Book Review: Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews

Sweep of the Heart
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles (Book 6)
Publication: NYLA (December 13, 2022)

Description: From the New York Times #1 bestselling author, Ilona Andrews, comes a fun and action-packed new adventure in the Innkeeper Chronicles! We invite you to relax, enjoy yourself, and above all, remember the one rule all visitors must obey: the humans must never know.

Life is busier than ever for Innkeeper, Dina DeMille and Sean Evans. But it’s about to get even more chaotic when Sean's werewolf mentor is kidnapped. To find him, they must host an intergalactic spouse-search for one of the most powerful rulers in the Galaxy. Dina is never one to back down from a challenge. That is, if she can manage her temperamental Red Cleaver chef; the consequences of her favorite Galactic ex-tyrant's dark history; the tangled politics of an interstellar nation, and oh, yes, keep the wedding candidates from a dozen alien species from killing each other. Not to mention the Costco lady.

They say love is a battlefield; but Dina and Sean are determined to limit the casualties!

My Thoughts: When Sean's werewolf mentor is kidnapped, Sean and Dina are determined to go after him. But before they can, they need to host a spouse search at their Inn for Kosandion who is one of the most powerful rulers in the galaxy and who also happens to be Caldenia's nephew, the son of the brother she murdered.

The candidates come from a dozen different galactic civilizations many of whom are enemies of at least some of the others. With vampires, sentient fish, philosophizing chickens, and murderous trees, Dina and Sean will have their hands full hosting this gathering. And not only is the galaxy watching, so is the organization of innkeepers. Failing to keep Kosandian, and all the other guests, alive could mean that Dina and Sean will lose their inn.

There are a variety of events to weed out the candidates including debates and talent shows and scheduled "dates." Oh, there is also at least one assassin in the mix who is targeting Kosandian and some of the spousal candidates also wouldn't mind seeing him dead.

I love the worldbuilding in this story. It was also nice to see some characters from earlier books in the series making appearances in this one too. 

Favorite Quote:

"We haven't done anything dumb or dangerous for almost six months." Sean pushed away from the wall on which he was leaning, walked over, and kissed me. "Let's do this."

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

Book Review: Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs

Wild Sign
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha and Omega (Book 6)
Publication: Ace (March 16, 2021)

Description: Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham must discover what could make an entire community disappear--before it's too late--in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Alpha and Omega series.

In the wilds of the Northern California mountains, all the inhabitants of a small town have gone missing. It's as if the people picked up and left their possessions behind. With a mystery on their hands and no jurisdiction on private property, the FBI dumps the whole problem in the lap of the land owner, Aspen Creek, Inc.--aka the business organization of the Marrok's pack.

Somehow, the pack of the Wolf Who Rules is connected to a group of vanished people. Werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham are tasked with investigating, and soon find that a deserted town is the least of the challenges they face.

Death sings in the forest, and when it calls, Charles and Anna must answer. Something has awakened in the heart of the California mountains, something old and dangerous--and it has met werewolves before.

My Thoughts: This episode of the Alpha and Omega series has Charles and Anna along with Colin Taggart traveling to the mountains of California because some people who had been squatting on land owned by the Pack have disappeared. This story finally tells us more about Bran's mate Leah who has been a side character in a number of the stories in this series and in the Mercy Thompson series too. 

It has always been sort of a mystery how Bran came to mate Leah and bring her back home to the Pack. Charles's mother died giving birth to him which put a barrier between Bran and Charles since Blue Jay Woman was Bran's mate and the love of his life. Since Charles was so young, he doesn't know Leah's story. Neither she nor Bran have ever discussed it though everyone can see that the mating wasn't a love match. 

The FBI comes to Anna and Charles and asks for their help since the disappearance of the town has come to their attention. They want to propose some sort of alliance with the werewolves - but not an official one. They are hoping that sharing the information they have about the town will ease relations.

Bran isn't interested in an alliance but he does want to know what happened in the Wild Sign settlement. He sends Charles who is his enforcer and who is a werewolf who uses Native American magic along with Anna who is an Omega wolf and Tag who is in danger of going berserker and who is somewhat resistant to magic. 

They travel to the town meeting some Sasquatches along the way and discover an empty town. Evidence suggests that the inhabitants were mostly white witches who were hiding from black witches. But there is something else magical going on. Apparently the people had made some sort of bargain with, in Anna's words, a "creepy primordial god." 

That primordial god is still looking for people that he can turn into walkers to recruit people to his service and he uses music to attract his victims. Anna is especially musical herself having been in college for music when she was first turned into a werewolf. Charles is also quite musical. Their playing and singing in the settlement attracted the god known as the Singer in the Woods to Anna.

It was creepy that the Singer in the Woods could attract with music and could also remove memories or bring long-buried memories to the forefront of a person's mind. Anna relives a time when she was captive and hunted in the Chicago Pack that Charles rescued her from and she also goes back to age seventeen before any of the werewolf stuff had ever happened to her. Both episodes caused both Anna and Charles a lot of pain since Anna forgot about her mate bond with Charles.

The part of the story involving the black witches and the "assisted living facility" where one of Charles's old enemies was now being held and tortured was interesting and also creepy especially since some of the witches were Hardesty witches. Members of that family have had roles in other books in the series.

This was an intriguing story that kept me reading late into the night. I'm sure I'll be rereading it often. It also had me visiting YouTube to hear some of the musical selections that were mentioned in the story. 

Favorite Quote:

But the song Leah had hummed lingered in Anna's ears, along with a nagging sense of unease because of the unfinished story. It felt important. There had been five years between the day someone had happened upon Leah's starving family and when Bran and someone else had rescued her.

Rescued her from what?

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

ARC Review: A Town Called Vengeance by Kevin Wolf

A Town Called Vengeance
Author: Kevin Wolf
Series: Brokeheart
Publication: North Star Editions (May 1, 2018)

Description: Faded words on yellowed newsprint tell stories of an Apache war party led by a she-wolf. For the frontier newspaperman, Kepler, the accounts beckon him to finish the battles he fought in the Colorado mountains. Kepler’s quest brings stagecoach attacks, waterless days in the Arizona desert and an unholy alliance with a creature of darkness. In a barroom in a town called Vengeance Kepler faces down the gunman that even Doc Holiday feared. Renegades and gunrunners stand in his way. And his sacrifice may cost the woman he loves. Will his crusade for justice turn to a fight for revenge? In a battle fought with silver bullets and fire, will Kepler’s courage be enough?

My Thoughts: This is the second book in a series that began with BROKEHEART. In this story, Kepler has come with June to Vengeance, Arizona Territory, following rumors of a pack of werewolves. He wants revenge on Landry, the female leader of the pack, because of events that happened in BROKEHEART. Kepler is a gifted newspaperman. He finds that, in addition to the werewolf threat, the town is also being threatened by roving Apache warbands.

When he humiliates an outlaw named Little Jed, Little Jed retaliates by firing a shotgun through Kepler's bedroom window almost killing him and June but Little Jed is in turn killed by a wolf who just happens to be Landry, the wolf Kepler is after. Little Jed's death puts his father Jedidiah Bethea on Kepler's path bent on revenge.

Kepler decides to take June and head for Tombstone with a Pinkerton agent named Orville Powers who is taking a number of women with him. What he doesn't expect is for all of his enemies to band together and set Kepler up for a chase across the Arizona desert to rescue June.

I enjoyed this blending of the tradition Western with werewolves. What confused me a little was Landry's relationship with Kepler. He clearly wanted her dead but she helps him over and over again through the course of this book. I enjoyed Kepler but wished I knew a little more about his backstory. I guess BROKEHEART will have to go on my reading list.

Favorite Quote:

Night and dark fell away, and I saw her plainly. Landry gathered her skirts, knelt, and grazed the bloodstained dirt with her fingers. Her purple-tinged eyes found me, and she touched a fingertip to her tongue.

"Kepler." My name floated on the moonlight, and like the wisp of smoke that carried Little Jed's killer away, she was gone.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

Burn Bright
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha and Omega (Book 5)
Publication: Ace (March 6, 2018)

Description: In her bestselling Alpha and Omega series, Patricia Briggs "spins tales of werewolves, coyote shifters, and magic and, my, does she do it well" (USATODAY.com). Now mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham face a threat like no other--one that lurks too close to home...

They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok's pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf--but can't stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills--his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker--to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn...

My Thoughts: With Bran out of the country, Charles is in charge of his pack temporarily. It's not a position he has ever wanted. He doesn't get along with Bran's wife who delights in causing trouble. Anna has been deflecting her to make things smoother for Charles.

When a distress call comes in from the fae mate of one of the wilding wolves who live in isolation within the pack, Charles and Anna discover an old enemy and a traitor within the pack. Anna uses her skill as an omega wolf to free one of the wildings from a curse that has had a grip on him for over 90 years which was one of the most interesting parts of this story. I liked the imagery of this section of the story which has Anna caught in a sort of dreamworld with fairy tale images. She needs Charles's magic to help her free Wellesley's wolf from a thorn hedge. When she calls for him he is in the middle of a fight with a group of the other wildlings.

This story was interesting and moved the overall story arc along by identifying a mysterious villain who had caused problems before. But not much else happens in the book. I wouldn't recommend starting the series here but those who have read the series won't want to miss this episode.

Favorite Quote:

If she had never become the victim of the Chicago pack's desperation, who would she be?

Would she have found someone else? A boy her age? Sweet and strong, full of hope -- unfouled by centuries of killing? Could she have made a home with some other man? Had a dog, a couple of cats, and 2.3 children?

The only thing that he knew for sure was that Anna wouldn't have been crying over a pair of dead werewolves, one of whom she'd tried to save and the other whom she had killed herself.

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

Friday Memes: Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

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.

Beginning:

This was bad. This was so very bad.

Quite an ominous beginning.

Friday 56: 

There was an instant of blazing pain so big it had a sound that vibrated his bones, followed by silence.

This week I am featuring Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs. I enjoy this author's urban fantasy novels and this is book 5 in the series. Here is the description from Amazon:

In her bestselling Alpha and Omega series, Patricia Briggs "spins tales of werewolves, coyote shifters, and magic and, my, does she do it well" (USATODAY.com). Now mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham face a threat like no other--one that lurks too close to home...

They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok's pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf--but can't stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills--his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker--to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn...

ARC Review: Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima

Autumn Moon
Author: Jan DeLima
Series: A Celtic Wolves Novel
Publication: Ace (September 29, 2015)

Description: The author of Summer Moon returns to her “great werewolf world,”* where war looms and love may be the key to saving all of shifter kind…

For centuries, Cormack has lived between worlds—a man trapped in the body of a wolf, shunned by humans and shifters alike. Only one person has ever welcomed his company: Elen, a kindred outcast who is feared by others of her ancient Celtic race for her strange healing abilities. Cormack has always valued Elen’s kindness and understanding, but after a desperate act of friendship causes Elen to free him from his curse, he realizes he wants more. He wants all of her—completely and forever.

Except before Cormack can win Elen’s heart, Pendaran, the evil leader of the Guardians, captures her, determined to manipulate her incredible power to aid him in his twisted war against the shapeshifting tribes. Now Cormack must use all of his skills as a warrior and a wolf to save the woman he loves—before Pendaran’s vile schemes destroy them all…

My Thoughts: This was an entertaining romantic fantasy which is the third book in a series. I do not recommend beginning with this story because there are only references to events that happened earlier in the series and I found them more confusing than helpful. Living among us but hidden from us are immortal being from Welsh mythology. They are fighting a war between those who are pure-blooded and can shift between their human and wolf identities and those who intermarried with humans who are not all able to shift. Some are born able to shift, others are born human and can't shift, and still others are born as wolves with human minds.

This story centers around Elen who was born human but who has substantial and unique magical powers which have made her very attractive to the leaders of the Guardians - the pure bloods. Pendaran who leads the Council of Guardians wants to control Elen and use her powers. Cormack is her romantic partner. Apparently he was one of those who was born wolf and couldn't shift to human until Elen did something to him in one of the earlier books. Cormack has lived with Elen as a wolf for three hundred years and loved her all that time. Now he has to learn to deal with a human body and has to learn if Elen can also love the man as she had loved the wolf.

I liked the relationship between Cormack and Elen. I thought their scenes together, at least once they cleared up their misunderstandings, were very romantic. I thought the book had lots of adventure too as Elen has to deal with betrayal and imprisonment. I liked that Cormack never gave up on finding her after she was taken by Pendaran.

This was an interesting story with wonderful world building. I would recommend reading the first two books in the series before reading this one though.

Favorite Quote:

"Do you really have to ask, Elen?"

"Yes." She nodded as blood pounded against her temples. "Yes, I do."

"You hold my heart in your hands, and even if you don't want it, it won't matter because I am lost either way. I am yours. Do with me what you will."

I got this eARC for review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Steals the Show
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Series: Kitty Norville (Book 10)
Publication: Tor Books; Original edition (July 31, 2012)

Description: Kitty has been tapped as the keynote speaker for the First International Conference on Paranatural Studies, taking place in London. The conference brings together scientists, activists, protestors, and supernatural beings from all over the world--and Kitty, Ben, and Cormac are right in the middle of it.

Master vampires from dozens of cities have also gathered in London for a conference of their own. With the help of the Master of London, Kitty gets more of a glimpse into the Long Game--a power struggle among vampires that has been going on for centuries--than she ever has before. In her search for answers, Kitty has the help of some old allies, and meets some new ones, such as Caleb, the alpha werewolf of the British Isles. The conference has also attracted some old enemies, who've set their sights on her and her friends.

All the world's a stage, and Kitty's just stepped into the spotlight.

My Thoughts: Kitty has been invited to London to give the keynote speech at a conference about paranormals. She is excited to learn and excited to line up interviews for her radio show. But no conference can go smoothly when protesters both favoring and hating paranormals are a constant presence. Also Roman is still agitating in the background in his quest for war.

Kitty, Ben and Cormac have been invited to stay with the master vampire of the city. Ned was a famous Shakespearean actor and knew Shakespeare and other literary lights of the day. Kitty is awed and fascinated by him. But as a vampire, Ben and Cormac don't trust him. Ned arranges for Kitty to meet other vampires who have gathered out of concern for the conference where Kitty sees things a modern American werewolf has trouble handling.

Kitty also meets the werewolf who is the alpha of the British werewolves. And Kitty meets faeries. Kitty is gathering allies for the upcoming war and foments rebellion among the werewolves who are held as property by some of the vampires. She is also trying to find out which vampires are allied with Roman.

When her friend Tyler is kidnapped, Kitty calls on all her allies to help find him including the werewolf alpha, the vampire Ned, and her new human contact who is a descendent of Amelia, the spirit who is sharing headspace with her friend Cormac.

This was an exciting and entertaining addition to the long running Kitty Norville series. I liked the way Kitty firmed up her belief that communication can solve many problems and that conspiracies exposed to the light lose some of their power.

Favorite Quote:

"The screaming hordes of teenage girls we've all seen in the concert footage."

"The Beatles started an epidemic of that sort of thing," Martin said with obvious awe. "Almost had to be supernatural, don't you think?"

I rather thought it may have had something to do with the widespread availability of  television ushering in an era of hyped-up pop culture and mass consumerism. But I was willing to humor him.

I bought this book on July 31, 2012. You can buy your copy here.

Teaser Tuesday: Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. 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!

Teaser:

However, she knew when to push and when to negotiate. "Fine, but whoever stays with me must do so by choice—and not by your order."

When he went to argue she held up her hand. 

This week my teaser comes from Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima. I got this eARC for review from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:

The author of Summer Moon returns to her “great werewolf world,”* where war looms and love may be the key to saving all of shifter kind…

For centuries, Cormack has lived between worlds—a man trapped in the body of a wolf, shunned by humans and shifters alike. Only one person has ever welcomed his company: Elen, a kindred outcast who is feared by others of her ancient Celtic race for her strange healing abilities. Cormack has always valued Elen’s kindness and understanding, but after a desperate act of friendship causes Elen to free him from his curse, he realizes he wants more. He wants all of her—completely and forever.

Except before Cormack can win Elen’s heart, Pendaran, the evil leader of the Guardians, captures her, determined to manipulate her incredible power to aid him in his twisted war against the shapeshifting tribes. Now Cormack must use all of his skills as a warrior and a wolf to save the woman he loves—before Pendaran’s vile schemes destroy them all…

Book Review: Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Full Blooded

Author: Amanda Carlson

Publication: Orbit; 1 edition (September 11, 2012)

Description: It's not easy being a girl. It's even harder when you're the only girl in a family of werewolves. But it's next to impossible when your very existence spells out the doom of your race... Meet Jessica McClain -- she just became part of the pack.

In the vein of Kelley Armstrong and Patricia Briggs, a new urban fantasy that rewrites the werewolf myth...

My Thoughts: FULL BLOODED was an entertaining debut urban fantasy novel. It was action-packed and fast-paced. I did think that some of the dialog seemed stilted and the author was guilty of being and the tell side of show or tell. 

Jessica McClain begins the story by shifting into a werewolf for the first time at age 27—long after the usual age. Jessica has left the Pack where her father is Alpha and made a life for herself in the human world. She was a police officer for a while but is currently a detective with her partner who is a werefox. She has a human enemy from her time as a police officer. Detective Ray Hart is certain that she is guilty of something and has been harassing her since she left the police.

Once she shifts, she finds that she has even more enemies. She is the only female werewolf in the world. Many wolves are certain that her birth is a sign of disaster for the Pack. She has also drawn the attention of much of the rest of the supernatural world because of her rarity.

The shear number of changes Jessica experiences in this story would rock any character's world but she seems to take each change in stride. She has to deal with becoming a full blooded werewolf, being able to half shift into a Lycan form which had been thought to be only a legend, finding her true mate when very few wolves ever manage that, and finding that her mate isn't another werewolf. Throw in coming to terms and learning to control her wolf and being thrown into the middle of a werewolf war then being kidnapped by a sorceress for a vampire and you have lots of action in this story.

This is a story that ends on a cliffhanger. I know I'll be adding HOT BLOODED to my reading stack to find out what happens next for Jessica.

Favorite Quote:

I slumped back in my seat, thinking about everything that had happened tonight. My brain still whirled and I wanted to put everything to rest. Blocking your Alpha was impossible. It was clear evidence that something was wrong—I was officially a problem my father couldn't control. If that information got out, the Pack would never accept me. The Alpha was in place for a reason; he was at  the top to control all others. If I didn't fit into the hierarchy, they would take me down. Wolves needed structure and hated change. They feared the unknown and hated anything they couldn't explain.

I was the epitome of those things wrapped into one.

I was so screwed.

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

Friday Memes: Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson

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 I dug into my TBR mountain and pulled out Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson. I added it to my stack on Sept. 18, 2012. I chose it because I like books about werewolves and it is supposed to be like books by Kelley Armstrong and Patricia Briggs who happen to rank high among my favorite authors. Here is the description:

t's not easy being a girl. It's even harder when you're the only girl in a family of werewolves. But it's next to impossible when your very existence spells out the doom of your race... Meet Jessica McClain -- she just became part of the pack.

In the vein of Kelley Armstrong and Patricia Briggs, a new urban fantasy that rewrites the werewolf myth...

Beginning:

I drew in a ragged breath and tried hard to surface from one hell of a nightmare.

Friday 56:

He wasn't buying any of it, but I didn't have much choice. Telling the truth was not an option and I had no other alibi at this point.

Book Review: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Frost Burned

Author: Patricia Briggs

Publication: Ace Hardcover; First Edition edition (March 5, 2013)

Description: Mercy Thompson returns in the seventh novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman—the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack—has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more…

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They’ve all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.

My Thoughts: This seventh story about Mercy Thompson, coyote shifter, is filled will the action, adventure, and excitement that is a trademark of this series. Mercy and her step-daughter Jesse are out catching the early Black Friday deals when someone manages to capture Adam and the rest of the pack. Mercy doesn't know about it until a car accident that causes her to call home for a ride doesn't get answered. Nor can she contact anyone else from the Pack.

Ben is the only werewolf from the Pack that manages to get away, though he was shot with the silver solution invented by a villain in one of the earlier books in the series, and is in bad shape. Together they contact Jesse's boyfriend Gabriel and make their way to Mercy's shop. Mercy's mate bond lets her know that Adam is still alive but that he and the rest of the Pack have all been poisoned with silver and are in great danger. 

After attempting and failing to contact Samuel, Mercy stashes Jesse and Gabriel with Gabriel's estranged family and then sets about checking on the few pack members who were not captured. One of the first she checks on is Kyle who is the human mate of third in command Warren. She learns that he is being held captive by the some members of the same group who got the Pack in the hopes of luring her in to try for a rescue.

Mercy is quite short of allies with Samuel away and with Zee back on the hidden reservations of the Fae. She contacts her vampire friend Stefan, and after managing to call Zee and get some hints, Zee's son Tad.  And Bran has sent Asil, also known as the Moor, the assist. All werewolves are scary but old werewolves who have gotten the taste for killing are the scariest. Asil is a very old werewolf. All of her allies are scary dudes and Mercy is just the one to lead them. 

This story has Mercy developing new talents that even scare her and doing all sorts of risky things because they are the right thing to do. It includes conflicts with government agents, rogue government agents, mercenaries, and vampires with agendas.

Fans of the series won't want to miss this strong series entry. 

Favorite Quote:

"'Obstreperous,' huh," said Tad. "I see you've been using that Big Word of the Day calendar I got you last Christmas."

"That is irrefragable," I told him solemnly.

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

Teaser Tuesday: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

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 a book that I have been anticipating. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs is the seventh book in the Mercy Thompson series. I love these urban fantasies! Here is the description:

Mercy Thompson returns in the seventh novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman—the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack—has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more…

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They've all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.

Teaser:

"Did you find out if they found out anything about them?" I asked.

Kyle gave me a look, then busied himself making me a peanut butter and huckleberry jelly sandwich. "What really bothers me is that I understood that question. You will eat this and go to sleep, so your pronouns get their antecedents back."

Book Review: Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks

Mortal Ties

Author: Eileen Wilks

Publication: Berkley; Original edition (October 2, 2012)

Description: “Eileen Wilks is a truly gifted writer,” (Romance Junkies) and her Novels of the Lupi have drawn readers into a seductive world of action, suspense, and passion. Now, FBI agent Lily Yu tracks a traitor into the darkest shadows yet…

FBI agent Lily Yu is living at Nokolai Clanhome with her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, when an intruder penetrates their territory, stealing the prototpye of a magical device the clan hopes will be worth a fortune--if a few bugs can be worked out . . .

But the protoytpe can be dangerously erratic, discharging a bizarre form of mind magic—and it looks like the thief wants it for that very side effect. Worse, whoever stole the device didn’t learn about it by accident. There’s a Nokolai traitor in their midst.

Lily and Rule have to find the traitor, the thief, and the prototype. One job proves easy when the thief calls them--and his identity rocks Rule’s world. 

As they race to recover their missing property, they find Robert Friar’s sticky footprints all over the place. Robert Friar--killer, madman, and acolyte of the Old One the lupi are at war with--an Old One whose power is almost as vast as her ambition to rock the entire world . . .

My Thoughts: This was another action-packed entry into the Lupi series beginning shortly after the events of DEATH MAGIC. Lily learns more about her mate Rule. Rule learns more about himself and his family. And they have to battle Robert Friar again. What makes this series so entertaining for me is the quality world-building and the strong characters. While Lily and Rule are my favorites, I also adore Cullen, Cynna, and Grandmother. 

This episode concerns the theft of a device that Cullen is inventing which has some bugs. It causes normal, ungifted human beings to see very vivid hallucinations. However, that doesn't explain why Robert Friar and a couple of rival groups of elves want it.

I like that Lily and Rule are both adults and both know that they have to work at their relationship even though they have this spiritual bond given to them by the Lady who is the goddess of the Lupi. Watching them negotiate and compromise for each other adds depth to the story.

Rule also comes to terms with his dual role as Lu Nuncio to Nikolai and Rho to Leidolf. He has been balancing these two conflicting roles for a couple of books but in this one he has to make and accept some choices. It doesn't help that he has to do this while dealing with the emotional upset of learning that he has a human half-brother who happens to be the thief who stole Cullen's magical widget. 

Lily is also still dealing with the ghost of Al Drummond - an FBI agent that went bad, was killed, and now is somehow linked to her. She doesn't know if she can trust him or if he is still playing for the wrong team. I liked that we had multiple viewpoints in this book and that Drummond's was one of them. 

The preview to the next book in the back of this one has me very eager to find out what happens next for these characters. I think readers of urban fantasy will very much enjoy this series. But, don't start with this one, pick up TEMPTING DANGER and join the fun at the beginning.

Favorite Quote:

"I would very much like to handle the questioning. Thank you." Not that he was doing it to please her. No, he had something else in mind, and maybe she'd guessed what that was. One of his goals, anyway. Isen wasn't a two birds with one stone kind of guy. More like one stone, two birds, a rabbit, a fox, and maybe that deer will trip over the fox and we can get him, too. 

I am a big fan of this series and bought this book. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks

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 I am spotlighting a book from my TBR mountain - Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks. This one has only been on the mountain since Oct. 2, 2012 but it was one of my most anticipated books of the year. It is the ninth book in the World of the Lupi series.

Here is the description:

“Eileen Wilks is a truly gifted writer,” (Romance Junkies) and her Novels of the Lupi have drawn readers into a seductive world of action, suspense, and passion. Now, FBI agent Lily Yu tracks a traitor into the darkest shadows yet… 

FBI agent Lily Yu is living at Nokolai Clanhome with her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, when an intruder penetrates their territory, stealing the prototpye of a magical device the clan hopes will be worth a fortune--if a few bugs can be worked out . . . 

But the protoytpe can be dangerously erratic, discharging a bizarre form of mind magic—and it looks like the thief wants it for that very side effect. Worse, whoever stole the device didn’t learn about it by accident. There’s a Nokolai traitor in their midst. 

Lily and Rule have to find the traitor, the thief, and the prototype. One job proves easy when the thief calls them--and his identity rocks Rule’s world.  

As they race to recover their missing property, they find Robert Friar’s sticky footprints all over the place. Robert Friar--killer, madman, and acolyte of the Old One the lupi are at war with--an Old One whose power is almost as vast as her ambition to rock the entire world . . .

Beginning:

Lily Yu hadn't planned to visit the graveyard at sunset. It just worked out that way.

Friday 56:

Either David had caught on or he was truly appalled. "You want me to physically restrain a Chosen? Rule's Chosen?"

"She's not going to shoot you," Cullen called back. "I don't care what she says, she won't shoot."

That made Lily grin as she picked her way down the path. "I don't threaten what I won't do."

ARC Review: Kept by Shawntelle Madison

Kept

Author: Shawntelle Madison

Publication: Ballantine Books (November 27, 2012)

Description: A funny and sexy new paranormal romance, perfect for fans of Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs, Kept features the charmingly quirky werewolf, Natalya Stravinsky, as she navigates the minefields of love and war in the Garden State.

 
Fresh from defending her pack in battle, Natalya Stravinsky, a whip-smart werewolf with a lovable neurotic streak, wants a little rest and relaxation. Once an outcast, she's now eager to rejoin the ranks of her New Jersey pack, and has even gotten a handle on her obsessive urge to hoard holiday ornaments. Yet Nat barely has time to revel in her progress before the next crisis comes howling at her door.
 
Nat's father has suddenly gone missing, captured by the Russian werewolf mafia. And as Nat steps up to save her dad from a mob boss's deadly game, two men step in to play another round for her heart: her gorgeous alpha ex-boyfriend, Thorn, and her new flame, the sweetly sensitive wizard Nick. With her life growing more harried by the minute, Nat must stay cool, calm, and collected . . . or else risk losing everything.  

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this quirky story. Our heroine Natalya is coping with her OCD, pining for Thorn who is her former boyfriend and now planning for an arranged marriage with Erica, and confused about her relationship with white wizard Nick. When her father doesn't return home after doing some sort of job for an old colleague in Atlantic City, Nat, her brother Alex, and Thorn go there to find out where he is.

Nat learns that her father had incurred a blood debt that was finally called in. The first part of the story is about Nat assuming the responsibility for the debt and heading off to Maine with a truck she can't drive and an unknown cargo. She battles some supernaturals along the way and calls her friend Nick to help her out. Nick comes along with two other friends from their therapy sessions - a mermaid who is afraid of returning to the ocean and a Muse who can only be seen by supernaturals and the authors she inspires. Nat has to show that her OCD doesn't handicap her when she needs to do something for her family. This part of the story involves battles and contact with fairies who are ruthless and bloodthirsty.

The second part of the story is about Nat preparing for the trials that would allow her to re-enter the werewolf pack. But training for them is difficult if you are busy solving your father's problems. And they are difficult if you have to deal with your former boyfriend's jealous fiance.

I liked the cast of quirky characters and the confusion that Nat feels when she thinks about the two men in her life. As her wise grandmother tells her, one is her heart and the other is her soul. She has to figure out which is which.

This story was a nice read for fans of paranormal romances. The characters were likable and well-rounded. The fact that the main character has a mental illness added to the story. I really liked the variety of supernaturals that the author included. And I liked the strong family dynamics in Natalya's close knit Russian family.

Favorite Quote:

My damn knees buckled when Nick tried to deepen the kiss.

No romantic moment for me tonight. His lips ended up making out with my nose and I got a mouthful of his chin.

Yep, it was a awkward as it sounds.

I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Teaser Tuesday: Kept by Shawntelle Madison

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 Kept by Shawntelle Madison. I got this urban fantasy featuring werewolves from NetGalley. It is the sequel to Coveted and is being released today.
Here is the description:

A funny and sexy new paranormal romance, perfect for fans of Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs, Kept features the charmingly quirky werewolf, Natalya Stravinsky, as she navigates the minefields of love and war in the Garden State.

 Fresh from defending her pack in battle, Natalya Stravinsky, a whip-smart werewolf with a lovable neurotic streak, wants a little rest and relaxation. Once an outcast, she's now eager to rejoin the ranks of her New Jersey pack, and has even gotten a handle on her obsessive urge to hoard holiday ornaments. Yet Nat barely has time to revel in her progress before the next crisis comes howling at her door.

 Nat's father has suddenly gone missing, captured by the Russian werewolf mafia. And as Nat steps up to save her dad from a mob boss's deadly game, two men step in to play another round for her heart: her gorgeous alpha ex-boyfriend, Thorn, and her new flame, the sweetly sensitive wizard Nick. With her life growing more harried by the minute, Nat must stay cool, calm, and collected . . . or else risk losing everything.  

Teaser:

But beyond the kitchen lay the living room. And, with it, my shame. Renewed and growing again. Stack after stack of white boxes with holiday ornaments mocked me. Christmas ornaments, Hanukah candles, and even elaborate Kwanzaa displays.

Book Review: Coveted by Shawntelle Madison

Coveted

Author: Shawntelle Madison

Publication: Ballantine Books; Original edition (April 24, 2012)

Description: SOMETIMES WHAT YOU COVET IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP.

For werewolf Natalya Stravinsky, the supernatural is nothing extraordinary. What does seem strange is that she's stuck in her hometown of South Toms River, New Jersey, the outcast of her pack, selling antiques to finicky magical creatures. Restless and recovering from her split with gorgeous ex-boyfriend, Thorn, Nat finds comfort in an unusual place: her obsessively collected stash of holiday trinkets. But complications pile up faster than her ornaments when Thorn returns home--and the two discover that the spark between them remains intense.

Before Nat can sort out their relationship, she must face a more immediate and dangerous problem. Her pack is under attack from the savage Long Island werewolves--and Nat is their first target in a turf war. Toss in a handsome wizard vying for her affection, a therapy group for the anxious and enchanted, and the South Toms River pack leader ready to throw her to the wolves, and it's enough to give anybody a panic attack. With the stakes as high as the full moon, Nat must summon all of her strength to save her pack and, ultimately, herself.

My Thoughts: I didn't know what to think when I began this story about a werewolf with OCD. Natalya is a long-time sufferer. Her OCD is bad enough that she has been thrown out of her werewolf pack because it makes her a weak link. She is surviving working at an antique store and collecting her Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa ornaments and decorations. When her old boyfriend Thorn comes back to town the pressure gets greater. He is the son of the alpha who kicked her out of the pack and he is supposed to marry a girl from one of the high status families in the pack. But he can't stay away from her.

When the Long Island pack tries to move in and take over Nat's former pack things get even worse. The alpha of that pack has targeted Nat for reasons unknown to her. She feels isolated and alone. But she has decided to return to therapy to see if she can get her "collecting" under control. There she meets Nick who is a White Wizard who has the same sort of OCD she has. Nick comes to her rescue a few times when she is threatened. Nat also makes a friend in Quentin who is a necromancer who works as a janitor at the same antique store where Nat works. Their first - and only - date was funny in a creepy way. 

Nat is also supported when her best friend Aggie comes to visit. Aggie is running away from her father and an arranged marriage. She is a high status werewolf who has an eating disorder. She and Nat became friends when both were sent to a camp for troubled werewolves. 

This was an entertaining and unusual urban fantasy story. I really came to like Nat and look forward to reading the sequel to this book. I am eager to see how the relationship with Thorn and with Nick work out.

Favorite Quote:

"You think of everything, don't you?" Aggie laughed. "If I obsessed over things as much as you do, I'd become a stockbroker."

"OCD does not mean I have savant-like mathematical skills." I snatched the only umbrella before she had a chance to take it. 

Before I left the car she asked, "So is there anything good about it?"

I didn't know how to answer that. Every day, with every decision I made, I faced my condition. If there was something good about having my disorder, that perk had better show itself soon.

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

Friday Memes: Coveted by Shawntelle Madison

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 I am spotlighting a book from my TBR mountain. I chose Coveted by Shawntelle Madison both because it is about werewolves and because I have the sequel next on my review stack. Here is the description:

SOMETIMES WHAT YOU COVET IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP. 

For werewolf Natalya Stravinsky, the supernatural is nothing extraordinary. What does seem strange is that she's stuck in her hometown of South Toms River, New Jersey, the outcast of her pack, selling antiques to finicky magical creatures. Restless and recovering from her split with gorgeous ex-boyfriend, Thorn, Nat finds comfort in an unusual place: her obsessively collected stash of holiday trinkets. But complications pile up faster than her ornaments when Thorn returns home--and the two discover that the spark between them remains intense. 

Before Nat can sort out their relationship, she must face a more immediate and dangerous problem. Her pack is under attack from the savage Long Island werewolves--and Nat is their first target in a turf war. Toss in a handsome wizard vying for her affection, a therapy group for the anxious and enchanted, and the South Toms River pack leader ready to throw her to the wolves, and it's enough to give anybody a panic attack. With the stakes as high as the full moon, Nat must summon all of her strength to save her pack and, ultimately, herself.

Beginning:

Werewolves in no shape or form should own a fast food restaurant.

Friday 56:

I glanced at the conveyor belt. Somehow two candy bars had replace the box of condoms. My brother wasn't that dumb.

Wolf at the Door
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Publication: Berkley Trade; 1 Original edition (October 4, 2011)


Description: The howlingly good spin-off of the Undead series from the New York Times bestselling author.


Rachel, a werewolf/accountant, is asked to keep one eye on Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor and the other peeled for a rogue werewolf who's itching to start a war. But her attention is mostly on a sexy, mysterious stranger she wishes she could trust.


My Thoughts: Wolf at the Door was another entertaining romp from MaryJanice Davidson. She has a knack for creating quirky characters and then dropping them in absurd situations. Rachael is a werewolf and an accountant. She is ordered by her cousin Michael, head of the Wyndham Pack, to move to St. Paul and keep watch over Queen Betsy and the other vampires. Rachael has never lived anywhere but Cape Cod and is reluctant. She is even more reluctant when a series of murders starts happening in St. Paul. The victims are people that she was scheduled to meet as possible clients. It looks like someone wants to sow discord between the werewolves and the vampires. 


Edward is a human geek who has come to St. Paul to learn more about Queen Betsy in order to call in his vampire slayer roommate to kill her. Edward is also an accountant. Rachael and Edward meet and, in their mutually geeky ways, fall in love. 


The plot isn't the main point here. What matters are the quirky characters - a vampire queen hooked on smoothies and fancy shoes; a werewolf accountant; a human accountant who wants everything to be like his geeky fantasies. 


This one was just fun to read!


Favorite Quote:

"Not a problem...may I ask what specific aspect of the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes disagrees with you?"

"The fact that there are eleven thousand eight hundred forty-two lakes, to begin with. Every license plate is wrong. And it's freezing, no one can tolerate these temperatures and live."

"It's sixty-eight degrees."

"It's August!"

I bought this one. You can buy a copy here too.

Book Review: Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh

Tangle of Need
Author: Nalini Singh
Publication: Berkley Hardcover (May 29, 2012)

Description: Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past--one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another.

For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle.

Their coming together is an inferno...and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.

My Thoughts: This eleventh entry into the Psy-Changeling series surprised me. As this one focuses on changelings I was expecting a romance where the two people were destined to be mates as has happened in other entries. Riaz, SnowDancer lieutenant and lone wolf, met his mate only to find out that she was already in love with and married to a human. This really rocked his world and left him running back to the Pack for comfort and thinking that he could never love because his mate was unavailable.

Adria was another SnowDancer wolf who had problems of her own. She just ended a relationship that fell about because she was a more dominant wolf than her partner. The relationship had become very painful for both of them. Adria especially feared that she would have the same problem in any future relationship - love turning to resentment.

Adria has an instant aversion to Riaz when they meet which Riaz sees as a challenge. They gradually build a relationship but it is filled with torment for both of them with Riaz feeling he is betraying his mate and Adria only wanting to accept a man who will love her totally.

We also see Sienna and Hawke deepen their relationship after their mating and learn to compromise with each other. Compromise is not usually a word in an alpha werewolf's vocabulary but he is willing to try for Sienna. It helps that Sienna is an extremly strong Psy with a very dangerous and unusual talent.

And, in the background to these romances, the Psy world is being shaken up and is on the verge of a Civil War that will cause thousands of deaths among the Psy and the humans.

This was another great episode in this long running series. Being a fan of the series, I can't judge how well the book would stand alone but my opinion is that a new reader would be lost regarding anything but the main romance. Of course, my suggestions is to read the rest of the series. All of the books are filled with wonderful romances between strong people.

Favorite Quote:

It hadn't escaped her notice that the two had sandwiched her between them the entire time they'd been together. Her wolf was irritated, its hackles raised. She wasn't a pup to be protected, but a senior soldier, well able to get herself out of trouble. "Do you think Hawke will want the information circulated throughout the pack?" she asked, fighting the urge to snarl. It would be like trying to explain trigonometry to someone who'd never seen a math book. The words just would not compute in their testosterone-laden male brains.

I bought this one because I am a big fan of the series. You can buy your copy here.