Book Review: Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

Dark Witch
Author: Nora Roberts
Series The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy (Book 1)

Description: First in the all-new Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a trilogy about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love…

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland.

County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.

When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.

Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…

My Thoughts: As always, Nora Roberts has written a powerful and engaging romance. Iona Sheehan has sold everything she owned and come to Ireland to look for a place where she can really belong and where she can be loved. She finds her cousins Branna and Connor O'Dwyer and she find that she is the third who has been long awaited. The three of them - along with their friends Meara, Fin and Boyle - have come together to destroy the black power who has wanted their magick since the 1200s. 

Iona is quickly immersed in learning the magick and falling in love with Boyle McGrath. He is just perfect for her with his loyalty and his strong love of horses. Except, he has never fallen in love and mucks it up a bit when it finally happens for him. Iona fears that he is just settling and she wants someone who is as willing to jump in feet first and with no reservations as she is. It takes time and effort for them to work out their differences.

One of the great strengths of Roberts' books for me is the friendship thread. The three women - though Iona just arrived - quickly form a very strong friendship. The men - having grown up together - already have their friendship in place. It is deep and tested and strong.

It is easy to see the romances that will be featured in the next two books of this trilogy. Branna and Fin have a past that split them apart but the love in each of them has never gone away. Despite Branna's fears, I can't help but believe that the two will work things out. Connor and Meara should be the third couple. Connor has been the love 'em and leave 'em type though never with the intent to cause harm and Meara is an Amazon - strong and determined - and not ready to open her heart to Connor only to be loved and left herself. 

I can't wait to read the other books in this trilogy. While I know that they will defeat the dark power that threatens them through magick and the power of love and friendship, I am eager to go along on the journey. 

Favorite Quote:

"You can't just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risks. Slay the dragon—though I really think dragons get a bad rap—kiss the princess, or the frog, defeat the bad witch."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here. 

Teaser Tuesday: Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my teaser comes from Dark Witch by Nora Roberts. This is the first book in a new trilogy. Here is the description from Amazon:

First in the all-new Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a trilogy about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love…

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland.

County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.

When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.

Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…

Teaser:

"Blood is life."

Sorcha sighed. "It is, aye. It is. Thank you."

She drank the potion, and slept. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec. 9, 2013)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Luckily, my corner of the state of Minnesota dodged the snowstorm that dumped two feet (61 cm) of snow on my brother up North. All we had to deal with the rainy, foggy weather that turned to bone-chilling cold late in the week. There were some icy roads but nothing that impacted my very short commute. I got up on Sunday morning to find that we had a dusting of snow but little more.

I did some Christmas shopping on Saturday but otherwise stayed close to home. I had lots of quality reading time after work each day though Thursday evening was devoted to watching The Sound of Music.

Last Week:

I read Iris by Scott Stabile which had been sitting on my Kindle for review for quite a while. I enjoyed this science fiction romance with engaging characters. My review will be posted on Dec. 19.

I finished Grave Witch by Kalayna Price by reading my Kindle version since I wasn't making much progress in listening to the audio book on my three minute commute. I really liked the story and am glad that there are more in the series to read. My review will be posted on Dec. 19.

Also from my backlog of review books was Blood Bound by Keshia Swaim. I really liked this one too and will be eagerly awaiting more from this author. My review will be posted on Dec. 21.

Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble by Nick Bruel was a fun graphic novel that encouraged young readers to write their own books. Bruel used the story to highlight the parts of a story including plot, theme, and character. I am eager to share this one with my Bad Kitty fans at the Elementary School. My review will be posted on Jan. 1.

A Study in Ashes by Emma Jane Holloway is the concluding volume to the Baskerville Affair trilogy which is a steampunk story with great world building. My review will be posted on Dec. 21.

Currently:

I am currently reading Treecat Wars by David Weber and Jane Lindskold which has been sitting on my TBR mountain for a while. This is the third in this YA science fiction series. 

Next Week:

I am (mostly) back to review books. I just have one left for December and then will start tackling the January stack.

Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder is my last December review book. This is the third book in this fantasy series. It will be released Dec. 31.

Death at Bishop's Keep by Robin Paige is the non-review book I hope to fit in. This book was highly recommended on a mailing list I subscribe to. 

Alone by Kendra Elliot is a romantic suspense title that kicks off my January review stack. 

Defy by Sara B. Larson is also a fantasy being released in January. I got this one from a NetGalley promotion.

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill was one of my Amazon Vine picks this month. It is contemporary YA.

Reviews Last Week:

• Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh
• Kissed by a Dark Prince by Felicity Heaton
• These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner
• Nick and Tesla's High Voltage Danger Lab by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

That was my week. What was your week like?

Stacking the Shelves (Dec. 8, 2013)

Tynga of Team Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow.

This week ten books followed me home. Here they are:

I bought Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews. I had read bits and pieces of this one on their website but was waiting for the published version to read the whole story. 

The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Burokers was free for the Kindle and was recommended on a mail list I subscribe to. It sounded interesting and was highly recommended.

Skating Under the Wire by Joelle Charbonneau completes my collection of the Rebecca Robins mysteries. 

Kicking It is a new anthology with stories by some of my favorite authors of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Maphead by Ken Jennings was a Kindle Daily Deal this week. As a geography major in college, I do have a fascination with maps and I remember when Ken Jennings did so well on Jeopardy. Both were enough to have me adding this one to my Kindle. 

I am still collecting all of the Fool's Gold novels by Susan Mallery. Finding Perfect, Almost Perfect, and Chasing Perfect arrived this week. I also got an empty envelope that was supposed to contain books 7-9 which are apparently now on the floor of some mail processing center between the shipper's address and mine. They are the only ones I still need to get before I have the complete set.

I had to break down and get A Fool's Gold Christmas and Three Little Words from Amazon this week to complete my set. No one at Paperback Books Swap was offering those titles.

That is what I got. What did you add to your stack?

Book Review: Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Legion
Author: Nalini Singh
Publication: Jove (October 29, 2013)

Description: Nalini Singh, the New York Times bestselling “alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) returns to an immortal world of violent passion and lethal power…on the brink of a deadly archangelic war.

Angels are falling from the sky in New York, struck down by a vicious, unknown force.

Vampires are dying impossibly of disease.

Guild hunter Elena Deveraux and the Archangel Raphael must discover the source of the wave of death before it engulfs their city and their people, leaving New York a ruin and Raphael’s Tower under siege by enemy archangels.

Yet even as they fight desperately to save the city, an even darker force is stirring, its chill eyes trained on New York…and on Raphael. Rivers of crimson and nightmares given flesh, the world will never again be the same…

My Thoughts: It is the time of a Cascade. Archangels are gaining new powers. Lijuan has decided that it is time for her to unleash her undead armies on Raphael's New York. So war breaks out between Lijuan who has the power of death and Raphael who is gaining new powers of life.

The war starts with an attack that sends angels falling out of the sky leaving half on New York's forces injured and unable to fight. Then a disease is found to be killing vampires. Signs point to Lijuan but other archangels could be responsible too. Raphael and Elena need to find allies in the coming fight.

On the smaller, more personal side, Elena learns more about her father's past and perhaps some of the reasons that he rejected her so thoroughly after the death of her mother and older sisters. It looks like the past is repeating itself as he tries to keep Elena's young half-sister Eve from becoming the Hunter she was born to be. I like the relationship between Elena and her young sister. I also liked watching Elena grow into her role as Raphael's Consort.

I very much liked the relationship between Elena and Raphael. They are so well-matched. Elena is the only one who can stand up to Raphael and keep him from becoming the soulless monster that archangels sometimes become as they lose touch with the human lives under their commands. Elena's humanity is just what Raphael needs. 

This was a very fierce story to read. Watching the forces build up for battle and then fight for survival was filled with many tense moments and some very human ones too. I liked the human bits as Elena spends time with Sara and her infant daughter, helps a vampire who is starting a business keep her business going when trouble comes, and takes a sick human child flying. I also like her relationship with Raphael's cadre and with the other angels in the tower. 

This was a great addition to a compelling urban fantasy series. 

Favorite Quote:

Regardless of all, she was angry at Raphael for being so much an archangel. That, too, was in no way logical or rational, simply a sign that she'd lost sight of the truth of him because he'd become someone else to her. It was a bone-jarring shock to be so bluntly reminded that the man who was her lover was that man only for her. To the rest of the world he was—must be—the lethal, dangerous, and sometimes cruel archangel of New York.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This week Nalini Singh's Archangel's Legion is at the top of my reading stack. This is the sixth in her Guild Hunter series of urban fantasy/paranormal fiction. Here is the description from Amazon:

Nalini Singh, the New York Times bestselling “alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) returns to an immortal world of violent passion and lethal power…on the brink of a deadly archangelic war.

Angels are falling from the sky in New York, struck down by a vicious, unknown force.

Vampires are dying impossibly of disease.

Guild hunter Elena Deveraux and the Archangel Raphael must discover the source of the wave of death before it engulfs their city and their people, leaving New York a ruin and Raphael’s Tower under siege by enemy archangels.

Yet even as they fight desperately to save the city, an even darker force is stirring, its chill eyes trained on New York…and on Raphael. Rivers of crimson and nightmares given flesh, the world will never again be the same…

Beginning:

Elena watched the ducks peck at each other in the pond in Central Park and thought about the last time she'd been here.

Friday 56:

"Either you've forgotten your prior engagement," Raphael said as she rapidly re-braided her hair, "or you're attempting to avoid it."

ARC Review: Kissed by a Dark Prince by Felicity Heaton

Kissed by a Dark Prince
Author: Felicity Heaton
Publication: Felicity Heaton (November 30, 2013)

Description: Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 1)

Olivia thinks it's her lucky night when a dangerously handsome unconscious fae ends up on her inspection table. He's her chance to redeem herself with her employer, the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel. But when the tall, dark and deadly immortal warrior awakes, she gets much more than she bargained for...

Attacked by his enemy in the elf kingdom, the last thing Prince Loren expects when he comes around is a beautiful angel watching over him and medical technology of the mortal realm. Hazy from his injuries, all he can focus on is the pulse ticking in her throat and the sweet allure of her blood.

One single bite reveals she is his eternal mate, triggering a bond between them that will leave him weakened until it is completed... or broken, and pulling Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud.

To protect his people and his mate from the machinations of a madman, Loren must risk everything by working with Olivia at Archangel to find a way to break the bond blossoming between them.

But will Loren be strong enough to place duty before desire and give up the one thing he has waited millennia for and craves above all others--his eternal mate? And will Olivia be able to resist the incredible heat that burns between them and the temptation of her dark prince's kiss?

My Thoughts: KISSED BY A DARK PRINCE was a nice paranormal. It wasn't extraordinary in any way and could have used a bit more editing to remove some of the needless repetition but it was an okay read for someone who likes their paranormals trending to the erotic end of the spectrum.

Olivia is a human doctor working for an organization that studies paranormals. One day Loren wakes up on her examination table and, being weak from injuries and blood loss, bites her to replenish his blood supply. He immediately learns that she is his fated mate. Elves like Loren are only granted one but neither of them is happy with this discovery. Loren has watched his brother find his fated mate, go crazy, and declare war on Loren and his kingdom. Olivia has had her heart broken by a previous demon lover and is determined to stay away from all paranormals.

Both try to deny the bond but Loren's graphic erotic dreams indicate that ignoring the issue won't make it go away. He also knows that, once his brother finds out he has a mate, Olivia will become a target in the war between them. Olivia wants to study the bond to see if she can find some scientific reason for it and perhaps find a way to break it. Neither of their approaches work.

In what seemed like an abrupt turnaround, Olivia decides that she wants to complete the bond. She decides that she has fallen in love with Loren. Despite his reservations, Loren agrees to complete their bond. At least, now they are together to fight Loren's brother and his fated mate.

I liked the world that Heaton created and I liked the friendships between Olivia and her hunter friend Sable. I also liked Loren's friendship with his second-in-command Bleu. The ending of this book nicely sets up sequels as we are left wondering about the fate of Loren's brother and about Sable's romantic future.

Favorite Quote:

He shook his head. "I will not force it upon you...but I will not let you go easily. I cannot, Olivia. I will fight to make you see that we were meant for each other. We were born to be together. I will fight until I hold your heart in my hands, and I can only hope you will be gentle with the heart you now hold in yours."

I got this eARC from Felicity Heaton's publicist for review. You can buy your copy here.