Editorial Review

Praise for The Fire Lord's Lover:
"As darkly imaginative as Tolkien, as richly romantic as Heyer,
Kennedy carves a new genre in romantic fiction."
-Erin Quinn, author of Haunting Warrior

If his powers are discovered, his father will destroy him...

In a magical land ruled by ruthless Elven lords, the Fire Lord's son Dominic Raikes plays a deadly game to conceal his growing might from his malevolent father-until his arranged bride awakens in him passions he thought he had buried forever...

Unless his fiancée kills him first...

Lady Cassandra has been raised in outward purity and innocence, while secretly being trained as an assassin. Her mission is to bring down the Elven Lord and his champion son. But when she gets to court she discovers that nothing is what it seems, least of all the man she married...

Then Dominic and Cassandra together uncover an unspeakable evil, one that threatens the destruction of the magical realm they would give their souls to save...

Praise for Enchanting the Lady:
"Simply delightful...imaginative, historically vigorous, and ripe for further adventures."
-Publishers Weekly
"Will cast its own spell over readers with its fabulously imaginative setting and charmingly original characters."
-Chicago Tribune
"This captivating tale combines the excitement and edgy danger of a thriller with the treat of a romantic romp. Kennedy is going places."
-Romantic Times

Reviews

Mixed feelings
I love Fae stories. When I read about this book a month before it was released I happily added it to my wishlist and counted down the days until I could buy it.

What really got my interest was the unusual set up; an arranged marriage between a convent educated woman and the son of a Fae Lord. Oh, also, the added spark that the Fae Lords ere EVIL. Evil, maniacal dictators who have divided England into their own personal playlands where they arbitrarily kill and maim people for sport. Their main sport is fighting for the King. Yep, the King of England is their trophy and they advance huge armies in a continual game to capture the King (who is rather aptly described as a silly, dull, chubby man who is a fashion obsessed).

Into this exciting world enters our heroine, Cassandra. Fair Cassandra has been trained as an assassin. Her entire life's work is training to kill the Fire Lord. Her route of access to him is through his complicit son, Dominic, who is half human, half fae and all sexy.

Just a little tidbit about the Fae Lords and their powers. They have the typical super magics and the Fire Lord, of course, works magical fire and can raze a building to the ground in an instant. Anyway, Cassandra isn't without a touch of powers herself. She dances. Not just dances, but she does magical sexy dances and when needed, death dances. Here's where the story hits its first snag for me, 'DANCING?!!! What the hell?'

Anyway, I was totally grooving with the dancing, I mean sure, it's not as super duper as invisibility or magical potions but oh well, Cassandra has killer moves, sure, why not.

Moving along to the arranged marriage now, because by this point in the book you already know enough about the world Cassandra lives in. Just a little clarification, I'm a fan of arranged marriage romances. I like it when the author puts the hero and heroine in this super intimate position without having an emotional connection and then lets them fall in love gradually after spending time with each other. The key word here is 'gradually.' There is no gradual emotional response in this book. Cassandra loves Dominic pretty much from the get go and Dominic takes just a couple of hours to fall in with her womanly ways.

Anyway, on to the main gist of the story. Cassandra's super plan is to marry Dominic, the Fire Lord's, cold, unfeeling, bastard son and use him to get to his father. Cassandra, who is described as sorta plain and unnoticeable is going to use her position and her feminine wiles to learn any weakpoints that the totally awesome Fae duo have. As a trained assassin she will use her keen intellect, her fighting skills, dancing and most of all, patience, to annihilate her enemies. Here's where the story hits its second snag, for a trained assassin she behaves a lot like an impatient schoolgirl.

Okay, on with the wedding. After a bout of dirty dancing,Miss Cassandra and her new hubby adjourn to their bed chamber for a bout of heated lovemaking. What?! I know, she hardly knows Dominic and as I've already stated, he's cold and unfeeling, but Cassandra turns all eager and lovelorn once she gets a look at his manly chest. I thought to myself, okay, sure, he is a hottie and he is her hubby, maybe it is best to try to enjoy the sex part, but from here on out, she's not just in love with him, she's crazy, writing-his-name-on-her-binder in love with him.

Same, same with Dominic, except he fights his feelings for her by hanging out with some trash whore his father approves of.

Now, just to clarify, I picked this book up because it's a romance. But I can't totally feel the romance if the characters fall in love and in bed with each other way before the halfway point. Talk about disappointing.

So, with the romance gone, all that's left is the secondary plot of the resistance trying to overthrow the Fae Lords. This plot was okay, except when Cassandra would muck things up by being impatient and lame.

So, I guess my feelings about this book are a little less than positive. There's a lot of cool stuff going on but I didn't love the heroine and after Dominic fell in love with her he seemed less like the strong, decisive, smart Alpha male and more like a thoughtless, emotional teenager with his first girlfriend.

Borrow this from a friend.

If you love fantasy and romance, this is a book that is guaranteed to get you hooked!
Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy
Paranormal Romance- July 6th, 2010
4 ďż˝ stars

Kathryne Kennedy has written an epic romance that at first feels like a straight fantasy novel. The romance is very moving but comes in much later in the story than most romance books. I think this is because the author has really taken the time to described her characters. The world she has created is: detailed, imaginative, and original.

In this world, Elf Lords and Ladies rule the world in sectors and most are mad and/or cruel. They perceive humans as animals or playthings for their amusement. In this dangerous world, being human means being expendable. The elves are cold, emotionless and single-minded in their pursuit for power and domination. They look upon emotions that humans and the part elf humans have as frail weakness. Being human or partially human in a climate of fear involves intrigue just for survival. In this book brave humans and their part human counterparts risk their lives for their independence and freedom from the all powerful Elf Lords and Ladies.

Dominic is the champion of the Elven Fire lord. He is also the Elven Lord's bastard half human son. Although Dominic has some of the magical powers (and beauty) of the elves his human half keeps his mortality to the lifespan of regular humans. It also prevents him from protecting himself from his powerful father who tries to teach him the cold and dispassionate ways of the elves by killing anything Dominic cares about. To survive Dominic has learned not to care or at least to pretend not to care. Dominic's reputation has become cold and inhuman. He must vigilantly guard against his father's awareness of any weakness. Alone and apart Dominic lives at the whims of his father's amusement and ambition. Secretly, Dominic wishes his powers were greater so you could protect himself and the rest of humanity from his father and the rest of the Elven Lords.

Although his father has been cruel and power hungry Dominic is appalled to discover the true depths of his depravity and the other Evlen lords but despairs because he does not feel he has the power to free himself from his father's power. When his father orders him to marry to produce a child Dominic prepares for his duty intending to ignore his new bride and keep her away from danger. But Lady Cassandra won't let him ignore him. Her willfulness, sensuous and tenacious attract him. And although he knows it will only bring them both danger he begins to care for Lady Cassandra. But can he protect her from his father and his spies?

Lady Cassandra is part of the Resistance, a small select group of humans and elf- humans determined to gain independence and freedom from the Elven lords and Ladies. Although she is an innocent she has been secretly trained as an assassin to murder the unfeeling son of the Fire Lord, Dominic. However, she doesn't not count on her unwanted attraction and longing for the general. For she sees a part of his humanity that he tries to hide. Lady Cassandra begins to wonder if Dominic is really a part of his father cruelty of someone trying to break free, too. As she pushes him to reveal himself she is caught up in a dangerous game.

This was a fascinating story and the world the author has created is vivid, alluring and ambitious. The elves reminded me of sparkling diamonds beautiful to look at but utterly cold and deadly inside. The beauty and cruelty of the Elf Lords and Ladies was both fascinating and scary. In this treacherous world life is lived on the edge and all that you think is real is not. I enjoyed reading the different magical powers the elves and their partial human counterparts inherited. This story kept me on my toes as I wondered how the fragile love between the main characters could survive in such a hostile and cold environment where the discovery of their relationship would be certain death. If anything this story only wet my appetitive to know more about this world and particularly the Resistance. I feel Kathryne Kennedy has left a lot unrevealed for future books. She has included many intriguing characters like Lady Cassandra's handsome mentor and the mystery of the other Elven Lords and Ladies who rule different sections of this perilous world.

If you love fantasy and romance, this is a book that is guaranteed to get you hooked!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

Awesome Read
I had previously read some of the author's novels and was totally blown away with this one. I sinerely hope there will be more novels in this setting and world. She caught me from the begining and never let go. I loved it.

Cass is the chosen bride of the Fire Lord's son. The Fire Lord wants to breed a new champion. Although the Fire Lord is immortal his son and champion is not. Cass has been trained as an assassin to kill the Fire Lord.

Mor'ded, the Fire Lord, is one of seven fae who chose to leave fairy and come rule England. All of the fae are mad and spend their time trying to capture the king of England. It is a game played between the fae. They care nothing for the death or suffering of their people.

Dominic is the Fire Lord's mortal son, he looks almost exactly like his father, but he is mortal and leads the armies of the Fire Lord against the other fae. He has recently captured the king, and returns home to face his wedding to CAss.

Although Dominic has feelings and suffers for others, he can not allow his father to see that he cares. His father will kill anything that he loves. The only thing Dominic can allow himself to care about is Ador, his father's dragon. So he pours out his thoughts and feelings to the Dragon, who continues to ignore him.

Now he finds himself drawn to Cass and must use everything he has learned and can find to protect both of them. There are many secrets in the castle, many he knows and many hidden from even him. Cass is a spy and an assassin and Dominic is falling in love with her.

Wonderful story and setting. I really enjoyed it. It is well worth the money.

Dark, sexy and magical!
History books don't reveal the dark secrets of magical Victorian England, an England ruled by elven lords. Together these lords enslave humans to create their armies. Dominic Raikes, the elven Fire Lord Mor'ded's half son, marries the Lady Cassandra to fulfill his father's desire for a new champion. Lady Cassandra has been raised in a convent. Her innocence and purity are evident to human and elven eyes alike --- but no one would guess her secrets. Cassandra plans to assassinate the evil Mor'ded. As part of the resistance, she plans to free humanity from his power. Her marriage will help her get close to the king. What she doesn't expect is that she will fall in love with the son of the man she must kill. As this planned marriage brings them together, somehow love has a way of defying their original intentions. Can the two of them defy the fire lord and escape with their lives? Can they save England and its inhabitants from the diabolical plans at work under the elven lords?

In the fantasy romance THE FIRE LORD'S LOVER, the first book in The Elven Lords series, Kathryne Kennedy creates compelling characters, joining together two memorable characters in a dynamic, challenging quest. Cassandra may be pure and innocent but she is certainly no push-over. Cassandra is an active, strong heroine who can stand up for herself and take the initiative. She is trained to fight and she does not need to be rescued. For Cassandra, love is a matter of the heart. Dominic needs to open his heart but he fears the risk that might come to those he loves. After suffering abuse and humiliation from his father, his only friend is the enigmatic dragon steed Ador. Will Cassandra be able to find the key to unlock the heart of the wounded soul of her husband? In the pairing together of hero and heroine, Kathryne Kennedy creates the perfect characters to start off her new series with a stunning combination. Both Cassandra and Dominic will live on in this reader's imagination long afterwards.

In THE FIRE LORD'S LOVER, Kathryne Kennedy creates a dark world in which imagery plays a poetic, powerful role. Certain revelations are likely to make a reader gasp at the pure evil behind the Fire Lord's schemes. Be forewarned, if you are looking for a light, fluffy romance, look elsewhere. If on the other hand, you are looking for a fantasy romance that takes you on a voyage to another world where the stakes are high and the romance sexy, Kathryne Kennedy's new series is one of those special rare finds. Kathryne Kennedy fans will find the ingredients they have grown to love in this author's work --- lovable characters, an enchanting world, a heart-warming romance and above all the magic of beautiful storytelling --- all brought together in a world that is darker but just as magical as her previous works. Romance readers who have not read Kathryne Kennedy are truly missing out. Few authors grab the imagination and the heart so deeply. Outstanding!

Courtesy of Book Iluminations

A Hero To Die For
The FIRE LORD'S LOVER by Kathryne Kennedy is a dark tale of intrigue, treachery, and unexpected love in a fantasy Georgian England where malicious elves rule their despised human slaves with a brutal hand.

This first book of the series takes place in Firehame, the domain of the Fire Lord, Mor'ded. Dominic, Mor'ded's half-human son and general of his army, has just won the latest of the war games the elves wage to amuse themselves. He returns home to wed Lady Cassandra in an arranged marriage. He also returns to his father's continued scorn of his human side.

Cass, assassin for the humans of the Rebellion, weds Dominic to get close enough to his hated father to kill him. In spite of her intentions, she falls in love with Dominic, but he disdains her. A confused Cass wonders how she can convince him to return her love.

His father's cruelty has forced Dominic to bury his human emotions deep. He does his best not to fall in love with Cass. But when he does, his contempt is a mask to protect her from Mor'ded, who has tortured to death everyone for whom Dominic has ever cared.

Those of you who read my reviews know that I like nice guy heroes, decent men who've been kicked around and it's made them even better men. In Dominic, Ms. Kennedy has created a spectacular version of my favorite hero. Literally tortured by his father in an effort to eradicate his humanity, Dominic emerges more human than ever and the kind of hero I never tire of finding.

ARC provided by Sourcebooks

A Stay up late to finish read
I have always enjoyed Kathrne Kennedy's books but this is by far my favorite to date. The concept is a new mix of historical romance and fantasy where elves, magic, and regency England all collide. The storyline is fascinating and the book will keep you up to see how it ends. Well done! ... Read more

Editorial Review

When a modern woman goes back to Jane Austen's time, she needs to know…

Everything! Eleanor agrees to travel back in time to prevent a deadly duel, but she doesn't know how to behave, what to say, and most importantly…

How to tell a villain from a rake

The captivating, infuriating, and mysterious Lord Shermont is a renowned rake and womanizer—but is he also a dangerous cutthroat and spy? Eleanor has to get up close and personal to find out…

Otherwise, she could fall into a most shocking scandal…

Thankfully, Miss Jane Austen herself arrives on the scene, with sage guidance and a twinkle in her eye, to help Eleanor navigate countryhouse society and the dangerous terrain of her own heart…

From the author of Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake, a newtime travel romance featuring a modern day career woman swept back in time toRegency England, where she thwarts a Napoleonic spy, chats with Jane Austen,and falls in love with a notorious rake.

PRAISE FOR LAURIE BROWN:

"Highly original. If you're in the market for a differentkind of historical romance, or you enjoy stories filled with period detail,Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake is a solid bet."
wordcandybooks.blogspot.com

"Brown's ending was clever and I never suspected Josie wouldchoose the path she takes. I would recommend Hundreds of Years to Reform a Raketo anyone who enjoys paranormals, and even Regency fans who don't usually readthem. Brown did an excellent job of combining the two genres."
aladysdiversions.blogspot.com

"A very enjoyable read with Josie a feisty and independentcharacter, and Deverell the ghost and Deverell the man both also veryappealing."
curledup.com

"Humor, mystery, ghosts, history, and… pure fun."
blogcritics.org

"A fresh tale that is as charming as it is hot!"
zeekspage.blogspot.com

"You'll be transported to another time and won't want to return until the very last page is digested."
fantasybookspot.com

Reviews

Excellent !
This is a historical romance with a twist , since the reader and the main character are from modern times. Eleanor Pottinger is in England to do a seminar on Regency fashion when 2 ghosts (Mina and Deirdre Cracklebury) ask her to go back in past and stop a duel. Eleanor goes to bed thinking that she is just jet-legged but in reality she is back in the past. Once she is in the past she imbraces the era and who find yourself in a house party trying to keep Mina and Deirdre Cracklebury from being seduced by Lord Shermont. It was funny and smart and over all a great read!!!

If you enjoy this genre I would also suggest; Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake, Spirited Away, The Wedding Ghost (Zebra Regency Romance) and a classic The Mirror

whimsical time travel romance
Recently dumped by her cheating fiance, Eleanor Pottinger is an expert on Regency aristocratic fashion. She is currently working as a designer for a Jane Austen festival during Regency Week. However, she is bit taken aback to find her room at the old inn is preoccupied.

Nonplussed Eleanor meets the ghosts of sisters Mina and Deirdre Cracklebury. The trio negotiates a deal in which Eleanor will go back to 1814 to prevent a deadly duel between their brother Teddy and Lord Shermont in exchange to them introducing her to Jane Austen. As she and Shermont flirt outrageously with one another, Eleanor must decide between sense and sensibility; she needs to choose either the active sex of a lifetime or a passive meeting with a writer even as she considers WHAT WOULD JANE AUSTEN DO?.

Though Jane is a minor player, Eleanor and Shermont are wonderful leads and the ghostly sisters great support as Laurie Brown provides a whimsical time travel romance. The story line is fast-paced and filled with twists. This is Eleanor's tale as she tries to make the right choices considers her mantra: WHAT WOULD JANE AUSTEN DO? In this situation.

Harriet Klausner

Enchanting Review: What Would Jane Austen Do?
WHAT WOULD JANE AUSTEN DO?
LAURIE BROWN
Historical Romance
Sourcebooks Casablanca

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

When Eleanor Pottinger goes to England for a regency convention, hopeful on getting a start on her costume making business she could never imagine that the hotel losing her reservation would start her on an unforgettable journey back through time. But when she wakes up to find the ghosts of two dead sisters who want to send her back to Jane Austen's time to save themselves Eleanor thinks it's all a joke, or better yet a dream, until she finds herself surrounded by either the best regency actors or she's really traveled through time.

WHAT WOULD JANE AUSTEN DO? is an entertaining and light historical read. I loved the two sisters, Deirdre and Mina, both in ghost form and physical form in the 1800s. With Eleanor banishing the ghost forms almost the moment she awakes, it's solely up to her to figure out just what it will take to send her back to her own time. There was so much I liked about this book. Eleanor is a great character, and watching her struggle with fitting in without the guidance or assistance of the ghosts is truly enjoyable. The banter between the characters was especially well done and I loved the mystery of not only who Shermont truly was, a man who was found by the side of the road with a bump on his head, but just how Eleanor was going to get back to her own time, if that was even possible.

One of my absolute favorite scenes in the book takes place about a third of the way through, when Eleanor awakes in the middle of the night. Unused to the absolute silence of the estate, she goes in search of a servant and possibly some warm milk to help her fall back asleep, but instead finds herself alone in the library with the mysterious Shermont. I loved the chemistry between the two in the scene and how they ended up sharing a sandwich. My only real issue with WHAT WOULD JANE AUSTEN DO was the ending did seem a little rushed to me, but it didn't detract from a great story.

Laurie Brown teaches writing classes at the college level, has presented seminars at conferences all over the country, and has three published romance novels. She has been a Golden Heart finalist twice and has received the Service Award from the Chicago-North Chapter of RWA. She resides in Illinois.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
January 2009

... Read more

Editorial Review

Death cocktail is what the vampires call a witch's blood. It's poisonous a drop will destroy a vampire within minutes. Nikolaus Drake is the rare vampire who has survived his first taste. Now he's on the hunt for the witch who almost brought him to his demise Ravin Crosse.

A witch who spends her nights hunting vampire tribes, Ravin has three obligations to fulfill to set her soul free. One of those obligations crafting a love spell twists her world upside down when Nikolaus draws the spell from her veins. Natural enemies rarely make the best bedfellows--but is it possible their intentions are really, truly the same? Can Nikolaus's tribal loyalty survive if he surrenders to desires far darker than his own?

Reviews

Congratulations, this is the worst book I've read so far this year, April 6, 2009
Plot Summary: Nikolaus Drake, the leader of a small tribe of vampires, is splattered by poisonous witch blood and barely survives. Since his heart nearly turned to ash and was regenerated, he is now considered a phoenix vampire, a walking miracle amongst his kind. He goes to the witch's house to drain her dry in revenge, when a love potion accidentally bewitches Nikolaus into thinking he's in love with his mortal enemy, Raven Crosse. Apparently Raven needed to get laid more than she needed to finish the job, and killing Nikolaus took a back burner to getting in a few orgasms first.

So ends my streak of great paranormal reads. I can only blame myself in this case. I was greedy and I downloaded this freebie e-book hoping to strike gold, and instead I got a worthless hunk of pyrite. Sometimes it is better to have no book to read, rather than suffer through a story this awkward. The writing had a strange stilted quality, almost as if I was reading a bad translation from a foreign language. As bad as I found the descriptive passages, the dialog was even worse. Nikolaus started the story as cro-magnum man, and later upgraded to a crass, clueless teenage boy.

The premise wasn't bad, as far as paranormal romances go. I rather liked the idea that witch's blood is a potent death cocktail to all vampires. But a good idea is only a skeleton upon which skillful writing adds depth and flesh. Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I can overlook a lot of sins if the sex scenes are well done. Sometimes an author is awful at plotting and dialog, but can sizzle in the bedroom. Unfortunately, I can't dress this up in any way, shape, or form. The sex scenes in this book are rank, like foul B.O. There's no buildup, no climax, no nothing. The author skips so many steps, that she would have done better to avoid having any sex scenes at all. I don't care if this book is free, it's still a gross waste of time.

2.5 falling stars, May 14, 2009
Somewhere in the middle really is all I can say about this book. I did find myself liking the concept of the story but felt Hauf fell short on several area's and the end result fell flat. I didn't feel the love maybe due to a love spell and even so, I still didn't feel it! The love scenes (if that is what you want to call it) was more like a hit it and hit it again and *poof* it was over.

Anyone who thinks this is the best book ever seriously needs to read more!

The second book is The Devil To Pay (Silhouette Nocturne). I have not read this one and am debating to continue with the second considering how I feel about the first.

All I can say next is thank you for the freebie!

ok yes it was free, June 9, 2009
The only reason I read this book all the way to the end was that it was free and I was too lazy to download anything else. I pretty much almost stopped reading after the first chapter. The idea of the story, that a vampire and witch fall for each other, was pretty intriguing. But Ms. Hauf's writing style leaves a lot to be desired. She writes as if she's a high schooler in a remedial english class. Her character descriptions are exceedingly uninspired and almost "generic" to the goth realm.
If you are looking for a vampire romance that is imaginative and much better written, may I suggest the vampire breed series (yes actually a series that you can invest in) by Lara Adrian , beginning with a free download Kiss of Midnight. The follow up books not only bring you closer to the other characters but continue the story that they are all embedded in.
** (2 stars) only for the promising storyline that sadly falls short of delivering

Perfect balance for some of us., April 17, 2010
I don't read a lot of romance novels, but I've read some in the past. Since this one was free, I thought I'd try it out. Since I'm not an avid romance reader, I don't have anything recent to compare this to or know what to expect. I have to say I LOVED the characters and the story regardless of other reveiws I saw. It's a story people, purely for entertainment. Sit back and enjoy it, don't disect it and rip it apart so much. It had love, action, defiance, passion, leather. Ravin is a strong willed warrior and not a weak little damsel in distress as most romance novels seem to have. I liked her transformation from a tough chick to a big softy in love. And Nikolaus is just an adorable puppy. Then he switches gears back to being an angry vamp intent on revenge. The push and pull with these two is entertaining. So what if it's predictable, it's a colorful balance. And Himself...in my mind's eye, he cracks me up. I can see him preening in front of a mirror in Ravin's image like a kid with a new toy "Now THIS is delicious!" I read it a couple times. I'm no book critic, but I know what I like. I definitely liked the pace of the book. I'm not one for loooong drawn out conflicts based on miscommunication between the lovebirds. That's why I stopped reading most romance novels. 'I love you, but my father won't let me. Boo hoo!" fainting to the ground. No, this book was more modern, sleek, and the vampire/witch love fiasco was fantastic. I enjoyed it, as it should be. Not as a hardened critic.

Squandered Story Idea, February 16, 2010
I got Kiss Me Deadly as a Kindle freebie offer. I don't just download everything that's free, only those that seem like they will interest me. This was one, based on the description on the Amazon page, that I had been looking forward to reading. I ended up being really disappointed and I'm glad I didn't have to pay to read it. (Edit to add: I guess maybe I should have read some of the reviews before downloading!)

The story itself sounded very intriguing. I liked the whole concept of witch blood being poison to vampires and something happening so that a vampire became immune, setting up everything else. Unfortunately, the writer squandered a good story idea with poor execution.

The characters were shallow and not too far into the book I had significant difficulty maintaining any interest. The love spell idea was a tricky twist to do right, and in this instance I think it fell completely flat. There was an opportunity for a lot of humor there, but that was squandered too. In the end the book just wasn't written well enough to care about the characters or keep me interested in what was going to happen.

It's also extremely difficult to take a book seriously when the author writes such gems as:

"If his tribe ever got wind of this they'd flail him alive."

"She stirred the officious brew as it began to boil."

"It was designed to only affect the recipient, not the receiver."

The above examples also beg the question, how in heck did an editor let those things slide past? Did the book even have an editor?

If you're looking for a good read this one isn't it.

creative paranormal romance, September 11, 2007
Vampires know that one drop of a witch's blood touching them is fatal. Nikolaus Drake died two months ago when witch Ravin Crosse dropped her blood on him. However, he recovered and believes he is now immune to this toxin. He plans to kill the witch who almost killed him.

Ravin the vampire hunting witch owes three debts in order to free her soul. She works on a love spell to meet one of her obligations only to have Nikolaus arrive at a critical juncture. The love spell enters his soul and he finds he loves the witch. She quickly reciprocates as these natural enemies are unable to stop kissing one another.

KISS ME DEADLY is a creative paranormal romance in which Michele Hauf uses a Twilight Zone like spin to create love between the witch and the vampire. Nikolaus and Ravin are a superb pairing as he wants to avenge her killing him with her blood only to fall in love with her due to a spell. Ironically he must convince the witch he cherishes that he loves her spell or not and that they belong together taboo or not. This is a winner for sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner

Completely unbelievable...and I'm not talking about witches and vampires here, February 24, 2010
Thank goodness this book was free. The story was completely unbelievable. I like fantasy. I like romance. I don't mind witches, werewolves and vampires. But PLEASE give me some kind of plot and character development. Two people just wandering around and screwing a bit doesn't make for a great book. It may be free, but my time is worth something!

what?, January 30, 2010
really bad. conversations with the devil who appears as johnny depp and is named "himself". poor writing creates characters you have no attachment to, making the sex scenes as boring as can be. free, yes - but i couldn't even finish it! honestly, even if i had paid for it, i would't have finished it.

Horrible, not even worth the time to download, January 19, 2010
This has to be the worst book I have ever TRIED to read. I couldn't even make it past the first 3 chapters. The character build-up was horrible, there was zero plot, and read as though written by a 5th grader. Bottom line- don't waste your time!

Love, Love, Love It!, August 4, 2010
Oh this book was so good! It had the paranormal aspect that I loved with the loving romance. I've read over paranormal books and I loved how this one taught me something new,different (witch's blood is poison), but was so sweet and romantic. The romance parts weren't too raunchy when I compare them to over romance novels that I've read. And I promised myself beforehand that I wouldn't cry, but there were definitely times where I had to choke it down. Without giving too much away, this book has a vampire and witch who are supposed to hate each other. But the vampire comes under the witch's love spell (by accident) and falls in love with her. But, of course, all good things can't last. And the moment that the spell wore off was at the perfect part and my heart totally broke for the witch. The book said that was more books to continue and I am definitely going to be ordering those! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Having recently ended a bad relationship, Maggie Ryan returns to her hometown in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to discover things aren’t quite the way she remembers. Her childhood friends, Quinn and Lucas Makwa, are all grown up and keeping secrets. The shape-shifters want Maggie for their mate, but she’s not sure she wants to trust another man—let alone two that can shift into black bears at will. ... Read more

Editorial Review

* In honor of the release of the second book in this series, Toil and Trouble, this book will be .99 for the month of December!*

A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead. A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover. A six hundred year old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes an appetite for witches. The Underworld in a state of chaos. Let the games begin.

Life isn’t bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn’t have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she’s a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost’s demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

The next book in this series, Toil and Trouble, is also available!

You might also enjoy H.P. Mallory's book, To Kill A Warlock

If you enjoy this book, consider signing up for my email distribution list to learn when new books are released! Just visit my website: www.hpmallory.com and click the "contact" tab.

If you like HP Mallory, you might like Zoe Winters and Lori Brighton ... Read more

Reviews

Can't wait for the next book, July 30, 2010
This was a great story! It contains everything a reader wants romance, suspense, action, adventure, a variety of solid characters and humor. While the story would make me laugh there were times when I would have unshed tears. The variety of characters make it really exciting since you will see witches, warlocks, werewolfs, vampires, fairies and even ghosts.

Jolie starts out as a normal everyday girl who realizes she is a witch when she is hired by Rand, a very handsome Warlock; to discover the murder of a now ghost. Jolie did not realize how much her life would change once she met Rand. Jolie's character evolves into a more mature powerful person or in this case witch. Throughout her journey Jolie has to leave family and her country behind, have a small fling with a handsome and dark werewolf only to realize that she has very strong feelings for Rand, that could even be love. However Jolie is not the only one struggling with their feelings, Rand has to fight against his for fear or ruining anything and in this process they both make mistakes.

There is much more to this story than Rand and Jolie's relationship which is what makes it the perfect blend between PNR and Urban Fantasy. If you like Lynsay Sands, Gena Showalker, Jeaniene Frost, Jennifer Armintrout then you will definitely love H.P. Mallory and the adventures of Jolie.

Great Debut!, July 8, 2010
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble is a super fun read that remained with me well after that last page. The heroine, Jolie, is a character every woman can relate to, a character attempting to understand herself and her powers. This book is full of action and suspense that will keep you turning the pages. Attractive heroes and even a love triangle are what make this book more emotional than most and give it a flavor of romance. There are a variety of paranormal characters for every reader's taste. Excellent book for Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance readers.

Very entertaining, August 27, 2010
review
A very entertaining story. I enjoyed reading about the characters and about the complex world of magic the author created.

Jolie Wilkins leads a pretty normal life. That is right until the day sexy warlock Rand Balfour (a male witch) comes into her life. He needs her help to solve a crime and seems to know more about Jolie and her abilities than she does. She is attracted to him and he also seems to feel something for her. Jolie agrees to help Rand but doesn't know that this decision will change her life completly.
It turns out that Jolie is a witch herself with the unique talent to bring back the dead. Because of her skill many people are interested in Jolie. Rand wants a normal life for her but when the witch Bella decides that she wants Jolie he sees no other chance but to take under his protection.
What started as an exciting discovery for Jolie develops into a serious fight for her life. In the end Jolie needs to trust in her own power if she wants to survive.

I don't know if this book is Urban Fantasy ot Paranormal Romance but what I know is that I enjoyed reading it. The story is very entertaining and at the beginning light-hearted. I enjoyed the change to a more darker story throughout the book and liked that the characters got time to develop. Jolie is a great heroine and how she handled being a witch was believable. I enjoyed seeing how she got stronger and stronger. Her relationship with Rand is complicated and I want to know how it will continue. I guess Rand still has still some secrets to share with her.
The world of witches, vampires, werewolfes and faires is a fascinating and complex one. It's not so easy to say who's on who's side and I hope to learn more about the magical world in the next book of the series.
Besides Jolie and Rand I especially enjoyed reading about the mysterious vampire Sinjin. I want to know if he really is one of the good guys and how Jolie will deal with him.

cover
The cover is fun and cool however I don't think that it fits the book perfectly.

final appraisal
I had a lot of fun while reading "Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble" and enjoyed that the book was easy to read, that the characters were great and that the story never bored me. The book made me excited to read what happens next in Jolie and Rand's life and the fight against Bella.

Enjoyable, but not what I expected, August 7, 2010
I enjoyed reading this book, and plan on reading the sequel, but I must say that it was NOT what I expected. Looking at the cover art, I was expecting a very light, frivolous paranormal humor/romance/fantasy story, the kind that would make me chuckle or even laugh out loud. This wasn't that way at all. The storyline was very good, and the characters were well-rounded, but there really wasn't a lot of 'funny' in it. There was some humor, and a few places where the situations the characters got themselves into were humorous. It's probably just me, and the old adage to not judge a book by its cover should have come into play. As I said, an enjoyable story, but don't look for it to be the type of story to make you laugh right out loud. The subtitle, A Paranormal Romance' is really true - the book was a light romance with a good dose of paranormal thrown in.

A Lot of Fun, December 28, 2010
I bought this book because the cover looked cute and the synopsis sounded fun!! I was not dissapointed. This book was awesome. I could not put it down and as soon as I finished this I started the second in the series, and now I am waiting for the third!! I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in paranormal and enjoys some comedy mixed in with Sexy Sexy men!!

Paranormal Profiler, December 28, 2010
This was the first time I was exposed to this authors writing and loved it. This is a definite "must read"; you will love it. Can not wait to see how the romance pans out between Rand and Jolie. Trust me, get this book you will not be disappointed.

Loved it!, December 28, 2010
I bought this book because it was cheap but ended up loving the book so much that I couldn't put it down. H.P. Mallory is a wonderful author and I'm waiting very impatiently for the next book to come out.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!, December 28, 2010
I really did love this book....it took about a chapter for me to get into it...but as soon as Rand showed up I was hooked...can't wait to start on book two! H.P. Mallory is an AWESOME arthor and I can't wait to see whats next!!

Leah

Fun New Urban Fantasy Series!, November 1, 2010
I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into when I began reading Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble. I had heard a lot of great things about the book - but I still wasn't entirely convinced I would like it. Let me just say that this book officially knocked my socks off.


I would have to say that my favorite aspect of this book is the characters. Jolie, the protagonist, is an up-and-coming witch. The problem is, that she doesn't know she is a witch. She struggles with self confidence and simply cannot believe that she is a powerful witch that people are actually fighting over. She likes to think of herself as a psychic - and a mediocre one at that. Jolie's narrative is incredibly witty and her personality makes her easy to love. She is an absolute hoot and not afraid to call it like it is. I love the fact that she doesn't exactly understand her power yet, or fully understand her effect on people, because it creates so wonderful moments.


Along for the ride is Jolie's partner in crime and lifelong BFF, Christa. Christa is everything Jolie is not - confident, collected and comfortable in her sexuality. She is fully aware of herself as a woman and often uses her charms to get what she wants. I don't want to make her out as a bad person or a bad friend, because she isn't. She would never hurt Jolie, she just likes to use her feminine charms on men. She is the kind of friend everyone wants - someone who balances you out and would drop everything in a heartbeat for you.


This book is also chock-full of supernatural cuties. Jolie's definitely got her hands full in the love department; which is an entirely new situation for her. The first of her potential love interests is Rand. Rand is a super powerful Warlock who discovers Jolie's abilities. He is really what pulls her into her new life and acts sort of as a mentor. These two have some mad chemistry, but Rand has conflicting emotions about dating in new employee. There are some absolutely amazing scenes between these two, because they are constantly pushing each other to their limits.

However, like I said before Jolie certainly has options. There is also a werewolf vying for her attentions as well as a Faerie King and the occasional vampire. While this book does have a lot of romantic subplots, the characters and overall plot do not suffer. A lot of times, I find that books center on the love triangles too much and everything else suffers. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble certainly does not have this problem. The plot is fast paced, action packed, exciting and unique. Mallory does an amazing job recreating and redefining types of characters (like werewolves, witches and faeries) that we have seen time and time again.


I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good urban fantasy or paranormal romance. While the tone wasn't as dark as your typical urban fantasy, the change in pace is definitely refreshing. This book was entertaining, hilarious and an overall great time. I am eagerly waiting for book 2 in the Jolie Wilkins series, I cannot wait to see what happens next!

I absolutely Recommend this book, October 21, 2010
PERSONAL SUMMARY
Girl next door turned powerful witch, Jolie Wilkins will be forced to accept her fate and destiny as part of the Otherworldly creatures. With a dangerously powerful warlock and gorgeous master vampire vying for her attention, Jolie will have to keep her attention focused or risk loosing the war threating all the Otherworldly creatures.

FAVORITE LINE:
And as for me, I'm not really sure if there was much of a difference between me getting my ass kicked inside or outside, but there you have it.

FIRST LINE:
It's not every day you see a ghost.

PLOT:
When I cracked this eBook open and started reading Fire Burn I will be very honest, I was skeptical of what to expect. I have been told many negative things about Indie authors which made me question the quality of their work. I read the blurb to get and idea before hand and was surprised. I immediately thought that the book could have some great potential. I was not disappointed. This book has it all. It was riddled with cliff hangers that pulled you along making it very difficult to leave the story. The plot was well thought out and I enjoyed taking the journey through Jolie Wilkins's POV. I felt the story was well rounded and complete. I am not sure what I enjoyed more, the tug of words and sensual touches shared with master vampire Sinjin or the arousing and sexy tug of emotions with the warlock, Rand. I loved the balances of action and romance that was woven together to create a great plot. The heroines started out as the sweet girl next door while living a life of a quiet shop keeper then shoved into being the one witch the could save the Underworld creatures from forced tyranny from a powerful homicidal witch.

SETTING:
The story traveled from Jolie's shop in Los Angels, then to Chicago. Shorty after that they are forced to return to Pelham Manor in England and eventually end up in Scotland. Definitely a wide variety of settings that captivated my imagination and allowed my mind to spread its wings and enjoy the surroundings set by the different locations.

WRITING:
Writing a story in first person takes a lot of skill and I think Ms Mallory possess that skill. Her writing style adds a flare to the fictional world that shouldn't be missed. She brought a vivid picture to life through her character's eyes and actions that ultimately brought it to life for me as I enjoyed the story. I did find a few editing problems, but it did not interrupt the flow of the story or the quality of the book.

CHARACTERS:
Oh, the characters....
Jolie Wilkins is one hell of a fiery heroine and can belt out While she is not overly aggressive or snarky, she is determined and stubborn. She holds a certain spunk and charm that makes you like her immediately. She demands to know what id going on around her and is not afraid to let herself be known. I mean, if you were positioned and used as a pawn in a war between the Underworld creatures, you would feel a little put out too. She takes the changes thrown at her in stride and accepts that she just might be a little more than a tarot card reader. Being able to reanimate the dead has to put her up there in the 'immensely powerful' category right! And all through the story she always has her best friend at her side.
When the oh-so-sexy and powerful warlock walks onto the page you can't help but fall in love with his sensual side, wishing Jolie and he would both realize the sizzling attraction they share for one another. Then the six-hundred year old master vampire Sinjin is such a sinful treat to behold, you can't help but want him to bite Jolie. It will be interesting to discover his hidden agenda and who will win the affection of the new witch of the Underworld.

LAST THOUGHTS:
Jolie Wilkins is just the right character to take you on an adventure that leads through the dark side of witches and warlocks. Along the way you will meet werewolves and vampires that make your skin crawl and your heart race. Lets not forget the strongest of them all, the fairies and their devilish handsome king, Odran. Ms Mallory did an excellent job writing this paranormal romance. I can't wait for her second book in the Jolie Wilkin's series, Toil and Trouble. Coming January 1, 2011. ... Read more

Editorial Review

What do you do when you've got a hillbilly tiger by the tail? Or maybe thequestion should be: what wouldn't you do...

Nikolai Vorislav likes his single life just as it is. Simple, relaxing andquiet. What he doesn’t need is some foul-mouthed Texan hellcat living in hishouse, eating his food, flirting with his idiot brothers and shooting holes inhis home with his granddaddy’s gun. But those long legs, dark eyes and lethaltongue are making Nik insane and he fears he may be caught in the sexiest animaltrap ever.

Angelina Santiago doesn't know how she got from Texas to North Carolina in anight or how she ended up in some hillbilly tiger's house wearing only a sheet.What she does know is that she doesn't like good ol' boys with slow, sexy drawlswho can't seem to stop rubbing up against her. Yet in order to protect herfriends, Angie has to stay with a cat who seems hellbent on finding all sorts ofdelicious ways to make her purr.

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphiclanguage, and strong violence.

This book is a re-release.

Editorial Review

Lucius had been patient long enough.Now he wanted his woman, his mate, and nothing and no one was going to stand between them ever again, not even her.

Tonya had never been what most would consider to be lucky.She hadn’t been lucky enough to have been born with a great metabolism or great looks.She hadn’t been lucky enough to keep her landscaping job in the city or her dream home from being foreclosed on, and she hadn’t been lucky enough to meet the right guy and fall in love.But, as luck would have it, she had no idea that the right man was about to land right in her lap, literally.Only she didn’t recognize him as the man of her dreams when she first met him.How could she when all she saw was a wild wolf that chased her into her house right before it passed out on her?

Rating: Carnal/Erotic.



Genre: Paranormal Romance.


Joyfully Reviewed-Patrice F.
THE MATING by Mandy Monroe
New Concepts Publishing
Paranormal, Shape-shifter
ISBN: 978-1-60394-458-8
Reviewed by Patrice F.

The Mating is a sweet and spicy story spotlighting a very contemporary heroine opposite a gorgeous supernatural male.I liked the push and pull dynamic between Tonya and Lucius until they’re both overwhelmed by their need and physical greed for one another.

The humorous tidbits that pop up throughout the story and dialogue made it worth my while . . .

I can vouch for the fact she’s submitted sterling work.. . . Ms. Monroe never fails to deliver when it comes to crisp, descriptive writing.Tonya’s and Lucius’ character development is the strongest part of the story, which was a big plus when you consider the fact that without solid characters the operation is a dismal failure.

I got a kick out of reading it.





The Romance Studio
Reviewer: Janie Esparza
The Mating by Mandy Monroe
Paranormal romance
Available from New Concepts Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-60394-458-8
September 2010
Overall rating: 4 Hearts!!!!
Sensuality rating: Explicit

I liked this paranormal romance story. This is a fast-paced story filled with action, and lots and lots of sexy scenes between the two main characters. I was hooked from the very beginning. I enjoyed the interaction between Tonya and Lucius. I even liked Lucius when he was in his wolf form. I thought he was funny and sweet. Tonya saw herself as being on the heavy side, but Lucius saw her as his perfect mate. He accepted her and wanted nothing more than to make her happy forever. They will have to fight an enemy that wants to destroy them both. Lucius will have to make a very difficult decision if he wants to keep Tonya. The love scenes between them are hot. This story contains very explicit love scenes and language.



Happily Ever After Reviews
Reviewer: Yadkny
Boy thinks he’ll never find a mate; girl thinks she’s too unattractive and fat; boy scents mate and immediately pursues; girl eventually learns of his dual nature and relents to the mating. I have to commend Mandy Monroe on her extremely colorful vocabulary used throughout the story to describe the emotions the characters experience. The ending was surprisingly unexpected and leaves an opening for the author to pursue further.

Recommended reading for those looking for an extremely short story packed with lots of possessive mating.

... Read more

Editorial Review

The Underworld in civil war.
The cause? A witch who can reanimate the dead.
A sexy as sin vampire determined to claim her.
An infuriatingly handsome warlock torn between duty and love.
Who says blonds have more fun?

After defending herself against fairy magic, Jolie Wilkins wakes to find her world turned upside down—the creatures of the Underworld on the precipice of war.

The Underworld is polarized in a battle of witch against witch, creature against creature, led by the villainous Bella, who would be Queen.

While Jolie has one goal in mind, to stake the vampire, Ryder, who nearly killed her, she also must choose between the affections of her warlock employer, Rand, and the mysteriously sexy vampire, Sinjin.

And as if that weren’t enough to ruin a girl’s day, everything Jolie knows will be turned inside out when she’s thrust into the shock of a lifetime.

Toil and Trouble is the second book in the Jolie Wilkins series, the follow up to Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble
... Read more

Reviews

Read it!!!, December 6, 2010
First of all, I have to tell you that I love H.P's covers. They are so cute and extraordinary that they alone make me want to read the book!

But back to the actual story. It takes up right after the events of the previous book in the series, after Jolie's fight against one of King Odran's faeries and right before the war against Bella and her minions. Having won over the faries King as ally, the preparations for the war begin. All the while Rand's army is assembled in Pelham Manor. Amongst all the preparations, Jolie and Rand have to figure out their feelings for each other and Jolie has to decide how Sinjin, the sexy and smooth talking vamp fits into her life. When the battle finally begins and Jolie finds herself in mortal danger, her life takes a more than unexpected twist...

Toil and Trouble's awesomeness is based on the fantastic characters. Even though it's declared a Paranormal Romance, you can't find one of the usual and dreaded clich�s in this book. The relationship between Rand and Jolie with all its ups and downs feels natural and realistic. The issues they have aren't far-fetched just to stall their HEA, at least in my opinion but are due to their characters. And then their is Sinjin. The Vamp is such a great addition to the stroy with his razor sharp whit and his constant flirting. It's no surprise that two alpha male competeing for the affection ht for one lucky woman cause a lot of excitement. And did I mention sexual tension? Toil and Trouble is definitley sexy and has some very hot one on one action between two of the main characters, ( I'm not giving away who they are though!) but, in comparision to other PNR books, these scenes are written tastefully and fit the story very nicely. While I sometimes get the feeling with some PNR books that a story is just an excuse to write one sex scene after the other, here, all sensual scenes feel organic.

Also, while reading Toil and Trouble, you're in for quite a few surprises. One of the major twists I already mentioned above and as much as I want to talk about it, I just don't want to ruin this book for anyone. But if you really do read the book and your a follower of my blog, you might encounter a few things that will surprise you! :)

Overall (I believe you guessed it), I loved Toil and Trouble. H.P. Mallory is one of the best, if not the best Indie authors I had the pleasure of getting to know and reading. she is one to watch, as both her series - and Toil and Trouble is no exception - are funny, original and sexy. I woudn't miss one of H.P. Mallory's books for the world!

The review was originally published on Reading on the Dark Side

One of my all time favorite series!, December 9, 2010
As much as I loved the first book in the series, I think that Toil and Trouble managed to be even better! I'm really liking the direction Jolie's relationships with Rand and Sinjin is going. I love that one minute I think she should be with one guy, and the next minute I have changed my mind. It definitely keeps things interesting. Honestly, I am kind of in love with both men myself. Jolie is an amazing character. She is smart, funny, and likes her independence...but for me, the men really make this series. They bring mystery and sex appeal to the story in abundance.

At one point something very major happens (I know that doesn't really tell you much, but I don't want to give it away), and once it does things start to fall into place and let's just say, the plot thickens. There is some pretty good action (of the fighting kind), some very hot situations with each of the men, and lots of magic. In my reader this book is 273 pages. I was so engrossed in reading this book that I finished it quickly. When I reached the end I couldn't believe it. It was left on a cliffhanger and I was so ready to read more. H.P. Mallory has become one of my favorite authors and I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!

Toil and Trouble rules!, December 3, 2010
I am now a lifelong fan of HP Mallory!! Toil and Trouble was an awesome sequel to her first book in the series. The book takes up right where the other one left off and is a fast paced page turner. She has a really cool twist in this book that i found refreshing and original. Trust me you won't be disappointed if you read this book. I do recommend reading the first book in the series because well, its a great series and you just won't be sorry you did. I look forward to seeing more books by HP, she tells great stories with very likable characters.

Outstanding!, December 3, 2010
I am so glad I found H.P. Mallory! I am so impressed by her self published books!! The quality of the story, the charactor development, and the fast paced page turners (or button pushes on my Kindle)have me hooked!!! More, more, more please! This book picks up right where Fire Burn, left off. There is very little back story, so I highly recommend reading Fire Burn first. ... Read more

Editorial Review

At the core of New Orleans lie the otherworldly vampires and shape-shifters that hide in plain sight among mankind. As one of the Keepers, an elite group possessing superior skill and strength, Fiona MacDonald's duty is to maintain peace in a place where one vampire's bite could ignite war. When Detective Jagger DeFarge, a vampire, is called in at the discovery of a body drained of blood, both the detective and Fiona must join uneasy forces.

Jagger will stop at nothing to find the murderer— including working with the sensual and suspicious Fiona. As more die, it becomes clear that this isn't the work of an ordinary vampire. No one is safe. So when the killer's attention turns to Fiona, will Jagger risk destroying his own species to protect the woman he so passionately desires?

The Keepers: Three extraordinary sisters, balancing the duties of their birthrights and the yearnings of their hearts… ... Read more

Editorial Review

On the Canadian frontier in 1875, nature is a harsh mistress. But the supernatural can really do you in...

Nathan Lesperance is used to being different. He's the first Native attorney in Vancouver, and welcome neither with white society nor his sometime tribe. Not to mention the powerful wildness he's always felt inside him, too dangerous to set free. Then he met Astrid Bramfield and saw his like within her piercing eyes. Now, unless she helps him through the harsh terrain and the harsher unknowns of his true abilities, it could very well get him killed...

Astrid has traveled this path before. Once she was a Blade of the Rose, protecting the world's magic from unscrupulous men, with her husband by her side. But she's loved and lost, and as a world-class frontierswoman, she knows all about survival. Nathan's searing gaze and long, lean muscles mean nothing but trouble. Yet something has ignited a forgotten flame inside her: a burning need for adventure, for life--and perhaps even for love...

"Crackles with adventure, a rich sense of place, and terrific characterization."--Mary Jo Putney on Warrior

"The action explodes on page one and the pace never lets up. You're gonna love The Blades of the Rose."--Ann Aguirre, national bestselling author of Hell Fire on Rebel ... Read more

Editorial Review

When Department of Natural Resources officer, Gwendolyn Locke, hits a black bear on the way home from work one night, her entire view of reality changes. She discovers that shape-shifters exist, and she’s just become Goldilocks to three gorgeous, very aroused men who also happen to be werebears. Being snowbound has never been so hot. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Genre: BDSM Science Fiction/Futuristic

When battle ravages her world, Charity is left without family or friend. Invading warriors from the sky decimate the planet and deem her people unworthy to live. After a desperate flight for her life, she is caught by the cruelest of their enemies, Commander Melmanon.

Melmanon is a hero renowned for his terrible bloodlust and legendary tortures, and, bored with the war, he's restless for new challenges. When Charity eludes capture for six days, his pride takes a beating and he plots his revenge carefully. But in her complete submissiveness he finds a perfect prize, and he abandons his plans for murder to make her his 'torture slave.'

Unwillingly seduced by the brutal domination of her master, Charity quickly becomes enthralled. Even the harsh lash of punishment cannot dim her sexual craving, and she is torn between the urge to flee…and the desire to stay.

As this hardened warrior uses his defenseless captive for his pleasure and her own, he finds that giving can be as satisfying as receiving. Torn between the monster he has been and the man that wants the love of his slave, Melmanon must decide if it is better to be loved…or feared.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Bondage, domination/submission, dubious consent, flogging, interspecies sex. ... Read more

Reviews

Great Book, November 10, 2010
Book size: Novella, max location 1384.

This was a really great book. It focused more on the sex then it did on the romance and I liked that. After reading lots of romance books it was nice to read one that was lighter on all the heavier aspects of a romance book. What I mean is that it didn't focus to much on the romancing, the motives, the reasons behind it all. And I have to applaud the author for giving Charity a realistic reaction when she is captured. Most heroines when put in a truly frighting situation act out with a lot of bravado. And lets be honest, if most people were put in situations these people are in we would be scared and act cowardly. We wouldn't want to be hurt or killed so we would do whatever we needed to to avoid it. It was very refreshing to see Charity react as most of us would. Other then the book length I couldn't find anything wrong with this one. If you are looking for a lot of romance in your book then you might want to look elsewhere. If you like your books to be more on the erotic side and don't mind the shorter length then you might want to check this one out.

:0), December 10, 2010
Charity and Melmanon's story was great I personally enjoyed it. When you start reading the story it gets to the point. Even though Melmanon's is suppose to be this ruthless man he still had a heart of gold mostly towards the end. Charity even if she seem weak she was still a loveable character. If you love story's about captives with erotica then this is for you. The sex is good as well as the storyline even though there isn't much to the storyline other than the two characters.

Now I must say if you are breezing through books to buy and you happen to come across this book then let me say this if your not into the captive,slave whip and hardcore Thing then this isn't you. If you love this sort of thing then give it a try you might like it and if you get to the section of how he treats her while she is a slave and you feel like you don't want to read anymore keep reading it gets better for both characters.

Everybody has a different opinion when writting a review if we all had the same reviews or opinions it would be boring. Reviews can sometimes down play a really good book or up play a really bad book its up to us to read the book and judge for ourselves and draw our own conclusion thats the best thing about a review its like a silent debate....

Check out my book club on facebook (Romance Novel Junkies)

Demon's Captive, December 27, 2010
This book stunk. The only good thing that I can say about it was that all the words were spelled right. Actually, I don't know that for a fact as I couldn't bring myself to care enough to finish it.
... Read more

Editorial Review

Acclaimed author Kresley Cole introduces a sizzling new series with this tale of a fierce werewolf and a bewitching vampire -- unlikely soul mates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.

A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her . . .

After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.

A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy . . .

Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents -- until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae -- and their notorious dark desires -- ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.

An all-consuming desire . . .

Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

Includes an excerpt from Kresley Cole's next romance novel, No Rest for the Wicked. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetite. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin.

Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him. When Mary Luce is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world, she must rely on Rhage's protection. Knowing that Mary feels the same intense animal attraction, Rhage must make her his alone... ... Read more

Editorial Review

Even within the vampire brotherhood, Zsadist is feared. Still bearing the scars from a tortured past, he is renowned for his unquenchable fury. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion-until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This vampire has been alone for far too long . . .

As one of the most ancient in the Argeneau clan, Cale Valens has given up on finding a life mate. His friends and family, however, have not. In fact, they believe they've finally found his perfect match. Getting them together, however, requires one little white lie . . .

Alexandra Willan is in a panic. Her restaurant is due to open in two weeks, but her chef just walked out. Then a highly recommended replacement arrives, an impossibly handsome culinary genius who sends electric tingles racing through her body . . .

Except he can't cook. In fact, Cale hasn't eaten real food in two thousand years. Yet he's determined to prove to Alex his prowess in the kitchen . . . and elsewhere. Because never has he hungered so for any mortal woman. And not just for a taste of her, but for the whole delicious feast!

Editorial Review

Reviews

Delightful and Charming, July 27, 2000
"Wait a minute, wait a minute....Is this a kissing book?" Well, yes and no...you'll just have to read it to find out for yourself.

William Goldman is a legend in the world of screenwriting, known for his clever, crisp dialogue and engrossing narrative, so why should his novels be any different?

Utterly charming, 'The Princess Bride' combines action, adventure, plenty of swordplay, and yes, some kissing....Those of you who only saw the movie (also writen by Goldman -- see my DVD review) are missing out on many of the delights of the book, notably on the developed backstory of the characters and the clean, wry prose.

Here's a bit of trivia: First, there is NO S. Morgenstern -- he is made up, fictitious, a red herring...accept it and move on. Second, Mr. Goldman will send you a lost section if you write to his address and request it (the one of mentions in the book)! When I first read that 10 years ago, I wrote to the company mentioned in the book and was delighted to receive my bonus section! (Hey, Mr Goldman if you are reading this, I lost my copy 3 years ago when I moved to LA! Could you please send me another one? ) :)

Cherish this book and keep it to share with your children.

Loverley book and this is not an abridgement, June 10, 2001
I have loved this book for years (I think it may be my favorite) William Goldman is a talented author especially with dialogue. This is a wonderful spoof/homage to old fashioned swashbuckling romance.

I noticed that a lot of people believe this book is an abridged version of the "original" S. Morgenstern book. Actually, Morgenstern does not exist, just try looking him up on the library of congress. He was just made up as part of the joke. Think about it, isn't a bit ironic that Morgenstern and William Goldman write EXACTLY the same way. This is supposed to be abridged, not rewritten. Plus, if Morgenstern existed, then Florin must too. Actually, Florin and Guilder were coins, the names were just borrowed. You'll never find the countries in your history book.

This is the Spinal Tap thing, the joke is done with a totally straight face so that there are always people who aren't exactly sure if it's the real deal. That was the reason Rob Reiner was chosen to direct the movie version.

Read this book, enjoy it, it is one of the best you will ever experience. The diaglogue is unforgetable (every sylabub!)

INCONCEIVABLE!!, February 28, 2002
The greatness of this book is truly, in the word's of Vizzini "INCONCEIVABLE!" What's this book about? Fencing, fighting, true love, strong hate, harsh revenge, a few giants, lots of bad men, lots of good men, pain, death, brave men, coward men, escapes, lies, truth, passion, miracles. It's hilarious, heart breaking, and terrifying all at the same time. If none of that sounds good to you, or if you've seen the movie and didn't like it, don't read the book. If you liked the movie, the book is twice as good!

Who's the genius behind this incredible book? The answer is simple, William Goldman (which is another whole story in its self). If you look at the book you'll read: "S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure. The "good parts version" abriged by William Goldman." In Goldman's introduction he explains how when he was a ten years old and was home sick with pneumonia, his father read him the book. (Sound farmiliar? If you're remembering the scene between the grandfather and the boy in the book you're right.) His father was a poor, English struggling immigrant from Florin, the setting of the Princess Bride. His father explains how Morgenstern was a great writer in his country and that there it is a very famous book. Goldman obviously loves the book.

As a man, Goldman decides to give the book to his son, Jason for his tenth birthday. After putting in an enormous amount of time and money to track down the book, to his shock the son hates it. In turn, he decides to re-read the book for himself. What he discovers is that his father didn't actually read him the whole book, he only read him the good parts. The book in fact was not even really focussing on the story he heard, it's actually all about the history of Florin. Goldman decides to abridge the book with only the "good parts."

Everything I have just told you is a lie and it will drive you crazy the whole book! William Goldman did not in fact "abridge" the book he wrote the book. He invents Florin, he invents Jason, he invents everything! Why such a brilliant writer would completely give all the credit to another writer who never existed I will never understand. The book is filled with clever and hilarious "abridgement notes" from Goldman. Not only are they funny to read, they keep you on top of things so you never are confused or find yourself searching back for explanations. If you don't like this sort of thing, don't worry they're written in a way that can be easily skipped.

You can read about all of the plot in any other review, but in a couple of sentences: Buttercup falls in love with the gorgeous Farm Boy. He goes off to America to seek their fortune. Buttercup learns that he dies. She is forced to marry the awful Prince even though she vows never to love again. Buttercup gets kidnapped... this is just the beginning! If I go any farther I'll give it away! If this sounds like a stupid fairy tale to you TRUST ME its not! Sure, it's about love, but in between revenge, poison, a man obsessed with human pain, death, duels, well I think you get the idea.

As if all of this isn't enough! There is something special about this addition you can't find anywhere else.

If you want to read a great story about true love, victory, defeat, pain and if you want a book that will make you laugh out loud, cry, or tremble with fear this is THE book. I truly think I can honestly say there is no other book like it. I would would put it against any of the great fantasty story writer, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis anyday! It goes ten times faster than any of the Lord of the Rings and is in my opinion just as exciting if not more. One tip, if you haven't watched the movie READ THE BOOK FIRST! It's got so many exciting turns and such an incredible ending, don't ruin it for yourself like I did.

One of the Greatest, January 3, 2002
Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles. GREAT LITERATURE.

There's not a whole lot that's not in this novel. It succeeds at being maybe the funniest, most exciting, and satisfying stories yet written. Plus, the novel contains startling depth.

The writing of the novel is so superb. The prose is smooth and light. It is really conversational, and word-play abounds. The novel also (as the Amazon review pointed out) serves as a satire of adventure and fantasy novels of the past and comments on the differences between fantasy and reality. The structure of the novel (with the hilarious first chapter, the flashbacks, and the author-commentary) serves to frame those bits of insight Goldman is trying to get across. Consider the line "Life isn't fair, it's just fairer than death, that's all." There's a lot in those words, and throughout the story, Goldman hammers home real truths about the nature of pain, death, and grief. And yet paradoxically, out of those truths The Princess Bride emerges as a story to give its reader reaffirmation in the greatness of life.

As you may can tell, The Princess Bride is my favorite novel. I've read it numerous times, and each time I read it, the book is better. I know that everybody watches the movie, and yes, the movie is great. Even a masterpiece. But the novel goes far beyond that. Read it.

Oh, man..., July 14, 1999
OK, I really liked this book. There's really nothing I can say that hasn't been mentioned already, but having scrolled through the one- and two-star reviews, I'd like to throw my 2 cents in:A) There IS NO original PRINCESS BRIDE. There is no "pre-Goldman" version. Goldman made the whole shebang up. B) Therefore, there is no S. Morgenstern. Did you think it was coincedence that their writing styles were exactly the same?C) There is no Florin & Guilder--that's what makes it a fantasy novel. Didn't you notice that the historical quips all contradicted each other?D) For those of you who were upset by the first 30 pages where Goldman rips his family--they too are made up. The author has no overweight son; I believe he has two daughters. He has a wife, but I assume (for Goldman's sake) that she isn't as bad as the novel suggests.Naysayers--read this novel for all its different levels...The fairy tale...And the larger theme of a Romantic coming to terms with a world where happy endings don't always happen.

Unconventional look at the conventional romantic adventure., February 20, 2001
This 1973 book is fast becoming a classic, and the movie version has done much to popularize it. Goldman takes the conventional tale of romantic adventure featuring a kidnapped princess who is rescued by a gallant knight. However, Goldman departs from the stereotypical mould of the romantic adventure by exaggerating the conventional roles to the point where the story evolves from a serious tale of adventure into a farcical spoof. It is not so much a contemporary version of the Sir Walter Scott type adventure as it is an exaggerated version. The delicious and distorted blend of the lofty and the mundane that Goldman serves up results in a comical buffoonery. After all, who ever heard of a princess called "Buttercup", a prince called "Humperdinck" and a hero (appropriately just a farm boy) called "Westley"? And who ever heard of countries that go by the names of currencies like "Florin" and "Guilder"? And who ever heard of pirates who retire?

Goldman heightens the farcical effect by writing under the guise of an editor who is merely abridging the supposed longer work by the early 20th century writer S. Morgenstern (an approach similar to that later used by Michael Crichton in "Eaters of the Dead"). Of course Morgenstern is entirely a figment of Goldman's imagination and a fictional creation, as is evident from the numerous contemporary jokes found throughout which clearly originate from Goldman, and not an older Morgenstern. This is in fact an ingenious literary device that successfully enables Goldman to get outside the story and give his own pithy commentary about the action. The fact that it has fooled some readers to unsuccessfully endeavour to discover more about the mysterious Morgenstern can only serve as a tribute to the effectiveness of this literary device!

The story itself features an evil villain (Humperdinck), a beautiful princess (Buttercup), and the humble hero (Westley). Westley needs to overcome the legendary Cliffs of Insanity and the dreaded Fire Swamp with its renowned R.O.U.S.s (Rodents of Unusual Size). In what appears to be a farcical version of the three musketeers, he must also master the hired hands of his adversary, the infamous "Sicilian Crowd", composed of the Turk Fezzik (a huge idiot whose contribution is his strength), the Spaniard Inigo (a tall athlete whose contribution is his sword), and the Sicilian Vizzini (a thin leader whose contribution is his brains). Just so you can picture this farcical trio accurately, imagine Fezzik as a bulk who started shaving in Grade 1, Inigo as a madman who has devoted only 72,000 hours to prepare for a single fencing battle with his father's murderer, and Vizzini as a criminal mastermind who defies anything that doesn't fit with his logic as "inconceivable."

Of course the mixture of strength, sword and brains doesn't faze our hero, and after he successfully overcomes the skill tests of strength, swordmanship, and brains, some of the Sicilian Crowd become his personal allies in the quest against Humperdinck. Ultimately, they are the ones who rescue him from death by forcing a resurrection pill (you haven't heard of those either, have you?) down his throat, and help him rescue Buttercup and ride off into the sunset with her on four white horses. But this isn't a typical adventure-romance, remember, so of course Goldman presents an alternative ending where there is no sunset, and the hapless hero is forever chased by the villains.

The movie version sticks very close to the book, and fans of the movie will especially enjoy this book. It is marred by a few instances of blasphemy, and the glorification of Inigo's obsession with revenge. But as a farce on the traditional romantic adventure, this book can be enjoyed by anyone with a sense of humor, and a vague awareness of the literary conventions that Goldman is mocking. As Goldman describes it: "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles." Take these ingredients, mix well with a grain of salt, a sense of humor, and a strong measure of exaggeration and farce, and you have "The Princess Bride." It's the recipe for success, and this book proves it.

A True Classic and Life-Affirming, June 3, 1998
I first read this book when I was fifteen. I've gone through four copies (mostly due to unreturned loans), and I've practically memorized it over the past fifteen years. The book has a great premise of being written by Morgenstern and read to the author as a child, and a wonderful message for anyone who wonders what happened to the fairy-tale endings they never found when they grew up.

Goldman's conversational style gives the book an intimacy. The reader really feels like they *know* him. I've read almost all of his other books, and this seems, to me, to be the most polished and sensitive. It's very subtle and charming, and then--wham!--a line like "Life isn't fair; it's just fairer than death, that's all." That's one of my all-time favourite quotes.

The movie did a good job of giving a cartoon-like, fun feeling to the story, but I thought the author's interjections and his cynical observations were quite moving, especially when contrasted with the happily-ever-after flavour of Westley & Buttercup's romance.

The movie caught the basic "good parts" storyline, but the book has more to offer. I recommend it for anyone who's wondering "Hey...is this all there is??" Somehow, Goldman's book, The Princess Bride, makes you feel better about the answer.

(P.S. - I've got the "alternative reunion scene" if anyone wants to read it...)

The classic story of true love vs evil, September 10, 2001
This book was gifted to me by my girlfriend, and at first I was skeptical about it. I had not seen the movie, and being an avid science fiction reader and writer, the fairy tale concept seemed like a bit of a "girl thing". However, once I delved into its pages, I discovered I couldn't have been more wrong. This is a fantastic novel for everyone, people of all ages. The delightful charm of the story, the epic saga it unfolds to tell, and the spontaneous hilarity covers a plethora of genres; Which guarantees a fast-paced, exciting and truly amazing book that will satisy all-comers.

The Princess Bride tells the story of a common girl, who falls in love with an even commoner boy, but marries an exceptionally cruel Prince, without any choice. The boy, now grown into a dashing hero, comes to claim back his true love - but not without a vast adventure before him.

This 25th Anniversary Collectors Edition in hard back is the best version to buy, and saves it as a story that you will read to your children, and them to theirs, as Goldman describes himself doing in the introduction. A timeless classic, and one that will remain as one of the greatest tales for generations to come.

Definitely deserves its status as a classic!, June 6, 2004
A lot of people have seen the film The Princess Bride and would know of the book from the film. The movie has for long possessed a cult-like status, being seen as funny, warm, irreverent and full of classic "love and adventure". All these things are true about the book, only more so. Like the film, the story follows the strife of the love between Westle and Buttercup, as Buttercup is set to marry the prince of Florin and all the circumstances in the world seem to be set against the true lovers from being reunited. The book has all the adventure elements of the movie such as the Cliffs of Insanity and the Rodents Of Unusual Size. It has more detail though and adds much more to the story, sepcially in the Zoo section of which the movie only took bits from as well as the backstories of the characters. The other major difference is that the wrapper story, instead of a grandfather reading to a sick grandson, is that the book is Goldman's abridgement of a classic Florinese work.

The Princess Bride can be looked at from some kind of post-modern tribute to adventure stories, full of deliberate and often humorous anachronisms. But I think it's so much more than that. It seems to be the only book I've read that's both a great member of a genre (the cloack and dagger, adventure-filled, swashbuckling romance) as well as a parody of the same genre. It's amazing how it's pulled off - on the one hand it's cynical about happy endings and the classic elements of adventure stories and sends them up in an amazingly funny way and yet reading it, you still feel a part of you yearning for those classic elements and finding them marvelously present in the book.

And of course, the characters are truly larger than life, from Inigo the Spanish swordsman who has dedicated his life to finding the man who killed his father to Fezzik, the slightly-slow-witted giant with a brand heart, sense of humour and love of rhymes.

Many readers in the reviews were annoyed by Goldman's whole wrapper of the book being written by Morgenstern as well as the 30 page intros and digressions into his fictional struggles to get the book published. An unbelievably high number of people fell for the whole thing and are currently hunting for the "unabridged" Princess Bride by Morgenstern! Personally, I enjoyed the digressions very much. I think without them it might have just ended up as a more conventional adventure story and not the cult classic it is. There's something about the whole appeal to an older/"greater" writer as well as some mockery of the world of publishing and manuscripts (and Morgenstern's digressions!) that adds to the cynical-yet-not-cynical nature of the book. I think the reason is that the book is a story and it's also about stories and storytelling and because it has so many layers, all of them warm and filled with Goldman's quirky visions, that everyone can get a lot out of it. So don't expect a regular, uninterrupted narrative!

Finally, this edition has Goldman's recent and brief return to the book, the first chapter of Buttercup's Baby (as Goldman was only allowed to do one chapter due to legal reasons, read the book!). In it, he picks up (sort of...) where the story left off and presents some fragmented visions of the characters from both past and present. I guess it's understandable that some fans wouldn't be happy as they might feel emotionally attached to the classic, which also feels like a complete-in-itself work. However, I read the whole thing for the first time (including Buttercup's Baby) over two days recently and it was actually quite good to get that little bit extra about the characters. I think if people saw the book as the classic but the supplement as quite a meaningful addition to our knowledge of the characters (especially Inigo) then it wouldn't seem so "sacriligeous".

This is the favourite book of many people and while it's not my absolute favourite, I think it's beyond superficial rank claims - just a really special novel.

"True Love is... the greatest thing... in the world...", May 29, 2002
One would have to have been born inside a desk drawer and lived their whole life on paper and pencil shavings to not have seen the classic movie, "The Princess Bride." However, very few of the people on this earth who don't live in desk drawers have read the classic book. And reading this book, even looking at the name on the front cover, clues you into the true genius of this fairy tale. What the move does not fully get across is that there is no actual "S. Morgenstern." (Sure, if you read the credits, you'll figure that out, but you know how many people read the credits? Look in a desk drawer.) Anyway, William Goldman, the true author has not only concocted the great story, but the author, the book, the father reading the book to the child, and even the child. In seamless cutaways, we go from the exciting details of Wesley's latest escape or Buttercup's stunning beauty to the Fred Savage-ish boy sitting in bed talking to his father.

And then, there is the story. The verbal cinematic masterpiece that sweeps across the hills of Florin and Guilder, that navigates the choppy sea, that climbs the precarious Cliffs of Insanity, that sinks into the flaming depths of the Fire Swamp, and rises to the highest turrets of Lotharon's Castle. You won't find better character development either; Goldman spends at least 30 pages on each main character, but somehow it never gets the slightest bit boring. Every page is both enrapturing and hilarious. (The childhood of Fezzik the Giant is especially amusing.) Goldman spins the tale perfectly as the father reading only the "good parts" to his son. The plot does far more than just plod, the climax is quite possibly the most climactic piece of writing I've read since the great Finnish climax of 1858, and the denouement is simply existential. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll dance around the room with an umbrella and call it a sword, and in the end, you'll utter the famous line, "Man, the book IS better than the movie." But hey, in another famous line, William Goldman's in fact, "Life isn't fair, it's just fairer than death, that's all." ... Read more

Editorial Review

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.

But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Three short stories of paranormal romance: Jeaniene Frost's "Pack" brings you a tale of a lost hiker and her encounter with some very frightening--and sexy--wolves. A female werewolf helps a sheriff track down a killer "In Sheep's Clothing" by Meljean Brook. A woman must repay her family's debt to a shapeshifting magician in Ilona Andrews's "Grace of Small Magics."

These stories previously appeared in print in Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance.

About the authors:
Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Night Huntress series and the Night Huntress World novels. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to fifteen different countries. Jeaniene lives in Florida with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she swears like a sailor, rarely cooks, and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies with her husband, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling - by car. Airplanes, children, and cookbooks frighten her.

Meljean Brook is the bestselling author of the Guardian series and the Iron Seas series. She was raised in the middle of the woods, and hid under her blankets at night with fairy tales, comic books, and romances. Meljean left the forest and went on a misguided tour through the world of accounting before focusing on her first loves, reading and writing-and she realized that monsters, superheroes, and happily-ever-afters are easily found between the covers, as well as under them, so she set out to make her own. Meljean lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter. 

Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)  Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Portland, Oregon with their two children, three dogs and one cat. They have co-authored two bestselling series, the urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Her breathless kiss haunts him...

Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed -- until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, reawakens his darkest desires. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive.

His slow, hot touch is irresistible...

Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It's rumored that no one can tempt Bowen's hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go.

No deed is too wicked for her seduction...

If they defeat the evil that surrounds them, can Mari deny Bowen when he demands her body and soul -- or will she risk everything for her fierce protector? ... Read more