Tag: A Paul B Review

A Paul B Review: Seducing His Reluctant Vampire (A Loving Nip #9) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Seducing His Reluctant VampireAbyzou is a demon approaching his thousand year anniversary of service to the horseman Pestilence.  The time has come to find his amina, or the one who will bind his soul to earth.  With this he will also be freed from the daily task of spreading disease through the world and train new demons in their duty.  Instead of being called to new duties elsewhere, his instincts tell him to stay in his current area.  His last assignment was to give colds to some cubs at the rescued shifter pack.  There he finds Toni Bastille, a vampire enforcer whom he tangled with in the past.  Abyzou realizes that Toni is his amina.

Toni Bastille has been loaned out by his coven to help protect some longhorn steer shifters from their abusive inner circle.  However, the methods that he employed to obtain information from them did not please some members of the shifter council.  As a councilman is trying to take Toni into custody, Abyzou steps in and claims him as his amina.  Toni is horrified because he cannot believe that his beloved is a demon whose blood will kill him if he drinks it.  Fate cannot be that cruel can she?

Abyzou claims rights to bond with Toni take precedence over any attempt of the council to arrest Toni as he only has a short window to complete the bonding process.  If the process is not completed, Toni will die as he will not be able to drink from anyone else.  The councilmember leaves, silently vowing to arrest Toni at a later time.  Now all Abyzou has to do is convince Toni to do is share his soul with him over the next few days in order for the bonding process to complete.

This ninth book in the Loving Nip series continues to expand on the demons and their Four Horsemen that were introduced into the series recently.  As usual, there are some misconceptions about the different species that need to be cleared up before things work out to the happily ever after.  The demons featured so far seem to have some soul or heart for being soulless creatures.  Death’s demon from the previous book wanted the people he visited to relive happy memories before they died.  Abyzou knows that while what he does might lead to death, sometimes it is for the greater good of humanity.  I look forward to visits from demons of the other two Horsemen.

The cover art by Carmen Waters shows a well build shirtless dark haired man.  Not sure if it is supposed to be Toni or Abyzou is his human guise.  It’s a fairly standard cover for the series.

Sales Links:  eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details

ebook, 92 pages
Published April 15th 2016 by Extasy Books
ISBN 1487406975 (ISBN13: 9781487406974)
Edition LanguageEnglish

https://www.goodreads.com/series/142790-a-loving-nip

A Paul B Review: First Omega (River Wolf Pack #1) by Rebecca James

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

First OmegaJosiah Kimbrel has always been fascinated with the werewolf tales that the uncle that raise him told as Josiah was growing up.  Uncle Horace had always promised Josiah a visit to werewolf territory when he was older but had died before he got the chance.  Now, as the first ambassador from the Human Werewolf Congress, Josiah is finally getting his chance.

River is the pack alpha of the River wolf pack.  While not totally trusting humans, he believes that communication with them is necessary in order to prevent a war among the species.  Somewhat reluctantly, River agrees to accept a human into his territory in order to foster this communication.

As Josiah is beginning to gather information he feels he needs to take back to the Congress, he notices a secretion that is coming out of his ass.  Annoyed that it has dampened his underwear, he goes out for a walk.  All of a sudden, River is on him and asks Josiah why he never told River that he was an omega wolf.  This surprises Josiah as his parents have long been dead and his uncle never mentioned to him about being a werewolf.  River claims that not only is Josiah an omega, but HIS omega.

Josiah must now deal with the implications of this new information.  Already looked down upon by some members of the wolf pack because he is human, Josiah now must face the fact that he will be looked down upon by the human world for being half werewolf.  There are also implications of his being River’s mate and assuming the role of First Omega within the pack.  There are also forces both from the pack and the human world that seem to want to do Josiah harm.  This mating is off to a rocky start to say the least.

Author Rebecca James has created a fascinating new werewolf world in the first book in her new River Wolf Pack series.  The houses that the werewolves have built blend into the landscape of the forest that they inhabit.  While they shun most technology as they do not want to deal with human interaction for the most part, they do have running water.  The idea of more than one alpha in a pack was also surprising.  The fact that neither the humans nor weres trust each other sets the stage for plot lines in further books.  It looks like the Human-Werewolf Congress might a good idea that those behind the scenes are using for their own purposes.  I am looking forward to following books in the series.

Sales Links:  JMS Books | ARe | Amazon

Book Details

EBook, 151 pages
Published:  January 10, 2016 by JMS Books
ISBN:  9781634860215
Edition Language:  English

Series:  River Wolf Pack

  • First Omega (River Wolf Pack #1)
  • Second Alpha (River Wolf Pack #2)

A Paul B Review: For the Love of a Wolf (Wolves of Stone Ridge #34) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

For the Love of a WolfStake Dolan, Dolan to his friends, is a firefighter for the Stone Ridge fire department.  He does not intend to insult people but he seems to have no brain to mouth filter.  So when he insults a detective who is helping to investigate a series of arsons going on in the community, he gets called in to see his supervisor.  He is told that he must apologize in writing to the detective, serve a three day suspension and “volunteer” his services clearing the brush away at the local nature park.

Cecil Rochette is a member of the local wolf shifter pack near Stone Ridge.  After his brother has mated with a cat shifter that was recently rescued from some scientists, thoughts of a mate are on his mind.  In the meantime, he has adopted a kitten for companionship.  Cecil decides to help the forest rangers in his pack with the annual clean up and brush removal.  Not knowing better, Cecil takes his new kitten with him to the park.  Cecil notices the kitten is missing and finds her in the branches of a tree.

Cecil is grateful when a hunky fireman offers to rescue the kitten from the tree.  Dolan states that as a firefighter, he has done this a number of times.  Cecil realizes that his would be hero is in fact his mate.  He kisses Dolan for his offer to help.  Dolan is taken aback by the forwardness of this man.  After all, Dolan is not gay.  Cecil realizes that his mate is new to man to man relations and decides he has to woo his mate before he can claim him.  Cecil just hopes that the reputation Dolan has as an insensitive loudmouth can be tamed.

I have been a long time reader of the Wolves of Stone Ridge series, which this is the thirty-fourth book.  What I like about the series is that Charlie Richards keeps her previous characters around as supporting players in her newer books.  They might not be mentioned for a few books but suddenly they appear again, like old friends back for a visit.  They are especially useful when initiating a new human mate into the world of the paranormal.  I know with each book in the series I will get a good story each time.  This and the related series (Kontra’s Menagerie, A Paranormal’s Love, A Loving Nip) are on my comfort reading list.

The cover art by Angela Waters is spot on as usual.  In the foreground we see a shirtless Cecil and his wolf while in the background we see Dolan in full firefighting regalia.

Sales Links:  eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details :

ebook, 106 pages
Published April 1st 2016 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487406936
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesWolves of Stone Ridge #34

Series:  Wolves of Stone Ridge

A Paul B Review: Signed with a Heart (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #2) by Caitlin Ricci and A.J. Marcus

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Signed with a HeartLeo the cheetah shifter has recently witnessed his friend Cam get mated.  Despite the widely held beliefs that arranged matings are miserable, Cam honestly loves his mate Jenner.  Now he is waiting for his own arranged mating.  In Spain with his father, Leo finds out that he is to be mated to Antonio, a wealthy businessman.  Leo is disheartened when he finds out that he will be basically cut off from society, including his best friend Cam, after the mating takes place.  When he hears this, Leo decides to flee Spain and visit his friend in the United States.

Taruk is best friends with Jenner.  His friend’s mating makes Taruk realize that he will probably never be mated.  Taruk is not from a prominent nor rich family to pay the fee needed to arrange a mating.  However, he is glad to see Leo again when he comes to visit Cam.  Taruk is then disappointed to learn that the sweet young shifter is now arranged to be mated in a month’s time.  His is alarmed to find out that Leo believes that the mating will not be a love match like their friends’ pairing.  When Leo’s intended mate Antonio shows up to claim him, Taruk can do nothing but watch him leave.

The mating goes about as poorly for Leo as he expected.  Locked in his room and chained to his bed, Leo must watch as his mate uses a call boy service and flaunt it in front of him.  The only time he sees his mate is when Antonio wants to use him sexually.  The only thing Leo is allowed to do is read the collection of classic books that Antonio has provided for him so that Leo does not make a fool of himself in front of company.  Leo is resigned to his life as an unhappy mate.   When Leo is taken to a birthday party, life takes a turn for the worse soon after.  Leo must live with the consequences of his actions which will affect not only him and his mate, but also that of Taruk and their friends.

This second book in Ricci and Marcus’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered series takes place shortly after the end of the first.  While the first book showed that arranged matings can sometimes turn out well, this second book shows what happens when then they do not.  It is mentioned that Antonio had two previous mates that had died under mysterious circumstances.  Was this not a red flag for Leo’s father or was the dowry he received more important than his son?  It seems that nobody in authority has had any power to investigate their deaths.  It would have been smart of one of the characters to suggest that Antonio might be doing something to Leo.

And these matings seem more like 18th or 19th century marriages where the “lesser” of the partners becomes property of the legally superior partner.  The other thing is that (SPOILER) Leo should not be beating himself up for the actions that he took.

The cover art by Latrisha Waters is nicely done.  It shows both Leo’s cheetah and human forms.

Sales Links:  eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details

Kindle Edition, 91 pages
Published April 22nd 2016 by eXtasy Books
ASINB01EDH47GI
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSigned, Sealed, Delivered #2

Series:  Signed Sealed Delivered

Sealed With Honor (Signed Sealed Delivered #1)

Signed With a Heart (Signed Sealed Delivered #2)

A Paul B Review: Amended Soul (Mated Heart and Soul #2) by Kate Steele

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Amended SoulJamie Hardin is looking to repair his relationship with his oldest son Rio.   He blames himself partially for the abuse Rio suffered from his step-mother.  So Jamie and his six year old son Jack head to visit Rio and his mate Mick.  Fortunately for Jamie, Rio is eager for a reunion with his family.  In fact Rio is happy that his family is moving into the area to stay.  Jamie just has to get comfortable around a pack of werewolves.  The one that is most worrisome is the sexy brother of his son’s mate.

Jed Matranga is Mick’s younger brother.  He is happy that his brother has found his mate and considers Rio to be a younger brother.  At the family get together held to celebrate Rio reuniting with his father, Jed takes notice of Rio’s father.  He tries as best as he can to turn on the charm to attract the Jamie.  When Jamie states that he needs some work done with his new office, Jed volunteers to do the work himself.  He figures out it is the best way to try to win over this man who is bitter over his ex-wife’s betrayal.

As Jamie settles into his new surroundings and meeting the new neighbors, Jed is busy making changes to Jamie’s optometry office.  The two’s attraction to each other begins to strengthen as they spend more time with each other.  As Jamie knows some about werewolf culture, he begins to question whether or not he is Jed’s mate.  However, Jed has not stated such.  Jed meanwhile does not want to push the issue with Jamie as he has been married twice before.  Would Jamie accept a same sex mating for himself, even if he approves of his son’s mating.  When Jamie returns from a welcoming party that a neighbor holds, Jed smells a female on Jamie and flies off the handle.  Has Jamie already rejected their mating before it has even really started?

I enjoyed this second book in Kate Steele’s Mated Heart and Soul series.  I missed the first book in the series but want to go back and read it.  A reader gets enough of the backstory in the first book to not feel lost in this one. I found the playfulness of Jamie and Jed delightful especially Jed’s generous use of double entendres.  Rio’s reaction to his father’s relationship with Jed is a bit puzzling considering matings are sacrosanct in werewolf culture.  However, this was explained toward the end of the book to my satisfaction.  This series has been added to my list of to be read books.

The cover by Valerie Tibbs is fairly standard for werewolf shifter books.  The top portion shows two shirtless torsos while the bottom half depicts a wolf howling at a full moon.  It is nothing spectacular but does fit the book.

Sales Links:  Loose id | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 176 pages
Published March 15th 2016 by Loose Id
ISBN139781682521069
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series:  Mated Heart and Soul

  • Altered Heart (Mated Heart and Soul #1)
  • Amended Soul (Mated Heart and Soul #2)

A Paul B Review: A New Alpha in Town (Hardwood Shifters #1) by A.J. Marcus

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A New Alpha In TownTanner Groff has been on a mission since his wolf shifter pack was killed by hunters last year.  The former alpha, now lone wolf, has been crossing the country trying to find other shifters to warn them of the danger and prevent another slaughter like the one his pack experienced.  But lately, being a lone wolf has been trying on him.  Tanner wants to feel like he belongs somewhere, as wolves as social creatures.  He hopes to run into another wolf shifter pack or at least a group of shifters willing to let him stick around for a while.  Sensing a storm coming, Tanner decides to stop for a snack before going forward in front of the storm.  While there he scents another shifter at the truck stop.  He decides to follow the van that this shifter gets into.

Van Saunders is a bear shifter from a hidden community of shifters in Colorado.  He and his friend Parker are delivering merchandise that members of his community have made to be sold to the human world.  Knowing that a storm is coming, Van wants to get home for the first snow celebration that happens every year.  Having made a pit stop, Van is eager to get back on the road.  However, an accident further up the freeway and the approaching bad weather force the pair to exit and stop at another truck stop further up the road.  Uneasy with all the humans there, Van decides to take the back roads back home despite the bad weather.  As he gets ready to get into the van, he sees Parker struggling with another man.

Tanner, who had wiped out on his motorcycle, arrives at this truck stop thanks to the kindness of a fellow biker driving in a truck.  Noticing that he found the shifter’s van that he lost due to his accident, Tanner is relieved.  Then he sees the gorgeous bear shifter struggling with a man who appears to be trying to abduct him.  Not seeing Van’s partner anywhere, Tanner shifts to his wolf form and kills the would-be kidnapper.  Now Tanner and Van must work together to find Parker before he is either killed or is tortured for information on the shifter community.  They must also deal with the growing attraction that is building between them and not let it distract them from their mission.

This first book in A J Marcus’s new Hardwood Shifter series strikes all the usual chords when it comes to shifter novels.  You have shifters trying to remain hidden from society while trying to become more modern in their ways.  You have the evil hunters who want to kill all shifters.  And you have mates who fall for each other at almost first site.  The community of Hardwood Valley is somewhat unique in that it features a collection of different shifters that have been living together for over 200 years.  When you throw in the mages that protect the village you have a something that is not seen in most books.  The real treat of the book is Van’s friend Parker.  His shifted form is unusual and his personality fits his animal form.

The cover art by Latrisha Waters fits the book well.  Tanner in his leather jacket along with Van in his bear form are in front of a snowy Colorado mountain.

Sales Links:  Extasy Books | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 82 pages
Published April 15th 2016 by eXtasy
ISBN139781487406950
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series:  Hardwood Shifters

A New Alpha in Town (Hardwood Shifters #1)

A Paul B Review: Enemies of the State (The Executive Office #1) by Tal Bauer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars       ★★★★★

Enemies of the StateEthan Reichenbach is the lead agent in the President-Elect’s Secret Service detail.  He expects to spend the next four or eight years being shadowing the man just elected to live in the White House.  What he did not expect is to become the new President’s friend. Nor did he expect to develop a crush on the man in the first few months after they move to Washington. Doing so would break so many Secret Service rules and would be grounds for dismissal.  Not to mention that the President is straight.  This breaks Ethan’s personal rules of never getting involved in a relationship and never falling for a straight man.

Jack Spiers has spent the fifteen years since his wife’s death in combat in public service.  Focusing on veterans and their families, he has held several posts in Washington.  Having been elected President should be the pinnacle of his career.  But having lost his wife a long time ago, Jack finds the office lonely.  He turns to his lead Secret Service agent for friendship, which Ethan is hesitant to give at first.   However, as their friendship develops, Jack is surprised when one night Ethan kisses him.  To say that Jack is surprised would be an understatement.  As the two put distance between them, Jack still wants Ethan to be his friend.  But Jack begins to realize that he has feelings for Ethan as well.  He wants to find a way to make this work.

Against this backdrop, Jack is still President.  He must deal with a world that has basically gone to hell in a handbasket the last ten years.  With China and Russia both occupying countries and the Islamic Caliphate causing trouble both in the Middle East and around the world through terror attacks, Jack has his hands full.  However, the real trouble might be right under Jack’s nose.  An American general is working with agents in the Middle East to bring about even more instability to a region already at war.  As Jack works toward bringing peace to the world, there are others who are trying to insure that he does not succeed.  Ethan must work to protect the man who is not only the President but also his lover.

In order for a political thriller to work, the premise behind the book must work.  Set approximately 10-30 years in the future, Enemies of the State describes a world that could possibly exist at that time.  The Islamic Caliphate (ISIS/ISIL) has grown bolder with the passage of time, as has Russia with their land grabs.  The English, French and Germans are battle weary after numerous terrorist attacks.  Into this world, Jack must try to bring all sides together to prevent the start of World War III.

The other part of a good political thriller is the romance.  I loved the slow building romance between Ethan and Jack.  Ethan, the gay Secret Service agent, knows that a relationship with Jack is wrong on so many levels.  But are the signals the President is sending him real?  Jack is alone in the White House and needs a friend.  What could be wrong with that?  They begin to learn about each other as they work through their own problems with this relationship.  I look forward to see where the next book goes with both this relationship and the various subplots that are left unresolved.

The cover art by Aria Tan shows Ethan and Jack above the Washington skyline.  It is a fitting cover for the book.

Sales Links:   NineStar Press | Amazon |  ARe

Book Details

ebook, 324 pages
Published February 15th 2016 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781911153337
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series:  The Executive

Enemies of the State (The Executive #1)

A Paul B Review: Marking Kane (Werewolves of Manhattan #4) by A.C. Katt

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

MARKING KANEThe fourth book in the Wolves of Manhattan series by A. C. Katt begins at McClellan High School where Kane Brady is refusing to pass two members of the basketball team just because the coach told him to do so.  The two players, along with the coach, decide this young gay teacher needs to be taught a lesson.  The two players, along with the other three starters from the team, brutally rape Kane as he is walking home from school late one night.

Gabriel Martin is the fourth in the Garou Industries, the werewolf owned company.  Though his territory is small, his position within the corporation is important, as the director of technology.  He has been dreaming of his mate lately and with three other board members having found their mates, he hopes that the premonition comes true.  Driving from the Newark airport into the city, the roads become hazardous in a snowstorm.  Traffic moving at a crawl, he notices a young man staggering out of an alley.  Moved to help the wounded man, Gabriel immediately recognizes the man to be his mate.  He informs his betas of this fact to marshal resources to help Kane.  He brings Kane to the hospital where the pack doctor is working and calls the Alpha to inform him of his discovery.

Gabriel, along with his friends and the previous found alpha mates, try to convince Kane that he would recover better in Gabriel’s penthouse suite while those who abused him are sought out.  After the players and coach have been rounded up, the group convinces Kane to spend the holidays with Gabriel.  Just as things begin to settle down and the big reveal about shifters and mates is to take place, the group receives word that the coach has made bail and is seeking vengeance.  Gabriel and his friends must prepare for the mating ceremony in Atlanta while keeping an eye out for the newly freed coach.  To complicate matters, an alpha with dual citizenship in Russia has recently returned to America to escape the violence brought on by Putin’s homophobic laws.  The Prime Alpha is worried that major trouble for his shifters is just around the corner and must prepare for the upcoming battle.

As usual, this is another fine outing in Ms. Katt’s series.  The story follows the others in that an abused human is rescued by a member of the Garou Industries board.  It is even pointed out by one of the characters that this is a recurring theme in finding the mates.  The mates are also of Irish descent and have various shades of green eyes.  It will be interesting to see if this pattern sticks with the next book.  The supernatural help that Kane receives to help recover from the rape allows for the story to move forward without the trauma of the event preventing the mating from going forward.  The growing bond between all the alpha mates is touching to read as they have all suffered in the past and form a support group amongst themselves.

The cover art by Winterheart Design shows our blond Kane and the dark haired Gabriel above the New York skyline with an image of a wolf superimposed behind our two heroes.  It fits the character of the book well.

Sales Links:  MLR Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details

ebook, 166 pages
Published March 2016 by MLR Press
ISBN 1020160527
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesWerewolves of Manhattan #4

Series:  Werewolves of Manhattan

A Paul B Review: The Leprechaun’s Gamble (Gifts of the Fae #1) by A.J. Marcus

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Leprechaun's GambleA leprechaun gets but one chance to find love in the mortal realm.  If the leprechaun is successful, they may live out their life with their true love in the mortal world with occasion visits back to the fairy world.  If unsuccessful, they must find love in the fairy world which has proven difficult to do.  Knowing both the reward and costs, young leprechauns gamble to find their true love.

Ailin is one such leprechaun.  Having passed up his chance last year thinking he was too young for such an adventure, he decides to go forth this year.  He knows that the portal will open on St. Patrick’s Day and will have until the equinox a few days later to find his love.  Having found the portal site, Ailin crosses through then casts a spell to protect himself from the rush of other leprechauns coming through.  Once he regains his senses, he heads to town.  On the way, he meets a brownie, a dark fairy from another fairy kingdom.  Ailin ignores the brownie’s temptations and finds a festival in the nearest town.  He is off to find the man who will love him.

Rohan is a farmer to the north of the town.  He inherited his grandfather’s farm recently and loves the simpler life.  He enters a jig dance contest at the local festival.  As competitors begin to drop, he notices the only one keeping up is a good looking red headed man, who happens to be Ailin in his human guise.  Impressed that he can keep up, Rohan offers to buy the man a drink at the local tavern.  The competitive nature in both men leads to a game of darts where wagers are made by the patrons.  Finding the man challenging, he asks the man to come back to the farm with him.  Ailin is overjoyed at the possibility that Rohan might be the one and accepts.  Now he must turn this attraction to true love in the next few days or else he will never find mortal love.

This is the first book in the Gifts of the Fae series by A. J. Markus.  If you are looking for two alpha males you have found it in this book.  Both men acknowledge their competitive nature, which includes the size of their equipment.  Of course both are well hung, as it seems they have to be the best at everything they do.  It was interesting to see Ailin dance around some of Rohan’s questions as Ailin cannot lie to the human but also did not want to reveal his true nature until he know Rohan was the one for him.  Overall it was an enjoyable start to this new series.

The cover art is perfect for this book.  We have the red headed Ailin with his scruff standing beside the dark haired Rohan wearing what looks like a tam o’shanter.    These fit the description of the characters perfectly.  The rainbow above the author’s name is a nice touch.  Kudos go to Carmen Waters for the cover.

Sales Links:   eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details

ebook, 53 pages
Published March 14th 2016 by eXtasy Books
ISBN139781487406516
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series:  Gifts of the Fae

The Leprechaun’s Gamble (Gifts of the Fae #1)