Review: Stealing Summer - Lexi Blake

From New York Times and USA Today bestseller Lexi Blake comes a new epic-length story in her Thieves/Hunter world… 

A daughter lost 

Summer has spent her whole life wondering about the family she left behind. On the night she came into being she only had a few moments with them. In that brief time, she reached out to her father, looking deep into his soul, and gifted him the will to go on. But now she is the one in need. Once a child made of pure magic, she is forced to live as a mortal. Her power caused great harm, and she has sworn never to let it happen again. With her friends beside her, she tries her best to help those she can. If that requires her to do a little thievery, well, she is her mother’s daughter, after all.

Everything changes when a woman falls from the sky and Summer meets the handsome vampire named Marcus Vorenus. Just as her past begins to catch up with her, she might have finally met her future.

A mother discovered

Kelsey Owens went searching for Dev and Marcus but all she found was a trap. She was pulled through a magical painting and thrown smack into the middle of a battle on a foreign plane of existence. Luckily she’s good in a fight. Saving the woman targeted by the horde of brutal soldiers, Kelsey is shocked by her resemblance to her queen. As Kelsey investigates the mystery surrounding Summer Donovan-Quinn, she also hunts for a way back to the husbands and son she just claimed.

A queen exiled

Zoey Donovan-Quinn is not happy. The wizard Myrddin is back, her marriage is troubled, and she is sure those two problems are connected. But nothing is more worrying than Dev’s sudden disappearance. When she and Daniel go looking for him, they are drawn into a world thought lost to the Earth plane. Danger awaits them there, but so does the daughter they thought they would never see again. She hopes they survive their reunion.

Three heroines. One mystery. And an ending that will change the Thieves world forever…

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
I love Lexi Blake's Thieves series and always hoped that we'd find out what happened to Summer as well as that we'd see Marcus get his own romance so I was thrilled when I heard about Stealing Summer. While a lot of this author's books work as stand alone stories (you can pretty much read the Masters & Mercenaries series in any order for example) I really recommend reading this book after the rest of the Thieves and Hunter books because there is so much going on here that it would be confusing for a first time reader.

We have three different points of view for the book, Zoey from the original books in the series, Kelsey whose story was told in the Hunter spin off and also Summer who we saw briefly as a baby but never as a POV character before. Sometimes I find stories confusing when they're told from multiple points of view but these three characters were distinctive enough that it was easy to keep track of who we were reading about.

It's really hard to say too much about the plot of this book without giving spoilers but trust me if you had questions at the end of the previous books then you'll get most of the answers here. As well as Zoey and Kelsey we get to catch up with other series favourites like Daniel, Dev and Marcus, we also get to explore a few new realms and if you're fans of Lexi's other books you'll spot cameos from characters from both the Masters and Mercenaries and the Faery story series. I loved getting to meet Summer and see how her life had turned out since she was taken to Faerie and I really loved seeing Marcus finally get his own happily ever after that he's waited thousands of years for. 

The only other thing I'm going to tell to is that this is a total game changer for this series and whole world. Lots of revelations are made and while I expected something like what happened at the end it was still a jaw dropping moment and a HUGE cliffhanger. I honestly can't wait for the next book in the series and I'm really glad that Lexi Blake is writing in this world again!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Outcast - Lexi Blake

On the hunt for a vicious killer, Kelsey discovers that the true threat lies closer than she could have ever imagined.

It’s been months since Trent Wilcox was sentenced to exile, but Kelsey hasn’t given up on finding a way to bring him home. Grayson Sloane doesn’t share her enthusiasm. Loving two men is challenging enough without them being at each other’s throats, and she is unwilling to compromise on the future she knows is meant for them.

Kelsey’s only hope for bringing them all together comes in the form of the Hell lord who insisted on Trent’s exile – Gray’s father. Lord Sloane is willing to acquiesce on Trent’s punishment if Kelsey will do one little job for him. A stray wolf is on a killing spree in Wyoming and he’s killed a number of witches in Lord Sloane’s service. The situation is made all the more complicated by the presence of a sinister werewolf cult in the area. Lupus Solum is known for being cruel to their own kind, and even worse to outsiders.

Caught between a craven wolf cult, a brutal killer, a Hell lord, and a mounting pile of bodies, Kelsey is going to have her work cut out for her. But if she can solve the case, she might have a chance to earn her happily ever after.

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
Kelsey's love life has never been more complicated, Gray still can't forgive Trent for his brother's death while Trent has been exiled as punishment for what happened making him a target for anyone who wants to hurt her. She's doing her best to hold things together but she needs both of the men in her life and is desperate to find a way to bring Trent home and make peace between him and Gray. Gray's father Lord Sloane has offered her a way to make that happen but when demons are involved the only thing you can guarantee that there is going to be a catch. Still, if she agrees to hunt a werewolf who is on a killing spree in Wyoming there is a chance of getting Trent out of exile, but only if they can survive whatever trap Sloane has put in place to hurt them.

Outcast makes all of the main characters face up to things that happened to them in the past, there is a lot of emotional baggage with their families but also between the three of them that they need to work through but it looks like Kelsey, Gray and Trent are finally building towards their happily ever after. There are lots of complications along the way but the future is definitely looking much brighter for all of them. Lexi Blake is never afraid to put her characters through the wringer though so you should definitely be prepared for things to get much worse before they start to get better.

There are several plots that have been building to a head for a while now, a few of which are resolved in this book but some that are only just getting started and after the way things ended I'm ridiculously excited for the next book. This was definitely my favourite instalment in Kelsey's series, we're introduced to some great new characters, we get to spend time with old favourites and the story had me hooked from beginning to end. The next book can't be ready soon enough!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Sleeper - Lexi Blake

When Neil’s past catches up to him, Kelsey must choose between her new family and an old love…

With tensions rising between the Council and demonkind, Kelsey finds herself investigating a series of murders that threaten the fragile truce between them. If she can’t stop these killings soon, they could ignite a fire sure to burn the supernatural world down.

Unfortunately for her, Kelsey’s problems don’t stop with a pile of dead halflings. Her connection with Marcus is frayed at best, and Gray hasn’t been heard from in months. Her only semblance of peace comes from a new man in her life. When Gray storms back into the picture, her love life goes from incredibly complicated to apocalyptic.

Just as Kelsey begins to unravel the mystery, the forces of Heaven decide to take an interest in her actions. Outclassed with these powers in play, Kelsey knows that one misstep could leave the human and supernatural worlds in ashes.

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
After a rocky start to the Hunter spin off from Lexi Blake's Thieves series I have to say I'm now really enjoying Kelsey's story. Addict was the turning point for me but Sleeper ended up being even better and it definitely left me excited to read more about Kelsey and her ever more complicated life.

As the contract between demons and vampires is very close to running out completely tensions between the two groups are high, especially since vampire king refuses to allow the council to start to negotiate new terms. Kelsey has more reasons than most to have a grudge against the demons but she knows how precarious the balance is between the different supernatural groups and when a murderer starts targeting half-breeds she knows it's her job as Nex Aparatus to get to the bottom of it. Of course she's also busy with her side quest to find a way to destroy her nemesis Nemcox but he's turning out to be tricky to track down.

I've never been a big fan of Kelsey and Marcus as a couple, their connection always felt forced to me, more down to the bond because he is her trainer than any real, long lasting attraction so I was happy with the way their relationship started to change at the beginning of this story. I like them both as individuals and really, really want to see Marcus get his own book and a HEA, but I like Kelsey so much more when she's with Trent and Gray, either individually or as an eventual triad. Things have gotten really complicated with Gray since he was given his prophecy powers and walked away from her yet again but it's much easier when it comes to Trent and he is obviously willing to sacrifice a lot to be with her.

This story isn't just about the relationships though, there are some brilliant moments between Kelsey and Lee in particular but I'm also enjoying seeing the old gang now they're back to their old selves. We were left with a lot of questions about Neil at the end of the original Thieves series and it was great to finally get some answers here about what had happened to him all those years ago. I also think the next book is going to be even more exciting now that a certain wizard has decided to put in a reappearance, I suspect he's going to be causing all kinds of trouble and I can't wait to see how it all plays out!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Addict - Lexi Blake

In order to destroy a legendary monster and save the royal family, Kelsey must make a deal with a devil…

When Kelsey Owens returns home to Dallas, she is a changed woman. After months of training with Marcus Vorenus, she has more control over her abilities. She’s ready to start her new job, even if it means dealing with the King of All Vampire and his partner, Devinshea Quinn. Her first assignment, however, will force her to face her past. Grayson Sloane is in trouble and she has to find him.

With the help of Gray’s brother, a full empath demon, Kelsey tracks her one-time lover down. Before she knows it, she’s pulled into Gray’s undercover operation in a demon sex club and sitting across from a Duke of Hell. Abbas Hiberna plans to use her city to test his new drug, Brimstone. It doesn’t just give supernatural creatures a high. It also leaves them vulnerable to demonic persuasion.

When the king’s own men begin to turn against him, even the royal family is in danger. Keeping them safe will put Kelsey in the duke’s crosshairs and test her fledgling relationship with Marcus. With her new life crumbling around her, a dark secret about her former lover is revealed, and Kelsey will have to choose between saving Gray Sloane and the revenge she’s waited a lifetime for.

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
As a huge fan of the original Thieves books it pained me to say that I didn't really enjoy Ripper, the first book in this spin off series. I felt that a lot of the people we already knew and loved were acting completely out of character and I just hadn't connected to the new narrator Kelsey as much as I had with Zoey in the original books. So I was a little wary going into Addict, I wanted to like it but I wasn't sure if I would so I'm very happy to report that this was a HUGE improvement for me.

Now that Kelsey knows more about who and what she is she's starting to become more confident in herself and her abilities which made her a more interesting character to follow. Apart from a dodgy start where I wanted to slap some sense into him Daniel was much more like his old self in this book and we saw a bit more of Devlin and Zoey too. I'm glad that the main focus of this series is with the newer characters though and I really loved the developments with Grayson in this book, I liked the addition of werewolf Trent and I loved seeing Zach as an uncle.

I have to admit I'm not sold on Kelsey's relationship with Marcus though. I love Marcus as a character but I just don't feel the chemistry between him and Kelsey, it felt a bit forced and frankly a little bit creepy because of the special connection they had thanks to him being her trainer. I think I'd prefer them with a platonic mentor type relationship so I'm definitely team Grayson (& quite possibly team Grayson & Trent!) at the moment. Perhaps Lexi Blake will convince me otherwise but at the moment I think Marcus would be much happier with someone else and I'm hoping we'll get to see that in another spin off.

It was good to see Kelsey starting to rebuild bridges with some of the people who let her down in the first book. There were a lot of people who did things that hurt her previously but I think some of them were doing it for the right reasons so that's a little more forgivable than what Daniel did. The overarching plot of this spin off definitely seems to be building up to a war between the vampires and demons and things are getting very interesting on that front. I'm not quite sure what Daniel is hoping to achieve with this because no war can be won without a lot of casualties along the way but he was always a long term planner so I expect he knows what he is doing.

Now that the series has started to gain momentum I'm much more excited about continuing it and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next for Kelsey and her friends.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
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Review: She Will Be My Goddess - Lexi Blake

Thanks for joining me for this series of vignettes featuring the men of Thieves. We all know Zoey’s point of view, but I thought it would be fun to take key scenes from the series and rewrite them from the men’s point of view. I hope you enjoy seeing the series in a different light. I’m enjoying playing around with all of Z’s guys!

This is a scene from Steal the Light. It takes place at the end of the book after Zoey has resolved the problems with Lucas Halfer. Daniel has chosen to leave Zoey behind when he’s forced to go to Paris and she’s confused and alone. This scene is from Dev’s point of view. Devinshea knows he’s madly in love with Zoey, but he’s waited. He’s worried for weeks that she’ll choose Daniel and he’ll be alone again. In this scene, Zoey makes her choice and Dev’s fantasy comes alive . . . with one small missing piece . . .

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
She Will Be My Goddess is a short scene from Steal the Light but written from Dev's point of view rather than Zoey's. If you sign up for Lexi Blake's website you'll get a link to download this and You Will Call Me Master (another short scene but retold from Daniel's POV) for free. Neither of these shorts will make much sense to you if you haven't read Steal the Light first but for fans of the series it's nice to get a chance to see a tiny portion of the story from the guy's points of view.

This particular scene is from the end of Steal the Light where Daniel has left Zoey behind to go with the vampire council. Zoey has been struggling with her feelings for both guys but she's realised that it's finally time for her to let Daniel go and to perhaps consider the possibly of giving Dev a chance. I enjoyed seeing this scene from Dev's point of view and hope Lexi Blake decides to give us more snippets like this in the future from some of the other characters in the series.

Source: Received for free via the author's newsletter

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.

Review: Ripper - Lexi Blake

A New Heroine Rises...

Kelsey Atwood is a private detective with a problem. She came from a family of hunters, growing up on the wrong side of the supernatural world. Tracking down bail jumpers and deadbeat dads may not make her a lot of friends, but it’s a lot safer than the life she turned her back on. She was hoping to escape from the nightmares of her past, but her latest case has brought them right back to her door.

A young woman has gone missing, and she didn’t go willingly. When Kelsey discovers that the girl is actually a shifter, she knows she should drop the case and walk away. But this shifter was a sweet kid, and she’s in serious trouble. More females are missing and the evidence points to a legendary killer. Bodies are piling up, and her case is becoming center stage for a conflict that could shatter the fragile peace between wolves and vampires.

As the hunt intensifies, she finds herself trapped between two men—Gray, a magnetic half-demon lawman, and the ancient vampire Marcus Vorenus. Both men call to her, but when a shocking secret about Kelsey’s family is revealed, it could ruin them all. To stop the killer, she will have to embrace the truth about who—and what—she truly is.

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
Ripper is the first book in Lexi Blake's Hunter series, it's set in the same world as her Thieves books with reappearances from some of the original characters so to be honest I think it's best read as a continuation of the original series rather than being used as a starting point but I'm enjoying getting to know a new main character and looking forward to seeing how Kelsey's journey continues.

Kelsey is a character that we've not met before but I thought it was really fun to eventually find out how she tied back to the original group we grew to love in the Thieves books. She was raised by her father to believe all supernatural characters were evil and he used her abilities to help him hunt werewolves and shapeshifters to murder. She was horrified when she realised how wrong he was and she's never forgiven herself for the part she played in his killing spree, even though she was only a child at the time, so has tried to avoid the supernatural world as much as possible since then.

She focuses on her job as a private detective tracking down cheating husbands or bail jumpers but won't touch a case if it involves the supernatural. Until a desperate woman begs for her help to find her missing daughter, a shapeshifter who has vanished in mysterious circumstances. Kelsey is reluctant to get involved but she knows her skills put her in a unique position to help and she finds it really difficult to say no to a desperate mother. As Kelsey starts to investigate she realises that there has been a spate of abductions recently and they all seem to tie back to a local vampire club. It looks like this case won't be as easy as she first assumed and it's going to drag her right back into a world she hoped she'd left behind forever.

After loving the Thieves series I had really high hopes for this spin off and I do think it has a lot of potential but there were a couple of big issues I had with this first book. Firstly was the pace of the relationship that develops between Kelsey and the half-demon Gray. He is a friend of her brother's who has apparently been interested in her for a long time but things between them move at a ridiculously fast pace so we miss out on all the build up that is usually half the fun of a romance story. There were reasons for this that were revealed later on in the book but I still didn't like it and Gray's overbearing possessiveness was a bit of a sticking point. I don't dislike his character but I'm not at the point where I'm rooting for him so he's going to have to change his attitude if he wants to win me around. It's clear that vampire Marcus (who I already loved from the original books) also has an interest in Kelsey so I don't think the romance side of the story is sorted yet, I'm kind of hoping for a menage relationship like we got with Zoey, Danny & Dev but I'm not sure if either Gray or Marcus would be up for that.

The other thing that really upset me about this was how badly everyone treats Kelsey, nearly everyone in her life is keeping secrets from her, using her in some way or manipulating her to do what they want her to do. By the end of the story I was angry with pretty much everyone but especially at Danny and Dev which was really upsetting because I've always loved those two in the past. I couldn't believe the way Danny treated Kelsey, it ruined my opinion of him and kind of spoiled all the happy feelings I'd been having at seeing some of my favourite characters make a reappearance. You know Danny is behaving badly when even Zack, who has always his followed orders without question, and Marcus, who has been his number one supporter from day one, go against him!

I am going to continue reading the series but in the next book I REALLY need to see an attitude adjustment from Danny, he's got some serious making up to do after this book. I'd also like whatever relationship Kelsey decides to embark on to be with a man who can respect her without trying to control her in any way. There needs to be some proper slow-build romance for her and if that's with Gray he's going to have to work hard to earn her trust back. What I'm most looking forward to is seeing Kelsey come to terms with the revelations about who and what she is, she's going to have to learn how her abilities work and then I want to see her take back control of her own fate and not let Danny get away with using her like he's currently trying to.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Steal the Night - Lexi Blake

She was born to be a thief. To save the world, she will have to become a queen…

Zoey Donovan-Quinn is growing restless. After months of searching, her crew hasn’t been able to locate the resting place of the one man who could save Daniel. While they frantically continue their quest, Zoey is still struggling to recover from the devastating losses she suffered in Faery. In the midst of her grief and worry, Louis Marini appears and demands the Blood Stone he forced Zoey to steal. Zoey has no other choice than to hand it over.

When the giant ruby’s true nature is revealed, Zoey discovers she has given their greatest enemy a weapon of unimaginable power. Equipped with the Blood Stone, Marini intends to dominate the supernatural world and, on a more personal note, claim Zoey as his companion.

Desperate and on the run, Zoey, Dev, and Daniel forge an unlikely alliance with an old adversary who claims he can lead them to the wizard who can free Daniel from Marini’s clutches and help him claim his throne. As they race to solve a thousand-year-old mystery and gather their forces for the ultimate battle, Zoey prepares to do what she does best.

If Daniel and Dev are to have any hope of victory, she will have to do the unthinkable... surrender to Louis Marini and steal back the Blood Stone.

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
Months after returning from the sithein Zoey, Daniel and Dev are still searching for the one person who may be able to save Daniel by removing the silver bomb attached to his heart and until they do that they are completely powerless to do anything to stop Marini and the rest of the vampire council. When Zoey is forced to hand over the Blood Stone to give them more time she unwittingly hands Marini the key to take everything he has ever wanted and now they're in even more peril than before. Now her only choice may be to hand herself over to her greatest enemy in the hope that she can steal the Blood Stone back in time to save the men she loves.

Steal the Night is the final story with Zoey as the main character and it really was a fitting end to her, Daniel and Dev's story. I've loved watching the relationship that has slowly built between the three of them since the beginning of the series and was really pleased with the way things ended for them as a triad. They haven't had an easy time of it and there is more hurt and loss they'll have to get through in this last book but I think they've definitely earned their HEA now.

There was a lot to love about this book, not just the relationship between the three main characters but also Zoey's friendship with characters like Neil and Sarah, her brotherly relationships with Lee and Zack, the alliances they have slowly been developing with the werewolves, fae and some of the vampires and the world that they're trying to build for the future. So many of the side characters from this world had a chance to shine in this book and while some things broke my heart others left me with a huge smile on my face.

While there was a lot I enjoyed about this world and I love the series as a whole there were a few things that stopped this being a 5 star read for me. The main one was how things unfolded with Marini, I really didn't like the way Zoey had to spend so much time with him or the things that happened while she was there, I know the author was trying to show the danger of the world but I found some of those scenes very hard to stomach reading. Then there's the fact that there was very little aftermath for everything Zoey has been through, she seems to forget about everything within seconds whenever either Danny or Dev are around and if you're not going to make her feel the full emotional effects of what she's suffered then I don't think it's worth putting her through it in the first place. I was also confused about the way the story ended with a certain wizard, it looked like he was going to be a major player in the story and I was worried about where that plot was going but then it just completely fizzled out with no resolution. Perhaps that's because we'll see more of his character in the new spin off but for now it just left me feeling confused.

So, while I did enjoy most of this book and I definitely loved this series but I don't think this was the strongest instalment compared to the first four books. I'm really looking forward to starting Ripper though, I can't wait to meet new character Kelsey and I'm very excited that Marcus is going to play a larger role in the spin off because he's been a brilliant side character so far.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Steal the Sun - Lexi Blake

Zoey thought she would never have to choose, but to save one husband, she will have to betray the other…

As Zoey Donovan-Quinn first sets foot in the faery homeland of her beloved Devinshea, life is perfect. Her enemy is defeated, her heart is full, and Neil and Sarah are at her side. Daniel and Dev are happy, so their visit to the sithein should be a pleasant honeymoon full of wonder and joy. Well, except for the part where Zoey needs to steal an ancient gem from the Queen of Faery in order to prevent Louis Marini from killing Daniel.

Reunited with her whole crew, stealing the magical artifact should be relatively easy, but unknown to Zoey, Dev, and Daniel, there are dark forces gathering against them. As her search for the Blood Stone gets underway, Zoey makes a startling discovery that will change her life, and Dev and Daniel’s forever.

When her new enemy finally strikes at Zoey from the shadows, her newfound happiness is shattered, and to avenge the horrific attack, Dev prepares his mother’s kingdom for war. Recovering from the attempt on her life, Zoey and Daniel desperately search for the stone and in the process unmask the real monster behind the assault.

Stopping the real threat, and saving Daniel, will force Zoey to choose sides in an epic war between the Seelie and Unseelie Fae, even if it means betraying Dev and his people.

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
Zoey and her husbands arrive in faerie unsure of the welcome they'll receive but Dev is treated like a returning hero, even by the people who looked down on him before he bonded with the god Bris, Zoey is considered an unworthy consort to their priest while Daniel is a curiosity that the fae aren't too sure what to do with. Zoey has been tasked with stealing the blood stone to save Daniel's life but as tensions increase between the Seelie and Unseelie the entire group is in danger and this time not everyone will survive.

I'm still really enjoying this series and I'm loving the overall relationship development between Zoey, Daniel, Dev and now Bris, they have come a long way together and are learning to trust each other and to work as a team. Daniel and Dev are getting on better than ever but they do still have a bit of a tendency to bulldoze ahead with their plans without really taking Zoey's opinion or wishes into account, they're better than they used to be but they still need to work on it. Zoey has a bad habit of keeping secrets or sneaking out without backup because she knows they'll try to stop her so really they all make mistakes in this one even when you can see what they're trying to do.

I really enjoyed this story being set in the sithein and getting to meet more of Dev's family, Declan is still a bit of an ass but we do see a different side to him and it's obvious he misses his twin and wants to be close with Dev again. There are quite a few new interesting characters to meet and we also have the whole gang back together so we get to see plenty of Neil, Lee and Sarah which is always a bonus.

It wouldn't be Zoey if she wasn't finding trouble somehow so you just know that her task of finding the blood stone isn't going to be as easy as it seems and with a war brewing things are getting more dangerous than ever. One part of this book was quite tough to read and really broke my heart, it was a very emotional event for everyone involved and grief caused them all to act in ways they wouldn't normally so they do go through a bit of an emotional hiccup for a while there while they're all coping with events in their own way.

I was really happy with the progress on the overall series arc though and I can't wait to see what awaits the gang next in Steal the Night.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Steal the Moon - Lexi Blake

When an ancient artifact enslaves every werewolf on earth, humanity’s only hope is a thief…

Zoey Donovan should be happy. Her love life couldn’t be better, her demonic nemesis is on the run, business is booming, and no one has tried to kill her in seven whole months. But without her best friend to share it with, it all seems a little hollow. Neil, her fabulous furry wingman, is missing and two grumpy werewolf bodyguards have taken his place.

Undaunted by her humorless babysitters, she intends to track Neil down even if it means risking her newfound romantic bliss. But someone else has plans for Zoey, and they don’t intend to play nice. Lucas Halfer is desperate for revenge, and he knows just how to get it.

An ancient Roman legend tells of an artifact that will grant its possessor the power to control all wolves. No one, including Daniel and Dev, believes the Strong Arm of Remus is real but Zoey thinks Halfer might have already located it. With every werewolf pack in North America gathering in Colorado, the demon could enslave an unstoppable army.

To save the day, and possibly the world, Zoey will have to find a way to steal the Strong Arm of Remus from one of the most powerful demons in existence. Then again, impossible is kind of her specialty.

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
Zoey finally has her love life more or less on track but she's a bit fed up with being followed around everywhere by the two werewolf bodyguards her lovers have hired to protect her. She's missing her best friend Neil who has been missing for months now so she's extremely worried about his safety and if she has to find ways to get around her bodyguards to go and look for him then that's what she'll do. Even if demon Lucas Halfer is still out for revenge. Daniel and Dev are currently trying to build an alliance with the werewolves but getting an invite to their gathering is proving difficult as they don't trust vampires, Dev may be able to get them in by offering himself and Zoey to perform a fertility ritual for them. That could all go horribly wrong if Lucas manages to get hold of an ancient Roman artefact that he believes will allow him to control all of the wolves. It's up to Zoey and her crew to stay one step ahead and prevent a disaster but that could be easier said than done.

This series is just getting better and better. I love the relationship development in our Zoey / Daniel / Dev triangle, the boys are finally on the same page and have started to rebuild the friendship they had early on in the series. They are working together as a team which is fantastic to see but there are times when they seem to forget that Zoey is an independent woman who is capable of making her own choices. I get their need to keep her safe but trying to keep her wrapped in a bubble is driving her insane and I was so glad to see her stand up for herself and tell them what she wanted and needed. I enjoyed seeing her get back into the action and I really loved the addition of werewolf Lee to her crew. It was also great to see Neil again, he's been through a lot and is in a really difficult place right now but he obviously needs his friends around him and Zoey will do anything for the people she cares about.

This story had plenty of action and some fabulous scenes with the werewolves. I did get a little frustrated with Zoey for paying so little attention when anyone tried to talk to her about the fertility ceremony but it was quite funny to see her reaction when things get started and I liked the way it changed her relationship with Dev. It was good to see her having some one on one time with both of her boys but I think my favourite parts are when they're all together as a happy trio, especially now that Daniel has let himself loosen up a bit! The addition of Dev's twin brother Declan made things really interesting and I'm really curious to see how the rest of his family reacts to their arrival in the next book. I have a feeling things are about to get even more complicated and I can't wait!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Steal the Day - Lexi Blake

The world’s most unusual thief faces her greatest challenge—stealing a soul from the depths of Hell…

When a member of her crew is dragged to Hell by a demon, Zoey plans the most dangerous heist of her career. With her team at her side, Zoey intends to sneak onto the Hell plane and steal Sarah back.

The job seems impossible until a new client makes them an offer too good to refuse. If she can find an ancient artifact called The Revelation, she can use it to locate an angel who holds Sarah’s redemption in his hands.

Surrounded by warring angels and demons, the greatest threat may come from one of her own. Torn between her Fae lover and the vampire who has always held her heart, Zoey finds that she and Dev are trapped in Daniel’s web of secrets, and it may be Zoey who has to pay the ultimate price.

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
I left it a bit too long between reading this book and writing this to give you a full review but I do know I devoured this book and that I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

This book picks up Zoey's story not long after the end of Steal the Light. Her relationship with Daniel is more complicated than ever before now that she knows exactly how many secrets he has been keeping from her, things with Dev would be going well apart from the small fact that she still loves Daniel and now her heart is torn between two men, and if that wasn't enough she has to try and figure out a way to rescue a member of her crew from hell. Yes, complicated is definitely the right word for Zoey's life right now.

Alongside plenty of action and a lot more world building when it comes to vampire politics this story gives a lot of focus to Zoey's love life and the complex relationship she has with both of the men she loves. Daniel has finally declared his feelings and decided to fight for their relationship but she's hurt by the years he's spent ignoring her and the secrets he's been keeping. At any other point she would have run into his open arms and not looked back but that was before she met Dev and let him into her heart too. For the first time Daniel is facing the fact that he might be too late to rescue their relationship while at the same time Dev wants nothing more than to claim Zoey as his own but knows she'll never be completely happy without Daniel in her life.

I'm really enjoying the way Lexi Blake is developing their relationship and definitely have high hopes that my triad wishes are going to be fulfilled as the series continues.

Source: Purchased

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Review: You Will Call Me Master - Lexi Blake

Thanks for joining me for this series of vignettes featuring the men of Thieves. We all know Zoey’s point of view, but I thought it would be fun to take key scenes from the series and rewrite them from the men’s point of view. I hope you enjoy seeing the series in a different light. I’m enjoying playing around with all of Z’s guys!

This is a scene from Steal the Light. It takes place roughly midway through the book after the fight at the hotel with Stewart, the demon. Daniel has been shot with silver bullets and he’s expended his energy saving Zoey by flying her safely from the top of the building down to the bottom. He wakes up, sure that he’s died only to discover that Zoey won’t let him go….

(This story is free for subscribers to Lexi Blake's newsletter)

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
You Will Call Me Master is a short scene from Steal the Light but told from Daniel's point of view instead of Zoey's. You'll receive a link to download this story for free if you sign up for Lexi Blake's newsletter and if you're a fan of the Thieves series then I think you'll enjoy this one. It's not a great introduction to the series if you've not already read the first book though, IMO it only really works if you know the context and the history between the characters.

I found it really interesting getting the chance to see inside Daniel's head. We know how much Zoey adores him but he's harder to read because we only have his actions to go on in the first book. It always felt to me that he loves her too but was trying to protect her by keeping her at a distance but this just confirms that. I'd love to see more of his POV in future books (& hopefully some of Dev's too!) but this was definitely a nice little snippet.

Source: Received for free via the author's newsletter

Other Reviews:
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Review: Steal the Light - Lexi Blake

When dealing with demons, the devil’s in the details…

Stealing mystical and arcane artifacts is a dangerous business, especially for a human, but Zoey Wharton is an exceptional thief. The trick to staying alive is having friends in all the wrong places. While having a witch and a werewolf on the payroll helps, being partners with a vampire really opens doors.

Zoey and Daniel were childhood sweethearts until a violent car crash took his life and left her shattered. When Daniel returned from the grave as a vampire, his only interest in Zoey was in keeping her safely apart from the secrets of his dark world. He has vowed to protect her, but his heart seems as cold as the night he calls home.

Five years later, a mysterious new client named Lucas Halfer offers Zoey a fortune to steal the Light of Alhorra. The search for the Light leads Zoey into the arms of an earthbound faery prince. Devinshea Quinn sweeps her off her feet, showing her everything the supernatural world has to offer, but Daniel still calls to her heart.

As the true nature of the Light is revealed, Zoey discovers Halfer is a demon and much more than money is at stake. Per her contract, she must give him the Light or spend an eternity in Hell. What’s a girl to do except fight for her soul…and her heart.

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
Zoey is a thief who specialises in stealing arcane artefacts, as the only human on her crew she often finds herself in dangerous situations but she's usually quite good at getting out of them too, especially with the help of her vampire ex-fiancé and the witch and werewolf they work alongside. That is until the day she is tricked into signing a contract with a demon and now her very soul is at risk.

I'm fairly new to Lexi Blake's writing, I've recently been devouring her rereleases of the books she previously published under the pen name Sophie Oak and when I realised she also had an urban fantasy series (one of my favourite genres) I just had to dive in. Steal the Light was a fab start to the series and I plan to devour the rest as soon as possible.

Zoey had her heart broken when her fiancé and childhood sweetheart, Daniel, died in a car crash. She was overjoyed when he came back as a vampire but then he was dragged away by the vampire council and when he returned two years later he wasn't the man she knew and loved. Zoey still desperately loves him but Daniel keeps her at arm's length and insists that there can be no future for them other than friendship. They work together and make a good team but Daniel's heart is completely closed off from her. When they are tricked into searching for a fae artefact for a demon the job leads Zoey to faery prince Dev and for the first time she finds herself attracted to someone other than Daniel. Romance is complicated though and she really should be focused on getting the demon off her back and saving her soul.

Normally I shy away from books with even a hint of a love triangle in them, it's a trope that has been done to death in UF and it's one I'm really sick of reading about but knowing Lexi Blake's penchant for writing menage stories I'm kind of hoping that this one will have a much different outcome to most! I actually thought the triangle was handled really well here and I have a hard time deciding which of the guys I like most. There is a lot of history between Zoey and Daniel and you can feel how much she loves him, he has always been the centre of her world but the new, brooding and secretive vampire is not the Daniel she fell in love with and he refuses to let her get close to him again. Dev, on the other hand, is far less complicated. He is warm, funny and leaves Zoey in no doubt that he is attracted to her. Dev gives her the attention she has been craving for such a long time and he makes it all so easy.

We know all along that Daniel is keeping things from Zoey but I have to admit I was angry with him when the depth of his deception was revealed towards the end of the story. I know he was trying to protect her but I hate it when people keep important things hidden from their loved ones so I could understand why Zoey felt so betrayed and I wasn't at all surprised by how things played out. I'm hoping that we'll see him start to redeem himself in future books though and I'm also looking forward to learning more about Dev.

Steal the Light has great main characters, plenty of humour, lots of action and all the heat you'd expect from a Lexi Blake book so I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Source: Purchased

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