Paula Kennedy's Angels of the Night: Discovery

Angels of the Night: Discovery is an amazing debut book in the Angels of the Night series. Kennedy draws you in with brilliant characters and the mysterious world of Free Masons and Vampires.  The story was intriguing from the very beginning and at no point became predictable.  Every time I thought I had it figured out, the author would surprise me with a new twist in the story. Even though this book is tagged as a Young Adult, I wouldn’t suggest it for someone under the age of 17. While there are no completed sexual encounters, there are scenes that get pretty steamy and there are emotional aspects to the story that are more suitable to an adult’s perspective. The conversations and interactions between Allison Webber and the sexy vampire twins, Darcy and Thane Wallace, are a key element and bring you into the story making it easy to put yourself into their shoes. Or maybe that was just me wanting to be in Allison’s shoes.

Angels of the Night will appeal to any vampire romance lover no matter if you normally read in the Adult genre or Young Adult genre. This book will stay with you long after the last page and have you waiting anxiously for the next installment in the Angels of the Night series.

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From http://www.theangelsofthenight.com/

Allison Webber is tired of looking over her shoulder. Stalked by shadows her entire life, she embraces the invitation to join a secret society hiding the existence of vampires. Things heat up quickly in this all male cult when she catches the eyes of two sexy vampire twins, Thane and Darcy Wallace. Amid steamy encounters with the identical twins competing for her attention, Allison learns her mission is to aid a select group of vampires, the Angels of the Night, as they hunt and destroy the females of their species. Completely taken with the brothers and her new role, she fails to see that one of the twins has been using her. Allison must delve deep within herself for the courage to save the brother she loves and destroy the one who betrayed her.

Love Bleeds by Maggie James

Love Bleeds, the first book in the Only After Dark series, is an alluring story of family, passion, danger, and rock ‘n’ roll. With a band made up of vampires and humans playing seductively, sexy music, (think Stewart Townsend in Queen of the Damned singing love songs - YUM!) James takes the vampire romance genre in a completely different direction with this story. These powerful and sexy vampires live along side human band mates acting as a family unit. Sure the vampires are more powerful and can be a bit scary to the humans, but they still interact like any other family would.  Joe is such a fascinating character that I loved, then hated, then loved again. He’s one emotionally screwed-up vampire when it comes to relationships, but isn’t ashamed of his vampire nature. His best friend, Philip, seems to have a death wish until he meets Kat’s best friend, Nina. Nina’s and Philip’s relationship is a sweet and loving story. Kat’s and Joe’s relationship is as rocky as they come but was so entertaining to read. Their sexual chemistry jumps off the page and had me fanning myself numerous times. There are a lot of story lines going on in the back ground with the other characters that really set up a nice world for the author to continue this fabulous series. I want to hear more about the other characters she introduced us to. Love Bleeds is a must read and the Only After Dark series is certainly one to keep your eye on in the future!

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From http://maggiejames.net/

There's no such thing as vampires...
Straight-laced Katarina Renót is well educated, logical and doesn't believe vampires truly exist. But when a well deserved holiday in Europe turns into a torrid game of cat and mouse with a handsome stranger and her best friend is exhibiting signs of being allergic to daylight-Kat doesn't think her life can get any stranger.

Every man has a weakness...Even an immortal...
Joseph Markus is an arrogant, wealthy entrepreneur who spends his free time as the raspy lead singer for the rock band "Slang" and seducing beautiful women. After decades of mourning the tragic death of the only woman he ever loved, vying to save his best friend from an unrelenting death wish- now he is accused of being a murderer.

An undeniable twist of fate...
Kat learns her Prince Charming is actually the "Prince of Darkness" and though she can't resist falling for this sultry vampire, she still lives in denial. But when the lines are drawn, and Kat finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly plot for revenge she has only one choice--trust the seductive vampire who has captured her heart. Despite his own arrogance, Joe finds himself inexplicably drawn to Kat. Her stubborn will to resist his seductive charms coupled with her endearing naiveté prove to be more than he bargained for and Joe soon realizes he is in way over his head. But will love be enough to save their immortal souls from the grips of a twisted obsession?

Almost Human Trilogy by Melanie Nowak

This is one of those books that was pleasantly surprising. After reading the description, I was leery because it just screamed TWILIGHT. I got this book in the 3 in 1 binding and I’m glad I did--each book ends so abruptly, I would not have enjoyed it had I not had the following book immediately. It is a large book and was pretty intimidating when I sat down to start reading it, but the stories flow so well, that was a detail easily forgotten. I can’t review this as 3 separate books because I didn’t see them as truly separate. The books progress from one right into the next with barely a breath of time between the end of one and the beginning of the next.

The characters in this book were very enjoyable and easy to relate to. The beginning of the book was a bit slow until Felicity comes out of her shell a bit. I loved the friendship between Alli, Ben, and Felicity. The dynamics of their friendship seemed very true to life, like any new friendship you’d make when you go off to school. Cain and Felicity’s relationship bothered me some at first because Felicity was so young and naïve, falling in love very hard and very quickly. Cain was a fascinating and complex character. He would’ve been a great character in the book even without his relationship with Felicity. I was surprised at how my feelings for Sindy changed throughout the book. One minute I hated her evil ways and the next I felt sorry for her and wanted someone to just give her a chance. 

The story itself is filled with deep emotional struggles and twists and turns that keep you desperate to know what happens next. Each character had his/her own struggles throughout the story so that you always had something to look forward to instead of reading about only one couple. The end of the book was definitely not what I was expecting; Ms Nowak certainly left us a cliffhanger!  I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for something a little more mature than Twilight, but not quite ready for a purely adult vampire romance.  It’s well-written and unique in a genre inundated with young vampire romance books. I look forward to seeing what twists the author throws at us in the next trilogy.

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From Almost Human’s Amazon page

ALMOST HUMAN ~ The First Trilogy ~ 3-in-1 Edition

In this paranormal fantasy, chapters alternate perspective between a vampire and a young woman, as they join an ensemble cast of characters to navigate difficulties of addiction and desire; perils of zombies and vampires; and struggles with abuse, morality and... college.
 
Vol. 1: Fatal Infatuation 
Felicity views going away to college as an opportunity to mature into a confident young woman, but her new beginning turns out to be more of an adventure than she bargains for when she finds that her school is plagued by vampires!
Cain is an elder vampire who displays quiet confidence even as he struggles to overcome sins of his past. Surprisingly, he found that in losing his life he gained his faith and a purpose.
His mission: find the hostile vampires that inhabit this small college town, and educate them to live in peace with humans. Their leader, Sindy, is a wicked temptress who has set her sights on Felicity's new friend Ben. She will be difficult to control, but after meeting Felicity, Cain's most difficult task lies in controlling himself.

 Vol. 2: Lost Reflections
Felicity has helped her friends to escape the venomous vixen Sindy, but cannot divine the motives of Cain, the vampire who captured first her gratitude, and then her heart.
She finds the historical account of Cain's past enthralling and frightening. Now she must determine whether the addictive venom in Cain's kiss is clouding her judgment, and if his thirst for her blood is a driving force too strong for their love to conquer.
It's difficult to contemplate such questions while under the attack of a vengeful vampire and his zombie slaves. Felicity's heart has already been lost to Cain; will she lose her life as well?
  Vol. 3: Evolving Ecstasy
The relationship between Cain and Felicity has crested to a peak that leaves them unsure whether to step back from each other for safety, or jump into a future united in death.
The venom of Cain's bite could protect Felicity from hostile vampires, but it would give him a measure of psychic control over her as well. Would Felicity only accept becoming a vampire, due to his addictive venom, coupled with the foolishness of a young girl in love?
Perhaps there is a brighter future for her in the human world. Is Cain's desire for Felicity's love worth the loss of her life?

The Siren's Lure by Terry Spear

Any fan of Terry Spear’s Wolf, Highland, or Vampire books will enjoy this short story. The Siren’s Lure contains all we’ve come to expect from Spear with plenty of humor, action, and sexual heat to fill the pages from start to finish. This Siren’s Lure has something for everyone with the sexy siren Demon Huntress Tristina and the sizzling seductive Vampire Prince Sardis.

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Sardis, the leader of the New York Vampire Clan, wanted nothing more than to hang out at the beach resort and have a nice relaxing vacation. How was he to know that saving a beautiful woman from two goons would turn his vacation and his life upside-down? The woman he saves claims to be a Huntress and since he’s a vampire, it would probably be wise to ignore his attraction to her and let her be on her merry way. When she changes her story several times he doesn’t know what to think. First she’s a Vampire Huntress, then she’s got a fiancé Hunter waiting for her, then she’s a Demon Huntress, and finally she just needs to get to her friend Jane’s party. Fearing that she’s really just a mentally unstable human, he decides to escort her to the “party” she is so decadently dressed up for. Finding nothing but a deserted room containing a fire demon and a ghost, he starts to rethink his doubts; especially when she helps him kill the demon by sucking all the water from its body.

 When a gorgeous vampire steps in and “saves” her, Tristina tries to not get her hopes up that he will really want her. Half human and half water demon, she has a siren’s call that most men find irresistible. So while most men want her, none want her for who she really is. When the vampire, Sardis, refuses to give up his misguided assumption that she needs “protecting” she starts to wonder if his feelings for her are as undeniable as hers for him. She’s heard that vampires are viciously protective of their “mates”.

Tristina’s friend Jane was killed by a demon, but instead of passing over to the next life she has stayed as a poltergeist in that deserted room, summoning demons on the anniversary of her death every single year, hoping that one of the demons she summons will be the one that killed her and Tristina will be there to destroy it. But Jane isn’t the only one summoning demons in the area.

Together, Sardis and Tristina must find and destroy the Demon Summoner and his book of demon names and send Jane into the afterlife if they are to have any chance at a life together, for Sardis must return to his life in New York, but Tristina can’t leave the area to the demons unchecked.

Tall, Dark & Lonely by R.L. Mathewson

R.L. Mathewson’s Tall, Dark & Lonely had me hooked from the first page. When Ephraim wakes up chained to a bed with the maid calling him the devil, I was intrigued and wanted to know more. It just got better after that. The events of Ephraim’s immortal beginnings, in the first 20 pages of the book, happened so quickly that I was breathless by the time the story jumped 200 years to the present day.

The relationship between Ephraim and Madison develops quickly after a rough beginning. There really wasn’t much of a reaction from Madison upon finding out Ephraim was a vampire. The vampire issue becomes more of a humorous part of their relationship problems than a serious obstacle.  The dialogue was excellently written and I found myself laughing many times throughout the book because of the sarcasm and exasperation the characters displayed with each other. There were parts of the story towards the end that felt rushed, but not enough that it took away from the overall enjoyment of the book. I felt there could’ve been more information given to us about the “Sentinels” and “Pytes”. The end of the book was left pretty open so I’m hoping that means we will learn a lot more when the author continues the series. In whole, this book was a great read. I look forward to reading any future work from Ms. Mathewson.

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From Pyte Series Webpage: http://www.rlmathewson.com/pyte.html

Things are finally looking up for Madison. After years of scraping just to get by she lands her dream job and finally has a decent down payment for a house so she can move her brother and sister into a real home. It's too bad nothing ever goes the way it's supposed to. When the mother that abandoned them years ago suddenly shows up and moves them to New Hampshire Madison has no choice but to go or lose the siblings who are more like children to her. Shoving her dreams aside yet again Madison tries to make a life for her siblings only to find that nothing is going the way it should. It's really cold, her fifteen year old sister acts like a hooker in training, men act funny around her, her boss is a real prick, she feels like an outsider, her best friend turns out to be a sixteen year old smartass and the incredibly handsome guy renting the room adjoining hers not only hogs the bathroom taking three showers a day and leaving her with cold water, but he also has a secret. A secret that she becomes a bit obsessed with and can't let go no matter how many times she's warned off.

Ephraim learned long ago not to show any emotion or allow himself to get attached to humans. What was the point? They came and went and he remained. This time wouldn't be any different or so he thought. When his land lady told him her grandchildren were moving in he didn't expect much, well other than to be left the hell alone. What he didn't expect was to have to fight bloodlust every time he so much as caught a whiff of his delectable neighbor's scent or her bombarding him with questions every time she cornered him. If that's not bad enough a Master from his past has found him once again and is demanding his blood and is willing to do anything to get it, even using the beautiful pain in the ass neighbor that makes him feel more than pain for the first time in centuries.

Raphael: Vampires in America book 1

Raphael: Vampires in America is a fabulous book filled with action, suspense, sexual tension, a kick-ass heroine with a fondness for sarcasm, and a sexy, dark and dangerous vampire lord who always gets what he wants.  This book is definitely not in the Vampire Romance category. I would put this book in the Urban Fantasy genre along with books like Night Huntress, Anita Blake, and Riley Jensen. I love a book that has a woman who can stand her ground with the big boys and an alpha male who can’t believe he’s fallen for that woman! Cyn and Raphael’s relationship is not the perfect “Happily Ever After” and I loved that. Reynolds has added a great secondary cast of characters that are as much a part of the story as Raphael and Cyn. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series Jabril to find out what happens next with Cyn and Raphael!

Anyone who is a fan of vampire romance or urban fantasy should have this book on their book shelf!

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Raphael is one of eight Vampire Lords in the US. He runs his territory fairly, but expects nothing but complete and unfailing loyalty from all he sires, works under him, or resides in his territory. For hundreds of years he’s lived a life of luxury in Malibu. Being one of the most powerful vampires in the country, and in the world, has given him a since of security and entitlement.  While vampires are known to exist, the human society still prefers to pretend they don’t and that’s fine with the vampires who see humans as nothing more than a convenient source of food and sex.  When Alexandra, the one vampire Raphael has sworn to protect, is kidnapped while he’s out of town, by one of the vampires under his rule as well as a group of humans, he must enlist the help of a human private investigator to help track her down.

Cynthia “Cyn” Leighton is an ex-LAPD officer, turned PI. Most of her work consists of digging up lost bank accounts, long lost relatives, and cheating spouses for the wealthy inhabitants in the Malibu area. Cyn has also become a popular choice among the vampire community when they are in need of a PI. Generally it’s to find a great-great grandchild or something similar. That is until Raphael walks into her office with an arrogant air of authority that shows he is not one used to being told “No”. While kidnapping is out of her league, she knows that the police will be of no help to him. She reluctantly agrees to help track down Alexandra and those that have betrayed Raphael.

Cyn and Raphael must fight through layers of betrayal from trusted colleagues and friends, both vampire and human. Their search to get to the bottom of the kidnapping faces them off against Russian Mobsters, vengeful vampires and the humans they control. Along the way the most dangerous betrayal they face just may be themselves and the emotions that are surfacing between them.

Quinn Keitt's Crimson Stained

Quinn Keitt’s Crimson Stained is a wonderful story of a love meant to overcome all obstacles. While this is a vampire romance, it could very well be a book about any young couple struggling with the beginnings of their relationship, dealing with addictions, family, friends, and the doubts. Keitt brings so much emotion into her story that any adult would be hard to not reminisce and empathize with the characters in the story. The vampire aspect of the story doesn’t come through as a main issue in the story, but adding a unique element that enhances the relationships. Crimson Stained will appeal to the fans of Twilight and True Blood alike.

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Lacey is a young woman, living her life on her own and for the most part, she’s quite happy with it. Sure, she would love to not have to go to work everyday at the clothing store and sure, she’d love to have a good man to wake up next to everyday, but, such is life and she’s taken care of herself for a long time. One night as Lacey is coming home from work she sees an attractive, god-like specimen of a man in the parking garage. He notices her and their eyes meet; it’s an immediate attraction as he gravitates towards her. Unfortunately before he could reach her, he’s attacked by some kind of monster; a monster that bites into the boy’s neck and rips it open while sucking down the blood. Great! If she’s not lusting after Tristan, a boy that can’t seem to get the hint that she’s in love with him, then she’s watching the next potential date get his throat torn out. Just her luck. Things seem to only be getting crazier when the boy she saw attacked shows up at her balcony window one night, completely naked! Not that she would complain about an Adonis-like man, naked on her door step, but this one seems to want something from her as he continues to show up at midnight every single night. They strike up a somewhat awkward friendship through his continuous visits. She’s always been a sucker for the blond hair and green eyes, but she is not crazy enough to let him into her apartment! She soon learns hat Kevin is of all things, a vampire. Yep - just her luck. He’s not just a crazy naked boy; he’s a crazy naked vampire.

Kevin remembers seeing Lacey right before he was attacked. Now that he’s a vampire he has a single objective, to make Lacey his. Kevin is used to being on his own, but the possessive instincts of a vampire are hard to deny. While he doubts she would want a monster, who must kill to survive, he continues to show up at her balcony door every night, biding his time. He could enter her home without her permission (just one of the many myths he learned was untrue of vampires) but he does not want to scare her. He wants her to come to him willingly and become his mate. His patience is growing thin, and he devises a way to claim her on his terms.

As the relationship continues Lacey finds herself struggling with having to keep his secret, struggling with knowing the man she loves is a murderer. They face many of the same struggles that other young couples face in their relationship; dealing with family, friends, Kevin’s jealously over Tristan (who just happens to be noticing her now) and a pregnancy that has the potential to destroy their love for each other, on top of the issues of having a vampire for a lover.

Kevin soon finds it harder and harder to keep himself stable both physically and mentally. The demon that attacked him and changed him seems to have passed along his insatiable thirst and uncontrollable rages. Kevin is killing more and more people just to be able to function. The bodies are piling up and the police are taking notice. He’s becoming a danger to everyone including Lacey. Lacey knows that any sane person would run as fast as they can, but Kevin would find her, he’ll never let her go. Despite her natural fears, she knows she loves him too much to ever leave him, especially when he needs her the most. Lacey must find a way to save Kevin from the demon trying to take over his mind and body before he destroys any chance of their love surviving, not to mention their undead lives.

Ravens Deep

Ravens Deep is a true, gothic-style vampire romance book. The story between Madeline and Darius has both the romanticism of a new relationship as well as a dark and sinister psychological aspect, combining passion and fear, leaving you breathless. The house, Ravens Deep, is like a 3rd character in the book and seems to have a soul of its own (causing me to leave the lights on to sleep at night). Throughout the book, you become witness to the powerful struggle between good and evil, the struggle to prove that true love can be enough to overcome the physical and psychological pain a lover can cause, and the proof that secrets, no matter how far gone, can come back to haunt you. Jordan’s exceptional attention to detail and vivid descriptions make it easy to step into the world of Ravens Deep and impossible to forget.

Madeline Shaw, aspiring-author, had no idea that by picking up a random genealogy magazine and sending a letter to a potential ancestor, her life would change forever. After several weeks of corresponding through letters, Mr. Chambers gives Madeline an invitation to use his home, Ravens Deep, to find her inspiration to write.
Madeline leaves the hustle of London for quiet country moors, arriving at Ravens Deep and immediately feeling a connection to the house (despite the odd noises, doors that open by themselves, and the odd fact that no one in the nearby villages knows of the house).

One evening, a handsome young man, named Darius, appears in the garden and things begin to take a different turn. Madeline is intrigued by his mystery. He appears out of nowhere, disappears just as quickly and seems to know too much about Ravens Deep and its history. Despite the feelings that are obvious between the two of them, Darius continues to hold Madeline at a distance and keep parts of him hidden from her. Madeline catches glimpses of something in Darius, a darkness in his eyes, that isn’t quite right. As days pass, Madeline starts to see more of the struggle in him, yet she can’t make herself walk away from him. She finally realizes that Darius is the “Mr. Chambers” with whom she’s been corresponding. She discovers he is a vampire. And their connection runs blood deep.

Darius tries desperately to make Madeline come to her senses and leave him, his struggle with the darkness within him is becoming harder and harder to overcome. After promising him that she will leave and never come back, she returns to London for a brief time only to realize that she cannot stay away from him, or Ravens Deep. Upon returning she encounters a Darius that she fears as much as she loves. As Madeline gives up everything in order to have a life with Darius, he continuously refuses to give her eternal life, not wanting her to become the monster he believes himself to be. There is tortured violence and anger in Darius that should be enough to make Madeline run for her life but instead, she is begging him to take it.