside the old abandoned bread factory a mile or so away from town. Ben had only come out for a run, yet there he was, facing a man who clearly didn’t belong in these parts.

 

After taking Ansgar to his home, Ben discovers more about the big man—where he’s been, what he’s endured, and a few other things to boot. Things no one should have to go through. Ben’s determined to help heal Ansgar, to teach him the ways of not only the shifter world but the human one, too. Except there’s a human they need to be wary of, a man who calls himself The Scientist, and protecting Ansgar from him is Ben’s main priority.

 

The past holds a slew of secrets, ones that come tumbling out of hiding at an alarming rate. Ben and Ansgar need to face each one head on—although at times they’re overwhelming and relentless in their attack. The two men dream of living a life without fear in it one day, but unfortunately, dealing with the horrors from Ansgar’s old life have to come first.

 

I’m not quite sure what I thought about this story.  It kept my attention and I wanted to see what happened but it felt disjointed and not fully resolved by the end.  Ansgar is scared when he wakes up in an unknown place outside and even more confused when Ben shifts in front of him, he didn’t know anyone other than him could do that.

 

Ben can’t believe that the man he found in the running fields is his mate but he will accept this gift no matter what.  There was a lot that happened in a short period of time but I had some trouble understanding the characters actions, sometimes so accepting and other times just wanting to forget what happened.  It left me scratching my head.

 

We see the story from both Ansgar and Ben’s points of view and can see what some of their concerns and feelings are.  Ansgar has essentially been held captive his whole life and when he is suddenly free he is happy but doesn’t know what to do, he only knows bits and pieces of things he has been taught throughout the years.  Ben wants to protect his mate but isn’t sure what to do, with all that Ansgar has been through he doesn’t want to make anything worse.  I felt, even though he was with Ben all the time, than Ansgar was kinda left on his own to adapt and they both just mated without really talking.  Ansgar seemed to know somethings quickly or without being told but they were so random I would just get confused.

 

Cover art is very nice and catches your eye.

 

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | Amazon

 

Book Details:

ebook, 113 pages

Published: June 6, 2017 by Pride Publishing

ISBN: 9781786515759

Edition Language: English

An Alisa Review: Human Instincts (Roguefalls #1) by April Kelley

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

A human soldier and an omega wolf shifter find out they’re mates in a world where segregation between humans and paranormals is standard operating procedure.

 

Dylan Kole knows how to do one thing, and that’s to be a soldier in the human army. He doesn’t know how to fit in with a bunch of paranormal beings, and he certainly doesn’t know how to be a mate to Rudy Malone, the only omega wolf shifter on Roguefalls Island. One thing Dylan does have going for him is his ability to follow his instincts.

 

This was an interesting and entertaining story.  Dylan and his buddy, Christian, are selected to become a part of the paranormal army.  Both know some things but are a bit unprepared for everything that comes up, especially the whole mate thing.  Rudy is so happy to find his mate while Dylan is confused by his reaction to the man and tries to take a step back.  But he can’t resist for long.

 

The world is a bit different with humans living in family groups or as singles (which are usually criminals) and paranormals living in clans so they don’t feel as if they get many choices on what they want to do with their life; Dylan was kicked out of his family group and joined the human army to avoid becoming a single.  He is so puzzled by his instincts to protect and love on Rudy; he has always believed that he will be alone since he was kicked out.  Rudy came to Roguefalls to provide a calming presence but to also get some distance from his over protective brother and he will not let his mate do the same thing to him.

 

We get to see both of these characters working through their thoughts and coming to terms with how they feel for each other.  These two know how they feel but are a bit lost on what to do and do end up taking time to get to know each other a bit before a claiming.  I can’t wait to see what happens between Christian and Ward in the next story.

 

The cover art by Erin Dameron-Hill is nice and a typical romance cover with the view of a man’s midsection.

 

Sales Links: Extasy Books | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 98 pages

Published: May 5, 2017 by Extasy Books

ISBN: 9781487412395

Edition Language: English

Series: Roguefalls #1

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Wake Me Up Inside (Mates #1) by Cardeno C. and Charlie David (Narrator)

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

 

A powerful Alpha wolf shifter and a strong-willed human overcome traditions ingrained over generations and uncover long-buried secrets to fulfill their destiny as true mates.

 

Regarded as the strongest wolf shifter in generations, Alpha Zev Hassick is surprised and confused by his attraction to his best friend. His very human, very male best friend. A male shifter has to mate with a female shifter to keep his humanity, so shifters can’t be gay. Yet, everything inside Zev tells him Jonah is his true mate.

 

Maintaining a relationship with the man he has loved since childhood isn’t easy for Jonah Marvel, but he won’t let distance or Zev’s odd family get in their way. When unexplained ailments begin to plague Jonah, he needs to save his own life and sanity in order to have a future with Zev.

 

Zev and Jonah know they’re destined for each other, but they must overcome traditions ingrained over generations and long-buried secrets to fulfill their destiny.

 

I loved this story just as much as when I read it the first time.  Zev and Jonah have been friends forever, even longer than Jonah knows.  When Zev realizes that Jonah is his mate he does everything he can to keep their new relationship going and to keep Jonah happy until they are able to fully mate, he is determined to let his mate finish getting his degree and become a doctor before he ties him down.

 

This story is told from both of the characters’ points of view so we can see both of their internal struggles.  Zev does everything he can to keep Jonah happy even when they can’t be together all the time.  While Jonah struggles with their separation and his need to Zev when they are together Zev works very hard for them to communicate as clearly as possible so that they are both satisfied.  Zev and Jonah’s relationship was instinctual from the beginning and their bond only got stronger the longer they were together.

 

Charlie David did a great job narrating this story.  I could connect with the characters through the voices and emotions he portrayed.  He did a good job of separating the characters using different voices and inflections.  The one thing this book have over the other audios is it did not have the music between chapters which I found a bit distracting before.

 

Cover art is wonderful and gives a great visual of these two characters together.

 

Sales Links: Audible | Amazon

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 7 hrs 55 min
Published: May 24, 2017 (ebook, 2nd edition, published July, 15 2015)
Edition Language: English

Series: Mates Collection

A MelanieM Review: Seduced by the Tide (Dragon Soul #2) by Sean Michael

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Meet the Beteferoce brothers. Five dragon shifters, each with a strong elemental power. And each with a fierce desire to find his soul mate.
…
Deke has yet to meet a man who gives him a rush. Coast Guard rescue has kept the dragon shifter busy, but there’s no harder work than finding a mate. Then comes Bryan. Bearded and inked, the personal trainer turned mechanic smells of grease, sweat and red meat. How irresistibly human can you get? And when it comes to hot, slamming sex, they’re the perfect fit. Now all Deke has to do is to tell Bryan what he really is, and what he has planned for them.

Bryan has never met anyone like Deke, a consuming lover with a body so arousing it damn near hurts. And he knows how to use every inch of it. Yet he can’t shake the feeling that Deke is hiding something. Just not this-the stud he’s falling for is a centuries-old dragon who has marked him as a mate.
Bryan has to admit that something inside him is changing. For the first time ever, he’s satisfied, body and soul. If Deke really is telling the truth, this could be his destiny-if he’s ready to face it.

There is no question that Sean Michael writes hot, sexy men and combustible sex scenes.  That’s in abundance here with dragon shifter Deke and his soul mate Bryan.  This is not a 1-🔥 story but 10 🔥 as their scenes together almost set the room on fire, ironic when one dragon’s element is water.  But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

Seduced by the Tide by Sean Michael is the second story in the Dragon Soul series and the first one I’ve read (something I’m going to remedy asap).  While I would have liked to have had the background and history of that first story, I don’t feel it was necessary to have in order to understand everything that was going on here.  Michael delivers enough past information that I wasn’t left floundering in the dark, instead I felt I had a pretty good foundation of this universe to sit back and enjoy the meeting and mating of Deke and Bryan. Plus they were surrounded by the first couple (and Bryan’s neighbors),Jack and Shae. This was beneficial in so many ways.  Having Jack and Shae there provided additional information as to what was happening to this couple (they had  gone through it) and gave a wonderful update to those readers who had read the first story.

I loved the depth of world building here and the glimpses I got of the other brothers who’s books  I know are coming.  There was the tattoo and Elf ink master I wanted to know more about, plus the dragon home world and of course the rest of the Beteferoce brothers.  Michael makes each man interesting and their mating sexy, hot and intimate.

I can’t wait for the next story and get to find out how it all began with the first installment Branded by Flames (Dragon Soul, #1) by which I’m guessing that Jake the dragon shifter’s element is fire.  I hope it’s as good as this story.  As it is, if you love hot men, hot sex, love and dragons, you will love Seduced by the Tide (Dragon Soul #2) by Sean Michael.

Cover design is perfect for this story.  I love the dragon elements on the bottom half especially.

Sales Links:  Carina Press 


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Book Details:

Book two in the Dragon Soul series
This book is approximately 79,000 words

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: June 26th 2017 by Carina Press
Original Title Seduced by the Tide
ASIN B06XFJPWPS
Edition Language English
Series Dragon Soul #2