Tag: A Paul B Review

A Paul B Review: Needing Noel (Moon Pack #14) by Amber Kell

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars                   ★★★★

Needing Noel coverNoel lost his first mate and their daughter to a fire more than ten years ago.  Will he be able to accept his second mate after such a devastating loss?

Noel Thistleborn has spent the last few years as personal assistant to the king of the fae.  He tries to keep busy to help him forget about the fire that killed both his mate and their daughter.  As part of his duties, he must organize the dragon-mating ball that is being put on by King Kylen.  While he would prefer not to attend the ball itself, Kylen has ordered all single fae must show up.  Kylen gives a concession to Noel in that he can make a brief appearance before he may leave for the night.

Hartmut (Hart) has had a crush on the dragon leader for a number of years.  However, Rhaegar has recently met his mates, a fae and a wolf shifter.  Now he wants the same kind of unconditional love that he sees his friend has.  He hopes that the upcoming ball being held by the fae king to help dragons find their mates will produce some positive results.

When Hart arrives at the ball, his dragon smells something wonderful and indicates to Hart that his mate is in the area.   He tracks Noel down and tells him that he believes Noel is his mate.  Noel tells Hart that he has already had a mate and he does not want another one.  When Hart explains that unlike fae, dragons may only get one mate and that he just wants to get to know Noel better, Noel agrees to a dinner date.  However, having been initially turned down by Noel, Hart wonders if it is even worth the bother.

As the party is winding down, Rhaeger informs Noel that while Hart is a dragon, he has a soft heart.  Just as he is ready to leave, Noel is confronted by his former brother-in-law and is told that the fire almost ten years ago was not what it may seem.  Could either his first mate or his daughter still be alive?  How will Noel convince Hart that he does truly want him while finding answers to questions his brother-in-law put forth?

This fourteenth book in the Moon Pack delivers, as have previous books.  I have enjoyed how Ms. Kell has expanded the universe in the series.  This has allowed her flexibility to keep the series continuing to great success.  The one issue I did have with the book was the epilogue.  While it does further the overall Moon Pack storyline of Anthony becoming a full fledge god grandson of Zeus, the three characters in the epilogue appeared no where else in the book except for brief mentions by the main characters in the story.  Those who have not been reading the series might not know what to make of seemingly extra material.

The cover design by Meredith Russell is simply stunning.  The top half of the cover has our two protagonists shirtless standing in some room.  The bottom half shows Hart’s dragon either landing or about to take off with his wings fully extended beside the fae castle.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Ebook:  84 pages
Published:  July 17, 2015 by Amber Kell Books
ASIN:  B011YXUIVC
Edition:  English
Series:  Moon Pack

  • Attracting Anthony (Moon Pack #1)
  • Baiting Ben (Moon Pack #2)
  • Courting Calvin (Moon Pack #3)
  • Denying Dare (Moon Pack #4)
  • Enticing Elliott (Moon Pack #5)
  • Finding Ferro (Moon Pack #6)
  • Getting Gabe (Moon Pack #7)
  • Hunting Henry (Moon Pack #8)
  • Inflaming Inno (Moon Pack #9)
  • Judging Jager (Moon Pack #10)
  • Keeping Kylen (Moon Pack #11)
  • Loving Leif (Moon Pack #12)
  • Marking Mikel (Moon Pack #13)
  • Needing Noel (Moon Pack #14)

A Paul B Review: Remy’s Painter (The Werewolves of Manhattan #2) by A.C. Katt

 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Remy's Painter coverRemy Clavier has just taken over as second in command of the North American Council of Werewolves and Garou Corporation. While searching for a base of operations in Manhattan, he finds a series of buildings in Brooklyn. As soon as he can get his townhome renovated, he can move out of the leader’s condo that he is staying in while the Alpha and his mate go on a year long combined honeymoon and business trip.

Ian Sullivan is desperate. His brother and father have been killed in a car accident. However, Ian believes that it was no accident. He believes that their deaths are attributed to the loans that his brother owes to Sal Ferrara, a member of one of the New York mobs. During the funeral, the mobster comes to Ian and tells him that he know owes his brothers debt. He can either pay up or become his personal sex toy. He gives Ian until Friday to come up with the first payment or else Ian becomes his.

Not wanting to have anything to do with the Sal, Ian decides to keep the one appointment remaining before his family was killed. Now being a one-man operation instead of three, he knows there it little chance of getting the job. He vows he would rather kill himself before he has to fulfill the terms set out by Sal.

When Remy opens the door to the man who is bidding to repaint the townhome, he recognizes two things. First, Ian is his mate. Second, the desperation smell coming of Ian. Third, the man is human. He makes up his mind to convince the young man to be his. He bends over backwards to award the job to Ian. Then he sets out a plan to convince Ian to accept that werewolves are real and that he can help him solve his problem with his mob stalker. When Remy sends representatives to pay off the debt, he is flatly refused. Remy realizes that this is personal. How can he solve Ian’s problems without starting a war with the mob?

I enjoyed this second novel in the Werewolves of Manhattan series. It follows the same basic premise of the first in which a human is in trouble and stumbles into his werewolf mate rescuer. Sal is a decent bad guy and furthers the story line of the tense relationship between the New York mafia and those of North American Council of Werewolves. I expect this tension to continue in further novels.

The gorgeous cover by Winterheart Designs shows depiction of Remy and Ian as I would picture them with Remy’s wolf howling at a moon. This is set above a New York skyline.

Sales Links:   MLR Press  |  All Romance (ARe) |  Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:
Add it to your Goodreads List here
EBook: 172 pages
ASIN: B0106CFR7C
Published: June 2015 by MLR Press
Edition: English
Series: The Werewolves of Manhattan:
His Omega (Werewolves of Manhattan #1)
Remy’s Painter (Werewolves of Manhattan #2)

A Paul B Review: More Than Patient (A Loving Nip Book 4) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

More Than PatientGarner met his beloved at a holiday party months ago. Even the taste of bagged blood is not enough for the vampire. What will convince his beloved that they are meant to be together?

Brock Sanchez has a problem. Several months ago, he was at a holiday party that was hosted by a friend. The plan was to bed the two sexy female vampires he had been chatting with most of the evening. Instead he became fascinated with a male vampire by the name of Garner. Their night of lovemaking was the hottest that he had ever had. Since then, no matter how often he tries to get himself laid, nothing can come close to Garner. The only relief he can find is through pleasuring himself and thinking of the sexy male vampire as he does it. He cannot be gay. After all, his mother expects grandbabies from him and his wife.

Garner Vorzman has a problem. He has met his one and only beloved some months ago at a holiday party. Since he had met his beloved, blood directly from donors that live at the coven no longer appeals to him. He survives on bagged blood. However, even that is beginning to leave a sour taste in his month. He must convince his beloved that he belongs at his side. But first he must convince Brock that maybe he is not as straight as he thinks he is. He decides to use Brock’s reluctance against him. He decides to have Brock allow him to drink his blood on a regular basis or he will tell everybody what the two of them after the holiday party. If Brock still decides he does not want a relationship, he will leave him alone.

While I enjoyed the story for the most part, I tend to disagree with Garner’s solution to Brock’s reluctance. This is his beloved that he is trying to woo. What better way to start a lifetime commitment than to essentially blackmail your lover into doing what you need. Other characters in the author’s books have found creative ways to entice a reluctant mate/beloved in the past. Luckily, with the help of Brock’s friends explaining the need of a beloved to a vampire that Garner’s plan does not backfire. There had to have been a way to convince Brock to see with without the threat of outing, especially for beings who value their secrecy. So I deduct a half a star on that basis.

The cover art by Carmen Waters depicts a well build young man standing shirtless in either a study or library of a house. This is what I would picture Brock would look like and is well done. Ms Waters does the covers for different series for Ms Richards and has developed a unique style for each one.

Sales Links:  eXtasy Books  |  All Romance (ARe)  |  Amazon  |  Buy It Here

Book details
Ebook,: 89 pages
Edition: English
Published: June 15, 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0416-1
Series: A Loving Nip
A Nip of Good Cheer (A Loving Nip #1)
A Rose for Paul’s Protector (A Loving Nip #2)
An Unforgettable Bite (A Loving Nip #3)
More than Patient (A Loving Nip #4)

A Paul B Review: Xavier (Gillham Pack #1) by Catherine Lievens

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Xavier coverXavier’s life has gone to hell. He has broken up with his boyfriend. A stalker after his ex has attacked him. Now people change into animals. It’s enough to make one pass out.

Xavier has ended his relationship with Andrew, who is dating someone new. However, a stalker who has taken an obsession with Andy does not know this and attacks Xavier. When friends of Andrew find a job for Xavier in the nearby town of GIllham, Xavier’s world is about to turn upside down. Xavier finds out that not only are Andrew’s friends shape shifters but also the men that he will be working for in Gillham.

Andy is a member of the Gillham pack of wolf shifters. When his alpha and best friend Kameron asks Andy to watch over a man sent by the local cat pride for his protection, Andy reluctantly agrees. When he meets Xavier, he recognizes the man as his mate. Making moves to confirm his suspicions, Andy scares Xavier worse than the stalker that is after his ex Andrew. Making matters worse for Andy is that Xavier wants to talk to his ex for some sort of explanation.

Once mates are explained to Xavier, he goes into a depression since he figures the only reason Andy would want an overweight accountant is because Fate had put them together. Andy assures him that despite the mat e pull that he could walk away if he wanted to do so.

Andy agrees to give Xavier time to settle into the world of the paranormal and mates.

As things begin to settle down for Andy and Xavier, outside forces start to put a strain on their building relationship. Some members of Andy’s family are not happy about him taking a human male as a mate. Also, news about some former pack members who were sold by the former alpha to scientists is brought to the pack’s attention. When Andy returns from the rescue mission, his and Xavier’s lives will be changed.

This is the first book in a new series by Catherine Lievens. The author has incorporated characters from her Whitedell pride series to help kick off this new series. While it would be helpful to have read the Whitedell series to understand some of the overall plotting between the two series, it is not essential. She has set up the scene for future books especially that of Kameron, the wolf pack alpha and Zach. I believe that Zach’s refusal to mate with Kam has something to do with the scientists or associates of the former alpha. I look forward to seeing how this series progresses, especially with Zach.

The cover art by Latrisha Waters shows a build man who I assume is Andy and his wolf. It is a good cover except that the man doesn’t quite match the description of Andy. It is noted that Andy is tattooed and pierced and those could be seen from his work clothes. The man on the cover has neither that I can see. It is a small quibble on my part.

Sales Links:  eXtasy Books  |  All Romance (ARe)  |  Amazon  |  Buy It Here

Book details
Ebook, 121 pages
Edition: English
Published: June 15, 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN: 978- 1-4874-0301-0
Series: Gillham Pack
Xavier (Gillham Pack #1)

A Paul B Review: Fae For All (Cloverleah Pack #6) by Lisa Oliver

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Fae for All coverJax, Fafnir, and Aelfric are destined to form a triad. Two of the three try to deny their bond. But this is not the only problem. They must deal with outside forces who are trying to destroy not only their mating but also the entire Cloverleah pack.

Jax is a half fae, half wolf shifter. Shortly after his first shift almost 300 years ago, he was banished by his grandfather. Only one member of his Cloverleah pack knows of the entirety of his heritage. He has not heard news of his family for almost a century.

Aelfric and Fafnir are fae princes. They met while roaming the European countryside over 300 years ago. Because of their identical birthmarks, they know that the third person in their triad is a wolf shifter. They have been searching since they met for their missing mate. They have asked for the help of the omega of the Cloverleah pack to aid them in their search.

After members of another pack claim that they are the third for the fae, Jax insists that they are all fakes. Jax reveals that his is the true mate for Aelfric and Fafnir. The fae pair are upset that Jax has known for weeks that they are his mates. When challenged by the other pack for the right to the fae since the bond has not been completed, Jax defeats the other wolves. However, the fae pair becomes frightened when they see Jax’s true wolf form, a dire wolf. Jax is heartbroken as his mates seem to be just like his family and most other fae who look down on shifters.

As the three try to repair the damage done during their initial meeting, they must also fend off not only some leaders of the wolf council but also must deal with the elders of the fae world. After Aelfric registers their mating, the elders plan a huge celebration in finding the last surviving member of the leaders of the western regions of the fae world. Jax returns to his family estate where he receives a warning from his late grandfather. Will this new triad survive the upcoming celebration?

This is the sixth installment of Ms. Oliver’s Cloverleah Pack series. Reading the previous books will help understand some of the underlying plot lines and motivations of the characters.

It is rare that I give sequels a five star rating but feel that this book deserves one. I really loved the interactions between our three protagonists. Having been hurt by his fae family, you can understand Jax’s feelings when his mates are initially frightened of his wolf. I felt the enduring love that Fafnir and Aelfric have had after 300 years of being together, yet missing their third. The Cloverleah pack and the triad in particular must endure challenges not only from the wolf shifters but also from the fae rulers. Having to deal with the elders and the other rulers, Jax’s distaste for his fae connections is highly understandable.

I eagerly wait on the next in this entertaining series and highly recommend this book and series.

The cover art was designed by the author using Shutterstock and Dreamstime photos. It shows Jax and his wolf in front of what appears to be blue landscape.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details
Ebook,
Published: May 2015 by Lisa Oliver
ISBN:
Edition: English
Series: Cloverleah Pack
The Reluctant Wolf (Cloverleah Pack #1)
The Runaway Cat (Cloverleah Pack #2)
(Cloverleah Pack #3)
(Cloverleah Pack #4)
(Cloverleah Pack #5)
Fae for All (Cloverleah Pack #6)

A Paul B Review: Pride’s Children by Evan T. Konnor

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

“Kids are great. They’re a gift and we have to take care of them.”

Pride's Children coverAs Taylor Jensen and Ethan Walker form a family with Taylor’s two children, the two press forward to change Ontario’s law concerning adoption by gay parents. Will their fight be cut short by radical elements before they can argue their case?

Set during the fight for gay adoption in Ontario, Pride’s Children by Even T. Konnor tells the story of Ethan Walker, a newspaper columnist and civil rights reporter and Taylor Jensen, a family law attorney. They have chatted before at a local park where gay men go to cruise. While they have never hooked up, the strike a comfortable acquaintance with each other. One night, Taylor asks Ethan to follow him. Instead of taking him some place to have sex, Taylor takes Ethan to a pizzeria for what he terms their first date. The two hit it off and exchange contact information.

This new relationship faces several obstacles as it begins. Taylor has been a widower for the past three years and has two small children. Ethan has lost his friend and unrequited love several years ago. He is also dealing with missing his son who moved out to Alberta shortly after he was born. As such, Ethan fears giving his heart to someone as his was broken tragically once before. However, both men find qualities in the other they are both impressed by and decide to see where these feeling take them.

The two men are also working toward changing Ontario’s laws banning adoption by gay partners. Ethan has been researching the issue for his newspaper column. Taylor has been acting as the attorney for some the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the province. Their actions have drawn attention to a radical religious organization headed by a former minister who makes the man from Westboro seem like Mary Poppins. Taylor and Ethan must deal with this group’s attempts to sidetrack their mission and keep their newly formed family safe.

I enjoyed how Taylor and Ethan seem to be the person the other one needs to heal their past pain. Taylor is dealing with the loss of his wife, two precocious children and a disapproving mother who does not understand his new lifestyle. Ethan must cope with losing not only his friend and should have been lover but also the loss of his son in his life. The romance is well done even if their initial contact was in a place where romance does not usually occur. The author makes good use of the struggle for gay rights as a backdrop for this well crafted romance and thriller.

The cover is taken from stock photos from shutterstock.com. The combined photos represent our newly formed family. While it is nicely done, it does seem sort of plain with the white backdrop. The rainbow lettering of PRIDE’S reminds one of the gay pride flag while the Children part of the title looks like it could have been written by the eight year old.

Sales Links: Amazon   Buy It Here

Book details
Ebook, 350 pages
Published: December 1, 2014 by DeeKay
ISBN: 978-0-9938628-1-6
Edition: English

A Paul B Review: Bound to Brody (Shifters and Lovers #1) by Ali Atwood

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bound To Brody coverWhen Zac McQuade comes home for his niece’s baptism, his college crush Brody Maitland pays him a visit. Hoping for a social call, he is disappointed when he wants his help tracking a missing patient. As the two investigate, things heat up both for them and in the mystery. Will secrets past and present separate them permanently?

Zac McQuade spent several years in the military after school. Upon his release from the military, he is contacted by a government agency to become an elite assassin. As a cover, he informs people that he is in the foreign investigations division of the FBI. After having completed his last assignment, he heads home to attend the christening of his niece and take a much needed breather from work.

Brody Maitland is a psychiatrist at the local university. He is worried when one of his patients disappears with no explanation. Having heard that his former crush is home to visit his family, he contacts Zac in hopes that he will help to unofficially investigate the disappearance of his patient. Zac, knowing that he isn’t trained for this despite his professed credentials, agrees to help Brody out if only to spend some time with him.

As the investigation progresses, they find that the missing student might be victim of a serial killer. While tracking down information, they come to realize that they had feelings for each other while in school. As this bond grows, it serves not only to bring them together but also will be used against them. The killer uses this growing bond to put the protagonists in jeopardy. Will the secret that Brody is keeping which could save them from the killer also destroy the building romance between the two heroes?

This is the first book in the new Shifters and Lovers series by Ali Atwood. There is much that I liked about the book. First, other than the fact the series name, the fact that one of the protagonists is a shifter is not revealed until near the end of the book. To extend this point, our shifter did not grow up knowing about paranormals as he was adopted at an early age. Another difference is that this is not a story of destined mate. It starts out as a story of unrequited love that soon evolves. The author sets up further books in the series as our heroes decide to find out if there are others like him.

I also am interested to see if Zac’s occupation will play in the hunt for more shifters. This is a good start to a new series in my opinion.

The cover art by Scott Carpenter is simply gorgeous. Two well built shirtless men dominate the top two thirds of the cover. The bottom third has a cougar ready to pounce. Nicely done.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books –   All Romance (ARe) –  Amazon   Buy It Here

Book details:
Ebook, 78 pages
Edtion: English
Published: May 1, 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4847-0329-4
Series: Shifters and Lovers
Bound to Brody (Shifters and Lovers #1)

A Paul B Review: The Exiled Omega (The Exiled Omega #1) by Alex Ashmore

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Exiled Omega coverAfter being shunned by his home pack, all Caleb wants to do is raise his son and get away from his abusive alpha. Derek, the alpha from the rival pack offers sanctuary until Caleb is well enough to travel again. Will Derek be able to convince Caleb that there might be a future in his pack?

Derek is the young alpha of the Hawkthorn pack. He and his best friend and beta Nate have the general support of the pack. However the former alpha’s cronies have been pushing Derek to find himself a mate and produce the next generation of alphas. To complicate matters, there have been rumors of border encroachment from the neighbor rival Yesterfront pack. While on patrol on the pack border, Nate sees the rival pack shunned what appears to be an omega wolf and his pup.

Caleb is the omega from the Yesterfront pack. He had a relationship with the alpha and had a son as a result of the relationship. Caleb is isolated in the pack as the alpha has decided to take a female as a mate. She decides that Caleb is a threat to her relationship to the alpha and decides that Caleb has to go. She gets the alpha to have Caleb and his son shunned and run out of Yesterfront territory. They end up wandering onto Hawkthorn territory trying to escape.

When Derek and a border patrol find Caleb, Derek decides to take in the omega and his son. Although they agree that it would only be long enough for Caleb to recuperate from the shunning, the two quickly grow close. Caleb’s son Matthew and Derek take a liking to each other. This surprises Caleb as Matthew’s father did his best to avoid his son whenever possible. Caleb hopes that Derek’s interest in both him and his son will mean a future at the Hawkthorn pack and not a homeless shelter for rejected shifters. These dreams seem to be dashed when Nate is found severely injured while doing a border patrol. Seeing this as a message, Caleb must decide whether to put his happiness in front of the safety of the pack that has taken him in. It appears his former alpha does not want Caleb to find happiness and will do what is necessary to prevent it.

I really enjoyed this book. This story is told from three different points of view. This allows readers to have more insight as to what each characters thoughts are. The romance between Derek and Caleb is slow and well done. Derek knows that Caleb must put his son first and does what he can to help protect him. It is Derek’s affection for Matthew that actually provides a counterpoint for Caleb to his former alpha. Derek sees Caleb as a person and not just an omega for use.

Derek also sees in Matthew as a potential alpha heir through his actions with the other pups in the pack. When Caleb decides to leave, Derek is heartbroken but is determined to get the pair to their next destination safely. While facing off with the rival alpha, Derek is determined that no harm fall upon the two guys that have his heart.

Sales Link:   Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:
Ebook, 172 pages
Edition: English
Published: February 13, 2015 by Northstar Alpha Press
ASIN: B00TLXXRLG
Series: The Exiled Omega
The Exiled Omega (Exiled Omega #1)
Full Moon Heat (Exiled Omega #2)
A Purrfect Match (Exiled Omega #3)