Monday, August 29, 2011

Review - The Lady of the Storm by Kathryne Kennedy

The Lady of the Storm

TITLE:    The Lady of the Storm
AUTHOR:    Kathryne Kennedy
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 391 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

PUBLISHER SUMMARY: 

There's a thin line between duty and desire...

Giles Beaumont is stuck in a role he never wanted, trying to safeguard a woman of incendiary powers who doesn't think she needs a protector.
Cecily Sutton has no idea of the enormity of her true task and no inkling of the effect she's having on Giles. But somewhere along their perilous journey together, they'll have no choice but to uncover the deep, dark connection that binds them one to the other...
Lose yourself in renowned author Kathryne Kennedy's gorgeous love story set in a lush world made of equal parts wonder and danger.

PURCHASE: Amazon, The Book DepositoryBarnes & Noble

MY TAKE:  If you read my review of the first book in this series The Fire Lord's Lover, you will know that I am a new rabid fan of the amazing Kathryne Kennedy.  She is a master at building a world or altering the one we're in, to take her readers on an amazing and magical journey.  This world is set in England's 1700s, but an England ruled by Elven lords who have divided the country into seven realms.  The enslaved humans have finally started to rebel and are trying to get their land and rule back.

In this newest addition to her Elven Lords series, Ms. Kennedy has kept the bar high and not disappointed.  Nine years have passed since we left off from the first story and the Rebellion has grown.  We join 18 year old Cecily and 24 year old Giles as their safe little seaside village becomes a battle zone.  They will be drawn into the intrigues and danger whether they want to be or not. 


Giles is a handsome Rebellion spy posing as the quiet village blacksmith.  He has been tasked with keeping Cecily out of danger, both from the Elven lords and herself.


Cecily is a gorgeous young woman with crystal blue eyes and the power to call down lightning storms.  These are just two of the things that prove her to be daughter of the Lord of Dewhame.  The same Lord Breden of Dewhame who just happens to be the one trying to kill her. 

This story is a fun adventure with Giles and Cecily as they journey throughout England in search of family and their future.  Neither wants to admit their attraction for the other:  Cecily because her feelings were hurt by Giles' earlier rejection and Giles won't betray the trust Cecily's father Thomas put in him.  The sparks fly as the two of them must overcome their mistrust and misunderstandings. 


Large doses of danger, sexual tension and magic make this a fun and exciting page-turner.  It is hard to classify these books into just one genre; there are elements of historical fiction, paranormal romance, adventure, fantasy, etc.  And just like the first book, this can be read as a stand-alone..but I highly suggest reading them all.  The third in the series The Lord of Illusion, will be out in February 2012.  I have already placed my pre-order.  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:


The Fire Lord's Lover (The Elven Lords)  The Lady of the Storm  coming soon The Lord of Illusion


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~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Review - The Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy

The Fire Lord's Lover (The Elven Lords)

TITLE:    The Fire Lord's Lover
AUTHOR:    Kathryne Kennedy
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 378 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2010
SOURCE:   Won copy in a drawing

FROM GOODREADS:
  Fighting for control of a kingdom that is split into seven domains, Elven warlords use their human slaves to breed an endless supply of soldiers for their armies. Dominic Raikes, the half-blood son of the Elven Lord himself is one such warrior. Betrothed to Lady Cassandra, who has been raised in a convent to keep her pure, he little suspects that she's been secretly trained as an assassin to murder his father and him. Dominic and Cassandra soon discover that each one is not what they seem, but the price of trust may be their very lives, and the destruction of the magical realm each is desperately trying to save. 

PURCHASE:  AmazonThe Book Depository, and Barnes & Noble
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MY TAKE:   I can't believe I waited so long to read this book!  I won it in a drawing last fall and it has been in my TBR stack since then.  But, I'm actually glad that I did hold off as I devoured it and then was able to immediately pick up the second installment ~ just released ~ in the series:  The Lady of the Storm.

The Fire Lord's Lover was an enjoyable treat that takes the reader back to the early 1700s in England.  Only it's not quite the England that we thought we knew.  King George is in power, but he is just a token monarch ~ though he does dictate fashion in the realm.  He is essentially a pawn in a game between seven Elven lords who rule over the country, each having their own slice of the pie to govern. They start wars to see which Elven lord wins the king and houses him and his court in their region of the altered England.  The biggest issue with this is that they force the humans to be their soldiers in the deadly games.

The citizens are tired of being repressed and treated like breeding animals or less, so a Rebellion is born.  Lady Cassandra has been brought up in a convent.  On the outside she is a true pious lady of the realm.  But in secret she has trained for years to be a weapon of death for the Rebellion.  She is slated to be the assassin who takes out the Elven Lord Mor'ded and his champion son, Dominic. The biggest hitch in this plan comes when Lady Cassandra is married to Dominic and begins to fall in love with him, despite his indifference and cold treatment.  

I loved the interaction between Dominic and Cass.  The sparks flew immediately from the moment they first kissed, even if they wouldn't or couldn't, acknowledge it. I really wanted to kick Dom many times for how standoffish he was to poor Cass.  But by the end of the book, I admit I was in love with him. They are both such strong, sensuous characters intelligently written, that you can't help but root for their success.  The magic and the surroundings just add to their chemistry as they learn to trust each other and fight a shared battle.

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy a good adventure that is full of romance and intrigue.  The large dose of Elven magic and a bit of humor just add to the mix making this a must read for old fans of Kathryne Kennedy and readers like me who are thrilled to have discovered her finally.



Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

The Fire Lord's Lover (The Elven Lords)  The Lady of the Storm

Be sure to stay tuned for my review of The Lady of the Storm


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~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Review - Dark Taste of Rapture by Gena Showalter



TITLE:    Dark Taste of Rapture (Alien Huntress 7)
AUTHOR:    Gena Showalter
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 451 pages
PUBLISHED:   Pocket Star Books, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  
With one caress, he can give unforgettable pleasure . . . or unending pain. . .
 
Hector Dean is shaved, tattooed, and totally ripped—and he has a deadly secret. He is a walking weapon, capable of killing with a single brush of his fingertips. Little wonder he’s determined to remain on his own. But Noelle Tremain is a temptation like no other. She is beautiful and rich, with a party girl smile that hides a shocking vulnerability, and from the beginning his sizzling attraction to her is undeniable. For the first time, his stone-cold resistance is tested. But to be with her, he risks destroying her.
 
When a wealthy businessman is murdered in New Chicago’s seediest district, the two are partnered, and there’s no escaping what they both want: each other. Yet neither Hector nor Noelle knows what to fear more—the killer case, or their own lethal desires. . . .

MY TAKE:    I just started reading Gena Showalter's books last fall.  I quickly became addicted to her stories.  One of my first reviews in this genre and of one of her tales was Ecstasy in Darkness ~ which I also bestowed a 4.5 JEWEL rating upon.  She has become one of my favorite authors.  I am making my way through her backlist and enjoying myself immensely.

The latest and greatest in the Alien Huntress series is the story of Noelle and Hector.  Fans will remember Noelle as Ava's bestest buddy from Ecstasy in Darkness.  Their deep friendship and the fantastic, laugh-provoking banter definitely left fans wanting more from this terrible twosome.  So Ms. Showalter came through with Dark Taste of Rapture.  She found the perfect man for feisty Noelle in Hector.  He is the dark to her light as well as the straight man to her snarky sense of humor.  They bring out the best and the worst in each other.  The sexual tension in this story is very high and hot!

As with the other books in the series, this book stands alone well.  Of course I would suggest reading all of them simply because they are outstanding.  They all deliver action, humor and steam in large doses.  Must reads for lovers of paranormal romance.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:



 
 

 




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~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Review - In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare



TITLE:    In the Heat of the Bite
AUTHOR:    Lydia Dare
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 368 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  
 Chivalry is far from undead...

Matthew Halkett, Earl of Blodswell, is one of the few men in the ton who can claim to be a knight in shining armor- because that's precisely what he was before being turned into a vampyre. When he spies a damsel in distress in the midst of a storm in Hyde Park, his natural instinct is to rush to her aid...
 
But not every woman needs to be rescued...
 
Weather-controlling witch Rhiannon Sinclair isn't caught in a storm-she's the cause of it. She's mortified to have been caught making trouble by the imposing earl, but she doesn't need any man-never has, and is sure she never will...
 
But when Rhiannon encounters Matthew again, her powers go awry and his supernatural abilities run amok. Between the two of them, the ton is thrown into an uproar. There's never been a more tempestuous scandal...


MY TAKE:    Lydia Dare is an author who has been on my radar for a while.  She has created a fascinating world using ingredients from two of my favorite romance sub-genres:  historicals and paranormals.  I love that in The Heat of the Bite we have the background setting of Regency England and the unsuspecting ton populated with vampires and werewolves - in nob's clothing!

Matthew and Rhiannon are quite the pair.  Sparks are literally flying between the two of them as they try to navigate the rough waters surrounding them.  The fun really starts when both of their powers go haywire.  Rhiannon's ability to affect the weather fascinated me.  I enjoy stories about those who are connected to the elements and this was no exception.  The book is full of richly written characters which is definitely what drives the tale. 
  
Very enjoyable read, entertaining as stand-alones and as part of the series.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:







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~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.