Review: Far Shore by Traci L. Slatton

Title: Far Shore (The After #3)

Author: Traci L. Slatton
Source: Author Request
Genre: Dystopia, Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: October 10, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 4
Sexual - 3

An old enemy wreaks new havoc at the end of the world…

After the mists’ lethal apocalypse, mankind’s only hope for survival lies broken and battered, the prisoner of a ruthless sociopath who will stop at nothing to hurt him. Emma sets out to rescue him. She faces an ultimatum and must relinquish everything she holds dear. As Arthur teeters on the brink of life and death, Emma’s healing ability fails. Her own despair tests her, and she must grow stronger than she ever dreamt possible as she confronts the truth of her own heart.

In a time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test…

A mystical odyssey, a haunting love...

Reviews of Book One Fallen: WildAboutBones, Jasmyn
Review of Book Two Cold Light: Jasmyn

*May contain small spoilers if you have not read book one and two*

Once again Emma was forced to choose between Arthur and Haywood, and once again she chooses her past and her husband.  But when she gets word that Arthur has been captured and Jeannie is deathly ill and needs her help, she leaves once again to find the man she really loves.

A lot of loose ends are tied up in this book and the romance really starts to shine through.  While there still wasn't what I would call a HEA ending, it was definitely more hopeful and very close to a HFN ending.  This book really puts the spotlight on Emma and Arthur and their relationship.  Forced to confront parts of their past and look towards what their future may really be like, they struggle together and seem to have a mountain inbetwen them at times.

This is also still very much an spocalyptic type novel.  The Mists are evolving and seem to have a hive type mind driving them.  The world is becoming more dangerous while at the same time a new type of civilization is developing from the remains.  Emma and Arthur will both have incredible important roles (they are the main characters after all) to play in this process.  I really enjoyed this series.

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

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Review: Cold Light by Traci L. Slatton

Title: Cold Light (After Trilogy #2)

Author: Traci L. Slatton
Source: Author Request
Genre: Dystopia (Paranormal Romance Trilogy)
Release Date: June 27, 2012
Length: Novel
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 4
Sexual - 1

The end of the world brings chaos, madness, and psychic powers. For Emma and Arthur,
separated by an ocean, it brings a love that demands everything. Emma's beloved daughter is kidnapped by vengeful raiders, and Emma embarks on a soul-crushing journey to rescue her. When Arthur finds Emma, can she trust him? Against impossible odds, Emma draws near the rogue camp, where she also confronts the deepest choice of her heart....

Emma has made is successfully back with her family (her husband and two girls), but she had to leave her new love, Arthur, behind.  But Arthur isn't one to let someone he cares about just disappear and he is on his way to find her.  In the meantime a group of raiders has kidnapped Emma's oldest daughter - and when they find the raiders I was surprised to see who it was.

In the book we get to see a little more of Haywood, Emma's husband, who doesn't want to let her go.  Emma is going to need to make a choice soon between the two men, but she is unsure who is more important to her.

Cold Light is another very exciting and action packed book.  We find out more about Emma and Arthur's powers and are introduced to a crazy woman named Kangee that I really enjoyed, along with a whole new group of friends and allies.  It was a great follow up to Fallen, but I'm still not sure which man she will eventually choose.

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Review: Fallen by Traci L. Slatton

Title: Fallen (After Trilogy #1)

Author: Traci L. Slatton
Source: Author Request
Genre: Dystopia (Paranormal Romance Trilogy)
Length: Novel
Release Date: July 12, 2011
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 3
Sexual - 1

When the world ends, all that is left is love....

As chaos descends on a crippled Earth, survivors are tormented by strange psychic gifts. In this time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test. One woman with mysterious healing power guides seven children to safety. Charismatic Arthur offers her a haven. Slowly Emma falls for him. But at the moment of their sweetest love, his devastating secret is revealed, and they are lost to each other. Will Emma stay with him?

The first in a romantic trilogy set during the end times.

The world as we all know it is gone - most of the people have died and buildings and infrastructure have disappeared.  Murderous bands are roaming and no place seems to be safe.  Emma has been accumulating children - trying to protect them and keep them healthy, but she knows they can only make it for so long.  When she sees the chance to join an honorable camp of men she jumps at the chance.  She doesn't count on falling for the leader - falling hard.

Fallen details the beginning of their relationship and has a ton of world building.  I love character and world building so this was a really big plus for me.  On the flip side, I don't know how I like Emma or Arthur right now.  Both kept very very big secrets from each other - life changing secrets.

The story ends with no resolution (it is a series and I've already started book two) and no HEA (just a warning for those that need to have that at end of every book).  I'm anxious to see what these two do next because there's a lot up in the air at the of this book

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Love of My Other Life - Traci L. Slatton

Title: The Love of My (Other) Life
Author: Traci L. Slatton
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Mix of PNR/UF/SCI-FI
Length: Novel - 238 pgs
Reviewed by Douglas C. Meeks

Summary:

What worlds would you move to be with your soul mate?

Painter Tessa Barnum is struggling. Her husband left, she's broke, about to be evicted and has made some serious missteps in her career.

When scruffy Brian Tennyson explodes into her life, claiming to be from an alternate universe, Tessa thinks he's a crazy vagabond - albeit one with mysterious and undeniable appeal.

Then he informs her that in his world, they're married.

Tessa's universe is turned upside down as the truth of love and loss, victory and humiliation, and second chances come back to her. She has to choose love over logic to reach that state of anticipation where miracles unfold.

The secret to her own life was always in her heart.

Review The Botticelli Affair by Traci L. Slatton

Title: The Botticelli Affair
Author: Traci L. Slatton
Source: Requested Review
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: eBook, 180 pgs
Release Date: July 12, 2011

Luscious art forger Laila Cambridge has a little vampire problem…. She’s a high-spirited woman with a sordid past, trying to go straight. Enter gorgeous John Bolingbroke, a half-vampire with news of her missing father. From New York through Paris, Amsterdam, and Rome, while fleeing ruthless vampires, Laila searches desperately for her father and a lost painting that holds a coveted secret.

Rating -

Sexual -

My Review:

Vampires, a missing Botticelli painting, the Illuminati, the Egyptian Book of the Dead and a simmering sexual attraction come in to play in this paranormal romance filled with humor, non-stop action, travel to several countries and many, many lies. I laughed and I cried while reading this good plot.

John Bolingbroke is a 500+ year old changed vampire. "Fifty years ago, a whimsical god granted him half a soul and bestowed upon him unruly, inescapable powers." He overhears a plot by an old, powerful vampire coven to kidnap Laila as incentive for her father to do what they wish. John has promised her father he'd protect her. "But meeting her, now that she was a grown woman, that changed everything. It was no longer about impersonal appreciation. He wanted her like no woman he’d met before. He was honor-bound to protect her. But who would protect Laila from him?"

Laila, a doctoral art student and 29 year old former master forger, misses painting but it is like an addiction for her and she needs to stay away from it. She describes herself as "a six foot-tall red-headed babe who can conquer anything with her ten languages! I have a tattoo on the small of my back that says 'Rock You'!" Her father has been missing for 5 yrs. She must delve back into her unsavory past to help save her father and, unbeknownst to her, herself.

The story is a little high brow with all the art discussions and literary references. It was filled with "big words" I needed a dictionary for as well as Italian, French and German phrases for which I required the Google translator.

If you like a lot of mystery with your paranormal romance, you'll be right at home with this book.

Warning Spoiler Alert!!!
While the story is resolved and the main characters get to stay together, I'm not sure I will say this has a HEA ending.

Review Fallen by Traci L. Slatton

Title: Fallen
Author: Traci L. Slatton
Source: Requested Review
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: eBook, 180 pgs
Release Date: July 12, 2011
FALLEN is the powerful story of love at the end of times. Emma is a woman struggling to survive and keep seven children alive in a world ravaged by chaos, madness, and war.

Emma meets the charismatic Arthur, who leads a strangely well-provisioned camp of men who seek to rebuild civilization. But Arthur hides a devastating secret. Slowly she falls for him, but can she stay with him, when his secret is revealed?

Rating -

Sexual -

My Review:

This is a paranormal romance without any supernatural elements. I laughed a little, which may sound somewhat strange for a end of the world disaster story, and I cried several times. While it is a romance, it has a heart wrenching and depressing tone throughout and is not what typical paranormal romance fans are used to.

Almost everyone is dead, killed by a deadly 'pearlescent' mist which came up from the ground and then out of the oceans to kill by turning internal organs to mush, heating it up and exploding into steam, water and fine powder. Of the people who are left, many are insane and many develop physic gifts.

Emma's husband and one of her little girls are hopefully safe from the mist in Canada. She and her daughter Mandy were visiting family in France in the Before. She prostitutes herself to Arthur, leader of a large group of men, to have a place of safety, shelter and food for her and the 8 kids she has picked up along the way.

Both Emma and Arthur have secrets and it seems as if they are going to be able to overcome them with love.

There is a tribute to the Aliens movie starring Sigourney Weaver in Emma naming one of the kids Newt. If you liked the short lived TV program Jericho staring Gerald McRaney and Skeet Ulrich, you'll like this. If you liked I am Legend with Will Smith, you'll like this.

This has a good story line with somewhat interesting characters. If you like "the world as we know it has ended and now what do we do to survive" stories, you'll like this one.

Warning Spoiler Alert!!!
It does and does not have a HEA.