Connor Ward is Greywood’s resident psychopath. And now, he’s my boyfriend…
One impulsive decision is all it took. I needed a ‘boyfriend’ for the year; Connor needed a redemption arc with his legion. So I announced to the world we were dating… before he even agreed.
Connor nearly strangled me for my gall. Then, he named his price: my body, my choices, my complete surrender.
Who am I to refuse such a delicious deal?
Everyone sees him as a monster. Cold, calculating, untouchable. But as our twisted game begins, I start spotting cracks in his armor. He’s undoubtedly brutal, but he’s also beautifully broken.
The longer we fake a relationship, the more real it becomes… and then our pasts catch up with us. My ex wants me back, and he’s getting violent. Connor’s enemies are circling, and I’m caught in the crossfire. The legion’s fed up with Connor, leaving him without backup.
In the face of our conflicts, Connor reminds me that I don’t matter to him and never will. That he only knows how to destroy, not love.
Realizing he can never give me what I’m starting to crave, I try to walk away from Connor… only he changes his mind and doesn’t let me go.
Now, I have to choose my destruction—my ex’s fury, Connor’s ruthless enemies, or Connor himself… who’s breaking me apart piece by piece.
Maidens and Mercenaries is a dual-POV spicy dark college romance featuring a morally grey MMC and a strong, cunning FMC. If you enjoy Rina Kent’s Legacy of Gods or Shantel Tessier’s LORDS, you’ll turn feral for the men of the Greywood Legionaries!
I knew going into this that Connor, the MMC, is the darkest of the legionaries. And true to form, he got too dark for me. This contains unsafe BDSM with a lot of pain and choking. It was a turn off for me. So I can only recommend this if you like this content. If you do, go for it!
It didn’t stop me from finishing the book, but it did curtail my enjoyment. I’m glad I got a resolution to the overall story arc that began in Book 1. This is well written with fleshed out characters, a nice sprinkling of humor, and some good action.
But for me, it just wasn’t right. Kresley Cole is one of my absolute favorite authors, but I wasn’t into her Gamer Maker series.
Contains graphic sex scenes.
Frequent foul language.
1st person past tense from Cara and Connor.
Errors: Very frequent issues with dialogue formatting – not capitalizing and separating action sequences, 1 wrong word, 1 missing word, and 1 missing space between words. So not awful.
There’s a threat to the Trillume Universe and the “cure” may just be the beginning of the end.
Commander Yueril of the Galactic Authority was on a mission that he never expected to return from, all in the name of protecting the universe against the Solungors, an invasive species destroying every planet they touch. Though, when he arrives at the outlaw planet Delta-Fal, he comes across someone he least expected to meet, a mate that makes his instincts scream to protect her, but she may just be the one protecting him.
Hazel is snatched from her home planet Estreldez by the krelis horde that seeks to invade her planet, but when she arrives to be sold off to slavers, one takes pity on her and sneaks her off ship, only to find herself trapped on an outlaw planet with no one willing to help her now that she holds the mark of the Birds of Zorn.
For those of you monster fudgers that love something different and like your aliens more alien than human, this spicy romance is for you. The trill are a reptilian species with sharp teeth, scales, fancy equipment, and exceptionally playful tails. There’s a bit of a breeding kink, but there is no “oops I’m preggers”, none of that in these pages. Fated mates, mating marks, biting, tail play, knotting, and even a bit of exhibitionism. All the fun stuff.
This is a standalone alien romance spice that will have you curling your toes, and a fascinating universe that unravels the more books you read in the Trillume Universe. No, you do not have to read any other book before reading this one, in fact, this book takes place before every other book I’ve written in the universe so far!
I love aliens that are truly alien, not just humans with a different skin tone or any other equally subtle change. But I do now know that I prefer one of the main characters to be human so I can more easily relate to the narrative. I was so confused by this that I didn’t know the sex of the narrator until near the end of the first chapter. I was intrigued enough to continue reading, but my confusion remained high throughout. Frequent errors in the text didn’t help matters.
I didn’t feel like I really got to know the characters because I had no human filter to view them through. The graphic scenes were interesting but not overly stimulating for the same reason.
Contains graphic sex scenes.
1st person past tense from Hazel and Yueril.
Errors: Too many to count. Misspelled, wrong, extra, and missing words. Sudden changes in tense. It wasn’t unreadable.
204 Pages
$3.99 at Amazon.
Free copy provided by BookSirens for honest review.
Desire is my downfall. Vengeance is my weapon. And trusting him could be my ruin…
Vengeance fuels me, desire tempts me, and trusting him could be my greatest mistake…
Greywood University was never meant for someone like me. Getting in was a miracle; surviving premed unnoticed was the plan, but life had other ideas.
A lawyer approaches me with an astonishing offer to lead a lawsuit that could dismantle some of the most corrupt corporations in the country. Saying yes could change everything—saying no would mean forfeiting the justice stolen from me years ago.
Then there’s Seamus. The most dangerous student on campus, he’s feared and worshipped in equal measure. His voice is silk, his smile sunlight, but beneath the golden veneer lurks darkness. Seamus is part of a vigilante legion that thrives on chaos and wreaks havoc. He says he wants something real with me, but I know better. Falling for him isn’t just reckless—it could be deadly.
When a demon from my past resurfaces, threatening to drag me back into the life I barely escaped, the pressure around me builds. The walls close in. Yet every time I teeter on the edge of a breakdown, Seamus is there, promising I’m worth fighting for.
As the ghosts of my past collide with my present, I’m left with only one option. I give myself to Seamus, trusting his protection…
… even as I question if he’s the mistake that’ll cost me everything.
I love “The Beekeeper” movie and recommend it to anyone who has been scammed. This reminded me of that, a cathartic daydream of justice and revenge for victims of RTCs (Residential Treatment Centers) – horrific forced “rehabilitation” of “out of control” teens. We discover in the ending Author’s Note that Rose was trapped in one of these for most of her young adult life. I felt that in the realistic emotional journey of the FMC, Valerie.
My only previous knowledge of RTC’s was years ago, watching Dr. Phil shows where teens were often “transported” (kidnapped) and forced into vans heading to these places while tearfully begging and/or threatening their parents. So midway through this novel, I watched the documentary “The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping”. It was eye opening and horrifying.
I hope there are other cathartic release books without BDSM and explicit content for those who don’t enjoy reading these things. But this content did bring notice to the topic from me, someone who didn’t have much knowledge of it before.
Trigger Warning given at the beginning of the book:
Please be advised that this book contains some dark and triggering content. If any of the following triggers bother you, this book probably isn’t a good fit for your library.-Mentions and depictions of the abuses that take place at Residential Treatment Centers (RTC’s).-Obsessive anti-hero.-Mentions of sex trafficking (not perpetrated between MCs).-On-page depictions of anorexia nervosa.-On-page depictions of reactive attachment disorder (RAD).-Gun fights, knife fights, and gore. Seamus is a character with questionable morals and a skewed perspective of the world. Valerie has endured intense emotional traumas and struggles on a daily basis because of her past. Only proceed if you enjoy your MMC’s morally grey.
This contains explicit scenes of consensual BDSM. But I would not call it hard core. I’m not a frequent reader of this content, having wound up here because I liked the first book in the series. Book 2 focuses on two of the secondary characters in Book 1, so we get snippets of updates on the first couple. I’m not a fan of pain, so I wasn’t excited by some of the acts depicted. But I was excited by the dialogue! And the acts didn’t bother me. They contained no degradation, which would have turned me off it.
The graphic content spiced up an otherwise terrific depiction of survival, emotional growth, and strength for Valerie. I really enjoyed this character. She’s far from perfect, which makes her realistic and relatable. Seamus is a bit less fleshed out of a character but an ideal rock for Valerie who pushes when he should and always supports. He comes up with a nickname for Valerie, which I loved:
“Valk is short for Valkyrie. Legendary female warriors known for slaying thousands of men. Seems appropriate.”
There is a lot of humor in this. Seamus is hilarious.
Valerie: I give my head a shake. “I’m… happy to see you.”
Seamus: He tilts his head to the side. “Why do you make it sound like such a surprise? I’m marvelous, I f–k like a god, and I make you smile.”
I like that these two don’t have instalove but have actually gotten to know each other a bit before feelings developed.
Valerie went through horrific abuse at a Troubled Teen Center that her mother sent her to. They have been slowly working on their relationship. While there, they broke her ankle and withheld proper medical care until she was sent to a hospital and her mother arrived. The story begins with Valerie speaking to a lawyer who is representing her case against the center.
I’m used to the disbelief of others; it’s one of the fears that was ingrained in me. After all, Wasatch staff members told me that nobody would believe me as they were abusing and neglecting me. At the time, I was a minor, and Wasatch was a reputable treatment center for troubled youth, protected under the umbrella of the Troubled Teen Industry, commonly referred to as the TTI. Their word would always be taken over mine.
The lawyer fortunately does believe her, and the case moves forward. It dregs up issues Valerie was previously fighting, including anorexia. Valerie believes she is incapable of having a serious romantic relationship because she can’t trust anyone enough. I found this storyline very believable and thoroughly enjoyed Seamus’ tempts, nudges, and fights with Valerie over it. Valerie has the chance to walk away but doesn’t take it. There is no dub-con here.
I don’t want to give spoilers, but I was thrilled at the ending. Valerie is a strong character who doesn’t require a man to save her. There is a partnership between Valerie and Seamus rather than a hero-victim dynamic.
Contains graphic sex scenes.
Frequent foul language.
1st person past tense from Valerie and Seamus.
Errors: There were a couple of contradictions in the text, frequent capitalization errors in the dialogue formatting especially towards the end, 2 misspelled words, 1 missing word, and an extra comma.
388 Pages
$4.99 at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited.
Received free from BookSirens for my honest review.
A deadly secret. A dangerous captor. A dark love that teeters between obsession and salvation.
A simple night hike turned into a nightmare…
I stumbled upon something I was never meant to see—a deadly secret hidden deep in the forest. Before I could escape, Dorian Acheron—Greywood University’s notorious vigilante—chased me down. His hands pinned me to the cold ground, and his piercing gaze promised retribution for my unwelcome intrusion.
The choice he gave me was no choice at all: vanish into the grave he’d dug for someone else or become his temporary captive.
Now, I’m confined to his gothic home, and every breath I take is steeped in unease. Dorian watches my every move, a predator lying in wait. His unseemly roommates threaten me each time I cross paths with them, convinced that my silence can never be trusted.
Dorian promises I’ll be free after a week—as soon as he’s sure I’ll keep his secrets. But as the days drag on, I begin to see cracks in his icy armor. Beneath the terrifying façade lies a man capable of tenderness, even vulnerability. Against all logic, I find myself drawn to him. Yet his dark world suffocates me, so I yearn for the moment I can escape.
Unfortunately, my past resurfaces. When Dorian discovers that I’m far more than a quiet college student, his fixation on me transforms into a dangerous obsession.
Now, I no longer know whether he’s keeping me captive to protect his secrets… or because he’s claimed me as his woman.
Luminaries and Legionaries is a spicy dark college romance featuring a morally grey MMC and a shy, intelligent FMC. If you enjoy Rina Kent’s Legacy of Gods or Shantel Tessier’s LORDS, you’ll turn feral for the men in Greywood Legionaries!
It’s not the most realistic narrative, but I don’t think we expect that with a college mafia novel. It’s a fun, entertaining, spicy, quick-paced, escapist read. I enjoyed and recommend it, but I don’t think it’ll be something I want to re-read, so 4 stars from me. Well worth your time once, if you like this type of story. I intend to try the remaining books in this series.
It’s billed as “dark” and contains dubious-consent scenes. Unwanted touching of a sexual nature occurs but no actual rape. There is seduction but not coercion. The woman does not feel violated.
Warning Included:
Please be advised that this book contains some dark and triggering content. If any of the following triggers bother you, this book probably won’t be for you.-Dub-con.-Mentions and depictions of child abuse (flashbacks to abuse).-Alpha-hole, domineering hero. Dorian is a character with questionable morals and a skewed perspective on the world. Only proceed if you enjoy your MMC’s morally grey.
The FMC, Mira, is empathic, seeing energies on people and animals, and highly perceptive in an almost paranormal-genre way. It’s not totally realistic, but I’m okay with it. I loved The Mentalist and Medium TV series, so I’m not averse to believing someone could have these abilities. Wild animals are drawn to Mira, which I found very cool.
The alpha’s head lifts from the ground and he turns around to give me a narrow-eyed look, letting out a growl of warning. It’s as if he’s saying, “stay right the fuck where you are, and don’t you dare stop petting me.”
Mira is on her way to becoming a vet. She’s independent, strong, skilled in firearms, and damaged by previous abuse. She has her coping mechanisms and is usually very quiet. I found the believability stretched when this was contradicted by her word vomit and oversharing.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re fucking fascinating, love?” Brit questions, gazing at me with a deepening interest.
“Usually, they tell me that I’m insane.” I can’t exactly disagree, since I’m yet to meet anyone who can feel other people the way I do. Cara swears I’m an empath, but I don’t like the supernatural connotation around that word. It’s not like I see dead people or smell emotions, I just sort of… sense them.
The Brit walks behind me, and I feel his gaze burning a hole into the back of my head. I think he’s trying to figure me out—both men are—and that confuses me. Most people don’t care to figure me out. They catch a whiff of my brand of crazy and run in the opposite direction. I prefer it that way, since I’m not very good with people. I get along much better with animals.
“I think I like you,” Dorian says, sounding perplexed by the prospect.
“Please don’t. I’d rather you disliked me and wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible. Not in the permanent way, but in the Jesus fuck this girl is so annoying I’m gonna let her go back to her dorm room way.”
The MMC, Dorian, is billed as morally grey and that holds up. Murder when justified, theft, and drug business is okay, but hurting “innocents” is not. The organization he belongs to seeks to destroy sex trafficking operations. Dorian and his “legion” started out as vigilantes, cleaning up their college town. Overall, I found Dorian likeable.
There’s something panicked in her eyes that I really don’t like. I’m not a rapist, I’m not someone who will ever get off on forcing women. I have my fair share of kinks and taboo enjoyments, but desire on both sides is a must for me, otherwise I don’t have any interest.
It looks like other books in this series will have other dominant-submissive kinks, but Dorian’s is orgasm control. No beating or degradation required.
I live in a house with dominant guys. Connor is the type to spank a girl’s ass until she’s sobbing for mercy, then squeeze it while he’s fucking her—sadist through and through. He needs to deliver pain to really get his blood rushing. Seamus, on the other hand, likes scenes of all kinds—tying a girl up any number of ways and playing with her however he feels like in the moment. It changes from person to person and scene to scene. He leaves his bedroom door open, enjoys other people watching him work, so I’ve witnessed him do a whole range of shit with girls. I think the thing that really gets him off is begging.
As for me… I certainly have particular tastes, and all of them center around the pleasure of my partner.
“So many men are terribly unoriginal. Disappointingly so. A punishment is easy when you redden someone’s ass, but pain tolerances build. That gets old. Forced orgasms? Not so much, that’s an entirely different form of torture.”
Everyone is amazingly gorgeous, except the bad guys who always have oily hair. The sex scenes are hot and interesting. There are quite a few, but the story is definitely there and interesting in its own right. Dorian is built like a porn star god with the huge package to match, which felt farfetched. At least Mira has some scars to prevent her from being physically flawless.
This contains insta-love on part of Dorian and almost-insta-love on the part of Mira. I noticed it, but it didn’t bother me. The action scenes are pretty good but end too fast. They could use more suspense and detail. There is humor sprinkled throughout, which I appreciated.
Contains graphic sex scenes.
Frequent foul language.
1st person past tense from Mira and Dorian.
Errors: 10 – Misspelled words, 1 set where the space was in the wrong place between them, 1 missing space between words, 2 missing quotation marks, a few capitalization inconsistences, 1 subject-verb disagreement, the color of an object changes, and the name of the cat is spelled differently a couple of times.
406 Pages
$4.99 at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited.
Received free from BookSirens in exchange for my honest review.
Fun bickering in this hate to love contemporary romantic comedy
Blurb:
It all started with a mysterious blue note sewn into a wedding dress.
Something blue.
I’d gone to sell my own unworn bridal gown at a vintage clothing store. That’s when I found another bride’s “something old.”
Stitched into the lining of a fabulously feathered design was the loveliest message I’d ever read: Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.
The name embossed on the blue stationery: Reed Eastwood, obviously the most romantic man who ever lived. I also discovered he’s the most gorgeous. If only my true-love fantasies had stopped there. Because I’ve since found out something else about Mr. Starry-Eyed.
He’s arrogant, cynical, and demanding. I should know. Thanks to a twist of fate, he’s my new boss. But that’s not going to stop me from discovering the story behind his last love letter. A love letter that did not result in a happily ever after.
But that story is nothing compared to the one unfolding between us. It’s getting hotter, sweeter, and more surprising than anything I could have imagined.
Something new.
But I have no idea how this one is going to end…
The best part of this is the bickering the main characters get into.
I sat up straighter in my chair as Reed closed the door behind his brother. Unlike Max, he didn’t take a seat on the couch. No, this brother preferred to stand with his arms crossed while looking down his nose at me. And I wasn’t putting up with it anymore. I stood, kicked off my heels into the air, and climbed up on top of my chair.
“What do you think you’re doing?” He squinted at me.
Mimicking his posture, I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him over my nose. “I’m looking down at you.”
“Get down.”
“No.”
I loved how Charlotte stood up to Reed at every turn, pushing him past his fears. He’s not commitment-phobic, but he a burden to carry that he doesn’t think is fair to share with a partner. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I can’t give any more specifics on that. It was a good twist that added depth to an otherwise sweet, light read.
Overall, it’s a feel-good romantic comedy that kept me turning the pages quickly. If you like to keep it light or need a break from drama and gore, I highly recommend it.
4 stars – It doesn’t get 5 because I don’t think it will stick with me and make me want to read it again. But well worth my time!
Surviving the virus was one thing, surviving humanity after is another.
Rachel Davenport has always liked things ordered and neat, so when the Sy-V virus decimated the world around her, she was left reeling. With winter closing in and danger everywhere she turns, the last thing she needs is the unexpected arrival of her former high school sweetheart—a man who left her without so much as a goodbye.
When James O’Connor crossed the country to declare his love for Rachel, the girl he left behind eight years ago, he knew he’d have a fight on his hands. But the girl he left has become a woman he struggles to recognize. As the apocalypse forces him to balance his morality against Rachel’s determination, can he cross the chasm growing between them?
As humanity crumbles around them and survival becomes everything, James and Rachel must choose between what is smart, and what is right.
The stakes are higher than ever… can love survive a second chance?
—
Author’s note: After Yesterday is the second book in The After series of post-apocalyptic romance novels. If you love reading stories by Kate L. Mary, Kate Morris, T.L. Payne and Kyla Stone, then you will love this series.
After Yesterday is a standalone story with no cliffhangers and a HEA, however will be enjoyed further by reading the other books in the series. Possible trigger warnings for violence against women and consensual rough sex; this is mature content written for 18+ readers – there is unsavory language and gratuitous sex. Lots of it.
The second book starts off a bit before the climax of the first. It’s from the point of view of Rachel and James, who were secondary characters in the first book. There is a good recap of what has gone on before. I wasn’t lost even when it had been months since I read the first book.
To remind you: Jake and Mackenzie had escaped Sanford, but Rachel, James, and others were still stuck there under Townsend’s cruel dictatorship. There, they were kept prisoner, made to work, and given little food and heat. Rachel and James are stuck together and not getting along.
“James could take one for the team,” she offered helpfully. “I wouldn’t mind so much if he got shot.” He winced. “Harsh, Davenport.”
James and Rachel had been sweethearts in high school, but James left, abandoning Rachel. He returned to Sanford just before the pandemic hit, intent on winning her back. After his betrayal, Rachel grew strong and tough but cold. She needs that strength to get through this apocalypse and fight for what she believes is right. I really liked how badass Rachel was.
“You are such a beautiful, fragile woman,” he murmured, reaching out a finger to run it down the tip of her nose. “Fragile?” She pulled back, smile slipping. “Not like a flower,” he hurried to reassure her, mentally kicking himself. “You’re fragile in the way a bomb is fragile. Powerful and potent and explosive.” She narrowed her eyes, thinking. “Okay, I can accept that.”
Now I knew the Council of male-chauvinists was evil from After Today, but this clinched it for me:
Two armed guards would sweep a house first, identifying dead bodies and shooting any pets that had been left behind. When James, anticipating Rachel’s outrage, asked if they couldn’t just release the pets and leave them to their own devices, he’d received a rifle butt between his shoulder blades. They all took that as a no.
The Council had to die!
Dex, Mackenzie’s dog from After Today, was thankfully alive!
James: “Why did I wake up naked, spooning a dog?”
Once again, the action was very well written, and there was a lot of it. There are compelling cliffhangers at the end of chapters and sections. I just raced right along reading this and couldn’t put it down. Some great moments of humor relieve the bleakness of the story.
“Can you believe there was a book in the library on lock picking?” Jake said to Quinn, shaking his head. “Who needs the internet when you have books?”
“These gangs, exactly how fucked up are they?” Even as he asked, James wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Why did it seem like Sy-V had upset the ratio of asshole to normal human beings, with the assholes coming out on top?
I liked all the characters and the chemistry between them. The sex scenes, of which there are many, are scorching hot. James is dominant and Rachel is submissive in the bedroom, but it’s only in the bedroom. This was handled well with there being a true partnership in the rest of life. This aspect of sex isn’t so kinky that it needs a trigger warning. There is no non-consent. There is much more story than sex, a good ratio. The plot kept me reading, and the sex spiced it up.
Overall, I loved this. It’s a great follow up to After Today, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series!
Contains graphic sex scenes. Very hot ones.
Occasional foul language.
3rd person past tense from Rachel and James.
Errors were fixed after I sent them to the author.
284 Pages
$5.99 at Amazon.
I received a copy of this for my honest review.
After Yesterday also contains the novella, The Beginning of the End.
The Beginning of the End Jacqueline Hayley
Blurb:
It’s the beginning of the end…
Seventeen-year old Cassie is home alone planning her first ever house party, unaware the deadly Sy-V virus has begun to ravage humanity. But when most of her classmates fail to show for the party, she can’t contact her parents, and her best friend becomes sick, in the blink of an eye her entire world changes.
Stephen has lived next door to Cassie forever, only as the virus tears their friends and family apart, the boy-next-door suddenly becomes a hero burning brightly in the devastating dark of their new world. But no way could she fall in love. Not at this moment. With this boy. Right?
This novella is a prequel to The After series, which begins with After Today.
It’s about Cassie and Stephen, the teens we’ve seen in the novels. It covers their experience of the virus break out and the take over of the Council. It’s very short but very good!
Realistic, immersive, and hot apocalyptic romance that kept me up way too late!
Blurb:
Can love survive an apocalypse?
After a deadly virus ravages Chicago and destroys Mackenzie Lyons’ carefully curated world, Mac escapes the devastation and horror to her childhood hometown with the help of her best-friend’s little brother, Jake. But the small-minded community of Sanford isn’t exactly welcoming, and the virus isn’t the only battle brewing.
Jake Brent has secretly loved Mac forever, and while this isn’t the way he’d dreamed of their relationship beginning, with the uncertainty of the outbreak he’ll take every opportunity with Mac he can and hope—pray—for a better future.
But when Sanford’s misogynistic council torment the survivors with horrifying demands and a lawless motorcycle gang threatens their fragile sanctuary, somehow Jake and Mackenzie must form new alliances and face down dangerous enemies in a struggle far worse than the outbreak.
Surviving the virus was one thing, surviving humanity after is another.
Mackenzie was totally unprepared for the end of the world.
She wasn’t a heroine in some Hollywood blockbuster. She was a twenty-six-year-old environmental lawyer, living in Lincoln Park and trying to forget Sanford, the hometown she knew had forgotten her the moment she’d skipped out.
The story starts with a pandemic brewing out of Syria, having moved into Europe, and it may be within the US now. The President is denying it. People are saying it is a hoax to control us, much the same as people are now saying about COVID in real life.
“This whole Syrian Virus is a hoax—it’s a conspiracy to control us.”
“It’s a plan-demic! Big pharma is behind it!”
Jake risks everything to go get Mackenzie from Chicago when things start to disintegrate.
“I’ve been in love with you since that day you sprained your ankle at the lake. Remember? I carried you to the car so you could go get it x-rayed.”
“That’s seven years ago, Jake.”
I found the beginning very realistic, especially with what we’ve seen actually happen. The insanity of a panicked city population with the looting, wanton destruction, and guns was very realistically described as Mackenzie and Jake tried to gather supplies before leaving Chicago.
Mackenzie cries, whimpers, and complains quite a bit. But it is a realistic reaction. She watched soldiers gun down civilians, ran home barefoot and got lots of blisters, got through the looting, and is now walking on her blistered feet and witnessing death all around her. She is an environmental lawyer, a city dweller, book smart instead of street smart, and tends to live in her own head, blocking out much of reality. So she isn’t prepared for this. All in all, I think she holds up well in the beginning. I expected she would grow stronger, turn into a survivor as time passed.
It was hard not to succumb to “damsel in distress” when every step rubbed her raw feet, her shoulders ached with the heavy pack, and she was tired. So tired.
Jake quickly became Mackenzie’s rock. He’s a mechanic, just the sort of man I would want with me in the apocalypse.
He welcomed—hell, he relished—the responsibility he felt for Mackenzie. Even when he dated other women, she was always somewhere in the back of his mind. Now, the instinct to care for her, to protect her, had strengthened to a tangible level. He could feel his dedication to her in the thrumming beat of his heart.
Jake’s declaration of love and Mackenzie’s budding attraction to him made her uncomfortable at first. Jake was her best friend’s little brother, just three years younger, so nothing weird. So it took some time for Mackenzie to change her view of him.
Jake was energized with purpose and Mackenzie took a moment to admire his assertiveness, the straightforward manner in which he’d taken control, allowing her a comforting warmth in his steadfast protection. Who knew making someone feel safe could be sexy?
I loved this novel. I found the situation and the characters to be very realistic, so it was immersive to read. I know I keep repeating this “realistic” bit, but it truly is remarkable in this genre. I didn’t have to suspend disbelief – I believed!
I truly liked the main characters. Neither is perfect, so that makes them relatable. They are both strong when they need to be and vulnerable with each other. There is a nice build to the relationship. Jake lays his heart bare, but he doesn’t push Mackenzie. He’s not an alpha male, you’re mine, type. This was refreshing and sweet.
It was a very fast read with excellent pacing. There was quite a bit of action, which was very well written – clear but concisely described, so things moved along very quickly. There are some scorching hot sex scenes, but this is definitely much more story than erotica. I felt it added the right level of spice to the meat of the overall story.
I don’t want to give too much away, but Mackenzie does grow throughout this novel, eventually becoming a bit of a badass. I absolutely loved that she didn’t need a man to save her! Girl power! Woot! Woot! 😊
Amongst the chaos are little moments of very welcome comedy.
“Don’t get weird on me. It’s just an erection. Happens most mornings.” He grinned.
“No. Nope, not going there.”
“It’s a normal bodily function.”
“Jake, stop! We are not talking about your dick.”
“You just did.”
It relieves the tension here and there and stops this from being too depressing. As Jake says:
Why was everything so damn hard? Nothing was easy anymore. He prided himself on being resilient and practical, but was it too much to ask for a simple home ransacking to go to plan?
And Mackenzie is a dog lover! My love of her grew exponentially the moment I found that out! 😊
This had my rolling with laughter:
“That’s…. psychopathic, right? Who plays fantasy apocalypse?” Mackenzie’s question was met with silence…
Writers of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic novels do. Hey! That’s us! So a little fun was poked at the author herself. Loved it!
If you’re with us, fantasizing about the end of the world, picturing yourself driving down a completely empty interstate instead of being in your traffic jam reality, this is a must read!
This is the first book in a series but can be read as a standalone. Future books will be centered on other main characters, but we will see Mackenzie and Jake as secondary characters. This has a great ending. We know the story continues, and it definitely makes me want to read the next book. But we aren’t left with a nasty cliffhanger. Like the characters, I can wait, and plan, and survive.
Contains graphic sex scenes. Very hot ones. But only really three.
Occasional foul language. I loved Mackenzie’s mantra.
3rd person past tense from Mackenzie and Jake.
Errors: 8 (misspelled words, wrong word, missing word, a name spelled differently in two places, inconsistent punctuation, a missing quotation mark) Not bad at all! I sent these errors to the author, so I hope she’ll fix them soon.
UPDATE: Errors have been fixed!
258 Pages
$5.99 at Amazon.
I received a copy of this for my honest review.
Book 2 is available for preorder but won’t be out until April 2022.
Runaway Valkyrie mate and her Lykae stalker on an adventure on the Amazon river
Blurb:
A dangerous beauty…
Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbors secrets that threaten to destroy her—and those she loves.
An uncontrollable need…
Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own.
That lead to a pleasure so wicked…
From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia’s greatest weakness—her wanton desire for him.
Back in 2012, I stumbled upon this book. It was the first Kresley Cole novel I read. But I stopped in the middle because I loved the Lore so much, I wanted to start from the beginning. So this is the one that made me fall in love, even before I read the entire novel.
It’s still one of my favorites. It has everything – action, adventure, an alpha male who is also super sweet, a kickass female, hot sex scenes, and great writing. The connection between Lucia and Garreth is one of the strongest in the series, perhaps because they can’t have sex immediately.
Lucia almost died when she was just 16 and traded healing and unparalleled skill at archery for a vow of chastity and loyalty to a goddess. So she can’t give Garreth what he wants – her, as his mate.
Understand me, MacRieve, I’m a Valkyrie. I’m not bound by your . . . animalistic needs.”
His voice a low rasp, he said, “After one night with me, Lousha, you will be.”
I’d put in a lot more quotes, but there is so much I don’t want to give away!
Contains graphic sex scenes. Some touching could be seen as non-consent.
Occasional foul language.
3rd person past tense from Lucia and Garreth. We also get a chapter section from Lachlain.
I found 4 errors, wrong punctuation and wrong words.
425 pages. The Kindle version ends at 78% with the rest an excerpt from The Master.
Part Valkyrie, part Icere (Ice Fey) who can’t be touches without pain and the vampire she bloods
This contains two novels. One by Kresley Cole called “Untouchable” and one by Gena Showalter called “Tempt Me Eternally”. This is only a review for “Untouchable”.
Blurb for “Untouchable”:
KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time…and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.
Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden — the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can’t be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?
Murdoch Wroth was the manwhore among the Wroth brothers before they were turned into vampires.
Though he’d once been a rake, bedding a new woman each night, Murdoch hoped it never happened to him. To be mystically tied to a single woman sounded hellish, especially to a woman he didn’t choose, and one who could spurn him, as Myst had Nikolai.
“In my time, taking a virgin meant one risked a sword-point wedding.” Beget no bastards, deflower no maids. As long as he’d followed those two simple rules, he’d always gotten to do as he pleased.
In his mortal life, he’d been considerate in bed. He’d made sure he brought great pleasure to every woman he’d been with. This wasn’t out of selflessness. Quite the opposite. At an early age, he’d learned that the more word got around that he was a skilled lover, the more women dallied with him.
Daniella the Ice Maiden is part Valkyrie and part Icere (Ice Fey). Her body is naturally cold. She thrives in ice and snow, bare-skinned. Overheating is dangerous for her. She can’t touch or be touched by others without extreme pain. But somehow she bloods Murdoch Wroth.
“Vampire, I think you’re afraid to settle down—with anyone. You were single for years and celibate for three hundred more. And now you have bachelor’s panic.”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“BP? It’s when a man irrationally fears a woman he especially likes. He gets ascared of said woman’s toothbrush breaching the perimeter of his man cave, et cetera.”
“Panic? I don’t panic,” he sneered the word. “Daniela, you can’t be touched.”
The frigid one. Enough of this. “No, you can’t! Your heart’s colder than mine. You are the untouchable one.”
There is a time lapse of many months, fall to winter to summer to winter again, with Murdoch and Danii living together but unable to have intercourse or touch.
We get bits of other stories from previous books in the series. This starts before Book 1 but ends after all Book 7. We get the endings too, so this should be read in order.
This is one of my favorite couples. Perhaps it’s because they have to wait for actual sex, and they choose to be together even when they can’t touch. I definitely don’t feel like it’s only the Bride connection between them. But I also love the Iceren – ice elves, how I’ve never seen them before, and the answer to how Danii and Murdoch can be together. Cole has an amazing imagination!
Contains graphic sex scenes. No triggers. No non-consent here.
Occasional foul language.
3rd person past tense from Danii and Murdoch.
I found 3 errors, mostly with formatting.
“Untouchable” is 256 pages. The entire book is 444 pages.
$5.99 at Amazon.
The second half is Gena Showalter’s “Tempt Me Eternally”, book 7 of the Alien Huntress Series. I didn’t read it, planning to read it 7th in that series later on. I have read some of Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. I don’t remember if I stopped or had read them all. I wasn’t as big a fan of them as I was of Kresley Cole, but I do remember enjoying them. Showalter is an extremely prolific writer, having written almost 100 books so far!
Blurb for “Tempt Me Eternally”:
GENA SHOWALTER puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted…and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.
Aleaha Love can be anyone — literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself…. “
Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions: the evil beauty who surrenders her body, but not her heart.
Her downfall…
Rydstrom Woede: the ruthless warrior who vows to keep her at all costs.
They were never supposed to want each other this much…
With each smoldering encounter, their shared hunger only increases. If they can defeat the sinister enemy that stands between them, will Sabine make the ultimate sacrifice for her demon? Or will the proud king lay down his crown and arms to save his sorceress?
Rydstrom is a rage demon, like his brother Cadeon, whom we met in the last novel in the series. Rydstrom was their king before Omort the Deathless stole the crown from him. If you are reading the series in order, you know all about this. You also know that Rydstrom was captured by Sabine.
“I plan,” she began matter-of-factly, “to become pregnant with your heir.”
“With me in control of your heir, the last of the rage demon rebellions will be quelled.”
Rydstrom shook his head hard, even as his mouth went dry. In fifteen hundred years, he’d never felt so attracted to another female. What if she were his? To find his queen after waiting so long? To find her as Omort’s sister? “No, fate isn’t that cruel.”
She quirked a brow at that. “Fate is indifferent.”
“Even if you are fated to be mine, Sabine, I’ll never have you.”
“Oh, you’ll have me.” Her lips curled in a knowing, sexual grin that made his heart pound. “Again and again until this deed is done.”
Again and again. Taking her soft body, learning that perfect pale flesh . . . No! Resist her.
He clenched his jaw, unable to deny what was so obvious. “Of course you’d kill me after our babe is born?”
“Well, I wouldn’t be a very good evil sorceress if I allowed you to live.”
If this female weren’t so evil, she’d be glorious.
In that instant, he decided, I’ll claim her as my war prize when I escape.
And he would use her to get free.
Sabine is Sorceri. And she is Rydstrom’s fated mate.
He tried to remember what he knew about the Sorceri in general. He recalled that they were greedy for wealth, merry hedonists who lived their lives in pursuit of pleasure—and gold. But they were also secretive and paranoid, suspicious of strangers who arrived at their doorstep. Most tended to live in the farthest reaches of the earth.
Yet they weren’t an inherently evil race. You’re just thinking this way because you want her. Maybe, but the fact remained that it was a possibility. Right now, it was the only one that seemed viable.
This is one of my favorite series of all time and this still gets 5 stars, but having said all that, this may be my least favorite in the series. There isn’t as much adventure, and I don’t feel the connection between the characters as much as I usually do. But I’m spoiled here! So this is still great and shouldn’t be skipped.
Contains graphic sex scenes. There are bondage scenes – real bondage, as in chained up to keep from escaping, not pretend stuff with safe words. Some sexual scenes can be seen as non-consent.
Occasional foul language.
3rd person past tense from Rydstrom and Sabine.
I found 5 errors, missing punctuation and misspelled words
413 pages. Stops 77% of the way through. Excerpt from The Master at the end.
V. B. Law 