Leigh, Lora, et. al. Hot for the Holidays. (New York: Berkley, 2009). ISBN – 9780515147001. Anthology including Vampire’s Ball by Angela Knight, A Little Night Magic by Allyson James, Sweet Enchantment by Anya Bast and A Christmas Kiss by Lora Leigh.

Main Characters: Jessica Raines and Hawke Esteban

Related Works: This is one of Lora Leigh’s the Breeds Series. See Lora Leigh’s Breed Chronology. This series includes the following:

• Tempting the Beast - (Feline Breeds #1 – Lion Breeds) – story of Callan Lyons and Merinus Tyler
• The Man Within - (Feline Breeds #2 – Panther Breeds) – story of Taber and Roni
• Elizabeth’s Wolf - (Wolf Breeds) – story of Elizabeth and Dash Sinclair
• Kiss of Heat - (Feline Breeds #3 – Snow Leopard Breeds) – story of Kane Tyler and Sherra Callahan
• Soul Deep - (Coyote Breeds) -  story of Kiowa Bear and Amanda Marion
• The Breed Next Door – (Feline Breeds – Lion Breeds) – (part of Hotspell anthology with Emma Holly, Shiloh Walker, and Meljean Brook) – story of Tarek Jordan and Lyra
• Megan’s Mark - (Feline  Breeds – Lion Breeds) – story of Megan Fields and Braden Arness
• Harmony’s Way - (Feline Breeds – Lion Breeds) – story of Harmony Lancaster and Sheriff Lance Jacobs
• Tanner’s Scheme - (Feline Breeds – Bengal Breeds) – story of Tanner and Scheme Tallant
• Wolfe’s Hope - (Wolf Breeds) – (part of Primal Heat anthology with Sherri L. King, Lori O’Clare, and Jaci Burton) – story of Hope Bainesmith and Wolfe
• Jacob’s Faith - (Wolf Breeds) – story of Jacob and Faith
• Aiden’s Charity – (Wolf Breeds) – story of Aidan and Charity
• In a Wolf’s Embrace – (Wolf Breeds) – (part of Beyond the Dark anthology) – story of Matthias Slaughter and Grace Anderson
• Dawn’s Awakening - (Cougar Breeds) – story of Dawn Daniels & Seth Lawrence
• Jaguar’s Kiss - (Feline Breeds – Jaguar Breeds) – (part of Shifter anthology) – story of Noble Chavin & Haley McQuire
• Mercury’s War - (Feline Breeds – Lion Breeds) – story of Mercury Warrant & Ria Rodriguez
• Christmas Heat - (Feline Breeds – Jaguar Breeds) -(part of The Magical Christmas Cat anthology with Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, and Linda Winstead Jones) – the story of Noble Chavin and Haley
• Coyote’s Mate - (Coyote Breeds) – story of Anya Kobrin & Del-Rey Delgado
• Bengal’s Heart - (Feline Breeds – Bengal Breeds) – story of Cabal St. Laurents and Cassa Hawkins
• A Christmas Kiss – (Wolf Breeds) – story of Jessica Raines and Hawke Esteban – part of Hot for the Holidays anthology
• Lion’s Heat – (Feline Breeds – Lion Breeds) – story of Jonas Wyatt & Rachel – (to be published in April 2010)

My Thoughts:

When I first read that Jessica and Hawke’s story was going to be part of an anthology, I was seriously bummed out. We first met Jessica several books ago, when she was revealed as a traitor who had sold out the location of the Wolf Breed Compound. However, she had also saved a couple of Breed mates. We also knew that she was the mate of another Breed (I forget when we found out she was Hawke’s mate. Either the way, the two have known they were each other’s mates since they met). In a later book, we find out that Jessica had betrayed the Breeds because she had been drugged and coerced. There certainly seemed to be much more to the story of Jessica. So, I was bummed because I was rather surprised that this story would be a novella. Surely, Jessica and Hawke deserved a full length novel of their own???

So, I was totally surprised by the fact that A Christmas Kiss worked really well as a shorter-length story. We find out rather quickly that Jessica was held in a type of solitary confinement for a year and questioned repeatedly. After a year, she was released from her incarceration, but confined to the Wolf Breed Compound. She was monitored by the medical staff to make sure that the drug in her system was continuing to dissipate. Hawke, meanwhile, kept his physical distance from Jessica believing that she need to be proved innocent in order for her to be accepted into the Breed community. He also needed to maintain his distance so that he would not kiss Jessica and start the mating heat with his hormones. It all made sense to me. Jessica’s pain at Hawke’s distance was real, but the situation wasn’t easy for him either.

At the start of A Christmas Kiss, someone attempts to kill Jessica. With her life in danger, Hawke can no longer keep his distance from his mate. In what I believe is a Breed first, Hawke and Jessica have their first sexual encounter without the influence of the mating heat. Hawke deliberately restrains himself from kissing Jessica and thus releasing his mating hormone into her system. Of course, this doesn’t last long and soon thereafter the mating bond is cemented for real. The resolution to the threat to Jessica’s life did seem a bit rushed, but I did expect that given the brevity of the story. The threat is someone who she has known and trusted – although I don’t remember even meeting him.

A Christmas Kiss is probably my second favorite of the Breed novellas (The Breed Next Door, Wolfe’s Hope, In a Wolf’s Embrace, Jaguar’s Kiss, Christmas Heat and A Christmas Kiss) behind Wolfe’s Hope. Despite the brevity of the story, I was able to connect with Jessica and Hawke in a way that I haven’t really been able to do with the characters in the previous ones (except for Wolfe and Hope).

Read first on September 30, 2009

Books I Have Read This Month:

1. Heat Seeker – Lora Leigh
2. How to Dazzle a Duke – Claudia Dain
3. Angels’ Blood – Nalini Singh
4. Most Wanted – Sasha White
5. Songbird – Maya Banks (ebook)
6. Blade’s Desire – Leah Brooke (ebook)
7. Her Best Man – Michelle Houston (ebook)
8. Blind Date – Lucynda Storey (ebook)
9. Just Between Friends – Dakota Trace (ebook)
10. Compromising Situations – Emma Wildes (ebook)
11. A Rose of Any Other Color: Book 2 Maledom – anthology (ebook)
12. Price of Passion – Susan Napier – Harlequin Presents (ebook)
13. Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch – B.J. Daniels – Harlequin Intrigue (ebook)
14. An Indecent Proposition – Emma Wildes
15. Tie Me Die – Tracy Wolff
16. Cowboy Boots and Untamed Hearts – Natalie Acres (ebook)
17. Dining In – Elise Logan (ebook)
18. Jesse’s Hands – Emily Ryan-Davis (ebook)
19. Love Slave for Two – Tymber Dalton (ebook)
20. Love Slave for Two: Family Matters – Tymber Dalton (ebook)
21. Cattleman’s Club: Patton’s Way – Jenny Penn (ebook)
22. Sweet Restraint – Beth Kery
23. The Cowboy and the Lady – Diana Palmer (re-read)
24. Tempt Me at Twilight – Lisa Kleypas
25. Wicked All Day – Liz Carlyle
26. A Wicked Lord at the Wedding – Jillian Hunter
27. Someone to Watch Over Me – Lisa Kleypas
28. Atlantis Rising – Alyssa Day
29. Shoot to Thrill – Nina Bruhns
30. Voyeur – Roxy Harte (ebook)
31. Educating Rose – Lissa Matthews (ebook)
32. Submissive Dreams – Ashley Ladd (ebook)
33. Persuading Suzanne – Amy O’Connor (ebook)
34. The Gift – Honey Jans (ebook)
35. Red Ribbons and Blue Balls – Tia Fanning
36. Immortal Danger – Cynthia Eden
37. Hot for the Holidays anthology – including Vampire’s Ball by Angela Knight, A Little Night Magic by Allyson James, Sweet Enchantment by Anya Bast and A Christmas Kiss by Lora Leigh

Parker, Olivia. To Wed a Wicked Earl. (New York: Avon, 2009). ISBN – 9780061712784.

Main Characters: Adam Faramond, Earl of Rothbury and Miss Charlotte Greene

Related Works: This book is related to Olivia Parker’s At the Bride Hunt Ball- the story of Gabriel Thurston Devine, the Duke of Wolverest and Miss Madelyn Haywood

Description from Book:

He’s on the hunt for a bride . . .

Adam Faramond, Earl of Rothbury, needs to find a wife—immediately!—or his beloved grandmother will leave him penniless. But Adam, an unrepentant rake, would reform for only one woman, the woman he’s lusted after—and loved—for years. It’s rather unfortunate, then, that Miss Charlotte Greene would never consent to be the blushing bride of a rogue . . . or so he thinks.

Charlotte believes that the earl, the only man whose touch leaves her trembling, would never want a woman like her. Weary of her wallflower ways, Charlotte decides that a friendship with the earl just might give her the excitement she desires. Keeping their true feelings hidden, she and Adam plan a sham ceremony to placate the dowager. But when the “marriage of convenience” takes an unexpected turn, will Charlotte and her wicked earl finally reveal their irresistible, unforgettable love—and delight in a lifetime of passion?

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed To Wed a Wicked Earl just as much as I enjoyed At the Bride Hunt Ball. Both books are incredibly charming and are lots of fun to read. I seriously could not resist the rakish Earl of Rothbury from the moment that he rescued Charlotte at the Bride Hunt ball. Rothbury has been in love with Charlotte for quite some time. She, however, believes herself to be in love with Lord Tristan Devine – who was the one choosing a bride at the Bride Hunt ball. As such, she is rather devastated when Lord Tristan chooses another to be his bride at the ball.

Charlotte, meanwhile, keeps running into Rothbury while he is attempting to court Lord Tristan’s sister. Rothbury needs to marry and assumes that Charlotte would never accept his suit. But Charlotte and Rothbury start spending time together – mostly as friends. Ok, really, Charlotte somewhat bullies her way into the friendship. Slowly, Charlotte realizes that she does not love Tristan and has growing feelings for Rothbury. Rothbury, meanwhile, struggles to keep his feelings for Charlotte secret. In the end, the two do find their way too each other – helped along by a fake, or not-so-fake wedding.

As I mentioned early, this book was just plain fun to read. I loved both Rothbury and  Charlotte. I laughed – especially when Charlotte snuck into Rothbury’s bedroom – several times. Overall, it made me happy – just as happy as Parker’s At the Bride Hunt Ball. I look forward to future books from this author.

Read first August 30, 2009

Showalter, Gena. The Darkest Whisper. (New York: HQN, 2009). ISBN – 9780373773923.

Main Characters: Gwendolyn the Timid and Sabin

Related Works: This is part of Gena Showalters’ Lords of the Underworld series. The books include

1. The Darkest Fire - Geryon and the Goddess of Oppression’s story – prequel only available in ebook format
2. The Darkest Night - Ashlyn Darrow and Maddox’s story
3. The Darkest Kiss – Anya and Lucien’s story
4. The Darkest Pleasure – Reyes and Danika Ford’s story
5. The Darkest Prison - story of Atlas, the Titan God of Strength and Nike – only available in ebook format
6. The Darkest Whisper– Sabin and Gwendolyn the Timid’s story 
7. The Darkest Angel - story of the angel Lysander and Bianka, the Harpy – in Heart of Darkness anthology – to be published in January 2010
8. Into the Dark – anthology containing the novellas The Darkest Fire and The Darkest Prison - to be published in May 2010
9. The Darkest Passion - story of Aeron and Olivia – to be published in June 2010
10. The Darkest Lie – story of Gideon and Scarlet – to be published in July 2010

Description from Book:

Bound by the demon of Doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern . . . until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.

Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love . . .

My Thoughts:

I am a huge fan of this series about a group of immortals who have been cursed by the gods to live with demons from Pandora’s box. They are some seriously tortured souls. I was so excited when this book appeared on my doorstep last week. Interestingly, I had a really difficult time getting into this book. There was something a bit off-putting about Gwen, I think. I actually set this aside and read several other books before picking it up again.

The good news is that Gwen definitely grew on me. I think that I was frustrated with the Harpy storyline because Gwen was incredibly reluctant to share her story with Sabin (or with us for that matter). I mean, she wouldn’t eat; she wouldn’t sleep; she was incredibly timid; but, she ripped some Hunter-dude’s throat out when her Harpy broke free. I guess it took me a long time to feel like I got to know Gwen – and even a little bit longer to understand why Sabin was so fascinated with her.

Despite the fact that it took me quite a while to get into this story, I was very impressed once I felt like I really got to know Gwen. She lives with her Harpy, but doesn’t really know how to control it. In that, she has something very much in common with Sabin – and his inner demon, Doubt. I liked how she could tell Doubt’s voice from Sabin. I liked how her Harpy cowed Doubt. It took a while for Gwen to find her inner strength – and I think that this journey of hers was my favorite part of the book. Not only did she need to learn to control her Harpy, but she needed to grow, to find and believe in herself.

I can say that I am definitely surprised by how much I enjoyed this book – especially since it took me quite a while to actually get into it. I loved Gwen and Sabin together. She is the perfect foil for his demon because Doubt is afraid of her Harpy. But on the other hand, Sabin calms and soothes her Harpy. Plus, the two worked very well together – once Sabin wised up a bit.

I do have to say that I am looking forward to the stories about all of the remaining Lords. However, we got some interesting glimpses into the minds of both Torin and Paris in The Darkest Whisper. Paris is slowly becoming my favorite of the lords, which probably means his story will be among the last of the series. I guess I will just have to be patient!

Read first August 31, 2009

Books I Have Read:

1. To Ruin the Duke – Debra Mullins
2. The Infamous Rogue - Alexandra Benedict
3. Otherwise Engaged – Suzanne Brockmann
4. Tasting Fear – Shannon McKenna
5. Bengal’s Heart – Lora Leigh
6. Bad Moon Rising – Sherrilyn Kenyon
7. Skykeepers – Jessica Andersen
8. The Sheik’s Captive – Honey Jans
9. The Second Betrayal – Cheyenne McCray
10. Since the Surrender – Julie Anne Long
11. Laid Bare – Lauren Dane
12. Beauty and the Duke – Melody Thomas
13. One Weeks as Lovers – Victoria Dahl
14. The Undoing of a Lady – Nicola Cornick
15. Blood Surrender – edited by Cecilia Tan
16. Pleasure Unbound – Larissa Ione
17. Desire Unchained – Larissa Ione
18. My Wicked Enemy – Carolyn Jewel
19. The Scandals of an Innocent – Nicola Cornick
20. Pleasure – Jacquelyn Frank
21. Rough, Raw and Ready – Lorelei James (first time in paperback)
22. Holiday Heat – anthology with Unraveled by Jaci Burton and Sweet Charity by Lauren Dane
23. To Wed a Wicked Earl – Olivia Parker
24. The Darkest Whisper – Gena Showalter

eBooks I Have Read:

1. Should Have Been a Cowboy – Lorelei James
2. Tempting Grace – Anne Rainey
3. Stolen Earth – Loribelle Hunt
4. Into the Lair – Maya Banks
5. Dear Sir, I’m Yours - Joely Sue Burkhart
6. The Trust She Yields – Jennifer Leland
7. Sting of Desire – Lilli Feisty
8. The Pearl at the Gate – Anya Delvay
9. Punishing Tabitha – Evangeline Anderson
10. Spitfire – Mari Carr
11. Submissive with Benefits – Reese Gabriel
12. Restrain Me – Alyssa Brooks and Larissa Lyons

Jewel, Carolyn. My Wicked Enemy. (New York: Grand Central, 2008). ISBN – 9780446178235.

Main Characters: Carson Philips and Nikodemus

Related Works:

1. My Wicked Enemy- story of Carson Philips and Nikodemus
2. My Forbidden Desire - story of Alexandrine Marit and Xia

Description from the Book:

A desire that can’t be controlled . . .

Carson Philips is a witch on the run. For years, the notorious mage Alvaro Magellan has held her as his psychological prisoner. But once Carson gets a glimpse of the true extent of his evil, she flees Magellan’s mansion – stealing a stone talisman of unimaginable power on the way. Her only hope for survival is a demon who ignites a voracious hunger in her she can’t deny, a longing, she can’t resist. . .

A hunger that can’t be sated . . .

Nikodemus is a warlord with a mission: Kill Magellan and his green-eyed witch at any cost. But when he meets the desperate Carson, the pull of her magic takes his breath away. He’s not sure he can trust this tantalizing woman – she is his enemy – and less sure he can keep his hands off her. But Magellan will stop at nothing to reclaim what belongs to him. Can Nikodemus save Carson before his desire for her destroys them both?

My Thoughts:

I so don’t understand why I so enjoy this series by Carolyn Jewel. I picked up My Forbidden Desire on a whim of sorts – I was interested in it because of how much I enjoyed Jewel’s historical, Scandal. It totally sucked me in despite some serious confusion on my part about several facets of the story – especially surrounding the magic. Nikodemus and Carson do make an appearance, which made me interested in reading their story. So, I was in the bookstore on Saturday and just happened to see My Wicked Enemy on the shelf. I picked it up and began to read it while waiting in the car in the parking lot for my husband.

Much like My Forbidden Desire, I immediately connected with the main characters – Carson and Nikodemus. I very much enjoyed the developing relationship between the mage and fiend – who are supposed to be mortal enemies. But was I confused about things? Heck yeah! Magic, pulling magic, copa, the blood-thing and several other things had me scratching my head. Carson having sex with Iskander (who was a blood-twin until Carson severed something)? All of the fiends that she severed wanted to have that physical connection it seemed. Why with Iskander and not with Harsh? Why did he seem to need that? What exactly had Magellan been doing to Carson all those years? There was talk that she was going to die because of her dependence on the medication and inability to pull her magic. Did her ingestion of the fiend in the talisman affect this? Is that why she is both kin and mage? Or is that because of her bond with Nikodemus. Why did Xia kill the warlord Siddique?

Seriously, there is a great deal of the inner workings of the mage/fiend world (and their contentious relationship) detailed in this book. And, I admit to being stymied by it all. One would think that this confusion would have made this book extremely difficult to read. For whatever reason, this isn’t the case. I was able to really enjoy the author’s story despite the fact that I just didn’t understand what actually happened in several places. How odd!

Read first on August 23, 2009

a hero who has a striking resemblance to Han Solo. Han Solo was my first love – and I hate to admit it, but I find The Empire Strikes Back to be one of the most romantic movies ever. So, Lilli Feisty has made this claim of the hero of her latest ebook release, String of Desire(from Samhain). I just downloaded a copy – and I’ll let you know.

FYI, I totally need more Han Solo in my life.

Long, Julie Anne. Since the Surrender. (New York: Avon, 2009). ISBN – 978-0061341618.

Main Characters: Captain Chase Eversea and Rosalind March

Related Works: This is part of Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green Series. The following books are in the series:

• The Perils of Pleasure- story of Colin Eversea and Madeleine Greenway
• Like No Other Lover – story of Cynthia Brightly and Miles Redmond
• Since the Surrender- story of Captain Chase Eversea and Rosalind March

Description from Book:

A man of action . . .

Fearless. Loyal. Brilliant. Ruthless. Bold words are always used to describe English war hero Captain Chase Eversea, but another word unfortunately plays a role in every Eversea’s destiny: trouble. And trouble for Chase arrives in the form of a mysterious message summoning him to a London rendezvous . . . where he encounters the memory of his most wicked indiscretion in the flesh: Rosalind March – the only woman he could never forget.

A woman of passion . . .

Five years ago, the reckless, charming beauty craved the formidable Captain’s attention. But now Rosalind is a cooly self-possessed woman and desire is the last thing on her mind: her sister has mysteriously disappeared and she needs Chase’s help to find her. But as their search through London’s darkest corners re-ignites long-smoldering passion and memories of old battles, Chase and Rosalind are challenged to surrender: to the depths of a wicked desire, and to the possibility of love.

My Thoughts:

I’m not entirely sure that I can convey how entertaining I found this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the main characters, Chase Eversea and Rosalind March, and their journey to find love. After all, the two had known each other while Chase was a captain in the army and Rosaline was his commander’s wife. So, they have a past history of thwarted love – a plot convention I can never resist. But beyond the love story, I was highly intrigued and amused by the plot surrounding Rosalind’s sister Lucy.

The story begins with a note delivered to Chase by the youngster Liam – on Rosalind’s behalf. Not knowing who the mysterious “liedy” is, Chase ventures to meet her at the Montmorency museum – near the Italian pastorals (“Pastorals means cows and the like.” p.5). From this moment, it was fairly clear to me that the painting was important to the plot. I couldn’t quite imagine how a painting of cows could be involved in the disappearance of Lucy, but it certainly was. The painting is considered ugly (by Chase) and was not painted by someone with a recognized name in the art world – Rubinetto. This is the first of the rather interesting names (made up of course) by those involved in the enterprise for which the kidnapped women are destined.

I laughed out loud when the meaning of Rubinetto was revealed. Chase had written to ask his sister about the painting – and the painter. In her reply, she wrote: “Please ask someone to translate his name into English for you, as I blush to do so in this letter. Do you already know? Are you teasing me?(p.150).”  Chase did in fact already know that rubinetto meant cock. As Chase and Rosalind investigate further, we meet O. McCaucus-Bigg, Mr Welland-Dowd, Mr. Woodcock and Mr. Hugh G. Wrexion. The names are silly and childish, but made perfect sense once the plot was revealed. They certainly fit in with the sort of villain Mr. Kinkade turned out to be.

The funniest part of the story, however, was when Chase gave the Rubinetto to his brother Colin:

“What’s this?” Colin was holding the Rubinetto and staring at in puzzlement.” [sic]

“It reminded me or you. See? Air whistles righ through a hole in the cow’s arse.” Chase demonstrated by holding it up and blowing through it.

“Splendid!” Colin was delighted with his gift.

Since the Surrender was a run book to read. It made me smile, it made me laugh and it made me happy. I’ll never look at or think of Italian pastorals the same again. I’m guessing that I will always be looking for hole’s in the cows’ arses.

Read first in August 2009

Leigh, Lora. Bengal’s Heart. (New York: Berkley, 2009). ISBN – 9780425229026.

Main Characters: Cabal St. Laurents and Cassa Hawkins

Related Works: This is one of Lora Leigh’s the Breeds Series. See Lora Leigh’s Breed Chronology. This series includes the following:

• Tempting the Beast - (Feline Breeds #1 – Lion Breeds) – story of Callan Lyons and Merinus Tyler
• The Man Within - (Feline Breeds #2 – Panther Breeds) – story of Taber and Roni
• Elizabeth’s Wolf - (Wolf Breeds) – story of Elizabeth and Dash Sinclair
• Kiss of Heat - (Feline Breeds #3 – Snow Leopard Breeds) – story of Kane Tyler and Sherra Callahan
• Soul Deep - (Coyote Breeds) -  story of Kiowa Bear and Amanda Marion
• The Breed Next Door – (Feline Breeds – Lion Breeds) – (part of Hotspell anthology with Emma Holly, Shiloh Walker, and Meljean Brook) – story of Tarek Jordan and Lyra
• Megan’s Mark - (Feline  Breeds – Lion Breeds) – story of Megan Fields and Braden Arness
• Harmony’s Way - (Feline Breeds – Lion Breeds) – story of Harmony Lancaster and Sheriff Lance Jacobs
• Tanner’s Scheme - (Feline Breeds – Bengal Breeds) – story of Tanner and Scheme Tallant
• Wolfe’s Hope - (Wolf Breeds) – (part of Primal Heat anthology with Sherri L. King, Lori O’Clare, and Jaci Burton) – story of Hope Bainesmith and Wolfe
• Jacob’s Faith - (Wolf Breeds) – story of Jacob and Faith
• Aiden’s Charity – (Wolf Breeds) – story of Aidan and Charity
• In a Wolf’s Embrace – (Wolf Breeds) – (part of Beyond the Dark anthology) – story of Matthias Slaughter and Grace Anderson
• Dawn’s Awakening - (Cougar Breeds) – story of Dawn Daniels & Seth Lawrence
• Jaguar’s Kiss - (Feline Breeds – Jaguar Breeds) – (part of Shifter anthology) – story of Noble Chavin & Haley McQuire
• Mercury’s War - (Feline Breeds – Lion Breeds) – story of Mercury Warrant & Ria Rodriguez
• Christmas Heat - (Feline Breeds – Jaguar Breeds) -(part of The Magical Christmas Cat anthology with Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, and Linda Winstead Jones) – the story of Noble Chavin and Haley
• Coyote’s Mate - (Coyote Breeds) – story of Anya Kobrin & Del-Rey Delgado
• Bengal’s Heart - (Feline Breeds – Bengal Breeds) – story of Cabal St. Laurents and Cassa Hawkins
• Lion’s Heat – (Feline Breeds – Lion Breeds) – story of Jonas Wyatt & Rachel – (to be published in April 2010)

Description from Book:

Reporter Cassa Hawkins has always supported Breed rights, believing they should be allowed to live free of fear and prejudice among the humans. A reasonable woman couldn’t think otherwise, especially not in the presence of Cabal St. Laurents, a spectacularly muscled Bengal. The epitome of the male animal, his sensual growl can fire up Cassa’s vulnerable body faster than a flame. Yet neither can ignore the nightmare unfolding around them . . .

The Breeds have been incriminated in a series of violent murders and accused of hiding a vicious serial killer. Cassa and Cabal must discover the truth. But as hunter becomes prey, are trust and passion enough to keep them alive through the night?

My Thoughts:

Reading this book was a rather interesting experience for me. I enjoyed the book – as I do with all of Lora Leigh’s Breed books. However, I will say that in this instance, I thought that the storyline somewhat overshadowed the romance. I’m not sure if this is because the story line was stronger than the romance or because I didn’t connect as much with Cabal and Cassa as I have with previous characters. If I had to choose, I would say that it is probably because Cassa and Cabal (and their relationship) didn’t resonate as strongly with me as some of the others. Do I know why? Not really. I thought the romantic/sexual tension between the two was excellent. I bought their attraction for each other. Maybe it was that Cabal never really gave any decent explanation for the fact that he stayed away from her for 11 years. It could have been that I didn’t see the need for his legendary sexual exploits that happened when he knew who his mate was. It could also have been because I thought Cassa should have confronted Cabal years previously – she wasn’t the type to sit meekly in the background. Or, it could be a combination of all of these things.

I was much more into the story of Patrick/Azrael and his quest to find his child. I enjoyed that we saw more of Jonas and his bizarre machinations. I liked the primal breed storyline – and think that I actually paid a bit more attention to Cabal after we found this out. I had hoped that the fact that he was a primal breed might have part of his reason for staying away from Cassa, but this wasn’t mentioned.

So, this book certainly is a worthy addition to the Breed series. I like the turns in the series arc and can’t wait to learn more about Azreal, the primal breeds and, of course, Jonas.

One thing of note, I SO have to agree with the following comment about this book by Tracy over at Book Binge:

I have to say I was a little disappointed when Jonas’s mate was revealed and it was kind of done nonchalantly. I guess I’ve been waiting to find out who was going to be able to handle that man for so long that I was underwhelmed when it was told in such a ho-hum manner. Hopefully Jonas’s book, which is up next, will be better than the reveal.

There has been a great deal of buildup for Jonas’ character over the years. He is an incredibly dynamic character. We do find out definitively who his mate is in this book. The reference is rather off-hand – somewhat as if this is just an accepted fact among the Breeds. Because the reveal was so matter of fact, I was kind of expecting something between Jonas and his mate in the epilogue (rather than his bizarre conversation with Douglas Watts) – something that would help set the stage for Jonas’ book, Lion’s Heat (due out in April 2010).

Read first August 4, 2009

Andersen, Jessica. Skykeepers. (New York: Signet, 2009). ISBN – 9780451227706.

Date: November 18 – December 26, 2009

Main Characters: Sasha Ledbetter and Michael Stone

Related Works: This is part of Jessica Andersen’s series about the Final

Skykeepers

 Prophecy. Other books in the series include the following:

• Nightkeepers – story of Leah Daniels and Striking Jaguar
• Dawnkeeepers - story of Nate Blackhawk and Alexis Gray
• Skykeepers - story of Sasha Ledbetter and  Michael Stone
• Demonkeepers – story of Lucius and Jade (to be released in April 2010)

Description from Book:

Ancient prophecy holds that 12/21/2012 will bring a global cataclysm. Mankind’s only hope lies with the Nightkeepers, modern magic-wielding warriors who must find their destined mated and fulfill old legends to defeat the rise of terrible Mayan demons.

Michael Stone is a man with a dark secret that has skewed his magical abilities dangerously toward the underworld. Seeking redemption, he sets out on a perilous mission to save the daughter of Ambrose Ledbetter, a renowned Mayanist who died before he could reveal the location of a hidden library. The Nightkeepers must find the library before their enemies gain access to its valuable cache of spells and prophecies.

Sasha Ledbetter grew up hearing heroic tales of an ancient group of sword-brandishing magi who would save the world from destruction. She never expected that her bedtime stories would come to life in the form of Nightkeeper Michael Stone, or that she’d hold the key to the warriors’ survival. As Sasha and Michael join forces to prevent the imminent battle, sparks of attraction ignite between them, and they’re forced to confront the unexpected passion that brings them together . . . and also tears them apart.

My Thoughts:

I was just re-reading the review of Dawnkeepers that I wrote this past January, and I was struck by some of my comments about the fact that I found it complicated and difficult to read in places. I am amazed at how much I love these books in the Nightkeepers’ series, because they just don’t seem like my type of story. They deal with topics that I generally avoid in romance novels – doomsday prophecies, magic, blood sacrifice are just a few. They are extremely dark (which I do like in the right circumstance), especially since it seems as if the Nightkeepers are losing the overall battle to their enemies (losing means global cataclysm). They are incredibly complicated with a mythos that I often find confusing. While the central characters do find a HEA, the books don’t necessarily end well.

The characters themselves, however, are incredibly engaging. Strike and Leah captivated me in Nightkeepers. I couldn’t wait to find out how Nate and Alexis found their HEA amidst the chaos in Dawnkeepers. Michael and Sasha certainly lived up to the promise of the relationships in the earlier books. And, I am even more excited about the development of Lucius and Jade’s story in the yet to be published Demonkeepers.

In Skykeepers, Michael Stone seems somewhat desperate to find Sasha Ledbetter – who is being help captive by Iago. Iago is part of the Xilbalban group that is working against the Nightkeepers. Fortunately, he finds and rescues Sasha fairly early on in the book. But Sasha calls to the dark part of Michael, a part that Michael refers to as the Other. The existence of The Other is the major reason that Michael feels he must keep his distance from Sasha even though it seems as if she is destined to be his mate. When she is in danger, Michael cannot help but let The Other loose in order to help her. This also makes Michael believe that he must stay away from Sasha. I did find the storyline about Michael and his inner battle to control The Other to be the most interesting part of the this story. I can admit that I might be confused about exactly what did happen with this part of himself towards the end of the book, but that fact didn’t make me enjoy the book any less.

Of course, when dealing with destiny and prophecies, nothing is ever as it appears to be. There is much, much more to Michael’s alter ego and to his developing relationship with Sasha. The two are odds for most of the book, but their love cannot be denied – even though they are denied the jun tan mark that the other mated Nightkeepers posses.

Meanwhile, the fight to find the library and to help them learn more about what they need to do keeps the Nightkeepers busy. Again, Iago tends to foil most of their plans. But I guess that in order to be fair, I must point out that the Nightkeepers do foil many of Iago’s plans as well. It just always feels as if the Nightkeepers are at least one step behind their enemies. I imagine we are in for much more of this, as the series progresses.

Either way, I am very much looking forward to Lucius and Jade’s story. Lucius has been at the center of a great deal of the battle between the Nightkeepers and Iago, and I believe he is due for a HEA.

Read first on August 5, 2009