Suicide Squad Vol 1 Kicked in the Teeth by Adam Glass ~ Review

Title: Suicide Squad Vol 1, Kicked in the Teeth
Author: Adam Glass, Illustrator: Ryan Benjamin
Genre: Graphic Novel, Superheroes
Length: 160 pages
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Rating: 3
Heat Rating: 2
Reviewed by: Cerridwen

As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics--The New 52 event of September 2011, writer and co-creator of the CW show "Supernatural" Adam Glass rolls out an all-new team of death-row super villains recruited by the government to take on missions so dangerous-they're sheer suicide.

The story begins with the Suicide Squad defeated, imprisoned and being interrogated about their newest mission. Harley Quinn, King Shark, Deadshot and company must make it out alive without revealing who's pulling the strings behind their illegal operations. Who will be the first to crack under the pressure? More importantly will they make it all out alive? Collects issues #1-7.

With the movie The Suicide Squad coming out in 2016, I wanted to read the graphic novel first. The book is supposed to be better than the movie, right? Marvel has had a pretty good following with getting their characters onto the big screen and I'm excited to see what DC can do.

The story begins with all the characters being thrown into a secret mission group where they basically must carry out illegal missions or die. They are baited with the prize of freedom if they continue to follow through. Unfortunately, nothing ever goes as easy as planned for the crew.

I am not a big graphic novel fan. The only character I was familiar with realy going into it was Harley Quinn. It gave some back story, so I feel safe in recommending it if you're new to the series.

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Book Tour Review: Thomas's Muse by Kris Austen Radcliffe

Title: Thomas's Muse (Quidell Brothers #1)

Author: Kris Austen Radcliffe
Source: Innovative Online Book Tours
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: November 28, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 3
Sexual - 4

Four years ago, for a brief moment, Sammie Singleton became the muse of an artist she
didn't know. The moment vanished, and now Sammie spends her nights with a different man.

Her life is black and white. But she needs food for her soul to feel alive.

She needs color. She needs art.

Everything changes the moment she meets Thomas Quidell. Brilliant and talented, Sammie quickly realizes Tom is her artist--and the man she's been fantasizing about all these years.

Tom offers her more than a lifeline. He opens her eyes to a new life. Vibrant, loving, fulfilling. But is she strong enough to take a chance?

Sammie and Thomas have a connection that goes back years - they just don't realize it yet.  Sammie is involved in a relationship that just isn't good for her - he is cold, distant, and lacks the essential colors in life that Sammie craves.  Thomas is just what she is looking for - caring, intelligent, and sexy.  Thomas is one of the better men I've read about in a romance.  He wants to help Sammie find what she is looking for in life, and he hopes it might be him.  Sammie is a little damaged emotionally and doesn't think she is good enough for anyone, but Thomas knows otherwise.  When her relationship blows up (in a bad way) he is there for her.  He's such a sweet and amazing guy.

There were a few problems I had with the storyline.  Thomas mentions several times that he wants to take it slow, but she is living with him quite soon after they meet.  Yes, they are sleeping in different beds at first, but that is not what I consider taking it slow.  Their relationship also kicks off before she ends her current one - who is a complete ass, but you should still end one before starting another.  If this little thing had been changed, this would have gotten 4 stars instead of 3.  The action in this book is incredible.  The intimate scenes are very detailed and hot - so expect to get a little flustered.

The story is filled with art and color.  Because of this, many of the scenes are very descriptive and vivid, they are full of life.  It was great to be able to imagine things in such clarity because of the writing.  This series has a very strong start and at the end there is a small glimpse of who might be starring in book two.

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Author Bio:
As a child, Kris took down a pack of hungry wolves with only a hardcover copy of "The Dragonriders of Pern" and a sharpened toothbrush.  That fateful day set her on a path traversing many storytelling worlds -- dabbles in film and comic books, time as a talent agent and a textbook photo coordinator, and a foray into nonfiction.  After c-authoring "Mind Shapes: Understanding the Differences in Thinking and Communication", Kris returned to academia.  But she craved narrative and a richly-textured world of Fates, Shifters, and Dragons -- and unexpected, true love.

Kris lives with her husband, two daughters, Handsome Cat, and an entire menagerie of suburban wildlife bent on destroying her house.  That battered-but-true cope of "Dragonriders"?  She found it yesterday.  It's time to pay a visit to the woodpeckers.

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Don't forget to check out what others on the tour are saying:

12/30 Excerpt Little Bit of Spice

12/30 Guest post Cindy Vine

12/31 Review My Kindle Fever

1/6 Interview & Guest post The Pen and Muse 

1/7 Excerpt Kelly's Thoughts On Things

1/7 Excerpt Kristy Centeno

1/10 Review You Had Me At Free Book!

1/15 Review Roxy's Reviews

1/16 Review Bitten by Romance

1/17 Guest Post  Pure Jonel

1/20 Review Crystal's Many Reviewers

1/21 Review Harlies Books

Review: Heart of the Incubus by Rosalie Lario

Title: Heart of the Incubus (Demons of Infernum #3.5)
Author: Rosalie Lario
Source: Entangled Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: December 30, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 3
Sexual - 3

Biochemist Cresso Taylor lives the sort of lifestyle most men would envy—he has wealth,
natural incubus charm, and more women than he can handle. But it’s not enough anymore. Not after meeting Genevieve Russell, the sexy scientist who works with him at Elcorp Laboratory. And she wants absolutely nothing to do with him.

After her fiancé broke her heart, Genevieve has had enough of womanizers. She’s determined to steer clear of sexy-as-sin Dr. Taylor, despite the fact that his incubus allure makes her want to rip his clothes off. But when a secret admirer’s affection turns to the macabre with threatening notes and grisly gifts, Cresso appoints himself her protector. As she and Cresso hunt her stalker, she discovers there’s a lot more to the sensual incubus than she ever imagined.

Laurie's review of book one: Blood of the Demon
Kris's review of book two: Mark of the Slyph

Having heard wonderful things about the Demons of Infernum series, but never reading them, I thought I'd give this one a shot.  Even though it is 3.5 in the series, it held up very well as a stand alone.  I loved that Cresso wasn't only an amazingly hunky incubus, but a brilliant scientist as well.  A scientist that is determined to find a cure for the toxin that his kind have to their non-incubus lovers.  He's been even more determined since he met Genevieve, a human scientist that he can't get off his mind.  Genevieve, on the other hand, is bound and determined to resist all of Cresso's impressive charm and hunky incubus vibes.

With a stalker Genevieve's trail, Cresso is terrified that something permanently bad might happen to her.  A very exciting chase filled with quite a few different paranormal types lead them just about no where.  But along the way Genevieve realizes that maybe she judged Cresso a little too soon.  Could it be possible that his charm is starting to wear down the walls around her heart.

I loved the crazy mix of paranormals in this one - I will be adding the beginning of this series to the soon to be read list.  They were dynamic and the backstory behind their presence here on earth was great.  This one had a great mixture of action and romance.  I only wished that I had liked Genevieve a little bit better.  She took a little too long to drop the ice maiden act for me to really enjoy her.

Historical Romance Review: The Earl's Christmas Colt by Rebecca Thomas

Title: The Earl's Christmas Colt
Author: Rebecca Thomas
Source: Entangled Flirt
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: December 30, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating: 3 - Liked this one. Swap it when you're done.
Sexual: 1 flame: All show. No heat.

Lady Arabella Sutton is stunned to learn her brother has betrothed her to a stranger despite
his promises for a season in London. Although she is the first to admit no man would suit, since she’s more interested in horses than marriage, the last thing she wants is to become a brood mare to a stuffy old earl. Facing a future she cannot abide, she takes an impetuous ride to clear her head and ends up tending her injured mare instead.


Oliver Westwyck, the Earl of Marsdale, can’t believe his luck when he stops at an inn the night before he’s to meet his fiancée. In the stable, while tending the colt he intends to give to his future wife, he happens upon her—rain-drenched but beautiful. She assumes he’s a stable hand, a fine joke he means to end...until Lady Arabella declares all noblemen are egotistical, conceited, and arrogant. How can he reveal his true identity before he’s managed to change her mind and win her heart?

 My Review:
This was such a cute story.  I loved the emotion Rebecca Thomas was able to explore in such a small novella.  Lady Arabella isn't your typical noblewoman, she would rather be out riding her horse than try to find a husband.  It's a good thing that Oliver Westwyck, her betrothed, ends up being just as much a horse lover.  They meet for the first time and they don't know who the other is at first.  Arabella mistakes him for a horse breeder.

I'm not a big fan of intential mistaken identity storylines, but he way this one plays out is quite humorous.  It was a great Christmas story.

Contemporary Romance Review: One Night in Santiago by Audra North

Title: One Night in Santiago
Author: Audra North
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Source: Entangled Flaunt
Release Date: December 30, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 3
Sexual - 3

Lily Stanton's vacation goes from bad to worse when a storm strands her in a foreign
country, arguing with an arrogant—and very sexy—stranger over the last available hotel room.

Successful CEO Bruno Komarov wasn't expecting the gorgeous woman checking in at the reception desk to challenge him over a room. Even more surprising, he actually enjoys their exchange.

But when Lily proposes a compromise—she'll take the bed and he can sleep on the couch—Bruno pushes his attraction aside and assures himself that this can remain strictly business. After all, they're both adults capable of keeping their hands to themselves. They'll share the room, get a good night's sleep, and be off to their respective destinations in the morning.

What could possibly happen in just one night?

 Review:

What could possible happen in just one night?  Well a whole heck of lot happened in this night.  Forced to share a hotel room, Lily and Bruno spend the night learning about each other.  Both have some issues they're dealing with, especially Lily - and Bruno is more than willing to help her work through them.  Their attraction becomes hard to deny, but the biggest question isn't if they'll do it, but what will they do afterward?  Will it remain an amazing one night in paradise, or will things lead to a future these two travellers can share together?

This was a really fun story.  Both Lily and Bruno have great personalities that worked really well playing off each other.  It was hot when it needed to be, and emotionally mushy just enough to make it all seem real.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

Review: Crazy Vampire Love by Eve Langlais

Title: Crazy Vampire Love
Author: Eve Langlais
Source: Self-Purchased
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date October 8, 2013
Reviewer: Jasmyn

Author's Foreward
Please note, Crazy (Vampire Love) was originally published as Crazy by Liquid Silver Book from November 2010, until May of 2013.  Published anew in October 2013 by Eve Langlais, this book has been expanded from its original short story length of 22k works to 32k.  I hope you enjoy this plumper version of my poor crazy heroine and the vampire who can't help loving her.

***************

Ella hears voices and they don't like anyone.

Ella's always heard voices and because of them, she ends up institutionalized at a young age.  Everyone calls her crazy and she believes she is too until the night she meets a vampire and for the first time in her life, the voices shut up.

Zane just wants to enjoy his usual blood buffet, instead he runs into a wisp of a woman who makes him feel emotions he thought long dead.  Rescuing her from the insane asylum, he brings her home, determined to seduce and feed from her, a plan that is foiled by ghostly voices determined to keep Ella untouched.  But not even poltergeists can stand in the way of a vampire in love.

There were a lot of pros and cons to this one.  I loved Ella, the crazy girl who hears voices, she was funny and engaging and had a bit of a smart alec hidden underneath.  On the down side, I kept picturing her as a teenager because of her attitude and way of speaking - which really didn't fit with this type of romance.  Don't get me wrong, she was an amazing and funny character, but something needed to put her more in the adult world for me.

Zane was not quite your typical dark and brooding vampire.  He is completely flabbergasted by the fact that Ella is immune to his mesmerizing skills and when he finds her in danger, he's quick to swoop in and rescue her.  He was almost more determined to help her than she was herself.

There is a secret bad guy on Ella's trail.  I would have loved to see more about him and understand why the power was so important to him.  He just kind of popped up out of nowhere.  I'm hoping (hint hint if Eve is reading this) that there may be more to the story in the form of a sequel - perhaps Zane's female vampire friend needs to find some romance in her life as well?

Review: Rocky Coast Romance by Mia Ross

Title: Rocky Coast Romance
Author: Mia Ross
Source: FirstReads
Genre: Clean Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Reviewer: Jasmyn

INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE

Book 1-Holiday Harbor: Where love is just around the bend...

Journalist Bree Farrell heads to the village of Holiday Harbor to salvage her career. And walks straight into the arms of handsome young mayor Cooper Landry. Cooper's fighting to keep his sleepy Maine community from the clutches of big-city developers. And Bree knows it's a major scoop. But the longer she's in town, the more she's won over by the quirky townsfolk-and the charming Cooper. Will Bree ever follow her heart instead of a story and make Holiday Harbor her permanent byline?

Rocky Coast Romance is a clean romance.  There is no sex, but there is a lot of story and there is plenty of romance.  Bree comes to Holiday Harbor as her last chance.  Her last chance at her journalism career after thoroughly blowing it on a previous assignment.  Her last chance at independence, and her last chance at love (even if she doesn't realize it at first).  Writing a bit of a fluff piece about the small ocean side fishing community to help boost tourism, she discovers that there is more to the story of the struggling town that she thought at first.

At the center of it all is the Mayor, Cooper Landry.  Cooper is hoping Bree's article will boost tourism for the small community so they don't decline any more than they already have.  There is a big time land developer waiting in the wings for the town to flounder so he can come in and buy it up for cheap.  Cooper has been hurt in the past by women, so he is determined not to let Bree effect him, but he finds that more difficult that he thought it would be.

Cooper and Bree bond over the small town's history and culture and she falls in love with the small town before she knows it, but it takes a bit longer for them both to realize just how perfect they are for each other.  With a little bit of conflict thrown in to keep things really interesting, this was a great romance story.

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Review: A Summoner's Tale: The Vampire's Confessor by Victoria Danann

Title: A Summoner's Tale: The Vampire's Confessor (Order of the Black Swan #3)
Author: Victoria Danann
Source: Author Request
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: February 14, 2013
Reviewer: Jasmyn

A secret society, a witch, a psychic, vampires, modern day knights, heroes, elves, fae, assassins from another dimension, and fairytales come together where emotions intersect.  Two souls, joined by a mystical bond, separated by distance, must simultaneously struggle through pain and darkness in an ultimate confrontation with character and an ultimate struggle for life proving that love waits patiently through lifetimes and finds courage to survive.  Even in the strangest places. Even when you're least expecting it.  Even when you're far, far from home.

Book three in the Order of the Black Swan fell a little short for me compared to the first two books.  Book three centers around Baka's history and his very horrible past.  At first I found his story quite interesting, but as it continued through repeated flashbacks it seemed more of an interruption than part of the story.  I was disappointed because Baka is one of my favorite characters.  I was excited to see part of the romance involve him, but I wish I had seen actual romance.

What seemed to be the main part of the story was the birth of Elora's and Ram's baby and her new relationship with a pack of wolves.  I loved this part of the story because I love Ram and Elora.  It was wonderful to see what happened after their happily ever after wedding.  Elora continues to amaze me by how adaptable she can be and still remain a character with flaws that keep her human.

There was plenty of action that picked up as if book two had never ended.  I love how Victoria Danann can just keep going - making sure all our old favorite characters are involved while still introducing new characters for us to fall in love with as well.

Review: Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory

Title: Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (Jolie Wilkens #1)
Author: H.P. Mallory
Source: Kindle Freebie
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: July 2010
Reviewer: Jasmyn

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

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

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

I think I went into this one expecting too much.  I had heard over and over again how great this series was going to be, and it was just a little more hyped that what I got out of it.  It is a good book and I did enjoy it, just not enough to rave about it.

Jolie was humorous.  This is a very sarcastic and joking type of paranormal romance that seems to becoming more and more popular.  I love her attitude and her banter with the people all around her - and her best friend is quite the character as well.  She's the perfect play off of Jolie.  Rand was far too serious for me to really get into, but I can see that he needs to be that way to play his part of the story well.

I'm not one that likes my leading characters to have "relations" with others in the book, so when this occurs it is a bit of a turn off for me.  There was plenty of supernatural creatures to go around, and quite a few interesting abilities that were fun to read about.  I'm still not sure if I will continue on the series or not.

Review: Letter from a Rake by Sasha Cottman

Title: Letter from a Rake
Author: Sasha Cottman
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: Novel
Reviewer: CaroleDee

The unconventional Miss Millie Ashton, recently arrived from India, finds England a cold and dismal place. The fashionable ladies of London society look down their noses at her and it isn't long before Millie is planning her return to the country she considers home.

When Millie befriends the high-spirited Lucy Radley, she also meets Lucy's handsome brother, 'Alex the Great' and things take a turn for the better. Alex, the Marquess of Brooke, is considered the most eligible bachelor in London, yet he appears fascinated by the independent Millie.

Against the odds, their unlikely friendship deepens. But Alex has a secret and when a love letter goes astray, it threatens to destroy all their happiness...

Can Millie and Alex overcome the obstacles in their path to find true love? Or will one miscommunication ruin everything?

 

I'm going to come right out with it and say that I, obviously, was not the target audience for this book.

Yes, I love historical romances and yes I love when the 'underdog' beats out all of the 'popular' girls and gets the handsome hero. BUT, and this is a big BUT, I do NOT like NA (new adult) books. And believe it or not, Letter From a Rake was, in fact, a NA book set in historical England.

The characters were far too immature. The only rake-like characteristics that Alex shows is his penitent for getting trashed on alcohol every once in a while. To me a rake is debauched. He's got mistresses, and gambles, drinks steadily, and is experienced. At 23 he just didn't have what it takes to be a proper rake. What completely turned me off to Alex was a little scene where he royally screws up his chances with Millie; he goes home and:

"wrapped his arm around his body and hugged himself. With eyes tightly shut he rocked back and forth as the whole terrible reality of what he had done threatened to overwhelm him."

 Um... Yeah.. Not quit my type of hero. Sorry :( 

Millie was okay as a heroine. Sort of selfish (a typical NA trait) and naive (also NA)

I think the only character in the book that I actually found appealing was Millie's brother, Charles. He is what I look for in a hero.  He takes charge, and seems in control of himself while having a devilishly good time.

I'm really sorry that I didn't like this one. If anything it should appeal to a younger audience that want to dip their toes in to the Historical set.

ARC Review: Witch's Revenge by Denyse Cohen

Title: Witch's Revenge (Living Energy #2)
Author: Denyse Cohen
Source: Author Request
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: September 16, 2013
Reviewer: Jasmyn

Throughout history, the women who guard Earth's living energy have been known as goddesses, fairies, mermaids, alchemists, but they prefer to call themselves witches.

Jade has found her soulmate.  Peter is the human whose life-energy is identical to hers, the soulmate who is the missing key to unlock her witch's power.  And now Arrow, a powerful organization whose only intent is to kill the soulmates and keep the witches in check, wants their head above all others.

After a whirlwind of danger and passion, Jade and Peter managed to evade Arrow in Brazil only to find their assassins have followed them home and, this time, Karyn - the witch who murdered Jade's parents - is personally after them with the lethal ability to drain a witch's energy.

Jade and Peter must come to terms with the fact their survival is only secondary to ending Arrow's legacy of murder and fear.

But revenge might come in an unexpected way...

Reading book one first is recommended.  My review is HERE.

The end of book one, Witch's Soulmate. was high energy and amazing.  Witch's Revenge picks up shortly after with Peter and Jade trying to find a way to put their lives back together.  Part of this includes finding ways to live as normal as possible - for their friends and family to be safe - and also working with the FBI to track Arrow and put a stop to their efforts - both normal and paranormal - once and for all.

Karyn, a particular nasty villain, has targeted Jade and Peter as her own.  With the deadly ability to drain a witch's power and feed of it, Karyn will be the most dangerous witch they have gone up against - and to top it all off, she's responsible for the death of Jade's parents.  The descriptions of Karyn's attacks were phenomenal, and Jade doesn't fare well after their first encounter.

Peter and Jade must rally the troops and unlock a secret weapon no one even knows exists yet.  But in order to do that, they need to overcome the last of their doubts about each other in order to find it.  Unlocking this weapon was a very touching scene of complete devotion and acceptance by both of them.

This was a great second book, while it got off to a bit of a slow start, once it got going it really picked up the pace.  It took off running and never looked back. 

Review: Spell of Binding by Anna Abner

Title: Spell of Binding (The Dark Caster Series #2)
Author: Anna Abner
Source: Author Request
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: July 15, 2013
Reviewer: Jasmyn

Daniela Ferraro can't touch people without hurting them.  So when she wakes up in the Dark Caster's cell next to the one man guaranteed to mess with her heart, she will risk anything to escape.

David Wilkes has no idea why he's been abducted and thrown in a locked room with Dani, the woman who jilted him two years ago.  But when the Dark Caster threatens David's four year old son, David will not stop until Ryan is safe and the evil necromancers tormenting him are destroyed.

When Dani's powers are bound and her necromancer friends are out of commission, the only way to protect the people she cares about and keep the Chaos Gate firmly closed is to trust in David.

But the closer Dani gets to David the more lethal her touch becomes for the only man she's ever loved.

This can be read as a standalone, but some details will be missed.  See my review of book one HERE.

We briefly meet Dani when she helps our main characters in book one, Spell of Summoning.  A preschool teacher and powerful witch, Dani has a fear that if she physically touches someone, she may accidentally hurt them with her powers.  David on the other hand, is a perfectly normal human - with no special powers or abilities that he is aware of.  So why did these crazy people kidnap him and Dani - and why do they think he's a necromancer?

A lot of the history between Dani and David comes out in the beginning while they are locked in the basement - but the first part of the story moved a little slow for my taste.  Once they escaped from the basement things got a lot better story-wise.  David was forced to confront the fact that he may be more than he thinks he is - and he will have to deal with it and learn how to use it in order to save his son and Dani.

David was a great character.  I love when people don't blindly accept it when they discover the paranormal in books.  David fought it tooth and nail and it made it that much easier to just fall into the story.  His fear for the safely of his son drags him kicking and screaming into the paranormal world.  Dani's fear seems a bit irrational at first, and I totally related to David's feelings towards her.  As we learn more about her though, things are explained and her past has it's own share of hardships.

Dani and David try to find a way to rediscover themselves and find romance in the middle of everything.  They seem to be perfectly matched, but their pasts and their present are working both for them and against them.

Review: Lord Griffin's Prize by Katalina Leon

Title: Lord Griffin's Prize (Emerald Isle Fantasies)
Author: Katalina Leon
Source: Publisher Request
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: July 10, 2013
Reviewer: Jasmyn

Tullamore Castle, Ireland, is an enchanted place where the unexpected happens.  Phantom lovers materialize in haunted bads and a lonely griffin patrols the ramparts, waiting to reclaim its mate.  And that's just the beginning.

For the adventure of a lifetime, Maeve de Burgo visits Tullamore to study genealogy.  Through a magggical act and time travel, she becomes embroiled in a dangerous medieval romance and the unfinished life of her ancenstor.  Maeve gets thrown back in time to be captured, ravished and cherished as a war chief's prize.

Ronan O'Griofa is a griffin shifter, the most loyal of creatures.  He's been trapped in limbo as the avenging guardian of Tullamore since 1332 and longs to be free.  When the soul of his wife returns to the castle, he's granted the privilege of becoming a man for one day to be her lover, win her heart and remind Maeve of a bond strong enough to last an eternity.

Part of the Emerald Isle Fantasies series.

Maeve is drawn to Catle Tullamore after a painful divorce - it seems the best place to get in touch with her history and move on from her disasterous relationship.  Tullamore is full of legends and myths, but the one that draws Maeve the most is the story of the griffin.  When strange things begin to happen she chalks it up to an overactive imagination at first, but soon the flashbacks to an ancient time become more and more real.  

These flashbacks were by far my favorite part of the story.  While they were not the main part of the story, the characters really came to life and overshadowed their modern counterparts.  Unfortunately, the  modern versions just didn't catch my interest as much as I had hoped.

The story itself was incredibly sweet and very romantic.  Ronan has been waiting for centuries for another chance, now he just has to earn it with the "new" Maeve.  He tries hard, but the sunset time limit is mentioned just a little too often, almost like the reader was expected to forget about it.  Ronan seemed a bit stagnant, while Maeve was very dynamic and adapting to all the crazy things happening around her.

Review: A Baby of Her Own by Brenda Novak

Title: A Baby of Her Own
Author: Brenda Novak
Source: Kindle Freebie
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: September 1, 2002
Reviewer: Jasmyn

What Delaney wants...
...is a baby.

A baby of her own.  At thirty, she longs to break away from the contraints of her life.  Longs to reach out for her heart's desire.  She'd prefer marriage as well, but there's no man in Dundee, Idaho, she's interested in marrying.

Then one winter night she and her best friend, Rebecca, go to Boise with the intent of finding a man for Delaney.  She meets a handsome stranger named Conner, a man who might be able to provide her with the solution she needs...and the baby she wants!

Afterward she thinks she must have been out of her mind.  But it's too late.  Because she's pregnant.  And because the stranger isn't a stranger anymore.  Conner Armstrong is now living on a ranch just outside Dundee.

Harlequin SuperRomance is known for they sweet romances that always end in the best possible ways.  This one is no exception, and sometimes that's just what you need.  While not my favorite it was still a quick read that was nice on a rainy afternoon.  Delaney is a little too perfect - she seems to have never done anything wrong.  She's the apple of her small town's eye and when she shows up pregnant and unmarried - the gossips go wild.

On the other hand, Conner is a bit of a wild one that has been told to finally take responsibility or else.  So he is shipped off the family's ranch to try and make it turn a profit.  But (there has to be one) his uncle's don't think he can hack it, and don't think he belongs in the family at all.  He has quite a lot on his plate when he finds out that Delaney is pregnant with his child.

Neither of them handle the situation very well, but if they had there wouldn't have been much of a story.  There are numerous ups and downs as the two try and find their way and figure out where each will fit in the other's lives.  While it was a bit predictable, it was still a fun read.

Review: Roman's Gold by Ann Gimpel

Title: Roman's Gold (Underground Heat #1)
Author: Ann Gimpel
Source: Self Purchased / Author Request (I bought it then got the request before I started)
Genre: Paranormal/Sci Fi Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: June 10, 2013
Reviewer: Jasmyn

Once respected members of society, shifters are running for their lives.  In a futuristic world where resources are scarce, Kate uses her human form to work as a sex surrogate.  Furious at what looks a lot like genocide for her people, she joins the shifter underground.

Devon's been a cop for a long time.  He has shifter blood, but not enough to change into anything; at least not until the police department insists on a series of infusions to make him better at tracking shifters so they can be imprisoned - or killed.

Devon's latest assignment is Kate.  From the moment he sees her, he can't get her out of his mind.  The line between hunter and hunted thins, blurs, and finally disappears.  Kate and Devon defy the odds.  Will their passions save them or doom them forever?

Roman's Gold has just enough sci fi (hover cars and fancy watch gizmos that do everything) to help set the futuristic stage, but not so much that it takes away from the paranormal romance aspect.  Kate has been living in hiding for years - disguising her shifter heritage to save her life, and protect the underground shifter movement.  Devon is sent by the police to determine if she is a shifter or not, but he can't seem to complete the assignment - it seems like love at first sight.  When Devon realizes the injections that helped him track Kate down also boosted his shifter blood, he realizes he may be on the wrong side of this fight.  But it will be up to Kate to try and push him into changing sides.

Kate is a fiesty little mountain lion (I love cat shifters) that hides refugees for the underground shifter movement.  The only thing I disliked about Kate (and also Devon) is that the beginning of the book has them having sex with other people.  While it is normal (they hadn't met yet) it just sits a little wrong when that happens, but I got over it when their sex was soooo much hotter. There is also some sex that happens while they are shifted.  Ann Gimpel handled this very well, and the scenes are written to show how powerful their love for each other really is.

The story of the Underground Shifter Movement is fantastic.  As more and more shifters are imprisoned and their rights are stripped away for being "non-human" the shifters have decided to unite and try to fight back.  This goal is contantly hovering in the background driving the story forward with the romance helping it all along the way.