Tag: A Paul B Review

A Paul B Review: Wolf (Demon Elite 2) by April Kelley

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Wolf Demon EliteLiam O’Reilly has not heard from his brother Finn for a week.  This is unusual because the brothers do not go more than two days without speaking.  Fearing something is wrong, he confronts his mother and step-father Richard.  Liam never liked his step-father and dislikes his mother for putting up with his abuse of the family.  While talking with his parents, Liam learns that Richard has sent Finn to a gay conversion camp.  After threatening to call the police, Liam receives a video saying to go to a meeting if he wants to see his brother again.  The crap hits the fan at this meeting and results with Liam being arrested with no hope of release from the crooked cops that took him in.

Spenser Ross, known to everyone as Wolf, is an elite assassin for the team.  He has developed a soft spot for Finn O’Reilly after his team rescued him from sex traffickers.  He assures Finn that they are doing what they can to find Liam, whom no one has heard from since his encounter with Crash a month ago.  Following up on a lead, he finds he is a moment too late to rescues Liam from jail, but follows those who have come to move him.  He arrives at a warehouse being used by the sex traffickers.  When he saves Liam from being turned over to the man who had originally paid for Finn, he finds that Liam is just as feisty as Finn had described him.  The Irish red headed firecracker (Liam insists it is strawberry blond) at first resists going with his would be rescuer.  After all, he’s been screwed over by authority figures for the past month.  Only after being convinced that he helped rescue Finn and that Finn is safe does Liam begin to trust his hero.  Now all they have to do is get back to company headquarters with a department full of crooked cops along with Wolf’s ex-boss on their tail.

I found this second book in the Demon Elite series enjoyable.  It starts during the events of the first book Crash and explains how Liam got tied up in all this mess in the first place.  As with the first book, the attraction between protector and protected is almost instant.  However, the most important thing I am finding in this series is the sense of family that the team has.   Having Liam and Wolf hook up reinforces this with their relationship to Finn.  Wolf also has a brotherly relationship with the team’s young tech geek Germ.  It is Clair, the fifteen year old girl rescued along with Finn that really brings this point home.  She becomes Wolf’s foster daughter and the team’s little sister/niece.  It will be interesting to see how much further this family grows. 

The cover art by Latrisha Waters depicts Wolf as I would figure him to be.  The cover shows a long haired Native American male in a white tee shirt with a leather jacket over it.  In the corner is the Demon Elite crest, which is tattooed on each member of the team.

Sales Links

eXtasy-WebsiteLogo

Book Details

ebook, 120 pages
Published March 1st 2016 by eXtasy Books
ISBN 1487406444 (ISBN13: 9781487406448)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesDemon Elite #2

Series:  Demon Elite

  • Crash (Demon Elite #1)
  • Wolf (Demon Elite #2)
  • Cosmo (Demon Elite #3)
  • Tanner & Shade (Demon Elite #4)
  • Ashley (Demon Elite #5)

A Paul B Review: Crash (Demon Elite 1) by April Kelley

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

CrashElijah Spade’s life got complicated after his mother’s death.  Having had virtually no contact with his mother’s relatives due to their criminal activities, Elijah is now caught up unwillingly in their plans.  Forced to help kidnap another gay man at a club, Elijah decides that is one man is going to die do to his actions, it should be him for helping out his relatives.  However, the attempted escape fails and Elijah and the victim are both captured.  Not knowing what happened to the mark, Elijah is thrown into the family dungeon where he lingers for weeks on end.  Hope comes when a fellow prisoner escapes and sends in help to rescue Elijah.

Crash Morgan is an assassin for the Demon Elite team.  His job is to kill the worst of the worst in society.  Those who die by his hand need to die.  So when his boss tell him that his next assignment is to watch and question a young man who is in the hospital, Crash initially objects.  When goes to the hospital room to watch over Elijah, Crash feels instantly protective of him.  Crash realizes that the man in the hospital bed may have to go to jail so any feelings are inappropriate.  Besides, it is against company policy.  As Crash gets to hear Elijah’s story, he cannot help but feel sorry for the guy.  His feelings for him start to grow also.  So when a pair of dirty cops sent by Elijah’s family show up, Crash takes matters into his own hands and escapes the hospital with Elijah.  Now can he keep them both alive to see if what both men are beginning to feel will grow?

This is the first book in the Demon Elite series by April Kelley.  The story revolves around an elite squad of men who contract out their services to right injustices in the world.  I thought her portrayal of what would be symptoms of PTSD in Elijah was well written.  Elijah’s anxiety attacks and his fear of Crash leaving him were realistic given the circumstances of his imprisonment.  Crash’s mother, who seems to act as a mother to the team, immediately bonds with Elijah after she learns what has happened to him.  The author also sets up future books with a twist that puts the integrity of the Demon Elite team in question.   It will be interesting to see how Crash and company takes on “the big bad.”

Sales Links

eXtasy-WebsiteLogo

Book Details

EBook, 120 pages
Published:  January 1, 2016 by eXtasy Books
Edition Language:  English
ISBN:  978-1-4874-0587-8

Series:  Demon Elite

A Paul B Review: The Werewolf Tutor (Shreds #1) by Jade Astor

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Werewolf TutorGarth Merrick and his two brothers are opening a new shifter friendly bar in Maine.  To say that Garth is not made to be a bartender is an understatement.  The number of broken glasses is a testament to that.  One day their family attorney shows up with a proposition.  One of his friends, a wolf shifter, has a son who is having a difficult time shifting.  Would one of the brothers be willing to tutor the young shifter the proper techniques to shifting?  Garth sees this as an opportunity to avoid broken glass and spend some time in rural Maine where his cougar can roam the country estate.

Braiden Hemmings is a young werewolf shifter who is used to getting his own way.  His father does not like the fact that he is hanging out with members of the other pack that lives in town, as the two packs have had bad blood for years.  Having to go away for business, Braiden’s father decides to hire someone to supposedly help him learn to shift.  Braiden knows the real reason is that his father just wants someone to keep an eye on him with he’s out of town.  Braiden decides to act like the brat that his father thinks he is and seduce the babysitter and run him out of town.  When he catches sight of the gorgeous man brought in, Braiden decides that maybe he shouldn’t run him off so fast.

While the attraction between the two is obvious, Garth resists temptation because he Is being paid to teach this young man.  However, the young men of the rival pack decide to make Braden do their bidding, ordering him to meet them.  Garth warns Braiden about possible trouble.  When Braiden does not show, the pack comes searching for them.  The tutor and student must defend themselves against the invaders if they want to continue their new romance.

This is the first book in the new Shreds series.  I wanted to like the book more but something seemed to fall short for me.  I am not sure if it is the fact that Garth up and leaves his brothers behind as they start a new business or the romance between the two main characters did not click as I thought it should have.  Despite this, I do look forward to the stories of Garth’s brothers.  The idea of a shifter bar provides a good setting for future stories.

The cover by E Connors has our two men in front of a forest setting.  One is shirtless while the other has a zipper cropped sweatshirt on.  It is a decent if generic cover for the book.

Sales Links

        

Book Details

EBook, 66 pages
Edition Language:  English
Published:  April 26, 2016 by Dark Hallows Press
ISBN:  978-1530302451

Series:  Shreds

The Werewolf Tutor (Shreds #1)

A Paul B Review: Third Mate (River Wolf Pack #3) by Rebecca James

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Third MateThe third book in the River Wolf series is crafted into a well written episode of what could be a popular soap opera.  Ms. James has expanded the role of minor characters from her previous books while still weaving in the major characters from them as well.  If you are looking for romance, jealousy, triangle romances, office politics and strong family ties, this book has it for you.

The main focus of the book is the romance and friendships between Leo, an alpha wolf shifter trying to get ahead in pack hierarchy, Sam, a rogue omega wolf who lost his pack due to hunters, and Foster, a coyote shifter who has gotten separated from his pack.  Leo really does not want to be bothered with taking on an omega as a mate.  However, his hormones seem to be telling him otherwise when he is around Sam, the rogue omega he has been assigned to assimilate into the pack.  Sam meanwhile enjoys his friendship with Foster while secretly wanting Leo.  But Sam thinks Leo is into Foster.  Foster is under the assumption that Leo lusts after Sam and is trying to do everything to get Sam to realize it.  If he cannot have the hunky alpha wolf, he wants his best friend to have a shot at him. 

Meanwhile Stone is causing all sorts of trouble in the pack, as usual.  He is trying to mate as many pack members as possible and has his eyes set on Sam.  Jax is beginning to realize that he will never want to convert to a werewolf and fears his time with the pack second David is coming to an end.  Elsewhere, pack members are grumbling that First Alpha River and his half werewolf First Omega Josiah had twin girls six months ago, the first girls to be born to werewolves at least in recent memory.  River ignoring the complaints have only made the matter worse.  While the main antagonist in the werewolf-human congress is gone, relations between the two species are still tenuous at best.  Can River keep his new family and his pack from forces both inside and outside the pack?

I love the characters in this series.  Josiah being half were and new to the pack leads to his continued insecurity.  His focus as lead omega, his mate and his young girls are the only things that ground him.  But they also feed his insecurity because of the looks he gets.  Sam and Foster are trying to make new starts for themselves but some inside the pack do not like strangers, whether were or human.  Foster still longs to find his true mate.  This affects his relationship to not only Sam and Leo but also to the pack as a whole.  The decisions made at the end of the book serve as a conclusion and a new beginning for the men (and girls) of River Wolf pack.  I highly recommend this book and the previous books as well. 

The cover by Written Ink Designs serves the book well.  It has three shirtless men on the top half while a pack of wolves dominates the bottom half.  The only quibble I have with the cover is that one of the main characters in the book is a coyote shifter.  I know wolves and coyotes probably would not peacefully coexist in the real world, but there might have been a way to represent Foster’s other half.

Sales Links: JMS Books | ARe | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords |Bookstrand | Kobo | iTunes

Book Details:

ebook, 176 pages
Published July 16th 2016 by JMS Books
ISBN139781634861205
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series:  River Wolf Pack

First Omega (River Wolf Pack #1)

A Paul B Review: Delivered to Hope (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #3) by Caitlin Ricci and A.J. Marcus

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Delivered To HopeMorris is a rent boy for the Critters on Call escort service.  He has been working for the past six years after running away from home.  His one regret is leaving behind his brother Jeremy, who was put into a catatonic state after a beating from their father.   He has been saving money for the past few years in order to get his brother away from his controlling uncle, who is currently responsible for his brother’s well-being.  After finishing a job in Paris, a limo carrying his Uncle Ben pulls up.  His uncle informs him that is to be a mate to a shifter in the state of Washington in the United States.  The uncle threatens to move his brother to a lesser care facility where Morris knows his brother will die.  Morris agrees to the mating if he is given control of his brother’s affairs.  The uncle agrees on the condition that the mating lasts at least a month.

Harrison is an elk shifter that has been around the block a few times.  He’s had a series of one night stands at the bars but has been saving his “virginity” for his mate.  Though he knows that this loose definition is really a lie, he hopes that his future mate will accept him as he is.  He meets his mate at what is to be their future home.  He follows the blond haired young man to a pond on the property and they introduce themselves in a carnal way before the official meeting.  Relieved that his mate will not hold his not being a virgin against him, he tries to make things work with Morris.  However, Morris’s past catches up with him when they go out to the club one night.  He yells at Morris and raises a hand to him.  Morris flees and is not home when Harrison arrives.  Will he make things right with his new mate?  Did Morris just doom Jeremy in the process?

The characters in this third book in the Signed Sealed Delivered series started out kind of flat but by the end of the book seemed to round out a bit.  In the beginning it is mentioned that Morris left his brother behind.  It is not until later in the book we learn that he has been going to see his brother on the sly whenever he can.  Morris schemes to get out of his mating after the mandatory thirty days his uncle demanded.  He realizes that even after a short time he cares about Harrison.  Morris does what he can for his brother and that is his primary motivation for everything he does.  The ending of the book is a bit contrived and makes Uncle Ben even more of a villain.  The characters from the previous book provide a good support system for Harrison.   

Latrisha Water’s cover is reflective of the others in the series.  It has a picture of Morris in both his human and elephant forms on a yellow background.  It is a decent cover for the book.

Sales Links:   eXtasy Books | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 84 pages
Published May 15th 2016 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487407049
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSigned, Sealed, Delivered #3

Series:  Signed, Sealed, Delivered

  • Sealed with Honor (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #1)
  • Signed with a Heart (Signed, Sealed Delivered #2)
  • Delivered to Hope (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #3)

A Paul B Review: A Time to Rise by Tal Bauer

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

A Tiime To RiseFor all the holiness that surrounds Vatican City, evil lurks within its walls.

Alain Autenburg has been a member of the Swiss Guard for the past twelve years.  As a member of the group of men charged with protecting the Holy See and the Supreme Pontiff, the Swiss Guard have been serving popes for centuries.  Unbeknownst to most within the Guard, there is a subset within their numbers who are members of the Knights Templar.  They are responsible for ridding Rome of all the unholy paranormal happenings going on in the city.  Alain is the current Knight responsible for these duties.

Cristoph Haase is a new halberdier in the Swiss Guard.  Older than most of the other new soldiers in the pope’s army, Christoph is not quite sure why he is in Rome.  While it is the top assignment of the Swiss army to be selected as a member of the Guard, Cris is not sure he fits in.  Resigning would not only end his military career, but also leave a stain for any future private employment.  To make matters worse, Cris is fighting his attraction to and non-committal response from the Sergeant in the “Special Projects” office of the Guard, Alan Autenburg. To make matters worse, the sergeant is assigned to be his mentor.

As the attraction between the two grows, Alain has severe reservations about letting Cris into his world.  The last time he let someone in it almost destroyed him.  Alain wants to protect Cris from the things that go bump in the night.  A relationship with this new recruit would put in jeopardy, especially if he were to be trained as his replacement.  All that changes when Cris is cornered in a bar one night by an incubus who is trying to steal his soul.  The incubus shows both men their deepest desire.  They must now move forward with their relationship while fighting demons being called by someone within the walls of Catholic leadership.

This is a well-crafted book with enough tease of romance and action to fulfill the premise of the book.  Alain wants to be with Cris but the last man he was close to was hurt by his line of work so he Is very hesitant to follow his feelings.  This drives Cris crazy with what seems to be Alain’s flip flopping on whether or not to see where their feelings lead.  The secondary characters work to move the story along.  Of special note is Father Lotario.  The chain smoking, vodka swilling exorcist is not what one expects to find. I hope there are more tales of Alain, Cris and the demon fighting men of the Vatican.

The cover art by Aria Tan is perfect for the book.  Alain is standing in profile with the Vatican City skyline in the background.  You can also see Cris looking on in the background.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book Details

ebook
Published May 2nd 2016 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781911153481
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Paul B Review: Alexei’s Mouse (Werewolves of Manhattan #5) by A.C. Katt

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Alexei's MouseThe fifth book in A. C. Katt’s Werewolves of Manhattan series is more of the same, which is a good thing for the reader.  The leadership of the loup garrou and Garou Industries keep finding their mates in humans in trouble.  These pairings find redemption for both men and bring gifts to the werewolf council. These will be needed as they fear an upcoming battle looms in the near future.

The human mate this time is Donal Berne.  A runaway at the age of fourteen, Donal has spent the last seven years working as a call boy Vito Apuso, for an underling of Don Ferone.  Apuso has abused Donal and gotten him hooked on heroin in an effort to control him.  The only reason he has survived as long as he has is because of Julio, an independent call boy.  However, Donal has decided that seven years of abuse from Vito and the johns he is assigned to is enough and decides to end it all with an overdose.

The Garou Industries executive this time is fifth in charge Alexi Davidoff.  He was the second in command of the Russian Council.  Three years ago, Alexi was arrested for protesting the inaction of the Russian police after his beta was murdered by gay bashing thugs, which caused the death of the beta’s mate as well.  Having spent three years in a Russian prison nearly broke Alexi.  After his release is negotiated by Garou Industries, Alexi immigrates to the United States and takes over the Colorado territory of the American Council, which is within his birthright.  As he is travelling to his new home in New York City, he spots a young man on a park bench with a needle sticking out of this arm.  He investigates and discovers the man is his mate and calls for help.

The resolution to Donal’s problems seems to have been solved a little too quickly but a further complication is thrown in shortly afterward.  However, this threat is mostly talked about as a possible threat to both Donal and Don Ferone but is resolved almost as quickly and off screen like the first problem.  The tension in the previous books just wasn’t there this time for me.  The epilogue is a probably preview of the next book of the series, where unlike in the past, the future mate has already been introduced.  As mentioned before, the characters mention a possible big battle that is coming in the near future.  There are three more members of the Garou ruling board who are unmated, so this battle may be a ways off yet.  I eagerly await the conclusion of this series.

The cover art by Winterheart Designs has Donal and Alexi above a New York skyline.  Above the two men is Alexi’s wolf.  It Is well done and fits the pattern of the rest of the series.

Sales Links: MLR Books  |  Amazon

Book Details

EBook, 217 pages
Edition Language:  English
Published:  May 20, 2016 by MLR Books
ASIN: B01G2AKDFS

Series:  Werewolves of Manhattan

 

 

 

 

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A Paul B Review: Wooing the Lighthouse Keeper (Tales of the Briny Nyx) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Wooing the LIghthouse KeeperCharlie Richards has begun a new paranormal series.  This time, her focus is on briny nix, or mermen.  The first book is Wooing the Lighthouse Keeper.

Wayne Thorpe has enjoyed being a high school teacher.  He is shocked when he is accused of inappropriate behavior with an ex-lover.  While the allegations are being looked into by the school board, Wayne decides to get away from the controversy.  He decides to fill in for a friend’s father who happens to be a lighthouse keeper, who is attending his daughter’s wedding.   

Zarek Rudiman is about to celebrate his birthday.  With this birthday, he can petition the nix court to change how relations with the human world are dealt with.  However, someone does not want this to happen.  The royal guard has come to arrest Zarek for treason to the crown, even though he is a distant relative of the king.  With the help of his valet, Zarek narrowly avoids arrest at the house but he is followed by the guards.  Through the help of a friend in the guard, Zarek escapes through a cave.  As he escapes though, one of the guards strikes his tail with a trident, severely injuring him.  As he swims out the other side, he must avoid the sharks that will sense blood in the water.  Exhausted, Zarek finally washes ashore beneath a steep cliff.

Wayne and a friend have just finished dinner one night when they notice a naked man below on the beach, obviously injured.  Wayne feels an instant attraction to this man, who is bleeding from both legs.  When the man wakes up, Zarek recognizes that Wayne is his Adelfi Psychi, his soul mate.  However, Wayne is not buying his story of how he landed up naked on the beach.  Zarek must convince Wayne that not only is he not in danger but also not to call the police.  Zarek is worried about undercover nixes who serve as spies in the human world, reporting to the court on the current condition of the human world.  Will Zarek be able to convince Wayne that mermen exist and that he is Zarek’s mate?

I feel that this new series is off to a good start.  Unlike the author’s other paranormal series, which featured scientists as the primary antagonist, this series starts off with internal turmoil within the briny nix.  It will be interesting to see how Zarek is able to return to the world of the nix.  Meanwhile, he bides his time with Wayne on shore.  Tran and Easton’s unintended initiation to the world of the nix set up future mating for this series.  This sets up what looks like another enjoyable series from Ms. Richards.

The cover art by Angela Waters shows a shirtless Zarek coming out of the surf with a lighthouse in the background.  It is a perfect cover for this book.

Sales Links:  eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details

EBook, 76 pages

Edition Language:  English

Published:  May 15, 2016 by eXtasy Books

ISBN:  978-1-4874-0709-4

Series:  Tales of the Briny Nix

Wooing the Lighthouse Keeper (Tales of the Briny Nix #1)