Cougar Christmas

I love this author and she never fails to entertain me with whatever genre she happens to be writing in. I liked the two main characters from the beginning and the story got my attention and did not let go until the very end, even if it had to be over a few days. Sometimes I wish I did not have to sleep or work so I could just read right through.

Genevieve Wells is a cold-as-ice boss about to lose her job if she cannot produce a mate for the Intensely Intimate Couples’ retreat that she won at the office Christmas party. She signed a contract stating she would go to the boss if there was any trouble in her marriage and she did not do it. Now she may have to face the consequences of not thinking before signing.

Drew Jamison is Genevieve’s long-suffering employee who has been angling for a promotion for quite a while. He dislikes Genevieve while at the same time being very attracted to her, even though she is ten years his senior. When he gets Genevieve to tell him what is bothering her he makes her a proposal that can help them both. He will go with her if she will give him his promotion.

While Genevieve fights to keep things professional because of her age and position, Drew wants to move things along in a more personal direction.

This is a hot and kind sweet story of an older woman who finds herself attracted to a younger man whom she feels she cannot have. I think anyone will enjoy this holiday treat.

My rating: ✬✬✬✬

Blind Date With a Vampire

I have read quite a few novels by this author and always enjoy the story she weaves. This was no exception as I was drawn into the story from the very beginning and was reluctant to stop before the end. The main characters are well-fleshed and established in a short time so that you can decide how you feel about them for better or worse. The peripheral characters come clearer as the story progresses though some remain a little murky until the end. The setting is contemporary so there is no particular world-building other than to establish the quirks of these vampires.

Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Glover was an investment banker who came home from the Korean War with a case of PTSD, though they did not call it that then. In 1955 he was coping the best way he could without medication or a doctor with the help of his best friend who took him out for the evening. He gets much more than he wanted when he and his friend are turned by two women they meet. Because he cannot cope with his new life he decides to take a fifty-five-year nap and wakes in 2010 where he likes the technology but finds the women a bit forward.

Samantha Blythe was in an abusive relationship for a number of years, but she is now finally done with it. She just wants to meet a nice guy and her best friend, Pinky gets her on a dating site where she meets who she thinks maybe that nice guy. The only hitch is that he turns out to be a vampire but still a nice guy.

Sam and Nate hit it off but her ex is not done with her and he finds that he has some unfinished business with his maker that could mean the end of any relationship with Sam. Then there is the fact that his friend has kept him so in the dark that he does not even know how to be a vampire.

This was a little more than just a blind date, so the title does not seem accurate, but it was definitely a couple of good ones. There is some good action, with a sweet romance and steamy sex scenes. I would say it is a good recommendation.

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Severed

Like all the previous books in the series this was a great read that left me wanting more. I loved the characters from the moment I met them and was totally invested in their lives entirely. The new world that we get to explore is very interesting with some of the most diverse people so far. I was into the book from the opening sequence with our future heroine in her natural habitat.

Rylee Hale is a paralegal in Florida and a friend of Zoe, the Zoe who disappeared without a word or trace. Though she does not know it things are about to get very weird for her. Rylee is being watched from the AMI by two alien males who want her help in dissolving their accidental bond. Drace and Lucian are Denarins, two males who bond in order to join with a single female. The pairings are usually between an Alpha and a Beta, they are both Alphas and find themselves in an embarrassing situation that could earn them ridicule.

They were told that a Pure One could break their bond with just a touch and so pay a large sum to bring Rylee to the station. When she touches them what happens is the opposite, they seem to be bound closer together. What ensues next is a quest to find an artifact which can severe their bond. But do they really want that?

Though all the books can be read as a standalone I think that the best way to do this is read the them in order. These are some very colorful, very hot and very sexy alien males who are devoted to their chosen females. The females are not what you would expect and make you like them because they have the type of personalities that make them great friends. Highly recommend this !!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cursed

Cursed

(Brides of the Kindred #13)

by Evangeline Anderson

I have been in love with this series since reading Claimed after getting it because it was free. The stories always make me feel like I am a part of what is going on. The introduction of each new couple brings something a little different to the mix while still allowing you to keep up with those who came before. The planets as well as the inhabitants are so imaginative and strange that they keep you coming back to see what will happen next.

Stavros Rii was in charge of the HKR building in Asheville and stayed on Earth after the declaration of war against the Kindred because two people, a Kindred warrior and his bride were not allowed back onto the Mother ship by Councilor Terex. Stavros has not and does not plan to claim a bride but feels that the war is stupid. He has left the remote cabin where they have been staying because he has a feeling that someone on the mother ship is trying to contact him. He just wants to get to the HKR and find out what is needed of him.

Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Sayers had been a detective with the Asheville PD when war was declared on the Kindred. She is more than happy to sign up with the special force that is formed to kick the big aliens off the planet or lock them up as war criminals. She has had a special hatred of the Kindred ever since tragedy struck her family because of the draft. After getting off work she spots and starts to follow Stavros hoping to take him into custody. What follows is more than she bargained for and brings into question her feelings against the Kindred.

Stavros and Charlie are definitely one of the hotter couples to grace the pages, maybe because they are both hurt and need each other so badly. I cannot help but feel that everyone should give this series a read because you are either going to love it or hate it. While there is always a level of sameness involved the characters are always great and the story entertaining. You just have to get started.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Why can I feel her? Is it just because I’ve never let a female drink from me before? He didn’t know. He only knew that Charlotte Sayers was different and special somehow. And judging from the horrified look she’d given him as she backed into the fresher, she was also scared to death right now. Even if she wasn’t, she was still completely off limits and out of his reach. That didn’t stop him from wanting her. With a low groan, he threw an arm across his eyes. What have I done? Oh Gods, what have I done and how can I ever undo it? *”

― Evangeline Anderson, Cursed

Enhanced

Enhanced

(Brides of the Kindred #12)

by Evangeline Anderson

I am always happy to enter the world of the Kindred because it is one that will usually take me on an intergalactic adventure with romance and danger. Have you you ever read a book that you loved, with characters you care about so much you could not stand the thought of something bad happening to them? I was not disappointed in any way by this one. The characters continue to be rich and approachable, the world building continues to fascinate and hold me. The stories are a bit predictable but that is not necessarily a bad thing at all, it just means that they have be written even better to compensate for that fact. In the case of these stories they are written perfectly and make me keep coming back for more.

Mei-Li Hastings is the daughter of Senator Hastings and has been dreaming of a Kindred who scares her because of the way he looks. She tells this to her father who goes and demands that his daughter not be claimed even though she is registered like all the eligible females on Earth, he wants special privileges.

Six is a Dark Kindred who has been Enhanced as is the way of the inhabitants of the planet on which he lives. Six is disturbed by the dreams partly because he does not understand what is going on. When he told, he does not plan on claiming her because it is something the Dark Kindred do not ever do, but he is ordered to do so by One. This claiming sets in motion things that will bring darkness to both the Earth and the Kindred.

This is another great story that takes us to the other side of the galaxy and back with some very hot scenes. I think that this is a great series and I look forward to the next entry. I highly recommend this series and this book.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“A strange, strong feeling came over her, prickling the skin on her arms and raising the short hairs at the back of her neck. Somehow she knew that if he left her, she could never love anyone else. She was his—Six had taken a piece of her soul and welded it permanently to his. Without him, she would never be whole again. Never”

― Evangeline Anderson, Enhanced

Protected

These first chapters have just wet my appetite for more. Once you meet Grab and Leah you know they are perfect for each other, now they just need to figure it out. Take a look and find yourself hooked on their story. Love the Alien Mate Index!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This second book in the Alien Mate Index is just as great as the first book. Having met the big blue guy in the first book you knew it was going to be an interesting ride when he got off on his own. The characters continue to be fun and interesting as they take you along on their various missions.The story while centering around a couple still manages to give you more than just their drama by incorporating various subplots that keeps things from getting stale. The language is perfect because you know they cannot be speaking English all the time but the phrases are so right that you really don’t care. The main thing is that the backgrounds of the characters and that of each new race that is introduced gives you more depth and insight into what and who they all are.

Gravex N’gol is a murderer and escaped convict but he also a protector of females who would give his life to protect theirs. When he is given the task of going to Earth and making sure that Zoe’s friends are alright and to give them a message from her, he is more than happy to do it. While checking on them he becomes enamored with Leah, who is living in a bad situation but embodies everything Grav finds attractive. When he sees her being abused it is more than he can stand so he goes to her rescue and so starts an adventure he had not planned on.

Leah lost her friend Zoe under mysterious circumstances that had her and Charlotte using every avenue possible to find her. When they found nothing she lost her friend Charlotte as well when she moved away to grieve her loss alone. Leah marries her boyfriend who promptly moves her away from her family where he can do what he wishes without interference. When he goes to far one night Leah is surprised to be rescued by a stranger who just appears in her home. This stranger delivers news that her friend is alive and well, he is also willing to take her to her. She leaves because it is the best course though she cannot see what will happen as she travels so far from home.

I love Evangeline Anderson and the imagination that can deliver such great aliens and worlds so strange you cannot help but be pulled into them. This has everything you could hope for when traveling the galaxy, evil computer programs bent on domination, alien females with murder on their minds, palace intrigue, and much more. I totally recommend this to anyone who loves sexy aliens who can stoke a fire like nobody else. I would love my own if it were possible.

** Listening is an experience that everyone should have in regard to their favorite books and authors. I enjoyed this just as much or maybe even more than the first time I read it for myself, the only slight drawback is William Martin who sounds a bit the same when doing the male alien voices. They come off a little monotone, though I know its an inner dialogue that does not mean it has to be so bland. He does however do well when it is a conversation between the characters. As for the female half, Mackenzie Cartwright brings life and light to all the characters, including the male ones. Still very recommended by me.


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me tell you, if you’ve never run flat out for your life with an Imperial Guard thrown over your shoulder, well, I don’t recommend it. There are easier ways to get your cardio in.

Abducted-Part 1

abducted part 1Abducted Part 1: Through the Looking Glass
(Alien Mate Index .5)
by Evangeline Anderson

 

 

I was pulled into this story right from the beginning. I was happy to see what this new series is going to be like and it looks like another fun trip through space. The characters start out strong and continue to build in the short span of the story. The language is perfect and conveys everything from the emotions to the locale in vivid detail.

Zoe McKinley is living a normal boring life with a mundane job and a boss from hell, but things are about to change. Sarden sees Zoe on the Alien Mate Index (AMI), a type of interstellar mail order brides. He purchases her, which she has no idea about, and has her transported to the space station. Zoe is informed she will never go home and is being traded to some other alien. She will do whatever it takes to get back home. Sarden has plans to keep that from happening.

This was the perfect length to whet my appetite for the new series. I like Zoe, I like Sarden, I even like A.L., this is going to be a fun group. Definitely recommend.

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

 

 

4 stars No Review

1899921818460746223403728679415

Each book has a hot story with great characters who are very human.  You have demons, vampires, and just plain people in situations they would not have chosen for themselves in most cases. I really liked each of these and even though I did not recommend them at the time I cannot see why anyone should miss out on them. This is escapism at its hottest with a real story behind it. Enjoy!

Devoured

22433773

Devoured (Brides of the Kindred #11)

My rating: 4.3 of 5 stars

This was another great entry in a series that I have come to love so much. The characters are ever-changing and yet still manage to allow time for characters which had been established in earlier books. The stories seem simple but have a complexity that makes them more interesting than if you had something just totally straight forward. The narrative flows very well though there are sometimes things that hold it back a little. The characters speak and act as you wold expect them to in most instances, though sometimes they seem to do things just to make the story progress.

Garron has been banned from his home-world, Pax because of his siding with his half-brother Truth when he had visited with his twin and mate. Garron is Rai’ku but his father was a twin Kindred who had lost his twin and mate. He is living on the mother ship and trying to come to terms with the new feelings that he has been having as well as the fact of his ‘other’ possibly coming out. Tess is running from an abusive spouse who could end her life and make it seem like an accident or something someone else did and has nowhere she can really hide. Her friend takes her to live at the Pairing House (pleasure-bots) for the unmated males where they figure her ex would never look for her. She has lived there for a week with no problems when Garron comes to choose one of the pairing bots and accidentally chooses her. Neither of their lives is ever the same after this.

I liked the story between Tess and Garron because they were both kind of lost. Tess because her ex had beaten her down so much she could not see the good in any man and Garron because he had loved and tried to protect someone he couldn’t and sought to punish himself forever. There was the requisite trip off-world which I have come to expect and look forward to since you never know what type of place it will be. I got to catch up with my girls from previous books to see what was happening in their lives. And we got to meet the next couple who will be brought together, and see what the malevolent entity in their midst will cause to happen. Really want that wrapped up because it just annoys me a bit.

Overall I would recommend this along with all the series as a must read!

Divided

21457590

Divided (Brides of the Kindred #10)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been in love with this series from the very beginning and it just continues to get better. While each story has a different couple or trio, you are still able to check in with the couples that started it. The story is always interesting with an element of danger or something to be overcome in order for our people to get together. The planets that are visited are well constructed and fit in with what you would expect to find out in the big black of space. Cultures that are different but in many ways similar to ours make it easy to feel for what happens with them. And everything always moves forward and creates more story to follow.

Truth and Far are Twin Kindred who were separated at birth and grew up without their other half, something that is bad for this type of Kindred. While Far was raised on Twin Moons by an adoptive family he was still alone, without his brother or other real family. On the other side of the galaxy Truth was being raised on Pax in a society that frowned on everything that he and his father were. Far finds his brother but is disappointed when he does not seem to care for him or want a connection.

Becca stumbled into the middle of these two after eating a piece of bonding fruit cake at Kat’s wedding to her twin warriors. When she has an experience with the Truth and Far in the Sacred Grove she decides that she cannot take her vows to become a nun. Because of her upbringing she wants to choose between the brothers not realizing that she is doing harm to them by making it easy for them to stay apart. When they share a vision of the unmated males and a threat to the mother ship they must work together to keep it from happening. In the process they find that being together may be what they all need.

Another great book that gave plenty of tense moments where anything could have happened. There are some very hot encounters between our reluctant trio that made me wish I could participate. You cannot go wrong with the Kindred, these warriors are everything you could possibly want. Start with Claimed and read on through.

“Kat sighed. “Well, the first thing you’re going to need to do is keep in contact with both of them. Touch them a lot—and I do mean a lot—or you’re going to start getting sick.” “What? But I can’t,” Becca protested. “That’s what got me into this in the first place. And besides, every time I touch them, especially together, I keep wanting to…to…” She broke off, blushing. “Get down and dirty again?” Kat said sympathetically. “Yeah, I get it. Your body wants the full bonding experience. In fact, that’s probably what you ought to do.” “I don’t want to,” Becca said stubbornly. “I mean, Truth is on board with it and Far has always wanted the three of us together. But what happens when I have to tell my parents?” “Ask yourself this—who would you rather spend the rest of your life with?” Kat said. “Your parents or your guys? If you’d really rather move back home and never see Truth and Far again…” “No, I…” Becca put a hand to her throat. “I couldn’t. That…that would be awful.” “See?” Kat said. “Your heart knows who to choose even if your brain doesn’t.”
Evangeline Anderson, Divided Evangeline Anderson