Love Romance Passion » Warrior http://www.loveromancepassion.com Because Books Don't Fall Asleep Afterwards! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Review: Hold Me If You Can by Stephanie Rowe http://www.loveromancepassion.com/review-hold-me-if-you-can-by-stephanie-rowe/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/review-hold-me-if-you-can-by-stephanie-rowe/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000 Lynn Reynolds http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=13832

Hold Me If You CanReviewed by Lynn Reynolds

Natalie Fleming was briefly murdered by a deedub. She also owns a boutique chocolate shop. But she has a challenge ahead – creating magical desserts overnight after having her shop looted. She goes into her walk-in freezer and meets her murderer. Boy, that’s one hell of a way to start your day.

Nigel Aquarian comes to Natalie’s rescue. He’s a man with his own set of problems. He’s doing a favor for Natalie’s sister. What makes Nigel unique is that he has some interesting powers. Some of those powers are tied to his art.

Nigel is seen interacting with some other warriors in his penthouse. I love how Nigel talked to them about being “men”. I can almost hear the theme from Two and a Half Men playing in the background. Stephanie also has us laughing as they interact and makeup is added to the mix.

A lot of Stephanie’s male characters are obnoxious. But the women are the ones that seem to keep them in line. It’s nice to see that the hero needs a woman in order to feel complete. This is what adds romance to the story. If you’re looking for a lot of sex between our main characters, you will not find it here.

Stephanie certainly gives us some interesting sounding demons. None that you would want to meet in a dark alley somewhere. But if you could have any type of power, like Nigel and his men, what would you like?

As you read this book you may become a little confused. The three books look like they can be standalones but if you want to understand what the warriors, and demons, are about I suggest that you read books one and two.

Natalie is in need of some help and she will get it from an unlikely source, Ella Smithweiser. Ella used to work for Nigel’s archenemy. Nigel’s art is also turning against him so Ella becomes important for both of them.

Then to add confusion to the mix, another character appears – a dream genie named Charles Morgan. Don’t get confused but sometimes he is referred to as “Smutty”. His jailor also has a connection to Nigel. Mari is the second in command to the archenemy.

Mari thinks she has a noble cause but you know what they say about good intentions. The more I read about Mari, the more I feel that she is just plain crazy. What’s good about this story is that you will see that she gets her just desserts (sorry about the spoiler).

Stephanie also puts a life lesson in her story line although it doesn’t show itself until the end. The story ends with us wondering if there will be a book 4. She leaves us hanging in the balance – who will be the characters to have their story told next?

Rating: ★★★½☆

Buy: Hold Me If You Can

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Reviewed by Lynn Reynolds

Sofia Howard is seen reading a book that was written by Queen Eleanor. When the book was written, Sofia didn’t want a husband and went to any lengths to make sure that didn’t happen. At least until she met Sir Tobin de Clare.

Sofia appears to be a women’s libber of her time. She has certain beliefs and doesn’t like to be told she can’t. Her king wants her to wed but she wants to have a say in who she chooses. Her friend, Edith, makes a good comic foil for Sophia.

Edith is the one that introduces Sofia to Sir Tobin. But Sofia doesn’t realize that they have met before. You will definitely want to read their reunion. Then we get to see that grown men still like to play childish games. You also get to see why “payback’s a bitch”.

Sofia and Tobin’s story reminds me of The Taming of the Shrew. I loved the movie version with Elizabeth Taylor and her husband Richard Burton. I can definitely see those two in the parts of Sofia and Tobin. It will be interesting to see who will outwit whom.

Our author has a wicked sense of humor. She also makes our couple very prideful – neither wants to give an inch. Our couple exists at a point in time where women don’t have the freedom we have today. There are also consequences for their actions.

The story then jumps to when Sofia spends time at a nunnery. You have to laugh how Sofia’s mind works. But we also have to remember that she is a young lady and is probably just acting her age.

She wants something specific from Sister Judith. She starts out a workout routine that would impress any athlete. Tobin and Sofia are reunited and you will love their reunion. I was starting to get worried that certain things were never going to happen.

But when you read, sometimes you just have to be patient – like the saying goes, “good things come to those who wait”. Their interactions are what makes this a page turner. The ending will surprise you, even though it probably shouldn’t. The only downside was I couldn’t figure out how the title came to be.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Buy: Wicked

Online Stores ]]> http://www.loveromancepassion.com/review-wicked-medieval-trilogy-book-3-by-jill-barnett/feed/ 0 Review: Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe http://www.loveromancepassion.com/review-lord-of-rage-by-jill-monroe/ http://www.loveromancepassion.com/review-lord-of-rage-by-jill-monroe/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:01:31 +0000 Lynn Reynolds http://www.loveromancepassion.com/?p=12072

Reviewed by Lynn Reynolds

This is book two of the “Royal House of Shadows” series.

Main Characters:  Princess Breena of Elden.  She is a woman who can mind speak and dream talk.  Osborn is a warrior of Ursa.

We first meet Breena when in her dreams she meets a warrior.  But every time she starts to dream of her warrior, and things start to get intimate, Breena wakes up.  She also never sees his face.  She’s only ever seen his eyes.  Then a family crisis occurs.

We first meet Osborn as he faces a challenge that will turn him from a child into a man.  This is how the men of Ursa become a warrior.  And this is where Osborn will get his power from.  His first task, as a warrior, is to face the vampires that are out to kill his family and fellow villagers.  But just like Breena, he faces a family tragedy.

Breena, even though not a warrior, has a fight of her own.  She tries to use her magic but it fails her.  Then from somewhere she gets a feeling of strength.  As the story progresses we see what happens with her magic.

Our hero has a past that he isn’t proud of.  But isn’t that one thing that we love about our romance heroes?  Osborn also wages a war with himself about his wanting Breena.

Right from the beginning of the story, Jill starts building the suspense.  That and seeing what’s going to happen next is what keeps the reader turning the pages.  Jill sends Osborn in as a knight in shining armor (or in the case of this story – bear fur).  And Breena is our damsel in distress.  This gives our story a fairy tale feeling.

Jill also gives our main characters an instant connection.  Our hero also gets one of those stupid male moments.  He made Breena leave and then immediately regrets it.  Then, of course, he has to go and get her.  But Jill also makes him an honorable man.  He takes care of his two younger brothers.

As the story weaves through we concentrate on our two lovers.  Then a misunderstanding temporarily separates them.  But as in all good romances, lust wins out in the end.  And we all know how good romances end.

This is a book that you hate to put down.  Jill does a great job of building the anticipation as the story progresses – you can do nothing less than turn the page to see what happens next.  If you enjoyed reading book one of the “Royal House of Shadows” series, you will enjoy this one as well.

You could read it by itself, but some things might not make sense if you don’t read the series in order.  You will also find that the “resident evil” from book one shows up in book two.  I can’t wait to see what book three has in store.

Rating: ★★★★½

Buy: Lord of Rage (Harlequin Nocturne)

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Reviewed by Sharon S.

Where have these tortured warriors been all my life! This is the third book in Naughton’s Eternal Guardian Series, but the first one I have read. Now, I could just kick myself for not trying this one from the beginning. I will be rectifying that mistake by the way.

Let’s review what I need for a great PNR book:

  1. Brotherhood of smexy tortured warriors – check!
  2. Sexual tension between the hero and heroine that will leave you panting – check!
  3. Fated soul mates – check!
  4. Loyalty, sacrifice and love – check!
  5. Did I mention sex and warriors? –check, check!

If you love Greek Mythology, or even if you don’t, Naughton does an incredible job of creating a believable world.  Argolea is a magical realm created by Zeus for the heroes and their descendants. The Eternal Guardians (Argonauts) are warriors who protect this realm from Daemons. And wouldn’t you know it, they are all hard and crunchy on the outside, but with a hidden soft center that can only be touched by their fated mate. Who, thanks to a curse, is the worst possible match for them <G>.

This isn’t light reading. You can’t skim pages or you will miss something. There is a lot of fighting action (duh! Warriors), mythology and emotional turmoil you won’t want to miss.  Our fated couple, Demetrius and Isadora, are thrown together in a plot filled with betrayal, magic, evil and sacrifice. Both must learn to accept who they are and realize that while Fate might be a bitch, sometimes she knows what she is doing.

I suggest reading this series from the beginning. Naughton has developed an extensive world based on the Greek Mythology, but has added her own clever twist to the mythos. Even though each book gives us a love story of a particular couple there is a lot of focus on the series major story arc and a large cast of characters. There were times when I had trouble keeping everyone’s heritage and family ties straight. Naughton does a good job of catching the reader up on the back stories, and I put the handy glossary of terms at the back to good use, but it would have been easier for me to have started with book one.

If you agree with my check list, this book and series will keep you reading and ‘squeeing’

Rating: ★★★★½

Buy: Tempted (Eternal Guardians)

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bookreview

I had a hard time setting Highland Hearts aside to get some work done once I started it. I ended staying up late last night to finish it. This story is exciting and thrilling and you'll be sure to love it even if Highlander romance is not your cup of tea.

Contessa Delgado's journey to love begins the moment she releases Sir Revan Halyard from her Uncle Thurkettle's dungeon. Footsteps and voices descend the stairwell leading down to where they are and Revan does what any dashing knight would do when life was in danger - hold a girl by sword point and threaten to skewer her if Thurkettle and his men don't drop their weapons.

Feisty Tess has a wicked tongue and gives him a verbal lashing even as he drags her onto his horse and rides into the woods as if the devil were on their heels. When arrows start to rain down on them without a care to Tess' safety and some aimed even more deliberately at her the urge to get away is even more dire. What uncle would shoot to kill his niece? An uncle who wanted all the wealth she just inherited from her trust, that's who.

When they rest at last Tess tells Revan what she thinks of his gratitude for her saving his life and he swears then that he never truly meant to run her through with his sword, the threat just had to look real. Then Revan asks Tess to face some hard facts. Tess acknowledges to Revan that she is aware of at least three other incidences where her uncle's tried to kill her and make look like accidents. Revan having kidnapped Tess has made it far easier to kill her and lay the blame elsewhere.

Revan guesses it is because of fortune and Tess murmurs her agreement and tells him a paltry version of her inheritance not revealing her full wealth to the handsome knight. She then asks Revan why her uncle had locked him up and he reveals that he is a knight in service to the king. Together they patch what clues Revan was able to gather on his mission to spy for King James II and what Tess can deduce from clues she unwittingly encountered in her uncle's keep of treason and betrayal her uncle and their neighbor Douglas were cooking up together.

Their knowledge puts them in even more danger as they now have to get their information to the king, avoid her uncle's men and the Douglas men out to get them, and while they do not fight the growing fires that flare between them their love is not an easy one. This novel is truly about passion on the run as Revan and Tess land in one mess or another.

Rating: 4 Stars

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Kris Kennedy's writing is very engrossing. The Irish Warrior was a page turner from start to finish. It’s a story of an Irish warrior slated to be king and an English widow struggling to run a business. Both get trapped by the evil Rardove, a man promoted by the English King Edward to the aristocracy. A journey that must end in the purest of joys or deepest of sorrows begins when the young widow frees the warrior from the prison and together they escape in the dead of night for their freedom and their very lives.

Finian O'Melaghlin is everything one could ask for in a hero. He’s noble, compassionate, capable, and honorable. He has his pride and his strength. He is a man other men will fight beside because they know he’s on their side. And if rumor is true, he’s also got a way with the ladies… but don’t take my word for it, just ask the ladies or really just ask the heroine.

Senna de Valery is a beautiful widow and very young. Her first marriage was at age 15 and it did not go well or last very long. There’s implied evidence to rape in her background and it’s made her people shy (though she doesn’t realize this until later that she is so and she certainly doesn’t seem it, but that’s part of the transformative power of love in this novel). When confronted with danger and cruelty, she’s defiant, strong, and smart. Senna is a heroine to root for.

Rardove has ties to both of them in ways that are equally obvious and concealed. Kennedy gives readers one right off the bat and hints at the other until it’s revealed late in the book. Rardove delights in torture and pain and power and the pictures Kennedy paints are vivid if not comprehensively detailed.

The lovemaking scenes are burn your fingers hot and are told so beautifully that you will probably count them as part of your all-time favorites. The intrigue and politics that make up the suspense half of the story are heart-pounding. In short, you could not go wrong picking up a copy of this book.

Rating: ★★★★½

Buy: The Irish Warrior

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Genre: Paranormal, Love Triangle

Summary: Meena Harper can predict how anyone will die when she meets them. She always hopes to change their course, but people are notoriously stubborn. Nobody’s appreciated her powers before the Palatine Guard (the secret underground police unit of the Vatican aimed at attacking monsters) and Lucien Antonescu, her vampire ex-boyfriend…

Did I mention he’s the son of Dracula and current reigning prince of darkness? Of course the Vatican’s idea of monsters doesn’t really describe Lucien which is why Meena is desperate to prove her theory that vampires can love even without souls. Of course, if you try telling Alaric Wulf that, he’ll resort to violence.

Meanwhile, a new type of vampires are in town and the Palatine’s newest hope fighting them is Father Henrique aka Padre Caliente. Alaric hates him due to their mutual past history and Meena doesn’t trust him… and when he aims to hurt Lucien, Meena’s loyalties are severely tested. Does she save her ex or side with her employers?

Review: Going into this review I am going to warn you there are spoilers! Beware and don’t go any farther if you want to avoid them. If you’re Team Alaric you’re going to love this book. But…

I’m Team Lucien and I am so upset with how this book ended. OMG! There has got to be a third book. Is there a third book? Can someone ease my mind on this? I can’t stand the thought of Meena ending up with Alaric for good and Lucien turning into dust. His ultimate sacrifice has got to earn him a soul or wings or something. It can’t just end here. It just can’t. I’m too invested.

Other than that it’s a solid read with interesting ideas and some gross zombie like demon vampires to add a little horror to the love triangle. Yum? :P

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Buy: Overbite, Overbite (UK)

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Reviewed by Lynn Reynolds

I haven’t read a historical romance in quite a while. I’ve been reading a lot of erotic and paranormal romances. I’ve recently gone back to reading the historical romances and I’m glad that I did. Paula has grabbed my attention right from the first page.

In reading Tamed by a Highlander you can picture how all the characters felt, acted, and what they would have been wearing at that period in time. Paula has a way of making you feel as if you’re a part of the story. It’s as if you are watching her characters as their story unfolds. She is like a great fisherman. She keeps you hooked until the very end.

The heroine of this story is Mairi MacGregor. The story starts in the spring of 1685 and we see Mairi wanting to go to battle with the rest of her kin. Our hero is Connor Grant and for some reason Mairi doesn’t like him very much. We also find out why she is so passionate about fighting the battle.

As the story continues, you can just feel the heat between Mairi and Connor. The pages practically sizzle with the chemistry between the two. But as in all good romances, nothing goes smoothly. Lord Oxford, one of the minor characters, keeps coming between the two lovers. As you read, you wonder why he is so fascinated by her. Out of all the women at Court, what is the fascination?

Mairi has a strong personality which is unusual for the time period. She has certain beliefs and she is willing to defend those beliefs. She is like our modern women soldiers and would probably do very well in today’s society. But back then, women didn’t do those things. It was considered unacceptable.

I’m a reader that doesn’t usually like a book that I constantly put down and then pick up again. I lose my train of thought within the story. Usually when I constantly put a book down it’s because it just doesn’t hold my attention. I didn’t have that problem with this book. I couldn’t wait to see what Paula had in the offing for our lovebirds.

If you’re looking for a story that has a lot of sex in it, you won’t find it here. But if you’re looking for a sensual story with some action in it, this is the story for you. Circumstances always seemed to pull our lovers apart. Fans of great romances know that love conquers all. We know that the champion always overcomes any and all obstacles that will come between him and his one true love.

This is a book that I can’t wait for the next installment in the series to come out. I also look forward in to catching up with the series by reading the first two books. This is definitely a book that you want as part of your romance collection.

I give Tamed by a Highlander:

Rating: ★★★★½

Buy: Tamed by a Highlander, Tamed by a Highlander (UK)

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Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey Series is addicting, delicious, and outstanding. While Winter’s Passage is a short novella it packs a punchy story.

It opens with Ash coming to collect on Meghan’s promise from Iron King. She asks to see how Puck is doing before going with him to Tir na Nog and the Winter Court. A quick look in on Puck shows he’s still healing from his wounds in Iron King.

Their journey into Unseelie territory is not without its dangers. Following them is the Hunter, an ancient enemy, one so powerful, it’s literally unable to die. He’s feared by humans and fey alike and if you’re unlucky enough to hear him calling for you, chances are you won’t survive to tell the tale.

What I liked best about the novella was the expansion of Meghan and Ash’s relationship. It really gains a lot of depth here, some of which is retold in Iron Daughter. That said, you shouldn’t skip this novel, because while Iron Daughter keeps you up to date you miss the romance and the action.

There are some truly clever, poignant, and sigh-worthy moments in Winter’s Passage. One of my favorites is when Meghan stays with Ash and tries to save them even though she could have run and saved herself. Ash is equal parts bemused and angry. This isn’t the behavior of a fey and he knows it will get her hurt, killed, or worse once under Queen Mab’s thumb. He tries to warn her, love her, and distance himself from her all at the same time. It makes for a fantastic struggle.

Rating: 5 Stars

Buy: Winter's Passage (Kindle)

PS - For a limited time this novella is a free ebook.

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Kagawa’s storytelling and world-building keeps getting better and better. The Iron Daughter is book two in the Iron Fey series and packs a delicious punch. I can tell you upfront that I can hardly wait for Iron Queen, the third and final installment to the trilogy. I wholeheartedly recommend everybody to read it, the series is that amazing.

All the old characters are back. Puck is healed and finally declares himself to Meghan, fleshing out the love triangle a little bit more. Ash is still his gorgeous royal brooding iciness. Grimalkin comes along for the ride, snarky as ever. Even Iron Horse reappears on the scene declaring he won’t serve a false king.

Queen Mab is keeping Meghan Chase imprisoned in the Unseelie Court deep in the heart of winter territory. This wouldn’t be so bad if Ash was around to help her navigate all the politics, but he hardly shows his face and when he does he’s back to that harsh icy demeanor that says he could care less. It confuses Meghan and hurts her too. She doesn’t understand and she doesn’t put two and two together from what Ash told her in Winter’s Passage.

On the night the Scepter of the Seasons is passed between Seelie and Unseelie courts, Meghan finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Iron Court makes a secret attack, killing the crown prince in the process. Meghan tried to help him fight but she couldn’t reach her magic and ends up using the Scepter to bash in some heads before she gets taken down. The Iron Fey leave her alone and disappear, taking all evidence with them. Queen Mab doesn’t believe Meghan for a minute and freezes her in solid ice before declaring war on the Summer Court.

There’s no way for Meghan to get out of the ice prison on her own, if only somebody believed her! She had to stop what was happening and stop it fast before the Summer and Winter courts destroyed each other.

Favorite Scene: Easily the end sequence when Ash and Meghan make their biggest decision about their relationship. Swoon.

Bad Gal: Virus – is a wickedly drawn character and very scary.

Fey Glamour: Meghan’s power over fey glamour is blocked or is it? Her discovery of Iron glamour is essential. If only she could wield it better.

Rating: 5 Stars

Buy: The Iron Daughter

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