Motor City Witch by Cindy Spencer Pape-The Story Continues

Motor City Witch

Cindy Spencer Pape

Carina Press

She'd left magic behind

Once upon a time, Elise Sutton had been a powerful witch and paranormal enforcer. Once she'd been madly in love with Fae lord Aidan Greene. But when Aidan had considered his duties more important than their relationship, the love affair ended badly. Shortly after, while on the hunt for a rogue demon, Elise was brutalized and almost killed. Months later she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. To protect her child-and her heart-Elise decided to live a non-magical life.

Until she meets Aidan again, and he assumes Dina is his daughter. When Dina is kidnapped by a racial purity movement, Elise turns to Aidan for help. The icy facade she has built around herself shatters at Aidan's touch. Together they have to hunt through the human and faery worlds to find Dina...and to discover whether or not they have any kind of chance at a happily ever after.

Urban Arcana Book 2

When you spend years hiding things from the world, sometimes they come back and bite you when you least expect it. Elise has kept her daughter a secret from the man who should have been her father. And she turned her back on the world of magic and denied to herself the truth: that she loved Aidan, and always would. It was only after her daughter, a child Elise believed the child of an assault by a demon the same night she and Aidan split up, was kidnapped did she recognize the truth. Aidan is not convinced of Adina’s parentage, and harbors a belief that things aren’t what they appear. His love for Elise never died, and when the child goes missing, he will move heaven, Earth and Underhill to bring her back, if it will make Elise smile again.

With this second Urban Arcana book, Cindy Spencer Pape gives us a story of how miscommunication can ruin lives. The world Ms. Pape has created is a marvelous mix of modern Detroit and imaginary Underhill-or is it imaginary, after all? I love the interaction between the characters, and the cooperation between all of the different groups, even when they don’t like each other.

Elise is a strong and independent woman, with a strong healing talent as a witch. She loves her child above all else, and is devastated when she is taken. I was glad she had the intelligence to realize that, despite her strengths, she needed Aidan to help get her child. I also loved the fact that, when it came to the bad guys, she would do whatever it takes to get Adina back, up to and including killing.

Aidan is delicious. Tall, sexy and thoroughly Fae, he believes Adina may be his daughter, no matter what Elise believes. He realizes after spending time with Elise, that she is the only one he will ever love, and is determined to win her back to his side. When he discovers traitors in his staff, he doesn’t hesitate to take action.

The secondary characters, both good and bad, are wonderfully crafted. I would love to see many of these folks get their stories told, especially Desmond, Elise’s brother, and Greg, the werewolf. I’d love to learn about Des’s dislike of wolves and what it would take to get him past it. And it would seem that the intrigue has been stopped temporarily, but I hope there is more to come.

This is a story of love reclaimed, filled with passion and several wonderful surprises. The twists are in many ways ironic, and yet, they make this such a joy to read. I hope Ms. Pape continues to entertain with this one for many more episodes.

 

Texas Tangle by Leah Braemel

Texas Tangle
Leah Braemen
Carina Press

Thanks to her cheating ex-husband and her thieving brother, all horse breeder Nikki Kimball has left is a bruised heart, an overdrawn bank account and an empty home. When sex-on-legs Dillon Barnett and his brooding foster-brother Brett Anderson start showing more than just neighborly attention, Nikki is intrigued...and a little gun-shy.


Dillon and Brett have a history; back in high school, the two friends fought a bitter battle over Nikki. Now, ten years later, Brett still longs to be the man in Nikki's life, but he's determined to stand back and let Dillon win Nikki's heart.


Society says Nikki must choose between the two men she loves. Is Nikki strong enough to break all the rules in order to find happiness?

Going against all conventions of society is a chance you just have to take sometimes. Nikki’s dilemma is that she has two men after her heart, and polite society says only one can have her. So what is a woman to do? Indulge in a Texas Tangle of course.


Leah Braemel’s storytelling drew me in from page one and kept me on the edge of my seat until the last word. I felt like Brett, Dillon, and Nikki were my friends, and I enjoyed spending time with them. Even their trial and tribulations were well worth reading.

Nikki is a terrific character. She is strong and independent, with a sassy air about her. She’s been through hell, but she manages to come out on the other side with grace and pluck. Yes, there are times when she could succumb to the ‘woe is me’ feelings, but she just sucks it up and goes on. I liked that she was willing to admit what her heart wanted, even when she wasn’t in complete agreement.

Dillon and Brett are forces to reckon with. Both have magnetic personalities and both could be the one she needs. Both men are strong and desirable, and this makes Nikki’s dilemma at choosing just one more difficult. I liked the care they showed to help her believe in life and love once again. I also liked the humility both exerted when it came to letting Nikki decide who she wanted to love.

This story gave me laughter, tears and everything in between. When the three of them finally get together it gets really hot. This is one for ice water and lots of tissues. If you want a story that will stick with you long after the last page, then you need to read Texas Tangle.

 

Motor City Fae by Cindy Spencer Pape- A Beginning

Motor City Fae 

Cindy Spencer Pape

Carina Press

Detroit artist Meagan Kelly has had a strong sixth sense all her life, but that doesn't mean the gorgeous stranger's crazy story—that she's a half-elf, half human heiress—is true. But Meagan can't deny the evidence of her own eyes—he's Fae. A tall, blond, handsome, pointy-eared elf—and a man she just can't get enough of.

Ric Thornhill's assignment just got a lot more complicated. The more time he spends with Meagan, the harder it is to see her as a political tool to prevent an all-out war between humans and Fae.

Now Meagan's in a race to master her newly released powers in time to prevent the conflict, convince a jealous Queen not to strip Ric of his powers, and find out if she can build a life that straddles two worlds.

Book I of Urban Arcana

Take one immortal fae bard, add one artist with a half fae bloodline and throw in political intrigue from Underhill and drop them all in modern day Detroit. The elements all combine to make one fantastic reading experience.


Meagan is a woman who is on her own. She’s done all right for herself and she’s one lucky lady. She had a wonderful mom and dad and she’s got friends who really care for her. Plus her painting is finally paying for itself. You know the phrase, ‘Everything is coming up roses’? Well it takes on a whole new meaning in this story. I like the strength Meagan displays throughout the story, even while her world is being reshaped into something she doesn’t recognize. The story moves at supersonic speed, the action intense and furious at times, but then everything is covered, addressed and unveiled right where it needs to be and it kept my interest from the very first paragraph. In fact, after I was done with the story, I re-read the prologue and a little light bulb went off. It made me giggle like the strange character in her dream.

Ric is more than he seems and less than he should be. By that I refer to what he is by human standards versus his place in his own society. He acts like a noble and a rake and he’s a delight. I enjoyed his personality, his friendships and his humor. I also enjoyed his slow tumble into love with Meagan. It’s bittersweet for him because he has no idea how it could even survive. His internal conflict is his wanting to love her so bad, what would he have to give up should he admit to it? It’s sweet, romantic and never falls into maudlin drama. He’s assertive, proud and capable, and he trusts Meagan. That trust between them gets put to the test.

When Ric and Meagan do get together finally, it’s volcanic passion, enthusiastic abandon and most definitely delightful. The secondary characters are varied and each plays a role to further a reader’s insight into the main characters or further the plot. There’s even a hint or two that Elise, Meagan’s friend, and Aidan, may have a very interesting history whose ending has yet to be written. The antagonists are political adversaries and they play dirty. Just how far they’d go kept me turning the pages. The suspense and drama, the descriptions of their attitudes and beliefs made for excellent villains.

Motor City Fae grabbed me by the throat, and refused to let me put it down. I was totally enthralled by the hero and heroine, and the fast pace kept me engrossed in the story so that time flew and the ending came faster than I expected. It has a happily ever after that would satisfy any romance reader. There are many terrific moments of inside jokes, pop-culture references that I laughed at and a fantastic interaction between Meagan and Ric which proved to me that their ‘ever after’ would truly be a long and happy one.

Moira Rogers & Vivian Arend's Fall Frenzy

Win a copy of A Wolf Signs by Vivian Arend!

Robyn Maxwell doesn’t care that her brother has to cancel out on their backcountry ski trip. She can do it alone. The fact she’s deaf doesn’t make her survival skills any weaker. The chance to get away from it all and relax in the Yukon wilderness is just what she’s been craving.
Meeting wilderness guide Keil at the cabin starts cravings of another kind. Keil’s one hot hunk of ripped, tasty male. Now she has to deal with raging hormones as well as strange questions about wolves and mates and challenges to the death.
Keil was trying for a nice reflective retreat before challenging for the Alpha position of his Alaskan pack. He wasn’t planning on meeting the woman destined to be his mate, or finding out she’s not aware she has the genes of a wolf.
Between dealing with his accident-prone younger brother, a deaf mate with an attitude and an impending duel to the death, his week—and his bed—is suddenly full.
Far from the relaxing getaway any of them had in mind...
Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of Wolf Signs!


This contest is a part of Moira Rogers' & Vivian Arend's Fall Frenzy Event. For your chance to win books, gift certificates, ereaders and more, visit http://www.moirarogers.com/contests/


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The Bloodgate Guardian by Joely Sue Burkhart

The Bloodgate Guardian

Joely Sue Burkhart

Carina Press

Worlds within worlds await through the Maya Bloodgate...

Dr. Jaid Merritt doesn't do digs. The last time she ventured into the jungle, someone died. Now she's content to decipher Maya glyphs from pictures sent to her by her famous archaeologist father. But when he goes missing while trying to perform a ritual based on her translations of an ancient codex, Jaid must put aside her fears and travel to Guatemala to find him.
After misusing the Bloodgates to bring his twin brother back from the afterlife, the Maya priest known as Ruin was cursed by the gods to stand as the guardian for all time. He was unable to stop Dr. Charles Merritt from opening the gates, and now demons roam this world. The last thing he wants to do is hurt the beautiful woman who is somehow infused with his magic, but if she uses the codex to retrieve her father, Ruin must do his duty. And this time, he won't fail. Even if it kills him. Again.



Joely Sue Burkhart introduces us to all of the various demons of Mayan beliefs. With the approach of the Mayan prophesied end of the world looming, many have sought to explore this topic. But Joely Sue Burkhart’s is unusually unique as to the ultimate outcome. She writes a tale with no-nonsense dialogue that gets very descriptive as our Ruin and Jade explore the many Mayan levels of Hell.

Ruin is a Mayan priest from the beginning of the religion whose ultimate sacrifice is love. He loved his twin brother so much, he violated the rules of the Bloodgate to bring him back from death. Not, I might add, a good thing to do. Now he is cursed by the Gods to forever guard the portal. But he is drawn to this woman who comes in search for her father, the scientist who has violated the portal.

Dr. Jade Merritt is the image of the child of a famous parent: always in the shadows of her parent's fame. But she has some difficult phobias to overcome too. She is deathly afraid of the jungle, but determined to find her father, even if it means she must face her fears head on. She is a strong and intelligent woman, determined to do what she must for her father’s safe return.

The happy ever after in this one is hard won, but satisfying. This has an edge of your seat tension, and you spend much of the book holding your breath. The secondary characters are mostly demons and are unbelievably evil, but she uses her imagination to bring these beings to chilling reality. Yes, the loves scenes are few in number, but Ms. Burkhart uses her words to best advantage, with passion and touching emotions.

Do Over by Mari Carr Romance Done Perfect

Do Over

Mari Carr

Carina Press

October 4, 2010

As her twenty-fifth anniversary approaches, Faith is caught up in the onset of empty nest syndrome, seeing both of her children off to college. She isn’t unhappy, but she feels like something is changing, and she isn’t sure yet if it is a good type of change. A visit to her home town with her husband seems to be an okay idea, but she isn’t prepared for the week-end that her loving husband Troy has set up to celebrate their lives together. Faith never knew that beneath the surface, her man was what every woman dreams of, and she finds out how much more there is to her man.



Mari Carr has written a beautiful and touching love story. Actually, it is a reaffirmation of a love that touches the soul of the reader and brings an emotional reaction to each and every occasion this couple reclaim to strengthen a love that was already beautiful to behold.



Ms Carr has a talent for creating characters that are real and three-dimensional. Troy and Faith are the couple next door, the best friends you knew back in high school, and the couple you most wanted to be like. This is not some flash in the pan quickie romance, and they are people who have been down the road of rough breaks, and came out stronger for it. I loved that they aren’t perfect: Faith admits she isn’t the slim size eight she had been when they married, and Troy shows his age as well. But these are real people, with real emotions and feelings, and I loved the honesty and caring that they shared.



The surprises the Troy has planned to show Faith his deep and abiding love are such thoughtful and caring ones. You can see that these are well thought out, drawing on memories of shared events, and that makes them all the more special to see. With a man like Troy beside her, it looks like Faith will get a happily ever after that will last for both of their lifetimes.

Moira Rogers' & Vivian Arend's Fall Frenzy Event

Win a copy of A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers!
Find out how it all began...
During the bite of the Great Depression, sole female dominant Joan Fuller struggles against the rise of cruelty among her alpha counterparts. The men tolerate her interference--until she breaks from the pack and allies with a witch and a vampire. Now the Boston alpha intends to bring them all forcibly back into the fold--and teach her a lesson she may not survive.
Seamus Whelan and his werewolf bootleggers intend to retire from smuggling and savor their fortune, but first they must do a favor for an old friend: escort some female wolves to safety. An easy job, if their leader wasn't a prim ex-debutante with enough power to challenge Seamus himself. Chance makes them allies; powerful need makes them lovers.
Together, they have the opportunity to build a sanctuary for their kind, but first they must free themselves from Joan's past, and the powerful man who would see her destroyed.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of A Safe Harbor!

This contest is a part of Moira Rogers' & Vivian Arend's Fall Frenzy Event. For your chance to win books, gift certificates, ereaders and more, visit

http://www.moirarogers.com/contests/

CONTEST ENDS: October 14, 2010 11:59 PM 


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