For a 99¢ I say go for it. One or two of the books were really enjoyable. However, this collection is clearly quantity over quality. I wouldn't have fFor a 99¢ I say go for it. One or two of the books were really enjoyable. However, this collection is clearly quantity over quality. I wouldn't have finished a few of the books if I weren't reviewing an ARC of the collection. There were Shifter Bears, Cougars, People, Lions, Rabbits, and Housecats… So there is certainly a lot of variety to choose from.
I started to get the feeling that this was a grab bag of "firsts" as in, the first book in a series and the collection was compiled under the assumption that readers will fall in love with one or more books and continue the series. Unfortunately, I didn't fall in love with any of them. The collection ranged from Good, to Mediocre, to Downright Awful.
The Mediocre: Laid Bear (Forgettable but not terrible) BEARed to You (I liked the shifter origin story) Blind Wolf (main characters were twits) Until the Flood (Angsty NewAdult / Young Adult) Cat Lover (Pretty sure that was Furry Erotica…) Better Mate Than Never (Amusing but formulaic)
When I review anthologies, I like to write up individual reviews for each of the books and then base my rating on the overall impression of the collection. Especially considering this set features eleven individual authors with distinct styles and writing quality. You can find links to the full reviews for each book below the blurbs I've written.
Marina Maddix - Laid Bear - It was a quick read, your standard M/F Paranormal shape-shifter romance, but with BEARS. It was nice, but ultimately it was nothing special... You can find my full review here
Tawny Taylor - BEARed to You - More BEARS! I really liked the fresh explanation of how Tarik Evert became a WereBear. There were several steamy sex scenes and some lovely pillow talk, but other than that it was kind of a bust... You can find my full review here
Celia Kyle - He Ain't Lion - This was an unapologetic hilarious read. It was sexy and silly and never took itself seriously. There was rude language, WereLions, tons of sex, and one seriously sassy plus-sized woman. You can find my full review here
Elixa Everett - Whatever He Needs Her To Be - A promising storyline completely ruined by the writing. Disappointing. I really wanted to like this book because the premise was fresh and intriguing, but I wound up completely unsatisfied. You can find my full review here
Dawn Steele - Wanted By The Alphas - I thought this book was a vast improvement on the previous books in the set, in both plot and prose. We had Witches, Were-Panthers, Drug Cartels, Were-Wolves, Love Triangles, Fights to the Death, a brief trip to the after life for one of the characters, and one of the most baffling endings I've ever read. You can find my full review here
Aubrey Rose - Blind Wolf - This was a sweet little BBW romance between a shy librarian and a blind WereWolf. It was cute, even if it was a little angsty at times. A merry band of misfits. You can find my full review here
Cynthia Brint - Until the Flood - This was a rather huge departure form other books in the set because it was heavy in the YA/NA genre while others had been firmly Erotica. The story was cute enough, young love and all that… You can find my full review here
Julianne Reyer - Desires of the Wolfman - I really didn't like this book. It was actually severall little novellas crammed together, but I was ready to carve my eyeballs out with a spoon by the time it was over. You can find my full review here
Selena Kitt - Cat Lover(Sorry, this book is not listed on GoodReads) - Told from the boyfriend's perspective, this was a twisted tale of watching his girlfriend slowly become possessed by the Egyptian Cat Goddess Bast.
Adriana Hunter - Better Mate Than Never - I enjoyed this short story. It was a sweet little "I want you but I can't have you" story between an Alpha-Male Werewolf and a curvaceous redheaded lawyer. You can find my full review here
Eliza Gayle - Lucas - The final book in this boxed set really surprised me when I was becoming fatigued by the Shifter Genre. It had a lot of action, some suspense, and some great dirty talk. Overall, Lucas was a decent "forbidden mates" style of Shifter Romance. You can find my full review here
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***I received an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review***
Merged review:
For a 99¢ I say go for it. One or two of the books were really enjoyable. However, this collection is clearly quantity over quality. I wouldn't have finished a few of the books if I weren't reviewing an ARC of the collection. There were Shifter Bears, Cougars, People, Lions, Rabbits, and Housecats… So there is certainly a lot of variety to choose from.
I started to get the feeling that this was a grab bag of "firsts" as in, the first book in a series and the collection was compiled under the assumption that readers will fall in love with one or more books and continue the series. Unfortunately, I didn't fall in love with any of them. The collection ranged from Good, to Mediocre, to Downright Awful.
The Mediocre: Laid Bear (Forgettable but not terrible) BEARed to You (I liked the shifter origin story) Blind Wolf (main characters were twits) Until the Flood (Angsty NewAdult / Young Adult) Cat Lover (Pretty sure that was Furry Erotica…) Better Mate Than Never (Amusing but formulaic)
When I review anthologies, I like to write up individual reviews for each of the books and then base my rating on the overall impression of the collection. Especially considering this set features eleven individual authors with distinct styles and writing quality. You can find links to the full reviews for each book below the blurbs I've written.
Marina Maddix - Laid Bear - It was a quick read, your standard M/F Paranormal shape-shifter romance, but with BEARS. It was nice, but ultimately it was nothing special... You can find my full review here
Tawny Taylor - BEARed to You - More BEARS! I really liked the fresh explanation of how Tarik Evert became a WereBear. There were several steamy sex scenes and some lovely pillow talk, but other than that it was kind of a bust... You can find my full review here
Celia Kyle - He Ain't Lion - This was an unapologetic hilarious read. It was sexy and silly and never took itself seriously. There was rude language, WereLions, tons of sex, and one seriously sassy plus-sized woman. You can find my full review here
Elixa Everett - Whatever He Needs Her To Be - A promising storyline completely ruined by the writing. Disappointing. I really wanted to like this book because the premise was fresh and intriguing, but I wound up completely unsatisfied. You can find my full review here
Dawn Steele - Wanted By The Alphas - I thought this book was a vast improvement on the previous books in the set, in both plot and prose. We had Witches, Were-Panthers, Drug Cartels, Were-Wolves, Love Triangles, Fights to the Death, a brief trip to the after life for one of the characters, and one of the most baffling endings I've ever read. You can find my full review here
Aubrey Rose - Blind Wolf - This was a sweet little BBW romance between a shy librarian and a blind WereWolf. It was cute, even if it was a little angsty at times. A merry band of misfits. You can find my full review here
Cynthia Brint - Until the Flood - This was a rather huge departure form other books in the set because it was heavy in the YA/NA genre while others had been firmly Erotica. The story was cute enough, young love and all that… You can find my full review here
Julianne Reyer - Desires of the Wolfman - I really didn't like this book. It was actually severall little novellas crammed together, but I was ready to carve my eyeballs out with a spoon by the time it was over. You can find my full review here
Selena Kitt - Cat Lover(Sorry, this book is not listed on GoodReads) - Told from the boyfriend's perspective, this was a twisted tale of watching his girlfriend slowly become possessed by the Egyptian Cat Goddess Bast.
Adriana Hunter - Better Mate Than Never - I enjoyed this short story. It was a sweet little "I want you but I can't have you" story between an Alpha-Male Werewolf and a curvaceous redheaded lawyer. You can find my full review here
Eliza Gayle - Lucas - The final book in this boxed set really surprised me when I was becoming fatigued by the Shifter Genre. It had a lot of action, some suspense, and some great dirty talk. Overall, Lucas was a decent "forbidden mates" style of Shifter Romance. You can find my full review here
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***I received an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review***...more
This book was sweet, and a great weekend read, but ultimately lacked the kind of depth necessary to make the reader care about theCute. Fluffy. Funny.
This book was sweet, and a great weekend read, but ultimately lacked the kind of depth necessary to make the reader care about the characters. The MCs were fairly one-dimensional, and it seemed as though all conflicts were easily (too easily) solved before the couple had a chance to face them.
This isn't the best love story out there, but it will definitely make you smile....more
Asshole, stepbrother, playboy. Not my boyfriend. I don't want to need him like that. He'd chew up my heart and
Fun. Cute. Sexy. Silly. [image]
Asshole, stepbrother, playboy. Not my boyfriend. I don't want to need him like that. He'd chew up my heart and spit it out. Except I can think that all I want, but it doesn't make me any less wet.
You know the big twist in this story before you ever start the book. It's right there in the blurb waiving to you and luring you in with absurdity.
Someone is going to marry their stepbrother. 'How', you ask? In the most amusing way possible.
Stepbrother romances are all the rage at the moment - it's a convenient launching point for a New Adult, angsty, slightly-taboo romp. I'm not generally interested in indulging in angst-laden NA fiction, but I couldn't resist the blurb for this book.
I was looking for a light, fluffy, and humorous erotic romance, and I got it... Eventually...
Here's the thing - this book didn't get off to a great start for me. In the beginning, I didn't like either of the main characters and I was bracing myself for a total train wreck. That's the truth. You know I'll always tell you the truth, my lovely readers...
Within the first few pages it pinged half a dozen of my red-flag tropes and showed no sign of stopping: - The overly slutty best friend who pushes bestie into screwing a hot stranger at the club. - The constantly self-deprecating virgin, straight out of high-school who knows the stranger is an ass, but 'oh well, he's hot!' - The fact that the virgin already has a boyfriend, but she's seeking someone else to pop her cherry.
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Alarm bells were ringing. I'm thinking 'Jesus... What have I gotten myself into?'
Luckily for everyone involved, it got better. Way Better!
This book could probably be classified as a New Adult Romantic Comedy, but the first two(ish) chapters read as an overly-angsty hot mess. I worry that many readers will give up on this book before it hits it's stride. That would be unfortunate. Once this book gained momentum, it was so much fun!
Let's recap...
Angie [image]
I just got married to my stepbrother. In a freaking bikini.
Angie and I didn't hit it off in the beginning, but she grew on me. She starts out in a club looking to lose her virginity to a stranger so that her douche-bag boyfriend won't leave her when he discovers how bad she is in bed.
...and that's why Angie and I won't be palling around anytime soon.
First impressions are everything when it comes to main characters, and I wasn't entirely sure Angie was mature enough to be in an Erotic Romance novel.
She seemed so young I was a little uncomfortable hearing about her vagina. Was I going to wind up on a list somewhere? Was I going to have to knock on doors and introduce myself?
[image]
But I digress... Angie, is eighteen and ready to lose her V-Card before college!
She meets a hot guy, goes back to his place, and bails before said cherry is popped.
Fast forward a few weeks later and Angie is meeting her mom's brand new fiancé for the first time. Mom's boyfriend brings his son to dinner who (SURPRISE!) Is the hot dude who was almost her 'first'.
Angie and Gavin manage to keep it together in front of their parents, but they're on the verge of strangling each other all night.
After dinner Mom's fiancé surprises Mom with tickets to a luxury cruise, but mom gets seasick so he throws them away. Angie snatches the tickets out of the trash and BAM! Shenanigans ensue...
Gavin [image]
Even when she's chewing me out, she's cute as hell. I don't know what it is about her. At first it was my pride. Hunting down the one who ran away. But, fuck, I love the way she challenges me, and she might deny it, but she enjoys it too.
Gavin isn't just your stereotypical alpha douche-bag, she's also a billionaire heir with an enormous chip on his shoulder.
By the way, this book is dual POV, so readers have the benefit of Gavin's macho inner-monologue to balance out Angie's girly musings.
Angie's mother is just another woman in a long line of wives for Gavin's father. He couldn't care less about he pending nuptials, but he's eager to make his new little step-sis as uncomfortable as humanly possible. When he overhears her plans to cash in their parents cruise tickets, he steps in to have a little fun.
Angie and Gavin wind up on the all expense paid luxury cruise and pretending to be their engaged parents so they don't get thrown overboard.
That's when this enemies to lovers romance really hit it's stride. All the best things in this book happened after the not-so-happy couple got on that boat and couldn't escape each other.
Angie became a feisty little thing and refused to take any crap from Gavin. Gavin showed there was something soft under his tattooed exterior. And the UST, people! Oh the UST!
You already know that this pair was doomed to tie the knot, but the cute, funny, and sexy journey to the altar was the real adventure.
Kim Linwood is a new author with a great deal of promise. I fee there were a few growing pains in the beginning of this book, but overall, it was a success....more
Dark, Twisted, Blood-soaked sexiness in a beautifully detailed and gritty Urban Fantasy world. [image]
Maybe you think that everything's random
Dark, Twisted, Blood-soaked sexiness in a beautifully detailed and gritty Urban Fantasy world. [image]
Maybe you think that everything's random, and we're just here on this earth to eat and sleep and shit and fuck, but I don't. Call it arrogant, call it naïve, I don't care. I have a purpose - I stop vampires from hurting people. If you don't want to go with me, seriously, I'm fine with it. I'll drop you off and..."
"Cut the crap. You're not in it alone." He waived a hand like he was clearing smoke from the cab. "When it's all said and done, I'm more on-board with the scientific research agenda than I was with the whole guillotine fiasco."
This series is fucking phenomenal. I loved every second I was able to spend getting to know these characters and watching their story unfold.
Channeling Morpheus is completely addictive - 100% un-put-down-able. Between the first box set (Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary) and this set (A Bitter Taste of Sweet Oblivion) you get the entire series beginning to end. All ten books - No cliffhangers, no waiting for the next installment - just one fabulous five-star series at your finger tips.
It should be noted that in addition to the ten primary books, Jordan Castillo Price occasionally slips her fans bonus short stories to sink your teeth into. See what I did there? Sink your TEETH? *clears throat* sorry..
Heaven Sent (Channeling Morpheus #3.1) *FREE* Flex (Channeling Morpheus Flash Fic) *FREE* The Michael Interview (by Carolyn from the PsyCop Series) *FREE* Jackpot (Channeling Morpheus #10.1) Canine (Channeling Morpheus #10.2)
Anywho, I know I will be indulging in those shorts, and whatever JCP has to offer. I've read this series as the whole PsyCop series, and I am fucking WOWed by this author. Her dark sense of humor is right on par with mine. I love her characters, adore her dialogue, enjoy her realistically detailed urban fantasy worlds...
Yes, after enjoying two beautifully written series, I think it's safe to say I'm a big fan.
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Be sure to read the first six books in the series before starting this box set or you'll be hopelessly lost. Wild Bill and Michael have a history together which should be savored. It'll make the ending that much sweeter...
Explosives, Threesomes, and Confessions... [image]
Mikey and me, we were living in our own little vacuum of blood and sex and vampire love.
Well, book six in the Channeling Morpheus series certainly started out with a bang - that is to say, a fourth of July fireworks display and a bit of public sex...
Bill holds the POV of this story and he's become a little more introspective as the series continues. He really is a fabulous character, and it's always a pleasure to get into his brain.
Michael is settling into his life of an Almost-Vampire. He and Wild Bill work as a team to wrangle goth kids willing to donate a pint for Bill's dinner. It seems as though Michael has traded his satchel of stakes and roofies for a phlebotomy kit.
Michael and Wild Bill have gotten quite comfortable - traveling across the county in their van, fucking like bunnies, and hiding from daylight... So Michael suggests a threesome, and given that he and Wild Bill are loath to spread the Vamp virus around, good ol' Mikey suggests they pull another set of fangs into their bed. The target: Damien. Yes, that Damien, the vampire that Wild Bill went all territorial hiss-fest on in book two, Vertigo.
As threesomes go - and I happen to be a connoisseur of these things - it was pretty fucking awkward.
Michael was over-eager, Bill was over-protective, and poor Damien was fairly certain he wouldn't survive the hookup.
I was worried for Damien's safety as well. It wasn't a jealousy thing, more like a Damien-can't-keep-his-mouth-shut- thing. The Vamp had a million questions about Michael's acquired immunity to the virus and he wouldn't freakin' shut up about it. Poor Mikey isn't exactly talkative about his condition...
Anyway, incredibly awkward gothy hookups aside, Wild Bill has some pretty incredible moments during this story, not the least of which occurs when he waders into a confessional and ponders the threesome that began this whole adventure... Michael, Wild Bill, and Ambrose Grey in the first Channeling Morpheus book. That hookup was spark that ignited the relationship between Bill and Michael, and it was the last night on Earth for Ambrose Grey...
Yes, there's been a lot of bloodshed in this series, but I have a feeling that our favorite couple are turning a new leaf. Looks like there might be a little "If we can't beat 'em, educate 'em" on the horizon.
Have I mentioned how much I'm loving this gloriously macabre series? [image]
There was a stranger forty feet away, and a wild vampire in the woods outside. And a goat.
This episode of Channeling Morpheus took me back to everything I love about this series.. Sex, Blood, Drugs, Horror, Humor, Vampire Hunting, Filthy Hotel Rooms, & this gorgeous Romance between Wild Bill and Michael...
*sigh*
So... we had a meet up with the good Doctor Jim in this episode, and maaaaaaan that guy is creeeeeeepy. *shudders*
The professor working to find a cure for Vampirism calls Michael in for a Vampire hunt in a stretch of farmland not far from the University. Seems like a rogue Vampire picking off the local livestock and leaving behind gruesome scenes.
I realized two things while reading this book:
1. Every time Michael and Wild Bill come across another Vampire this feeling of dread washes over me. I'm thinking 'Don't you trust that asshole!', I know that's probably leftover heebie jeebies from the horror show co-op in Rebirth, but I can't shake the feeling that it's Bill and Mikey against the world sometimes.
2. It felt really good to get back to hunting vampires - all the action, suspense, blood, and gore that I've come to crave from Channeling Morpheus - it was all there and more.
Plus, I enjoy all the talk about good vs. bad Vampires and the guilt that comes from killing these creatures. Michael pretty much retired from Vamp hunting. He had a series of near misses, fell in love with a sardonic blood sucker, and wound up contracting the vampire virus and becoming an almost-vampire.
The combination of all that gory goodness with the gothly adorable romance and the blazing hot sex? Yes, I'm so in love with this series right now.
Mother of God, the SEX!
[image]
The cut was fast. His mouth covered my throat, and he drank. My heart stuttered, then started pumping again in time with Bill's swallows. We were an ocean, Bill and me, and my blood was the tide. And wave after salty wave struck against the shore as I came, if you could call it that, this thing that was probably no more than an orgasm, but felt like a tsunami.
Jordan Castillo Price never fails to deliver delicious sex scenes, but she really outdid herself in this episode.
Then I saw the water slide. So that's how easy it was to net a vamp. It had never occurred to me that there was anyone else out there like Michael - and it made sense, if this guy was anything like my one and only, he knew damn well he was vamptastic.
The boys have landed in Milwaukee - it's the longest they've ever settled in one place. They've got a by-the-week hotel room and Michael even scored a job at an all night veterinary clinic.
It's been a few weeks since Wild Bill fled Dr. Creepy's lair with a drugged up and vamped out Michael in the back of the van.
Michael officially retired from Vamp killing, He's pretty much given up on the professor's cure, That leaves one avenue left to protect humans from bad vampires, the "planned parenthood" approach...
The reaction to their safe-vamp-sex lecture generally produces one of two reactions: 1) the subject indulges their explanation but only halfheartedly believes them 2) the subject assumes that the Gothed up couple is into some kind of blood-fetish
There's a general feeling of hopelessness and uselessness as Michael drifts through his days.
Michael's melancholy is affecting Wild Bill in ways he'd rather not voice... On the one hand, vampires are hugely attracted to dark and pensive (vamp heroin) donors, and Michael's somber moods simultaneously make Bill's teeth itch and his dick hard. On the other hand, Bill hates seeing Michael so down - Sure, Wild Bill's first step toward pulling Michael out of a funk will always be sex, but in this episode of the Channeling Morpheus series, we get a glimpse at the deep connection that has formed between the guys.
Turns out, Michael's not the only Vamp Heroin Hunter in town... In the aftermath of that run-in, the reader is treated to some glorious introspection from Wild Bill.
"That was some quick thinking," I said. And what I really meant was, I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry.
Personally, I think the reader knows Wild Bill better than he knows himself through the books which feature his POV. I think Bill dismisses his own epiphanies, and he certainly doesn't share his deeper moments with Michael... I always feel like I walk away from Wild Bill's books knowing way more about his fascinating, complicated character..
By the end of this book Bill and Michael have a very real conversation about what can be done, what should be done, and exactly why they're trying to prevent the spread of the Vampire virus.
The last bit of this book gave me a case of the warm fuzzies, and if you told me that Wild Bill could pull and "Awwwww" moment from me when I started this series, I probably wouldn't believe you.
This episode flew by in a flash of sex, tattoos, bullies, art, & blood. [image]
Ink, dab, ink, dabe... the steady rhythm was hypnotic. The antiseptic smells of surgical soap and the rubbing alcohol almost masked the scent of fresh blood, but that familiar copper tang was still there, beneath it all.
I closed my eyes and tried to will myself not to get aroused. It wasn't easy. Blood and pain and vampire were in the air, my triumvirate of kinks.
Wild Bill was staring when I opened my eyes. He mouthed the words "I love you," and I worried I might bust out of my jeans, because that was the cherry on top.
Michael's vampish tendencies come to a head while working at the vet clinic. An ill-timed, bloody practical joke from a douchebag co-worker has him turning in his scrubs and cleaning out the Ketamine cabinet...
Michael finds himself dwelling on the idea of bullies and predators, and how the same qualities that attract bullies seem to attract vampires. He's deep in a funk by the time the sone goes down and Wild Bill wakes up...
Bill opens up about his former artistic aspirations in this episode of Channeling Morpheus. In fact, Bill does an awful lot of opening up. He takes Michael on a tour of his old Milwaukee stomping grounds in search of the last piece Wild Bill ever painted. A mural in the basement of a now burned out building, but the boys find more than art within the dark dank walls of that abandoned building.
Suddenly Michael is gaining a whole new appreciation for the predator/prey relationship...
Cause Michael is Vamp Heroin, and he and Wild Bill walk into a swarm of junkies...
It wasn't my weakness, laziness or apathy that had let him down. It was my worn-out, half-assed moral compass.
And so, we come to the thrilling conclusion of this fabulous series. Emphasis on the word thrilling. This book packed a heart-pounding punch that kept me wide-eyed while reading. I felt all the suspense and angst pouring out of the pages.
What an amazing fucking ride.
Wild Bill and Michael made it out of the Milwaukee Vampire nest seemingly unscathed, but it turns out the Vampire Silk left a deadly time-bomb lurking under Michael's skin. It's a race against time to save Michael's life - one which causes Wild Bill to question his pacifist leanings and even call in old enemies to help save the man he loves.
I never expected Wild Bill and Michael to ride off into the moonrise on some sort or love-sick honeymoon in search of white picket fences... That's just not how these two roll. They had to go through hell before they earned their version of an HEA, but I'm so thrilled that these guys made it.
I give ALL of the stars to this adorable short story. [image]
Not to toot my own horn or anything, my pussy is kind of fantastic. It needs back
I give ALL of the stars to this adorable short story. [image]
Not to toot my own horn or anything, my pussy is kind of fantastic. It needs backup singers and a chorus line of dancers. Not even the Rockettes are good enough for my pussy. That's just how fantastic it is...
You NEED to meet Michelle "Mimi" Montgomery - she tells this salacious story with an utterly captivating voice. I liked her immediately and she continued to delight through the entire story.
Mimi is a phenomenal character - I can't stress this enough. Her personality made this book so incredibly entertaining.
I recommend this story to everyone who loves to read the POV of a strong, smart female lead. There are female characters that are quirky and make us laugh... Female MCs who you respect - They're clever and confident... There are characters who just feel real...
And every now and then, the stars align and you meet a character who could be your BFF - they embody all of these traits and more - they're vibrant and bring an extra dose of awesomeness to a story... THAT is Mimi in a nutshell.
Michelle "Mimi" Montgomery [image]
His abs have abs. They're like a little Russian nesting doll of abs...
Mimi is an attorney in the big city. She has no time or energy for fluffy romances, but she has needs just like everyone else. She likes her sex rough. Her relationships fleeting. She's sexy, classy, and confident. She wont be forced, intimidated, or fetishized.
Mimi picked Aiden from among the profiles on KinkySinglesConnect.com and engages him in a scorching hot hookup - This is her story of how their hookup ended with an "OMG FML" moment.
I won't spoil a single thing for you. Just know that the sex is jaw-droppingly delicious, the characters are fabulous, and Harper Miller managed to blend heat and humor in a way that will have you smiling and oh so satisfied.
Mimi's thoughts on blending sex and humor:
I honestly believe if you can't laugh at some point during sex then you're probably a bad lay.
...and I believe that if you don't laugh and enjoy yourself while reading this story, then you're probably some kind of soulless robot.
I loved every second of this little story - and you will too!...more
This series is getting better and better with each book. [image]
"I'm trying really hard to be a decent boyfriend," I said. "But I think I might not be cut out for it."
Six weeks after the whole kidnapping/GhosTV/amped up paranormal activity incident, Vic is still on leave from the department. You'd think Vic would use the time for rest and recuperation after his ordeal, but no...
Vic has faced off against murderers, ghosts, and all manner of terrifying things, but he's about to face his biggest challenge yet: Meeting his boyfriend's family!
The boys are spending Thanksgiving with Jacob's family in Wisconsin, and Vic is seriously rethinking his new found sobriety. Falling off the wagon seems mighty alluring when faced with inquisitive kids, Catholics, and the disembodied arm of Jacob's uncle bleeding all over the dry turkey and cranberry sauce.
The holiday getaway is mercifully cut short when a Chicago Alderman's son becomes the newest victim in a string of mysterious disappearances...
No evidence, No pattern, No suspects, No Leads,
And poor Vic is teamed up with yet another new partner....
Detective Victor Bayne [image]
I was thankful that Zigler was willing to interview everyone. In fact, I would've been more comfortable if he could just call all the shots and drag me along like a really expensive and high-maintenance piece of forensics equipment. When everything was said and done, wasn't that all I really was?
Vic was in his element in this book - talking to ghosts to solve his case, and pulling leads from his spirit witnesses. There's no evidence that the missing persons are actually dead, so Vic and his new partner are canvasing their houses and last known whereabouts looking for lingering ghosts.
Vic doesn't come into contact with any undead versions of the missing people, but there's no shortage of helpful chatty ghosts around to point him in the right direction.
Vic is understandably weary of his new partner. He hasn't had the best luck with partners since Maurice retired. The new clean-cut detective seems like a by-the-book kinda guy, but at least he doesn't seem like the type to kidnap Vic and experiment on him...
Detective Jacob Marks [image]
I wouldn't have thought I'd like it, since I'm so twitchy about being restrained. But when Jacob wraps his body around mine, I feel more like he's shielding me than engulfing me.
I think I fall for Jacob a little bit more with every book. He is the perfect companion to balance Vic. He's so warm and tender, and just lovely to read.
While Vic works long hours on his case, Jacob is house hunting. Finding a new place that meets his specifications and isn't being haunted is a tall order.
Following leads from junkie ghosts, Investigating high-profile cases, Interviewing family members, Basements of horror, House Hunting, Catholicism, Voodoo, & Brushing off advances from Jacob's ex... Jut another day in the life of our favorite detectives...
As I said before, this series is progressing wonderfully. Each book has been well written and engaging. There are new obstacles - personally and professionally - for our characters which keeps everything feeling fresh and interesting.
I end each book satisfied, yet excited to continue the journey!
I'm not sure which part was weirder - that it had taken me so long to find someone I was serious about, or that it had even happened to me at all. I'd always figured I was too screwed up to do the whole long-term relationship thing with anybody. Ever.
Domesticity is not Victor's strong suit.
He and Jacob aren't even completely moved into their new home when Jacob gets called away on a case. Not a huge surprise for one of them to get called away, but it leaves Vic pondering all of the changes in his life how far he's come.
Vic would much rather talk shop with Jacob than face unpacking the mountain of boxes, but Jacob refuses to open up about the case which is obviously gotten under his skin.
Secrets... Sometimes it's not about the information being kept from you... Sometimes the hurt comes from knowing the person you love won't share...
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This book is not about a campy three's-company-style grand misunderstanding, it's about figuring out how much you should share with the person you're sharing your life with...
Vic has spent a great deal of his relationship with Jacob questioning the whole situation - There are times when Vic seems honestly baffled that Jacob could love him. He's finally come to the point where he's forced to acknowledge that Jacob's attentions are not a fluke - I mean, they just bought a house together, and the "L" bomb has been dropped...
In this installment of the PsyCop series, Vic has an amazing moment where he shakes off all his self-doubt and charges in to defend his relationship. It was amazing to read and it really solidified all the warm fuzzy feelings I have for this series.
Every time I finish a PsyCop book I think 'Wow, Jacob and Victor really came together in this one!' and those moments just keep happening for them - it has been a steady and believable build up for their relationship and I'm just smitten with them both.
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Jacob was the only lover I'd ever had who could actually overpower me. He was so strong he could do it without even batting an eyelash. And yet, he was the first man I'd ever trusted enough to venture into territory that could turn dark and ugly if it when too far.
Outside of the romance and new home drama, we had a ton of fun stuff happening in this story!
Most of it is spoilery, but I CAN tell you that there are malicious spirits and Grannies involved...
Also, Lisa is back (yay!) and her training at the Psych school has Vic remembering his time at Camp Hell... The memories are fuzzier than they ought to be, the internet insists that Camp Hell never existed (no surprise there) but the real shocker is that Vic doesn't seem to exist online either.
Someone is going to great lengths to ensure that nobody talks about Victor Bayne.
In addition to the great internet mystery, Vic discovers that he's being followed...
There's quite a bit of foreshadowing in the lead up to the next book, Camp Hell, and I'm practically salivating in anticipation! We finally get the scoop on Heliotrope Station?!?
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Oh I am soooo ready for that! I mean, I'm scared, but I'm excited... Bring it on!
You know that moment when you read the first book in a series, and you do a little happy dance because you just discovered something amazin
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You know that moment when you read the first book in a series, and you do a little happy dance because you just discovered something amazing?
I'm so there right now. The only thing better than reading this book was the realization that there is a whole series ready and waiting for me :)
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It was a stupid idea anyway, trying to scare off a demon by putting him in a bubble like Glenda the Good Witch. What I needed was to a house to drop on him.
It is rare for a book to hook me as quickly as this one did. Perhaps it was the anticipation... I've been ready and willing to read the PsyCop series for ages, but you know how out of control a TBR can become. I'm so glad I finally picked up these books!
The paranormal aspects were rooted in a world so well-crafted and believable, I think even those readers who aren't fans of fantasy could easily find themselves enthralled by this series.
There was a sweet connection between the MCs, ...but no insta-love. We were treated to copious amounts of incredibly hot sex, ...but the plot took center stage.
Everything was perfectly balanced to create an amazing story. I will absolutely be continuing this series.
Victor Bayne [image]
I was a fifth-level medium. That was almost as high as you could go [...] So I could hear, and sometimes see, the dead. And they seemed to sense it and be sure they talked my ear off. Thing was, they never knew shit.
Medium, Introvert, & Charmingly Neurotic.
The story was told from the sole POV of Victor, and I quickly fell for his character. Vic talks to dead people, or rather, dead people talk to him... Whether he wants them to or not. Turns out ghosts are regular chatterboxes when they come across a human that can hear them.
Vic's talents have made him an indispensable homicide investigator as the psychic half of a PsyCop team. Unfortunately, his partner, Maurice, has just retired from the force, and Vic finds himself faced with the prospect of being paired up with a new 'stiff' i.e. a detective without psychic abilities.
Victor Bayne might be a gifted psychic, but he's just about hopeless in every other area in life. He's a walking calamity; he has no friends, no family, no fashion sense, and he has a habit of popping pills to keep the ghosts quiet.
He's awkward... Adorably awkward... He knows it will be a challenge to cultivate a working relationship with a new partner. He doesn't make friends, can barely make living acquaintances, and lovers? Ha!
This explains why he is completely blindsided when he winds up on the receiving end of a gorgeous detective's attention.
Jacob Marks [image]
He knows who I am. And he knows what I do. And he's willing to jack me off anyway.
Detective, Golden Boy, & Surprisingly Adorable.
Jacob is the 'stiff' in a PsyCop partnership in a completely separate precinct from Vic. He's a star detective working with his partner Carolyn - a human polygraph.
When Jacob runs into Vic at Maurice's retirement party, there's a whole lot of heat between the two. Their brief hookup in the bathroom ends with a knock on the door - It's the Sergeant - before either man can process what just happened between them, it's back to work.
There's a murder to solve...
When a serial killer strikes on the border of two Chicago precincts, Vic and Jacob wind up working the case together... Awesomeness ensues...
Looking back at the page count - a brief 89ish pages - I can hardly believe Jordan Castillo Price managed to pack so much into this story. It didn't feel rushed, and not a word was wasted. The pacing was perfection.
The story flowed beautifully - a combination of detective work, sex, suspense, paranormal, and the perfect amount of humor.
The world-building was brilliant, the characters were well crafted, but it was definitely the humor that hooked me.
I'll always be a sucker for a book that can make me smile and laugh.
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I really hate threesomes when one of the participants is dead.
I could have plucked a dozen little quips like that to illustrate the quirky humor that saturates the book.
This is the kind of story that leaves you smiling, satisfied, yet excited for more!
Not only had my reality become more Dawn of the Dead than I was accustomed to, but suddenly all the hungry cadavers were acting like I was in possession of the world's last brain...
When your life revolves around talking to ghosts to solve murders, how can you tell when things are getting out of hand?
For Victor, the answer is quite simple: All the ghosts which used to chat him up are becoming a bit grabby... And they're everywhere.
The delicate hold Vic had on sanity is slipping...
In the previous book of this series, Victor couldn't hardly find two ghosts to rub together to solve a case. In this book, he's having quite the opposite problem... And ya know, a lot more problems on top of that... Because for the first time, Vic has a life outside of work...
Victor Bayne [image]
“That’s what’s wrong with Psychs,” I said. “The sixth sense doesn’t match up with the other senses, so anything we describe comes out flawed. It’s like trying to describe how purple smells, or what pain sounds like.”
The sudden increase in paranormal activity isn't a huge deal at first. Victor is the kinda guy who has no problem taking a side of Auracel with his Auracel in order to make the spirits go away. Unfortunately, Vic has to stay off the pills, Doctor's orders, and doesn't that just put the last nail in this undead coffin?
Turns out Vic's liver is none-too-happy about his habit of taking WAY more than the recommended dose of Auracel and now he has to go clean for the foreseeable future.
Even Vic's boyfriend is suffering...
Jacob Marks [image]
I probably should’ve just trusted him. Maybe I did. Maybe it was me that I couldn’t trust. [...] I wondered if I was ever totally present for Jacob, or if he always had to search for the real me between the cracks of all the drugs I took...
Sweet, steady, Jacob... I'm beginning to think Jacob is the perfect person for Vic, but I'm not so sure Vic is the best person for Jacob. Vic has been lashing out in his sleep - violently attacking Jacob, but waking with no memory of the event...
Jacob's partner Carolyn decides that Victor needs to visit an Empathetic Healer... After all, Vic's problem is a ghost problem, not a drug problem, right? Unfortunately, going to the healer puts Vic face-to-face with an entirely different kind of of specter: Jacob's Ex-Boyfriend (*dramatic music plays*) - Crash, the punked-out no-nonsense healer is a) Kind of an asshole b) Doesn't believe Vic is an actual Medium c) Vic's only hope if he wants the ghosts to go away without drugs
On top of all that, Vic is trying to wrap his brain around the multitude of changes in his life... New Boyfriend, New Doctor, New Uncool Sobriety, New Partner, New swarming ghost problem...
Just another day in the life of a PsyCop...
Until Lisa (Vic's former partner) starts calling him from her PsyTraining facility and warning him not to trust anyone. Even Jacob...
This installment of the series layered in quite a bit more suspense, which was lovely. I'm also appreciating the dynamic between Vic and Jacob as I see more of their relationship unfolding. I'd definitely like to see more info on Jacob... Maybe some backstory? Hey, I've got the whole series ahead of me, I'm sure I'll get oodles more info on both my guys ;)
She wanted to make him come so hard his knees would buckle, yet at the same time she wanted to clamp her hands ar
Positively brilliant! [image]
She wanted to make him come so hard his knees would buckle, yet at the same time she wanted to clamp her hands around his throat and stop his breath. It was exhausting, and she was more than aware that the sexual tension was distracting her from the real and urgent business of raising enough money to keep hold of the theatre.
An enemies to lovers modern romance with a delicious burlesque twist! I LOVED IT!
The witty dialogue was the real star of this story - the back and forth between Genie Divine & Abel Kingdom (how fabulous are those names, by the way?) had me highlighting passages in this book like crazy!
There was so much steamy sexual chemistry between the MCs - the whole 'I hate you but I also ache for you' attitude was incredibly entertaining. The reader is easily swept up in this relationship from the very beginning and it was a joy to watch everything play out.
Large doses of humor to kept the story grounded and light-hearted. This book is downright charming.
Genie Divine [image]
"I don't like him, he doesn't like me, and then every now and then we meet in the middle and rip each other's clothes off."
Genie is a believable, relatable, strong, smart female lead and I fell in love with her character instantly. She's confidant and tenacious and stole my heart.
She has spent her entire life in Theatre Divine, raised by her uncle, and eventually performing on stage. Unfortunately, times are tough for the aging theatre and Uncle Davey has decided to sell the property. Genie isn't willing to give up the family business just yet though, she plans to go toe-to-toe with the asshole who wants to take her home away.
Her home and her livelihood - Genie performs a burlesque number on stage at Theatre Divine which captivates her audience night after night... Even those members of the audience who are determined to remain aloof...
Abel Kingdom [image]
Abel wasn't an unethical man; it bothered him that he wanted to fuck her senseless and then fuck her over. Business and pleasure, a bad mix as always.
Oh Abel! What a fabulously filthy mouth on this guy... Imagining the delicious things whispered by this man all wrapped up in an Australian accent will have you melting...
You really want to hate him for trying to take the Divine Theatre, but the reader is quickly informed that purchasing the property is more than just a business decision. It's personal.
His plan to gut the old theatre and turn it into a gleaming gym - another one in a chain of successful ventures - seems like a done deal. He wasn't counting on Genie Devine, though.
Even though he is incredibly attracted to the feisty red-head, Abel has a past which makes him deeply distrustful of any woman who combines sexuality and business. All he has to do is ignore the chemistry drawing him like a magnet to Genie, close the deal on the theatre, and close a dark chapter in his life forever.
He's so confident that his deal to take over her theatre will go through, that he agrees to give her eight-weeks to raise enough money to save the place.
Let the games begin...
Theatre Divine [image]
Burlesque isn't cheap, Abel, and it isn't prostitution. It's an age-old form of entertainment, rich in comedy and music hall tradition. It's about striptease, illusion, art... a celebration of women. Yes, it's suggestive. Yes, it's sexy. But it's not obscene, or debasing to the performer or the watchers.
The setting was practically a character in its own right. It is the only home that Genie has ever known - she's lived her entire life there, she works there, and she even lives in an apartment above the building.
Genie has an awesome attitude about burlesque, and about female sexuality in general. She truly raises her performances into an art-form... Even as Abel tries to pretend it's something trashy.
So there you have it - A brilliant, charming story with heat and romance... It's the smart and sassy Genie Divine vs. the sexy and wealthy Abel Kingdom... Theatre Divine hangs in the balance, and so does the possibility of love...
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***I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review***...more
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