Review: Dream Nights with the CEO - Kathy Lyons

Hotel chain CEO and millionaire Wyatt Monroe is a stick in the mud. Sure, he's hot as sin, even with the tie, but free-spirited assistant Megan Bradford refuses to jeopardize their perfect working relationship. Why mess that up with sex? She knows he's the love 'em and leave 'em type, and she's determined to find a family man.

Wyatt would never cross the line between boss and employee with Megan, no matter how hard it might be to resist the temptation. But when they visit a mysterious B&B in a bid to acquire the property, he starts having erotic dreams about the sexy brunette that make it hard to resist her in daylight.

Soon the line between reality and dreams further blurs when they learn they were sharing the same erotic dreams...

Secret Desires Series:
Dream Nights with the CEO
Further titles & release dates to be confirmed

Visit Kathy Lyons' website for more information.

Review:
Megan has had a crush on her boss Wyatt ever since she first started working for him but she loves her job too much to ever risk starting a relationship with him. Although she dreams of marriage and a family she wants to build her career first and she is well on her way to achieving her goals, especially with the new promotion Wyatt has just offered her. Wyatt has also been attracted to Megan for years but the closer they have grown as friends and colleagues the more he knows he can't push for something more. He wouldn't want to lose his right hand woman because he'd be lost without her input into his businesses. As they travel around the country looking for the right B&B for Wyatt to invest in next their attraction really kicks in as they start having erotic dreams about each other. That makes it very hard for either of them to keep their relationship on it's usual business only footing, especially when they find out they've been sharing the same dreams.

I haven't read anything by Jade Lee before but I've heard a lot of good things about her historical romances so I jumped at the chance of reading this first story in her new contemporary romance series published under the name Kathy Lyons. I guess the synopsis kind of gives it away but this isn't quite a standard contemporary romance - it actually has a paranormal twist and I'd classify it more as a romance with a hint of a ghost story. I don't think it's heavy enough on the paranormal for me to class it as paranormal romance though so it should still appeal to CR fans.

Dream Nights with the CEO is infused with a lot of humour which makes it a quick and fun story to read but I have to admit there were a few inconsistencies that kept pulling me out of the story. This may have been partly because I was reading an advanced copy so these errors may have been corrected in the finished version but I'm going to mention them anyway because they did bug me a bit. I was confused because it is mentioned many times how wealthy Wyatt is, he is a millionaire several times over so buying into another B&B shouldn't be a huge deal for him but there were a couple of points where Megan starts to worry that if something goes wrong with their latest project she could financially ruin him. At one point he already owned six B&Bs but then later on it was made to sound like he only had two. These are fairly minor irritations but they did leave me feeling confused.

I really liked the idea of the two characters sharing erotic dreams and that giving them the push to take their relationship to the next level but I think I would have preferred it if they had taken that step a little faster than they did. It's hard to explain exactly what I mean without giving spoilers so I'm just going to say it seemed a bit crazy that their dream antics lead to the events that occurred in their real lives when neither of them remembered actually doing the deed. Yes, I know that is vague but I think people who have read the book will know what I mean and I'm happy to answer questions if anyone doesn't mind spoilers. As far as the actual characters go I quite liked both Megan and Wyatt but as this is quite a short story I never really felt I got to know them as well as I could have. Their relationship ends up going from zero to one hundred miles an hour very quickly and it does seem a bit rushed towards the end even though they make a cute couple. I am interested enough in the concept for the series that I'll read the next one to see if my issues with this one have been ironed out though and since I like the authors humour too I'm also planning on checking out some of the books she has published as Jade Lee.

Source: Received from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Guest Post: Kathy Lyon's Favourite Romance Novels (Dream Nights with the CEO Blog Tour)

I'm thrilled to welcome Kathy Lyons (alter ego of best selling author Jade Lee) to Feeling Fictional today to celebrate the release of her latest romance novel Dream Nights with the CEO. The story is a fun contemporary romance with a hint of the paranormal and I'll be posting my review later today so make sure you stop back and read it. Before I hand you over to Kathy let me give you a bit more information about the story:

Hotel chain CEO and millionaire Wyatt Monroe is a stick in the mud. Sure, he's hot as sin, even with the tie, but free-spirited assistant Megan Bradford refuses to jeopardize their perfect working relationship. Why mess that up with sex? She knows he's the love 'em and leave 'em type, and she's determined to find a family man.

Wyatt would never cross the line between boss and employee with Megan, no matter how hard it might be to resist the temptation. But when they visit a mysterious B&B in a bid to acquire the property, he starts having erotic dreams about the sexy brunette that make it hard to resist her in daylight.

Soon the line between reality and dreams further blurs when they learn they were sharing the same erotic dreams...

Author Bio:
A USA Today Bestseller, JADE LEE has been scripting love stories since she first picked up a set of paper dolls. Ball gowns and rakish lords caught her attention early (thank you Georgette Heyer), and her fascination with the Regency began. And as a Taurus, she lives to pit a headstrong woman against a tortured hero just to watch them butt heads on the way to true love. Flesh wounds are rare, but the healing and laughter are real.

Now an author of more than 30 romance novels, she finally gets to set these couples in the best girl-heaven of all: a Bridal Salon! This way she gets to live out all her wedding fantasies, one by one. (Let’s be honest, what girl has only one idea for her dream wedding?)

And don’t forget Jade’s other name, KATHY LYONS. That’s Jade’s lighter, contemporary side she’s writing for Entangled Publishing and what Dream Nights is all about! For more on Kathy visit her on her website, Facebook, or Twitter.

Now please give a very warm welcome to Kathy and let us know what you think of her favourite romance novels!

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

My Favorites! – by Kathy Lyons

So I was asked to write about my favorite romance novels. That’s like asking me to eat one potato chip or one type of nut. (I love nuts! So I guess it’s true – you are what you eat). Anyway, here’s what it boils down to: I like SEXY and FUNNY. There you go. If it’s sexy and funny, I’m there. I’ll pick Robert Downey Jr’s Ironman over Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine anyday. Not that I wouldn’t go hang all over both men, but I digress. Anything by Joss Whedon over... well, um...period. He’s got that perfect mix of humor, action, and heart. (Can we bring back Firefly please?)

Robert Downy Jr

Okay, back to books. I’m on a huge Urban Fantasy kick right now. I love Jeaniene Frosts’s Night Huntress series. First one is Halfway to the Grave. Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files is a favorite and an autobuy but he’s not romance. (ths’t him over there, btw, holding up one of my tee shirts. Thank you Jim!) Rachael Caine rocks as does Shannon Butcher and JR Ward.

Jim Butcher (with his Jade Lee tee shirt!)

Historical romance: Elizabeth Hoyt never disappoints. I enjoy Courtney Milan, Tessa Dare, and Madeline Hunter. Hmmm, I notice I’m talking about authors not necessarily books. Well, that’s because I enjoy the voice and not necessarily the particular book. Some story lines don’t do it for me. No reason except they aren’t my cup of tea at that moment in time. However, if I love the voice–the author–then I’ll settle in for a good read and not worry about some of the particulars. Guess I’m weird that way.

Nathan Fillion

For category romance, CJ Ellison’s Vanilla on Top was fun. And I like Jo Leigh a lot. Cindy Dees rocks the military romance idea. Hmmm...what an I missing here? Oh yes! Myself! So I try to be both funny and sexy, and (yeah!) I think my most recent excels at it. Just my opinion! So check me out. Here’s a link to Dream Nights with the CEO page with excerpts! [http://kathylyons.com/dreamnightsceo.html] And my most recent Jade Lee book is the one I call Sherlock Holmes knocked on his ass by love. Here’s that page: [http://jadeleeauthor.com/books/bridal-favors-series/wedded-in-sin]

Does that help? If not, then tell me what you love! I’ll check it out!

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

Thanks for a fabulous guest post Kathy, you've mentioned a lot of my favourite authors - I adore Jeaniene Frost and Rachel Caine! I also love Lara Adrian and Larissa Ione when it comes to paranormal romance. I agree with you about humour being an important part of any story and a contemporary romance author who always makes me laugh is Ruthie Knox. I don't seem to read a lot of historical romance at the moment but I'll be adding some of your suggested authors to my list for when I'm in a historical mood :o) I have to admit I love the sound of your latest Jade Lee book, the tag Sherlock Holmes knocked on his ass by love is all I need to see to know it's going on my wish list!

What do you think of Kathy's choices? Has she included your favourite authors? Which books / authors would you add to the list? Do you have any recommendations for books that are both sexy and funny that Kathy and I need to be reading?

Review: Caressed by Ice - Nalini Singh

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins - cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna . . . 

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted - and had her mind violated - by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives.

Psy-Changeling Series:
Beat of Temptation (Novella included in Wild Invitation and the An Enchanted Season anthology)
Whisper of Sin (Novella included in the Burning Up anthology)
Slave to Sensation
Visions of Heat
Caressed by Ice
Stroke of Enticement (Novella included in Wild Invitation and The Magical Christmas Cat anthology)
Mine to Possess
Hostage to Pleasure
Branded by Fire
Blaze of Memory
Bonds of Justice
Play of Passion
Declaration of Courtship (Novella included in Wild Invitation)
Kiss of Snow
Texture of Intimacy (Novella included in Wild Invitation)
Tangle of Need
Heart of Obsidian

Visit Nalini Singh's website for more information

Review:
Ever since she was captured and tortured by a Psy psychopath Brenna has been struggling to put the pieces of her life back together. She may have been a victim but it takes strength to get through everything she did and come out sane on the other side. Something deep inside her has changed though and she is terrified of the new abilities she has gained, fearing that she is turning into something as evil as the Psy who held her prisoner. Visions of violence and death haunt her and when one of her pack members is brutally murdered in the same way as her dream Brenna is terrified. The only person she can turn to is Judd, he is the only one she trusts to be honest with her and who might be able to help her uncover what is happening.

Judd is an incredibly powerful Psy, one with rare abilities that make him a perfect assassin. Before he fled the Psy-Net to protect his family he was an Arrow, an elite soldier who carried out the Council's orders, no matter how terrible the things they asked of him. Now he uses his abilities to work against the Council, determined to stop them from taking Silence to the next level. The nature of his abilities make Judd an extremely powerful soldier but they also mean he is at the greatest risk of injuring someone if his emotions get the better of him. Judd is one of the Psy who embraces the Silence because he knows it will keep the people he cares about safe from his abilities. He doesn't want to break the chains and allow his emotions to the surface because he thinks he will end up hurting someone so as much as he is drawn to Brenna he is determined to keep her at arms length. Brenna isn't going to give up on him without a fight though, she knows what she wants and she will do whatever it takes to show Judd how good things could be between them.

Caressed by Ice was my favourite instalment of the series so far and there is no doubt that Judd was my favourite hero! He comes across as so cold and controlled but you just know there is so much more to him bubbling away under the surface. When he makes up his mind to go for it with Brenna there is no stopping him and he is incredibly passionate and possessive when he allows his emotions to show. I loved watching Brenna break through his icy outer layer to free the man underneath. Brenna and Judd are a fantastic couple who take time to get to know each other before they fall in love. It is harder for them to find a balance than it was for the previous couples because of the nature of Judd's abilities and the way they effect him when his emotions start to show. It isn't easy for Judd to break the hold that the Silence has on him and let Brenna under his defences. What I really liked was the way Brenna sees through the iceman act in a way that nobody else does, the other wolves have never fully accepted him as part of their pack and Judd has always deliberately kept himself at a distance from everyone else. As Judd opens up to Brenna he also starts to get to know the rest of the pack and finally begins to find his place amongst them.

Brenna has suffered so much but she refuses to break and let the man who tortured her win. She loves her pack and they brought her back from the edge but she refuses to let them keep her locked away even though they are just trying to keep her safe. I loved the relationship she has with her brothers and the SnowDancer alpha Hawke (I can't wait for his book!). Her brothers are understandably protective of her but they have started to smother her and I was glad that Hawke helped her get her freedom back. It was great to get to know more about the wolves and see the differences between their pack and the DarkRiver leopards. We are at the point in the series where we are starting to see more of the wider picture and learn about the other kinds of changelings and how the different packs all interact with each other. We are also uncovering more about just how twisted the Psy Council are and the lengths they are prepared to go to to get what they want. This series is becoming a firm favourite and I highly recommend it to paranormal romance fans.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Fancy Free - Shelley Munro + International Giveaway

Warning: Condoms were tested and a few harmed during the writing of this story.

It’s not every day a girl inherits a condom company, and to say accountant Alice Beasley is astonished and out of her depth is putting it mildly. For an almost virgin, she needs a quick education in all things condom because her inheritance is in danger. Someone is intent on sabotage and trying to destroy her new company.

Alice is suddenly getting down and dirty with charismatic James, the factory manager, all in the name of business, testing new condom designs. The sex is hot. Mind-blowing. It’s a dark thrill and an erotic journey. Yeah, it’s a hard job, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s gotta do.

Alice wants James. She craves his talented touch and sultry kisses, she desires passion and physical pleasure on a permanent basis but first she must convince bad-boy James to give up his fancy-free ways.

Fancy Free Series:
Fancy Free
Christmas is Coming
Feeling the Buzz
Biding His Thyme

Visit Shelley Munro's website for more information

Review:
The last thing Alice is expecting when she goes to the reading of her godmother's will is that she is about to inherit a condom factory. The fact that she has to agree to run the factory for 6 months in order to keep her inheritance makes her more than a little nervous but she has always wanted to feel financially secure and this is the perfect opportunity. With someone causing all kinds of incidents at the factory it soon becomes clear that Alice's future isn't quite as secure as she thought it would be though and she becomes even more determined to make sure the business is a success. Alice finds herself working closely with the factory manager James and it isn't long before the sparks between them start to fly, so, when they need to keep the testing for a new range of condoms very closely monitored, it seems only natural for them to carry out the tests personally. Alice knows that James is planning on leaving the town when his six month contract is up but surely she can enjoy a few months of hot sex without ending up heartbroken when he is gone?

Fancy Free is a very light hearted and amusing erotic romance, the characters are quirky, the sex is plentiful and it was a very quick and easy read that kept me entertained. I did have a few issues with the story but overall I'd have to say I liked it. Alice is very innocent and quite naive at the beginning of the story, she is dating someone who treats her like dirt and seems to constantly put her down all the time but thankfully she has a backbone and she quickly kicks him to the kerb when she realises how much he has always taken her for granted. She has very little experience with men and sex so she is quite shocked by the products the factory makes and by the way her new colleagues discuss everything so openly. It was quite amusing watching the others tease her and it doesn't take her too long to let her inner bad girl out to play.

The chemistry between her and James was great, in a lot of ways they are opposites but he seems to really respect her and they make a good couple. The sex was undoubtedly hot but I have to admit there were a few instances where the words used turned my stomach rather than turned me on - I don't think it is possible to use the word squelch in a sex scene without making me cringe and it was used twice on the same page at one point which was more than a little off putting. Luckily that wasn't the norm though and most of the interactions between Alice and James had me fanning myself. I would have liked to have got to know James a little better, I never really felt that we got to know what really made him tick and I especially would have liked to have seen more of a confrontation with his mother and sister after the way they treated both him and Alice so badly.

I found the plot about who was trying to sabotage the factory interesting and I hadn't guessed the outcome until just before the big reveal. I did end up feeling very confused when the story jumped forward in time by 3 months though. It would have made sense if something had changed during that time gap but it hadn't - in fact the creepy stalkers who were harassing Alice with weird gifts and by following her around the town dressed in strange costumes had taken a break from contacting her for the 3 months and only started causing again when when the story was picked up. I couldn't understand why the stalkers suddenly stopped for 3 months or why Alice hadn't thought to mention it to anyone in all that time in spite of the fact that is what she had been so scared by their actions. I found things made a lot more sense when I pretended that the 3 month gap had just never happened so that's exactly what I did. Overall Fancy Free was a fun story with a cute romance and a little suspense around the factory sabotage. It was my first book by Shelley Munro and I enjoyed it enough to check out more of her books in the future.

Source: Received from Book Monster Promotions in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Giveaway Details:

As part of the blog tour Shelley Munro is giving away a $20 Amazon voucher. You can enter the giveaway using the rafflecopter widget below. The winner will be contacted directly by Shelley to arrange sending the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Visions of Heat - Nalini Singh

Used to cold silence, Faith NightStar is suddenly being tormented by dark visions of blood and murder. A bad sign for anyone, but worse for Faith, an F-Psy with the highly sought after ability to predict the future. Then the visions show her something even more dangerous - aching need . . . exquisite pleasure. But so powerful is her vision, so fragile the state of her mind, that the very emotions she yearns to embrace could be the end of her.

Changeling Vaughn D'Angelo can take either man or jaguar form, but it is his animal side that is overwhelmingly drawn to Faith. The jaguar's instinct is to claim this woman it finds so utterly fascinating and the man has no argument. But while Vaughn craves sensation and hungers to pleasure Faith in every way, desire is a danger that could snap the last threads of her sanity. And there are Psy who need Faith's sight for their own purposes. They must keep her silenced - and keep her from Vaughn . . .

Psy-Changeling Series:
Beat of Temptation (Novella included in Wild Invitation and the An Enchanted Season anthology)
Whisper of Sin (Novella included in the Burning Up anthology)
Slave to Sensation
Visions of Heat
Caressed by Ice
Stroke of Enticement (Novella included in Wild Invitation and The Magical Christmas Cat anthology)
Mine to Possess
Hostage to Pleasure
Branded by Fire
Blaze of Memory
Bonds of Justice
Play of Passion
Declaration of Courtship (Novella included in Wild Invitation)
Kiss of Snow
Texture of Intimacy (Novella included in Wild Invitation)
Tangle of Need
Heart of Obsidian

Visit Nalini Singh's website for more information

Review:
Faith is a rare F-Psy, someone with the ability to see the future, her visions have used to predict the stock market since she was only 3 years old which has made the NightStar Clan very wealthy. Recently her visions have taken a darker turn and she seems to have become psychically linked with a murderer seeing nothing but death and destruction. She knows that she is on the verge of madness and that if the Psy Council find out she will end up institutionalised because her skills are too valuable for her mind to be wiped. Faith has no choice but to trust in the visions she sees of Vaughn, a sexy jaguar who is a member of the DarkRiver pack, who she is sure can help her track down the murderer and prevent more deaths. Vaughn's instincts tell him that Faith belongs to him but every touch brings her closer to an emotional overload that could send her over the edge. Vaughn trusts his instincts though and is determined to find a way to break through Faith's emotional barriers and convince her to take a chance on a future with him.

Visions of Heat is the second instalment to the Psy-Changeling series allows us to find out even more about the different Psy abilities and the world that Nalini Singh has created. As much as I love the Guild Hunter series I've always been fascinated by different psychic powers and I'm really enjoying learning more about the Psy. The way they have trained themselves to block out any emotions makes them come across as an incredibly cold race, they don't seem to care about anyone or anything and use logic to make their decisions. Faith has been even more sheltered than most Psy, her abilities are incredibly powerful but they make her more vulnerable to emotional overload than most other Psy. She has spent most of her life alone and has rarely had any form of physical contact with anyone apart from for medical reasons. Her horror over the visions she is seeing has caused her to seek help from Vaughn and the DarkRiver pack, she knows that Sascha is no longer part of the Psy-Net and believes that she is the only person who can help her retain her sanity.

Vaughn is the only jaguar amongst the leopards of the DarkRiver pack but they are his family and he will do anything to protect them. He is initially wary of Faith and worries that she could bring trouble do their door but there is something about her that calls to his jaguar side and he is unable to resist her. His animal instincts crave the comfort of touching her but he has to be careful not to overload her senses. I love the way Vaughn is constantly pushing Faith's boundaries, he keeps taking her to the edge but he knows better than she does what she is capable of and although he pushes her further than she thinks she can go he never takes things too far. Vaughn is a sexy alpha who is more in touch with his animal side than his human one and he certainly ticked all my favourite hero boxes. I think it is the fact that he is so different to Faith that makes them work so well as a couple, they both seem to know exactly what the other one needs and they find a way to provide it for them. Vaughn really helps Faith come to terms with her visions and he proves to her that she can cope with more than she ever would have guessed. I really enjoyed watching her grow into a confident woman as she learns more about her ability and how to control it.

It was great to catch up with Lucas and Sascha several months on from when they met in Slave to Sensation and see how they are getting on as a couple and I loved spending more time with the DarkRiver pack and getting to know some of the other characters a little better. The more I learn about the Psy-Changeling world the more intrigued I am and I have a feeling that this is going to quickly turn into one of my favourite paranormal romance series. There is something about Nalini Singh's writing style that pulls you into the story and makes you feel so connected to her characters and I can't wait to see where the series goes next.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Auction - Lyn Austin + International Giveaway

Katherine Blake wants a baby. At thirty-three, she has a home and an antique business that she loves, but she is running out of time. Kat hasn’t had a man in her life that she would even consider fathering her child…except her ex-husband.

Michael Blake is for sale. In support of special-needs children, he offers himself up for one week as a prize at a New Year’s Eve local celebrity bachelor auction. The result? His ex-wife buys him to finish the restoration of the hundred-year-old home they bought shortly after their marriage. Or so he thinks. Katherine does expect the remodelling to be finished, but the rest of her plan is more devious. She doesn’t need him to rekindle the one-of-a-kind love that led to their fairy-tale wedding and he doesn't have to atone for the mistakes that led to their divorce, but he does have to...well, deliver.

Visit Lyn Austin's website for more information

Review:
Kat has a successful business and a home that she loves but what she always wanted more than anything is a family and she feels like her chances are slipping away from her. There is only one man that she can imagine as the father of her baby and that is her ex-husband Michael. Their relationship ended due to lack of communication and because they let other priorities get in the way but even though she could never trust him with her heart again she knows he would be a wonderful father. When Michael offers a week of his time as a prize at a charity auction Kat is determined she will be the one who gets to take him home. Her excuse is that she wants him to finish the renovations on her home but she also has other plans for him, ones that could get her everything she ever wanted if she's careful.

The Auction is a sweet contemporary romance that is all about second chances and learning from past mistakes to discover what is really important. I'll admit that I had my reservations about Kat in the beginning, I was really unhappy at her plans to trick Michael into getting her pregnant - especially when she had no intention of ever telling him about the baby. I think that kind of thing is unforgivable and I found myself getting more and more annoyed at her the longer she stayed determined to follow through on her plans. Thankfully it didn't take her too long to come to her senses and realise that she could never do that to Michael. She realised that he deserved better and as her feelings for him started to flood back she decided that trying to rebuild their relationship was more important to her. Once she got over her initial selfish attitude I found myself liking Kat a lot more and it didn't take long before I was rooting for her and Michael to work things out.

Michael was a fantastic hero, he had lost sight of their relationship when he was trying to open his ski lodge but everything he did was to build a successful future for them. He was heart broken when Kat kicked him out not realising how neglected she felt and that she thought he didn't love her any more. If only they would have been more open with each other they could have avoided a lot of heartache but they have learnt from their mistakes and are both even more determined to make things work from now onwards. Michael was so sweet and romantic that he made my heart melt, any woman would be lucky to end up with a guy like him. He is caring, protective and passionate and the chemistry between him and Kat was fabulous.

Kat's grandfather adds a nice extra element to the story with his crazy antics and womanising ways. Fans of contemporary romance are sure to enjoy The Auction and I'll be interested to see what author Lyn Austin comes up with next.

Source: Received from Book Monster Promotions in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Giveaway Details:

As part of the blog tour Borough's Publishing Group is offering Lyn Austin's Lunchbox Romance, Carol of the Heart along with a 5-story Lunchbox Romance subscription. You can enter the giveaway using the rafflecopter widget below. The winner will be contacted directly by the publisher to arrange the prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Archangel's Storm - Nalini Singh

With wings of midnight and an affinity for shadows, Jason courts darkness. But now, with the Archangel Neha's consort lying murdered and her rage threatening cataclysmic devastation, Jason steps into the light, knowing he must unearth the murderer before it is too late.

Earning Neha's trust comes at a price - Jason must tie himself to her bloodline through the Princess Mahiya, a woman with secrets so dangerous, she trusts no one. Least of all an enemy spymaster.

With only their relentless hunt for a violent, intelligent killer to unite them, Jason and Mahiya embark on a quest that leads to a centuries old nightmare . . . and to the dark storm of an unexpected passion that threatens to drench them both in blood.

The Guild Hunter Series:
Angels' Dance (ebook novella that is also included in Angel's Flight)
Angels' Judgement (novella included in Angel's Flight and the Must Love Hellhounds anthology)
Angels' Pawn (ebook novella that is also included in Angel's Flight)
Angel's Blood
Archangel's Kiss
Archangel's Consort
Angel's Wolf (novella included in Angel's Flight and the Angel's of Darkness anthology)
Archangel's Blade
Archangel's Storm
Archangel's Legion (2013)

Visit Nalini Singh's website for more information

Review:
When the archangel Neha's consort Eris is murdered her rage threatens to destroy the balance of power amongst the cadre of ten and if left unchecked thousands of innocent lives could be lost. Neha already has a grudge against Raphael which makes him and his territory a likely target for her rage. The one person that Raphael can send to try and gain Neha's trust and help her investigate the murder is his spymaster Jason. Jason is an expert at uncovering secrets and his unique abilities make him perfect for the job but the only way Neha will allow him into her territory is if he forms a blood bond with her niece Mahiya. The last thing Mahiya wants is to be tied to an enemy spy, especially when she has secrets of her own that are so dangerous her life would be forfeit if they are uncovered but she has no choice but to go along with Neha's wishes and she has her own reasons for wanting to uncover who is behind Eris's death. As Jason and Mahiya work together to uncover the truth they uncover a shocking betrayal that threatens to turn Mahiya's world upside down. Can she trust Jason to keep the promises he made to protect her or will he end up breaking her heart?

I'm a huge fan of the Guild Hunter series, I love Raphael and Elena but I've been dying to learn more about Raphael's Seven, the trusted angels and vampires who have had his back for centuries, ever since the first book so I'm really excited that they each seem to be getting their own book. Jason has intrigued me from the moment we met him, I knew he had to have some kind of darkness in his past and I was desperate to get to know his secrets. Although I was expecting him to have a tortured past I had no idea just how badly he had suffered, in fact reading about the things he had been through actually brought tears to my eyes which is a testament of just how invested I was in his story. My heart broke for the things he had seen as a child but I admire him for the strength of character he showed to survive with his sanity in tact.

I was a bit unsure how a romance could work between Jason and a member of another archangel's court, especially someone who is actually related to Neha, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I found myself liking Mahiya. For a lot of reasons that I'm not going to go into in this review (you'll have to read the book to find out what they are!), Mahiya has never been a favourite of Neha's. The only reason she was allowed to survive was as a punishment to her parents and Neha has taken great pains to keep Mahiya in her place at the bottom of the court hierarchy when by birth right she should be an important member of the family. Mahiya has been through so much that it would have been easy for her to become a bitter and hateful person but she is determined not to let Neha beat her. She knows that the only way she can win is to remain true to herself and she has shown incredible strength to manage that. She makes a worthy heroine for Jason and it doesn't take long for him to see that. They really are so well matched, Mahiya understands Jason on a level that nobody else ever has and she accepts what he can and can't offer her without hesitation. I don't think anyone will be disappointed by the sexy scenes between the two of them, Jason is one hot dominant angel who knows exactly what he wants and how to get it!

Alongside the mystery of who murdered Eris, which I have to admit I guessed in advance but not until fairly near the big reveal, Archangel's Storm also allows us to catch up with favourite characters we already know and love. I always eat up any scene between Raphael and Elena but some of the highlights in this book were the ones between Dmitri and Honor. I love how sweet Dmitri is with Honor, he is like a completely different vampire when he is with her but that doesn't make him any less scary as far as anyone else is concerned. Illium always steals any scene he appears in, I just adore Bluebell and I really hope he has his own book soon because I'd love to see him find a worthy heroine. My only disappointment with this series is that I'm now up to date which means I'll have to wait a whole year in between each new instalment - I foresee a lot of re-reading in my future to get my Guild Hunter fix. At least I still have the Psy-Changeling series to catch up on so that will keep me going for the next few weeks anyway. Nalini Singh is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, I haven't read anything of hers that I didn't love and I can't recommend her highly enough to paranormal romance fans.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle: