UPDATE! Terry Spear: WEREWOLF SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Terry Spear  with a review of the eleventh book in her WEREWOLF SERIES: A Highland Werewolf Wedding. 

Click on either the author's name or the book title above to go directly to the updated review.

UPDATE! Karina Cooper's DARK MISSION SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Karina Cooper with a review of the fifth and FINAL novel in her DARK MISSION SERIES: One for the Wicked.

Click on either the author's name or the book title above to go directly to the updated review.

UPDATE! Rachel Vincent's UNBOUND TRILOGY

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Rachel Vincent with a review of the third and (probably) FINAL book in her UNBOUND TRILOGY:  Oath Bound. 

Click on either the author's name or the book title above to go directly to the updated review.

UPDATE! Kevin J. Anderson's DAN SHAMBLE, ZOMBIE P.I. SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Kevin J. Anderson with a review of the third novel and the second e-book in his DAN SHAMBLE, ZOMBIE P.I. SERIES: Hair Raising and "Road Kill."

Click on either the author's name or the book titles above to go directly to the updated review.

Shelly Laurenston's PRIDE SERIES

Author:  Shelly Laurenston
Series:  PRIDE   
Plot Type:  Soul Mate Romance (SMR)    
Ratings:  Violence—3-4; Sensuality—4-5; Humor—4 
Publisher and Titles:  Brava
          "Like a Wolf with a Bone" in Howl for It (8/2012)
          The Mane Event (9/2007)
          The Beast in Him (4/2008)
          The Mane Attraction (11/2008)
          The Mane Squeeze (11/2009)
          Beast Behaving Badly (5/2010)
          Big Bad Beast (5/2011)
          Bear Meets Girl (3/2012)
          Wolf with Benefits (4/2013)

          Bite Me (3/2014)  

    This post was revised and updated on 5/12/14 to include Bite Me, the ninth novel in the series. That review appears first, followed by an overview of the world-building and a review of the eighth novel.  

             NOVEL 9:  Bite Me             

     Most of the earlier novels in this series featured alpha heroes and feisty heroines who divided their time between snarky dialogue, graphic bedroom scenes, and lots of brawling (with friends, family, and enemies alike). This novel is much more quiet than any of the others. The hero, Vic Barinov, is an easy-going, New Age sort of a guy—a mild-mannered, sports-hating grizzly/tiger shifter who never seems to lose his cool, even when his soon-to-be soul mate breaks into his house, digs holes in its foundation, and eats up his honey supply. Vic's lady love is Olivia (Livy) Kowalski, a fierce half-Asian/half-Polish honey badger shifter with a wild and crazy family who is a photo-artist going through a time of creative block. As Livy explains, her family members are thieves: "Their targets ranged from art to silver, gold, banks, and crown jewels. The funny thing was, Livy had done all she could to pull herself away from this part of her life. She was an artist, a phrase that offended her mother on a visceral level. 'We're not artists,' she'd drunkenly snarled during a Thanksgiving dinner many years ago, 'we steal from artists. You never get that right.' " (p. 75) (Click HERE to watch a National Geographic video of the ferocious, snake-eating honey badger. It will give you a better feeling for Livy's constant hunger, her love of honey, her snarling fearlessness, and her relentless temperament.)  

     As the story opens, Livy's family has gathered in Washington, D.C., for her wayward father's funeral and all of the family infighting that entails. Livy is Toni Jean-Louis Parker's best friend, and we got to know Livy and her family in the eighth novel, in which she played a key part in the main story line. When Livy accentually discovers that her father's death was not caused by his own unfortunate life choices, as everyone in the family believed, she is overcome by an unshakable need for vengeance. In actuality, Dad was killed by hunters hired by Frankie "The Rat" Whitlan, the Wolf-shifter villain whose story line simmered in the background in novel 8. After Livy's horrific discovery, the action part of the plot shifts into gear as Vic and Livy, along with their friends and allies, form a plan to figure out the identity of the traitorous shifter who is assisting Whitlan and then take down everyone involved in this nefarious scheme…permanently.

     The early chapters move very slowly as Livy sulks around, snarling at her friends and associates at the Sports Center and generally being a pain in the neck (or somewhere lower in the anatomy). To provide some comic relief, Laurenston throws in a weird scene in which Livy visits Vic's home in Honeyville, Massachusetts, where she puts on a suit of armor and jousts with some shifters at a Renaissance Faire, but that comes off as an unsuccessful, unconnected bit of fluff. Meanwhile, Vic keeps looking after Livy—first as a friend, and then as a lover—always "getting" her and always saying or doing just the right thing to help her deal with her current depressive state of mind. His character is too nice to be true, and hers is over-the-top nasty—with both lacking the humor shown by most of the shifter couples in this series.  

     Although I always enjoy Laurenston's outrageously unrefined shifters, this novel did not engage my interest to the same degree as the earlier ones. Vic, Livy, and the snake-eating Kowalski-Yang family don't have the same level of earthy humor as the hilarious Smith family, so the laughs are fewer and less entertaining. Here's hoping that the next novel will give us a Smith-centered story line.

     One last note: Please be sure to read Laurenston's "Dear Reader" letter at the beginning of the book in which she explains and defends the cover art, which doesn't exactly match Vic's hybrid appearance. In many ways, that letter is funnier than the book itself.  

             WORLD-BUILDING             

     I don't know why I haven't been keeping up with this series because I read and enjoyed the earlier books in the series, but I guess I just let it slip through the cracks. Laurenston is a good storyteller, and this is a solid series with over-the-top snarky humor, sexy romance, and lots of action.    

In this series, the action revolves around several streetwise shifter groups (i.e., lions, tigers, wolves, bears, wild dogs, hyenas) on the urban East coast. The dialogue is raunchy, the sex is hot, and the humorous sniping among the characters never stops. 

     Each book follows a shifter couple from lust at first sight to soul-mate status, with lots of graphic sex and coarse language adding spice to their stories. Click HERE to go to the PRIDE World Connections page on Laurenston's web site, which contains brief character descriptions of series regulars.  

Here is a book-by-book list of the soul-mate couples in this series:

      > "Like a Wolf with a Bone":  Eggie Ray Smith (Wolf) and Darla Mae Lewis (Wolf)

      > The Mane Event: Mace Llewellyn (Grizzly) & Desiree "Dez" MacDermot (Human); Brendon Shaw (Lion) & Rhonda Lee "Ronnie Lee" Reed (Wolf) 

      > The Beast in Him:  Bobby Ray "Smitty" Smith (Wolf) & Jessica "Jess" Ward (African Wild Dog)

      > The Mane Attraction:  Mitch Shaw (Lion) & Sissy Mae Smith (Wolf)

      > The Mane Squeeze:  Lachlan "Lock" MacRyrie (Grizzly) & Gwen O'Neill (Lion/Tiger)

      > Beast Behaving Badly: Bo Novikov (Polar Bear/Lion) & Blayne Thorpe (African Wild Dog/Wolf) 

      > Big Bad Beast:  Ulrich "Ric" van Holtz (Wolf) & Dee-Ann Smith (Wolf)

      > Bear Meets Girl: Lou "Crush" Crushek (Polar Bear) & Marcella "Cella" Malone (Siberian Tiger)

      > Wolf with Benefits: Richar Richard "Ricky Lee" Smith (Wolf) & Toni Jean-Louis Parker (Jackal)

      > Bite Me: Vic Barinov (Grizzly/Siberian Tiger) & Olivia "Livy" Kowalski (Honey Badger)   

     Laurenston has also written two similar series: MAGNUS PACK (modern-day shifters) under her own name, and DRAGONKIN (Medieval soul mates) as G. A. Aiken. Click HERE to view the "SERIES LIST" posted on Laurenston's web site.     

             BOOK 8:  Wolf with Benefits             

     Good-ole wolf boy Ricky Lee Reed is one of three bachelor brothers who are security experts in New York City, although their roots (and their accents) reach all the way back to the mountains of Tennessee. When Ricky meets Toni Jean-Louis Parker, a female jackal shifter from a large wealthy family, he knows that he's met his match—and his mate. 

     Toni has ten brothers and sisters, and she is the only one who exhibits absolutely no artistic or intellectual genius. Her other siblings showed their talents when they were very young, becoming famous artists, scientists, musicians, mathematicians, and dancers at a very early age. Toni's talent lies in her organizational skills, and she has had to keep her talented, but troublesome, siblings in line ever since she was a teenager. Toni's brothers and sisters—especially the younger ones—are spoiled, narcissistic brats who argue and fight amongst themselves continuously, relying on Toni to keep their complicated schedules straight and to get them out of the trouble they cause for themselves. 

     Up to this point in her life, Toni has had no life of her own, but that changes when she takes a stressful job at Ulrich (Ric) Van Holtz's Sports Center, a massive agency that manages a big-time hockey team as well as other sports interests. When Toni is sent off to Russia to negotiate a hockey contract with the Russian Bears, Ricky goes along to protect her, and their mutual attraction turns into much more than the simple one-nighter he was expecting.

     Laurenston never has just one story line, and this book follows that same pattern. We have Toni's best friend, Livy, a fierce and belligerent shifter who squats illegally in other people's apartments and takes down shifters three times her size. Then, there's Toni's sociopathic sister, Delilah, who gets involved with a cult and turns against her family in a most violent manner. Another sister is agoraphobic until she gets involved with a roller derby team and discovers that she enjoys the danger and the competition. One of the younger brothers is a computer genius, but he's also a thief and a firebug when he gets stressed out. Then, we have Toni's mother, a famous violinist, who is scheming to become the mentor of the talented son of the Wild Dog shifters across the street. And let's not forget Novikov, the OCD hockey player who runs his life on a tight schedule and pummels anyone who interferes with it. Novikov babysits Toni's siblings while she is in Russia, and his massively unsuccessful attempts to schedule their lives and control their endless bickering are quite amusing to watch.

     Ricky Lee has his share of story lines as well—the primary one being his ex-girlfriend's unanticipated and unwanted visit to Manhattan. Laura Jane starts causing trouble between Ricky and his sisters as soon as she arrives in town. Then, Ricky's mother shows up to add even more complications to the situation. In other words, there's always something going on—never a lag in the action and definitely never a dull moment. 

     In addition to all of these story lines, there is one percolating in the background that involves a man named Whitlan, who kidnaps shifters and then sells the victims to rich humans who enjoy hunting shifters and stuffing them in their animal forms to display as trophies. Whitlan never shows up in this book, but there are several scenes in which he is mentioned. Some of this book's supporting characters are attempting to track him down—but that piece of the plot is all talk and no action in this story.

     If you haven't read the earlier books, you may have to skim over some of the references to past events, but that shouldn't matter too much. I have read the early books, but not the last three, and I didn't have any problem keeping up with the plot. The characters are entertaining, and the snarky dialogue sometimes makes you laugh out loud. Ricky's street-tough, steel-magnolia sisters are particularly fun to watch. If you like humorous, angst-free paranormal romance, this series is for you.

UPDATE! Kira Brady's DEADGLASS SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Kira Brady with a review of the second novel in her DEADGLASS SERIES: Hearts of Shadow.

Click on either the author's name or the book title above to go directly to the updated review.

"Predatory" Anthology: Alexandra Ivy, Nina Bangs, Dianne Duvall, & Hannah Jayne

Authors:  Alexandra Ivy, Nina Bangs, Dianne Duvall, & Hannah Jayne
Title:  Predatory
Plot Type:  Soul-Mate Romance (SMR)
Publisher:  Zebra (5/2013)

                   INTRODUCTION                    

     This is a collection of four romantic novellas, each featuring vampires among the lead characters. 

     Each novella is part on an ongoing series. In each review below, I have included a pink-link to my review of that series.

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"Out of Control," by Alexandra Ivy 

Ratings: Violence—3; Sensuality—4; Humor—2
First Paragraph: "Valhalla was the stuff of myths. Named for the home of the Norse gods, the sprawling compound was a safe house for those people too 'special' to be mainstreamed into society (a nice way of saying an orphanage for the children and adults unwanted by their families). Everyone knew that it was a home for freaks."   

     This novella serves as an introduction to Ivy's new series, THE SENTINELS, which revolves around the warriors (Sentinels) who protect people called high-bloods, who are "gifted" with special abilities. As this novella explains, "Sentinels were raised and trained by monks in mysterious arts that were never spoken of outside the monasteries. [Most were] heavily tattooed to protect them from being controlled by psychics or attacked with spells." (pp. 15-16) The high-bloods (aka freaks) are born with various sorts of mutations that manifest themselves in talents that include psychic abilities, necromancy, spell-casting, and other magical abilities. Click HERE to read my overview of THE SENTINELS mythology and my reviews of the books

     In this novella, the Sentinel Nikolo (Nik) Bartrev has been shadowing Angela Locke, a young and beautiful genetics researcher who is not nearly as human as she thinks she is. Nik is certain that an escaped sociopathic high-blood named Dylan is planning to kidnap Angela, and he swears to prevent that from happening. What Nik doesn't plan on is falling head over heels in love with Angela. When Dylan shows up, Nik rescues Angela, but then loses her. The rest of the story follows Nik as he handles the situation with Dylan, laying his life on the line to save Angela.   

     With its mostly male Sentinel team, fragile human heroines, and lots of threatening bad buys, this series looks to be similar (at least on the surface) to Ivy's GUARDIANS OF ETERNITY as well as lots of other paranormal romance series that feature immortal warriors. Ivy always tells a good story, and this series will probably be just as successful as GoE.

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"Ties That Bind," by Nina Bangs 
Ratings: Violence—4; Sensuality—4; Humor—2 

Munch's The Scream

First Paragraph: "A ticking clock. The creaks and groans of an old building settling. A print of Edvard Munch's The Scream hanging on a pale green wall. They didn't mean much individually, but as Cassie sat alone in the office of Eternal Rest Funeral Home listening to the tick tocks, the creaks and groans, and staring at the print...She took a deep breath and prayed for human contact before she did her own interpretation of The Scream."   

     This novella is a far cry from the crazy romantic comedy found in Bangs' popular CASTLE OF DARK DREAMS series, although it does have a big dose of sexy romance. As the story begins, Cassie (our heroine) is subbing for a friend as the night receptionist at Eternal Rest. this is a big deal for Cassie because she has hated and feared dead bodies ever since a horrific childhood incident. When a pair of killers traps her in the basement body room, she manages to kill one of them and release Ethan, a tall, dark, and handsome vampire, from his imprisonment in a glass coffin. The rest of the story follows Cassie and Ethan as they team up with local vampires and take down the villain. Click HERE to read my review of the CASTLE OF DARK DREAMS books. 

     This mythology is extremely complex, and I have to believe that Bangs will be developing a series around it. Each vampire in Ethan's bloodline has two "selves," the First One—the human self, and the Second One—a deadly monster. If a person even glances at the Second One's face, he or she will immediately drop dead. In this case, looks really do kill. Ethan explains the situation to Cassie: "The First One is our humanity. Even as vampire it's dominant unless we kill. The act of killing wakens the Second One....The Second One is an elemental consciousness passed on in the blood my maker used to create me. It lies dormant until it senses a kill. It doesn't care about conscience or human emotions. Its primal drive is to destroy....The beauty of the Second One's face attracts its victims, its eyes hold them captive while it kills...you won't be able to look at me. If you try, the Second One will kill you." (pp. 149-150) 

     The story is full of action and emotion. Even with its complex mythology, it's a great read. Click HERE to read an excerpt from this novella.

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"In Still Darkness," by Dianne Duvall 

Ratings: Violence—3; Sensuality—4; Humor—2 

First Paragraph: "Like the last survivor in a post apocalyptic world, Richart d'Alençon strode down the deserted North Carolinian street. Buildings long since abandoned for the night stared out at him with vacant eyes. Quiet enfolded him, both comforting and disconcerting. A new enemy had risen among the vampire ranks. A self-proclaimed vampire king, who has ordered his followers to transform their victims instead of just feeding from them."

    This novella is part of Duvall's IMMORTAL GUARDIAN series. Click HERE to read my overview of the series mythology and my reviews of the books. Richart, this story's hero, is one of the Guardians. In the opening scene, he rescues Jenna McBride from a vampire attack, killing all but one of her attackers. Jenna isn't the usual 20-something, sassy chick one frequently finds in paranormal romances. She is a single mother in her late thirties with a college-age son, and she manages a 24-hour superstore. When Jenna wakes up the morning after the attack, she doesn't remember anything about it because these vampires secrete a memory-wiping drug when they bite their prey. Richart sticks around to guard Jenna because he fears that the vamp who escaped will be back to finish what he started. Soon, he realizes that he can't stay away from Jenna because of the physical attraction between them.   

     Even though Richart knows better, he asks Jenna out on a date, and their relationship begins to deepen. No sex yet, though, because Richart wants to wait until he tells her what he really is before he beds her. In the meantime, Richart is out with the other Guardians every night fighting the vampires, who have invented with a new drug that can knock out a Guardian. When Richart is shot with a drugged dart, he accidentally teleports into the middle of Jenna's living room. Now, his secret is out, and he is in a short-term coma. The rest of the story follows the couple as they talk things out, spend some sexy time together, and take care of a health-related issue that will change Jenna's life forever.   

     If you're reading the series, you'll probably enjoy this novella. If you haven't read any of the novels, you may not understand some of the references.

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"High Stakes," by Hannah Jayne 

Ratings: Violence—3; Sensuality—2; Humor—4 

First Paragraph: "Some people were meant for big cities. And fabulousness. I'm one of those people. I'm Nina LaShay and one day, my brand will be everywhere."     

     This novella is part of Jayne's paranormal chick lit series, UNDERWORLD DETECTION AGENCY CHRONICLES (UDA). Click HERE to read my overview of the series mythology and my reviews of the books. 

     The heroine of this novella is Nina, roommate of the heroine of the UDA series. Nina is a fashionista vampire who is one of three finalists in a fashion design competition. (Her clothing label is Drop Dead Clothing.) When Nina's competitors are murdered, one by one, she is the prime suspect. But there's another possible suspect: Pike, a sexy photographer who keeps hanging around. The plot follows Nina and Pike as they try to solve the murders and keep themselves out of jail. Of course, they are attracted to one another, but Nina tries to keep her emotions under control because there is no way that she is going to fall for a human—if he really is a human.   

     This is the weakest of the four novellas. It's also the only one with humor, but that humor is of the never-ending, snarky, chick-lit variety—my least favorite kind. The character development is nearly non-existent, and the "humorous" dialogue is frequently not very funny. You'll know almost from the beginning who the real killer is, so there's no real suspense. It's just one scene after another of sarcastic dialogue and TSTL moments for Nina.