Favorites Reads of 2013 Mistress of the Stone by Maria Zannini

Title: Mistress of the Stone
 Author: Maria Zannini
Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance
 Length: Novel
Reviewed by: Laurie
 Rating- 5 Sexual- 4

She was ready for his steel, but not for his flesh..

Luísa Tavares has a list of sins the length of the Antilles, but there’s no time to repent for them now. When a pockmarked Frenchman hands her Papa’s ring—still attached to his severed finger—she orders the Coral back to the Caribbean, despite her father’s earlier warning never to return.

It’s Luísa’s luckless fate that the only man who can help her is a blasted Inglés pirate hunter who’s more dead than alive and locked in a curse he doesn’t want lifted. Worse, his feral sensuality sparks a hunger she can’t ignore.

Xander Daltry hadn’t planned on kidnapping this wild woman—or succumbing to his uncontrollable desire for her. But he needs Luísa and the moonstone she wears around her neck to rescind a witch’s spell. His sister, long dead, and others like her have been cursed to remain in the mortal plane for eternity. Only the stone can set them free.

The only way to convince the reluctant pirate queen to help him is to withhold one small bit of the truth. For if she learns who really betrayed her father, the longing in her fiery eyes could easily turn to murderous wrath…

Mistress of the Stone is a paranormal romance reader’s haven. The author delivers the right about of romance and world building, and the way she describes the story you’ll feel like you're right there. You get not only a love story, but you also get a curse, shifters, ghost, gargoyles, witch and to top it all off, one sexy pirate and one hot pirate hunter.

This book had me hooked from start to finish. I don’t want to give out too much detail because this book is too good to spoil. I loved all the characters even the villain. I even felt sorry for him at times, but then at other times I really disliked him for what he was doing. I really enjoyed both Luisa and Xander, but there were times that I really wished Xander would have stepped up to the plate more and showed how much he really cared about Luisa, but do you ever get everything you want in a story. You can tell Luisa and Xander were destined to be together right from the start and that makes you really see the sparks fly each time they are together.

 I recommend this to any paranormal romance reader that loves a good, hot romance and lots of action.

Favorite reads of 2013 Claudy Conn Moon-Quicksliver

Title: Hungry Moon-Quicksilver
Author: Claudy Conn
Genre: Paranormal Romance
 Length: Novel
 Reviewed by: Laurie Rating- 5 Sexual- 2

Ravena MacAllister doesn’t want to admit what she is. She wants to continue pretending she’s just human … only human, like her mother, like her friends.

But she isn’t human.

Heartbreak and betrayal send her off rushing to Scotland, to a familiar haven where she has spent so many summers with her father, but she soon discovers that everything has changed.

From the moment she meets Quinn MacValdane, shock waves travel through him to her and back again, wrapping them in a tide of passion she had never dreamt possible. But if they are to have a future together, she must confront who and what she is, for she will need to call on the powers within her as she becomes embroiled in an adventure that will alter her life forever.

The time for pretending is over.

Quicksilver is a priceless gem among the paranormal romance genre. I simply loved every minute of reading this book. Claudy Conn did an outstanding job creating the world and characters. I loved how everything was explained in detail and I felt like I was right there in the middle of everything.

 You find everything from, wizards, druids, demons, shape-shifters and so much more in the story. This story has action, mystery, magic and a passionate romance.

 What I liked best was Quinn. Not only is he a wizard he is also a werewolf and not the type we normally read, you know just a regular wolf shifter. Nope not Quinn, he is not the really cute and cuddly dog type we read about all the time. However, with his Scottish accent and really hot looks when the full moon is not out he can really draw a lady LOL. Unfortunately Quinn ends up cursed and waits an eternity before one woman can save him. I want to address this sex.

There is not much sexual action in this story. You get a few good lengthy sex scenes but mostly you get some hot sexual tension. I really thought what was presented fit the story and characters well. I loved the HEA ending and hope to read the next book soon.

Favorite reads of 2013 Clady Conn Lady X

Title: Lady X
Author: Claudy Conn
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Time Travel
Length: Novel
 Reviewed by: Laurie
 Rating- 5 Sexual- 2

Exerilla is a white witch.

Her father is a dark and dangerous warlock with an agenda to marry her to someone she despises. He has the power to do this before she reaches her majority, which will occur at Samhain, Halloween.

Her mother has a plan and against her daughter’s will, implements that plan, which sends Exerilla into the past, where she must remain until October 31st—months away. And magic is something she can’t use because her father could trace it to her.

Here is the problem, plans have a way of seeping from black and white into gray

I Love Claudy’s paranormal romances, they are always fresh and exciting to read. Lady X is a time travel paranormal romance that is very realistic.

 What I loved most was the way she ended the story. You come to a point where you’re thinking, there is no freaking way she is going to be able to pull this all together and clean up all of these loose ends, but she does and it suits the whole book. Exerilla (X) and Lord Hunter MacTorry, romance doesn’t start with sparks right off the bat but once they start flying its nonstop, until one of them Exerilla is left making a hard choice, that will leave one left behind in time desperately trying to find the other. I loved both X and Lord Hunters characters, they are both strong and are willing to do anything for the ones they love.

 I recommend this book for readers who love any of these paranormal, time travel and historical romances.

Favorite readers of 2013 Dani Harper First Bite

Title: First Bite (Dark Wolf, #1)

 Author: Dani Harper
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
 Reviewed by: Laurie Rating- 5 Sexual- 2

Geneva “Neva” Ross doesn’t want to die. But now that she’s been turned into a werewolf against her will, she’ll do anything to protect her family and friends…even if that means taking her own life.

After witnessing Neva’s leap from a high ledge, Travis Williamson—a Changeling with a dark past—uses his powers to save her life. He feels a connection to the strong-willed woman whose eyes flash that familiar Changeling green. While Neva is hospitalized, Travis risks everything to kidnap her, knowing the approaching full moon will put everyone in jeopardy.

Bickering constantly to hide their growing attraction, Travis and Neva run from the authorities…and from Neva’s sinister sire, Meredith de la Ronde. Meredith delights in creating new shape-shifters and compelling them to do her dark bidding; now Neva must join Meredith’s murderous wolf pack…or die.

Intensely suspenseful with deliciously sexy twists, this paranormal romance—the first in (the title of series)—intertwines sensual passion with an epic, thrilling battle between good and evil.

Dani has an awesome start to a new romance series and I believe this is her best book yet. I loved all of the characters, heck even the villain is awesome at being a true villain. This is a true example of keeping the right balance of romance, story and sex. Dani didn’t go overboard on either one.

 Neva is having nothing to do with being a werewolf so she sets out to do something about it by killing herself. Neva has a very good reason to do this and to be whining about the whole ordeal, heck even I would have been crying the blues if I was her shoes. It's not everyday someone close to you want's you dead or controlling you and when I mean controlling I mean you would have to kill others under their command. Look at it this way, someone has just change your life forever and changed it into something that is a killing machine, wouldn't you cry about it for a bit before you suddenly take control because you see it's the only hope you have? I know I would, but I guess not everyone is like me.

They think life is grand and they embrace everything bad that comes there way, with no whining. Whatever. As a paranormal romance reviewer I myself love the emotional roller-coaster the author took us on with Nava. I loved reading her denial and her embarrassing her fate. Neva takes her time to warm up to the Changeling ways but she has some excellent help with hot Travis by her side,that is when she’s not ditching him.LOL. Once she finds out what she really wants in life she'll stop at nothing to get Travis back, even if it means coming face to face with the danger she so much wanted to kill herself to keep away form. Travis isn’t a week hero he will risk his life to keep Neva safe from the evil that is after her, but he also knows when to back off and let someone else take lead. Together they both find love and danger in every corner.

 There are a few secondary characters introduced and I hope to read about them in the future. If you love paranormal romance this is one book not to be missed.