The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

Title: The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker

Author: Leanna Renee Hieber

Publisher: Dorcester LoveSpell

Rating: 4

Reviewer: Ash

Percy and Alexi are finally together. The Guard accepts her as their seventh member and as a goddess incarnate. Even though a supernatural war brews on the horizon, they have the ghosts of former Guard members to help them fight it. When Hades himself threatens, will they be able to defeat such a powerful evil?

Like when Chuck and Sarah in the TV show Chuck got together, I kind of felt like, Where can Alexi and Percy really go now? I loved the dramatic acceptance/rejection cycle in the first novel, even though I’m typically not a romance fan. Now that the hero and heroine are getting married, one of the big losses in the novel was that anticipation of a connection.

When rumors and threats of a supernatural war become truth and an ancient enemy reappears to claim his long-denied bride, the Guard band together with a few deceased members of the older Guard generations to defeat the darkness. It was interesting to delve a little deeper into the other members of the Guard, both living and dead.

Percy had a little more backbone, which was great. Alexi was kind of overbearing and I didn’t like him quite as much as I did in the first book. We went from sexy, tortured hero to old fuddy-duddy not wanting to let Percy out to play.

DL is as elegantly written as the first. It has a broader scope, touching on the lives of more characters and expanding the Strangely Beautiful universe. We learn more about the underworld and why Percy is so desired by Hades, and what drives the Guard to fight to their inner demons as well as the ones actually threatening them.

It’s a beautifully written, engaging novel that sweeps the reader into a darkly luminous time and place. Of course, I recommend it, and look forward to reading any more books in the series!

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

Title: The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
Author: Leanna Renee Heiber
Publisher: Dorcester LoveSpell
Rating: 4 ½
Reviewer: Ash

Percy Parker knows she’s different. Snow white from head to toe, with pale silver-blue eyes, she has no illusions that she is beautiful. When she begins Athens Academy, she catches the eye of a moody, handsome professor, Alexi Rychman. As they fight their untoward attraction to one another, Alexi can’t help but believe the girl is the long-missing member of the mysterious supernatural protectors of Victorian England (and every other century), the Guard. But the rest of the Guard believe another woman, Miss Linden, is the long-awaited seventh member. When all hell threatens to break loose, the truth will be revealed. Is the seventh member, the goddess incarnate, unusual Percy or the beautiful Miss Linden?
I’m a fan of Ms. Hieber’s. I stalked her at Romantic Times this year unapologetically until I had a chance to go and fan-girl at her feet (okay, so maybe I was slightly more dignified than that…). I was so excited to get a chance to review Strangely Beautiful and the follow-up, The Darkly Luminous….the title is really long, so I’m just calling it DL.

Percy is a really strange looking girl. Stone-white from her hair to her toes, she’s used to being the outcast. She’s sort of quiet and unassuming, and spends a lot of time wrapped up in veils and coats and her own self-pity because she’s just so sure she’s hideous. Every once in a while she has a spell of confidence and sort of breaks out of that rut. When moody professor Alexi Rychman takes an interest in her lack of interest for mathematics and starts to give her private lessons that take a fairly quick turn toward a Victorian-era-level of naughtiness—when Alexi isn’t dramatically pushing her away or when she’s not waxing philosophical about her defects.
While Alexi is passively discovering awkward little Percy harbors the very traits of the goddess reincarnation he’s been searching for whom he’s been searching for years, his only friends, the other members of the Guard, are pretty sure the seventh member is a chatty, beautiful young woman who hints at having psychic abilities. They all but fall in love with Miss Linden, while Alexi tortures himself over his affection for Percy. Although he insists Percy is the one they are searching for, they can’t accept that someone as young as she would be—again, despite the fact she can talk to and hear ghosts, falls into fits when she sees paintings of mythical events, and pukes up loads of pomegranate seeds AND gets burned by a charm she possesses that happens to be like the most significant symbol of their order), and all but force Alexi to choose Miss Linden and reject Percy on all levels.

All that said, I loved this book. I had to fight my natural cynicism towards romance novels because of the ignore-the-obvious choices the characters made—hey, it’s a novel. Without the drama, there’s no story, right?—but once I got over that (note: that’s entirely MY issue, NOT the author’s) it was easy to get swept away by this story. The setting is unique—it’s dark and surreal and fascinating, definitely not something you find in many romance novels. Hieber writes beautifully and crafts the story and the characters consistently. I couldn’t wait to read the second novel.

If you’re looking for a truly unique, strangely beautiful paranormal romance, pick up Ms. Hieber’s debut novel!

Rowena’s Ghostly Menage by Berengaria Brown

Title: Rowena’s Ghostly Ménage

Author: Berengaria Brown

Publisher: Silver Publishing

Ebook ISBN: 079-7-7348013-8-5

Release Date: June 2010

Format: Ebook

Genre: Ghosts, Paranormal, Menage

Length: Novella

Rating: 2

Reviewer: GJM

Rowena enlists the help of her boyfriend Nathanael to find the inventory of Jabez Winton’s art and antique collection. They need it so that the law office she works for can prove that parts of the collection are missing and have been stolen by their clients’ neighbors.

Jabez died when he was eighty, almost one hundred years ago, but he was meticulous with his record keeping. He catalogued his collection and knows exactly which box Rowena will find it in. He wants to help her find it but he needs energy to become corporeal and there are only two types of energy that can accomplish. This is either a severe lightning storm or sexual energy. He’s also hoping that if he can help Rowena and Nathanael find the inventory that they in turn will help him crossover into the light.

I really didn’t enjoy this book at all. The characters were like cardboard cutouts; that had absolutely no depth what-so-ever. The plot really didn’t keep my attention at all. In fact I’m almost sure there was more time devoted to the sex scenes than character development or the storyline. Just when I thought there could nothing worse than an eighty year old voyeur ghost, Rowena and Nate actually asked him to join them, thinking it may generate even more sexual energy.

I have read Ms Brown before and enjoyed her books but I have to say this one totally missed the mark. If you’re looking for a sexy book that won’t really engage you at all you might like this.

Eternal Truths Book 1: Eris by D. Renee Bagby

Title: Eternal Truths Book 1: Eris

Author: D. Renee Bagby

Publisher: Siren Publishing LLC

Ebook ISBN: 1-60601-837-X

Release Date: June 2010

Format: Ebook

Genre: Time Travel, Erotica, Ménage a Trios, Interracial, Romance

Length: Novel Plus 160,000 words

Rating: 5 Lyres Recommended Read

Reviewer: GJM

Ranulf and Lucien have waited centuries to be reunited with Eris. They have even hired private investigators to try and locate her. Not that they have been able to give the investigators a lot of information to go on all they have is the year 2010, and the name Eris, as they have no surname and only a description of what she looked like last time they saw her centuries before. The PI’s have located two women fitting the description but neither woman is called Eris and the woman they find called Eris has the wrong eye color. So imagine how pleased they are when she appears on their doorstep to catalog their comic collection.

When Eris arrives to catalog a comic collection she has no idea how much her life is about to change. While she thinks both her clients are hot, she has a boyfriend, Clayton, and even if she didn’t, becoming involved with two men is the last thing she wants. After being raised in a home with one father and three mothers she wants a monogamous relationship and has no intention of changing her mind.

When Clayton barters Eris as a way to pay his debt to a friend, Eris calls Lucien and Ranulf to come rescue her. Both men are furious when they find out exactly why Eris is stranded and needs rescuing, and they decide now that she is officially single they will pull out all stops to ensure she chooses one of them to spend her life with–if not both of them.

The relationship between Eris, Lucien and Ranulf grows steadily throughout the book as the trio become closer, so too does the time when Eris will be catapulted back in time to meet up with Lucien and Ranulf as they were when she first knew them. Lucien both looks forward to her going back but also dreads it as he has a very guilty secret and holds no hope that Eris will forgive him on her return from the past. While the men have tried to ensure Eris is safe from their mistakes of the past sometimes things just don’t go as planned and Eris once again has to live through Lucien’s wrath.

“OMG!” Ms Bagby has gone to the top of my must read pile. I was so taken in by the characters I loved, yes loved this book. I cried for Eris, I raged at Lucien and Ranulf then I cried for all three of them. Clayton, I’d like to of cleaved in half with his beloved sword. The characters came to life for me, they all had flaws and imperfections and that’s what made them real to me. This is the first book in the series and if the rest of the series is even half as good as this book, Ms Bagby has a winner on her hands. This is not a quickie story–it’s long, complex and involved and worth each and every turn of the 500 pages it took to tell this tale. Thank you, Ms Bagby, for taking the time to share this wonderful story with your readers I will be waiting with bated breath for the next installment.

Forces of Nature by Lily Grace

Title: Forces of Nature
Author: Lily Grace
Publisher: Torquere Press
Release date: May 2010
Format: Ebook
Genre: Erotica/Gay Romance
Length: Short Story
Rating: 4 Lyres
Reviewer: TR

Drew is in love with his best friend Evan, and has been for 8 years. Evan is everything he is not, fun, sparkling, self-confident, artistic and creative. He is also strikingly beautiful, while Drew has always considered himself average and boring. He cannot see his good points, how fiercely intelligent he is (he is about to finish his PHD in Physics), and how loyal, and that these might be things people valued.  Drew has always thought it was something of a miracle that this fun-loving person chose him for a best friend, and does not want to rock the boat by telling him he is love with him. He will never risk losing Evan from his life. However, one night the forces of nature conspire to bring things to a boiling point.

The tried-and-true formula of a best friend being secretly in love with the other may be something of a cliche, but it is a cliche for a reason. It works. The fact that this is two men involved instead of a man and a woman does not prevent this from being a very tender love story. The author has done a great job of filling in the background of the story, so that even though it is a short story, it still feels complete. It does not just jump straight to the sex, but takes the time to lay down foundation, so by the time we reach the sex it is very moving and touching, and all the more sexy for it. I very much enjoyed this story, and was not left with that empty unsatisfied feeling that short stories can sometimes leave you with. I recommend it for readers who want to be involved with the characters, and do not just want to read a short story that is all about sex.

Banished Witch by Anita Philmar

Title: Banished Witch

Author: Anita Philmar

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

Ebook ISBN:

Release Date: June 2010

Format: Ebook

Genre: Shape shifter, Erotica, BDSM

Length: Novella

Rating: 2 1/2

Reviewer: GJM

When Danella slips into the human world to warn her mate there is a traitor among them, she is taken captive and sold into slavery. While held captive she learns all about magic and visions and starts to plan her revenge against the traitor.

The Queen of Ardenia wants her daughter back and dispatches Omar to find and return her. Omar is Danella’s mate so he readily agrees to go find her and swears he will not return without her.

When Omar finds Danella, she is working as a prostitute but she takes him to her cabin as she believes that since her family will disown her when they find out all that has happened to her while she has been held in captivity, she might as well have one night with her mate.

To say this book confused me is an understatement. I couldn’t for the life of me work out why Danella believed she would be disowned. I also got lost in some of the subplots. Now to be fair to Ms Philmar, this is the 3^rd book in the series and I hadn’t read the first two,  so I was starting behind the eight ball. This is not a series where you can read the books as stand alones, and of course the book cover and blurb neglect to tell us that this book is part of a series.

The editing could have been tighter I found a lot of missed words. I was once again more than a little miffed that ménage was used in the description as it is one scene and NOT a true ménage so again ménage lovers might find themselves a little disappointed.

The Proposition by Lisa Bradley

Title: The Proposition
Author: Lisa Bradley
Publisher: Excessica Publishing
Release date: April 2010
Format: Ebook
Genre: Erotic Romance
Length: Short Story
Rating: 4
Reviewer: CLR

At Twenty-three yrs old Grace was tired of her virgin status.  So she decides that the best person to help her with the problem is her best friend’s older brother, Tom.  Beneath her cool exterior and the business-like tone of her request is an underlying affection for Tom and the hope that their brief encounter may lead to something more.

I enjoyed this story very much.  The story was short but very hot and left you thinking what happens after…  You always hope there will be a relationship in the end but you never know one way or another.   It’s all about fantasy, and you think to yourself, Hmm what would I want to happen next.

Minder by Kate Kaynak

Title: Minder

Author: Kate Kaynak

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Print  ISBN: 978-0-9845311-0-3

Ebook ISBN : 978-0-9845311-1-0

Release Date: June 18^th 2010

Format: Ebook and Print

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Thriller, Romance

Length: Novel

Rating: 4 Lyres

Reviewer: GJM

When we first meet Maddie Dunn she is about to be assaulted by three boys that attend her school.  The three young men have bitten off a lot more than they can chew, as they are the one that end up being the victims.  Maddie is the only witness and she can’t explain how all three boys end up dead in the back of the van. When the police show up at her school and take her to the station because they find her prints in the van, Maddie  is scared. She can’t offer any explanation for what happened.  Enter Dr. Williamson and his young associate. Within minutes,  Maddie is released into the good doctor’s custody and on her way to Ganzfield.

Ganzfield is a live-in complex where youngsters with exception talents are educated in how to use and cope with their powers. It’s here we find out that Maddie is a very strong telepath, ohh and did I mention she can actually kill with just a thought?  We also meet Trevor who is a powerful telekinetic. Maddie and Trevor had an instant attraction and he seems to be able to help her cope with her powers. Ganzfield also has teens with other abilities. Remote Viewers can find things and people with their powers, Sparks can control fire, Healers who can heal just about anything  using just their minds, and, of course, the Charms who in most cases misuse their powers and manipulate the other students into embarrassing and at times humiliating situations.

When Trevor is kidnapped by an evil mad scientist it’s up to Maddie to gather together a rescue team strong enough to put aside their fears and use their different powers to help get to Trevor before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed this book. It is kind of like combining The X-Men, Carrie, and Firestarter all in one book. The characters are likeable with the exception of a few really nasty Charms who deserve a severe beat-down. The tender love story between Maddie and Trevor is well written and I loved they way the two of them found acceptance with each other that they hadn’t managed to find with anyone else. I’ll be looking forward to continuing the adventure with them and their friends in Adversary, which is book two in this series.