Friday, September 30, 2011

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow



18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines and Kelly at Secrets of a Book Lover.

This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make new friends!

Which paranormal creature would you like to see more of in paranormal romances?

Oooh, another good question. I'll always love the traditional vampires and shifters, but how about some elves and sirens?

I see a lot of fae/fairies, but I don't see many elves running about. Not like LOTR elves (though I have a soft spot for Orlando Bloom's Legolas ;)), but a new spin on elves would be fun.

As for sirens, it'd be nice to see some that weren't *only* sexual creatures.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I haven't yet read the first Lords of Deliverance book, Eternal Rider, but I can't wait to read it and I'm already looking forward to book two, Immortal Rider.

Immortal Rider Cover Title: Immortal Rider
Series: Lords of Deliverance, Book 2
Author: Larissa Ione
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: November 22, 2011
Larissa Ione Reading Order can be found here on Wit and Sin.

Book Description (from Larissa Ione's website):

They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Arik Wagner, a soldier with the U.S. Army's paranormal unit, the R-XR, kissed a girl and liked it. And then he went to hell as punishment. Where he's spent weeks being tortured…and plotting revenge.

Limos, Horsewoman of the Apocalypse, isn't your average girl. She's immortal, dangerous, and her fiancĂ© is Satan himself. In a moment of weakness, she gave in to her desire and kissed Arik, triggering her fiancĂ©'s wrath – and his claim on her. In order to save Arik, and the world, Limos must make a dangerous pact with her recently turned evil brother, Pestilence. A deal that might just cost her her soul…and her heart.

Larissa Ione Book Order

Click on series title to jump to a particular reading order:

Demonica Series
Lords of Deliverance
MoonBound Clan Vampires
Rising Storm
Stand Alones


Demonica Series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

1. Pleasure Unbound
Eidolon and Tayla

2. Desire Unchained
Shade and Runa

3. Passion Unleashed
Wraith and Serena

4. Ecstasy Unveiled
Lore and Idess

4.5. Eternity Embraced
Kaden and Andrea
Note: Eternity Embraced is available in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 and as an ebook. The ebook is an expanded version, but the expanded material is available as a free read on Larissa Ione’s website.

5. Sin Undone
Conall and Sinead

5.5. "Vampire Fight Club" (in the Supernatural anthology)
Nathan and Vladlena

*Demonica: Overkill - Snippits of Demonica Life (available as free reads here on Larissa Ione’s website)

6. Eternal Rider
Ares and Cara
My Review

7. Immortal Rider
Arik and Limos
My Review

* Apocalypse: The Lords of Deliverance Compendium

8. Lethal Rider
Thanatos and Regan
My Review

9. Rogue Rider
Reseph and Jillian
My Review

* O Come, All Ye Horsemen (And Angels) (available as a free read here)

10. Reaver
Reaver and Harvester
My Review

10.5. Azagoth
Azagoth and Lilliana

11. Revenant
Revenant and Blaspheme
My Review

11.5. Hades
Hades and Cataclysm

11.75. Base Instincts
Slake and Raze

12. Z
Zhubaal and Vex


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Lords of Deliverance

Genre: Paranormal Romance

* "Eternal Damnation" (in Apocalypse: The Lords of Deliverance Compendium)

1. Eternal Rider
Ares and Cara
My Review

1.5. "Vampire Fight Club" (in the Supernatural anthology)
Nathan and Vladlena

2. Immortal Rider
Arik and Limos
My Review

* Apocalypse: The Lords of Deliverance Compendium

3. Lethal Rider
Thanatos and Regan
My Review

4. Rogue Rider
Reseph and Jillian
My Review

* O Come, All Ye Horsemen (And Angels) (available as a free read here)

5. Reaver
Reaver and Harvester
My Review

5.5. Azagoth
Azagoth and Lilliana

6. Revenant
Revenant and Blaspheme
My Review

6.5. Hades
Hades and Cataclysm

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MoonBound Clan Vampires

Genre: Paranormal Romance

1. Bound By Night
Riker and Nicole Martin
My Review

2. Chained by Night
Hunter

2.5. Forsaken by Night (in the Blood Red Kiss anthology)
My Review

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Rising Storm (multi-author series)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Season 1
0.5. Storm Season by Dee Davis
1. Tempest Rising by Julie Kenner
2. White Lightning by Lexi Blake
3. Crosswinds by Elisabeth Naughton
4. Dance in the Wind by Jennifer Probst
5. Calm Before the Storm by Larissa Ione
6. Take the Storm by Rebecca Zanetti
7. Weather the Storm by Lisa Mondello
8. Thunder Rolls by Dee Davis

Midseason
1. After the Storm by Lexi Blake
2. Distant Thunder by Larissa Ione

Season 2
1. Against the Wind by Rebecca Zanetti
2. Storm Warning by Larissa Ione
3. Brave the Storm by Lisa Mondello
4. Lightning Strikes by Lexi Blake
5. Fire and Rain by R.K. Lilley
6. Quiet Storm by Julie Kenner
7. Blinding Rain by Elisabeth Naughton
8. Blue Skies by Dee Davis


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Stand Alones


Bloodlust (available as a free read here on Larissa Ione’s website)
Genre: Erotic Horror/Fantasy

Secrets Volume 18 – Dark Passions
Trent and Kelsa
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Secrets Volume 21 – Primal Heat
Brent and Marina
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Snowbound
Sean and Robyn
Genre: Contemporary Romance

The Write Ingredients: Recipes from Your Favorite Authors


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Please note: This page was written by me, so as always, please visit the author’s website for up-to-date, author-verified information as well as for information books that have not yet been included to this list.

http://larissaione.com

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Thursday in Review

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here, on Joyfully Reviewed, and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- A Win-Win Proposition by Cat Schield (available 10/4/11)
- Baby, Don’t Go (Southern Roads Trilogy, Book 3) by Stephanie Bond (available 11/15/11)

All other new reviews:
- The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (Highland Pleasures, Book 3) by Jennifer Ashley
- Irresistible? by Stephanie Bond
- Silk is for Seduction (The Dressmakers, Book 1) by Loretta Chase
- Packing Leather (Sun, Sea and Submission, Book 1) by Kim Dare

Upcoming reviews:
- Alterant (Belador, Book 2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love
- Devil’s Kiss (Hellraisers, Book 1) by ZoĂ« Archer
- Spells & Stitches (Sugar Maple, Book 4) by Barbara Bretton
- A Novel Seduction by Gwyn Cready
- Deep Disclosure (A-TAC, Book 4) by Dee Davis
- Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos
- Baby It’s Cold Outside (Alaskan Nights, Book 1) by Addison Fox (Coming November 1st)
- Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart
- A Most Dangerous Profession (Hurst Amulet, Book 3) by Karen Hawkins (Coming October 16th)
- Vengeance Paid With Blood (Drone Vampire Chronicles, Book 13) by Stephani Hecht
- Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 2) by Larissa Ione
- To Wed a Wild Lord (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 4) by Sabrina Jeffries
- An Unexpected Gentleman by Alissa Johnson
- His Wicked Revenge by Vanessa Kelly
- Retribution (Dark Hunters, Book 30) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Mummy Dearest (The XOXO Files, Book 1) by Josh Lanyon (Coming October 1st)
- The Viper (Highland Guard, Book 4) by Monica McCarty
- Orgasmatron by Brynn Paulin
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Café Series, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Rock ‘N’ Roll is Undead (Veronica Mason, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Beauty Dates the Beast (Midnight Liaisons, Book 1) by Jessica Sims (Coming October 1st)
- Lord of the Abyss (Royal House of Shadows, Book 4) by Nalini Singh
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler
- Scrumptious by Amanda Usen

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow



18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines and Kelly at Secrets of a Book Lover.

This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make new friends!

Question of the week: We all love our hunky heroes, but what heroine do you have a girl-crush on?

Hmm...this is a difficult one.

I'll have to go with KATRA from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series (Katra's book is Devil May Cry).

Kat's gorgeous, powerful, genuinely kind, and a total badass when she needs to be. Oh, and she has a sexy-as-hell hero named Sin. Who could resist that?

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: The Guardian by Sherrilyn Kenyon


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I LOVE Sherrilyn Kenyon's books and the Dark Hunters are one of my favorite series of hers. I'm always eager for her next book, so it stands to reason that I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting for The Guardian to be released :)

The Guardian Cover Title: The Guardian
Series: Dark Hunters, Book 31
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Sherrilyn Kenyon Reading Order can be found here on Wit and Sin

Book Description (from Sherrilyn Kenyon's website):

As a Dream-Hunter, Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions. She’s to descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill all of them. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm’s most vicious guardian.

Seth’s time is running out. If he can’t hand over the key to Olympus and the heart of Zeus, then his own life and soul will be forfeit. No matter the torture, he hasn’t been able to break the god in his custody. But when a rescuer appears, he decides to try a new tactic.

When these two lock wills, one of them must give. But Lydia isn’t just guarding the gates of Olympus, she’s holding back the darkest of powers. If she fails, an ancient evil will roam the earth once more and no one...

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Review: A Win-Win Proposition by Cat Schield

A Win-Win Proposition by Cat Schield
Publisher: HQN
Genre: Contemporary Romance A Win-Win Proposition Cover
ISBN: 978-0373731299
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Sebastian Case considers Missy Ward to be the perfect assistant. She’s smart, efficient, and doesn’t distract him in the slightest. Then, on a conference trip to Las Vegas, Missy does a complete one-eighty and Sebastian discovers that underneath Missy’s mousy façade was a vixen waiting to happen. And the “new” Missy isn’t going to play by the rules anymore and the first thing she does in Vegas is quit. Sebastian can’t allow that to happen, no matter how distracting he finds Missy now. He’ll do anything to keep her, including agree to her wild bet. One spin of the roulette wheel determines whether Sebastian will keep Missy as his assistant…or Missy keeps Sebastian for one night of passion.

A Win-Win Proposition is a delightful, fast-paced read that kept me entertained all the way through. Cat Schield charmed me with Missy’s modern day Cinderella transformation. But unlike the fairy tale Cinderella, Missy has attitude. With her new look and a “nothing to lose” mantra, Missy goes for what she wants. And what she wants is Sebastian. Sebastian is the classic workaholic who needs to be hit over the head to see that the woman for him is the one who has been right in front of him all along. Missy’s complete change in behavior certainly does the job. The two of them heat up the pages even as they navigate the treacherous waters of going from boss-assistant to lovers and equals. Ms. Shield didn’t make it easy on these two, but I enjoy reading a happily ever after where the hero and heroine have to work for it.

A Win-Win Proposition can be read as a standalone, but the glimpses I saw of Sebastian’s family definitely made me want to read his half-brother’s book, Meddling with a Millionaire. Overall, I really enjoyed A Win-Win Proposition and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Schield’s work, starting, of course, with Meddling with a Millionaire.

Waiting on Wednesday: Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I found out about this book through other people's Waiting on Wednesday and it sounds like so much fun.

Dearly, Departed Cover Title: Dearly, Departed
Author: Lia Habel
Genre: YA
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: October 18, 2011

Book Description (from Amazon.com):

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: The Unquiet anthology


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

It's no secret that I'm a huge J.D. Robb fan. I'm on the edge of my seat for The Unquiet because it has a new In Death novella - "Chaos in Death" - in it.

The Unquiet Cover Title: The Unquiet
Authors: J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas
Publisher: Jove
Release Date: September 27, 2011

Book Description (from Amazon.com):

Five New York Times bestselling authors-five superlative stories.

From J.D. Robb: Eve and Rourke return to investigate a series of murders connected to a brilliant young surgeon in Chaos in Death.

From Mary Blayney: A shopkeeper's solitude is complicated by a magic coin, a daring rogue, and dreams of her late husband, who whispers but one word...wish.

From Patricia Gaffney: A lonely woman and a hotline psychic turn their astonishing connection to the other side into an unexpected romance.

From Ruth Ryan Langan: The shattered soul of an angry spirit imprisoned in a Scottish manor house could be a young widow's only salvation.

From Mary Kay McComas: A young ghost eases his brother's pain and guilt by inviting him into the dreams of an imaginative author of children's books.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Monday in Review

Happy Labor Day!!!!

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- Unclaimed (The Turners, Book 2) by Courtney Milan (available 9/20/11)

All other new reviews:
- Give It To Me Spicy by Evie Balos
- Psychic Moon by M.D. Grimm

Upcoming reviews:
- Devil’s Kiss (Hellraisers, Book 1) by ZoĂ« Archer
- The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (Highland Pleasures, Book 3) by Jennifer Ashley
- Baby, Don’t Go (Southern Roads, Book 3) by Stephanie Bond
- Irresistible? by Stephanie Bond
- Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase
- A Novel Seduction by Gwyn Cready
- Packing Leather (Sun, Sea and Submission, Book 1) by Kim Dare
- Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos
- Baby It’s Cold Outside (Alaskan Nights, Book 1) by Addison Fox
- A Most Dangerous Profession (Hurst Amulet, Book 3) by Karen Hawkins (Coming October 16th)
- Vengeance Paid With Blood (Drone Vampire Chronicles, Book 13) by Stephani Hecht
- To Wed a Wild Lord (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 4) by Sabrina Jeffries
- His Wicked Revenge by Vanessa Kelly
- Retribution (Dark Hunters, Book 30) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Mummy Dearest (The XOXO Files, Book 1) by Josh Lanyon (Coming October 1st)
- The Viper (Highland Guard, Book 4) by Monica McCarty
- Orgasmatron by Brynn Paulin
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Café Series, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Rock ‘N’ Roll is Undead (Veronica Mason, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- A Win-Win Proposition by Cat Schield
- Beauty Dates the Beast (Midnight Liaisons, Book 1) by Jessica Sims (Coming October 1st)
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler

Thursday, September 1, 2011

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow



18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines and Kelly at Secrets of a Book Lover.

This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make new friends!

Question of the week: Name your top five book boyfriends.

1. Roarke (J.D. Robb's In Death series) - He's Roarke - need I say more?

2. Urian (Sherilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters) - Since Ash has his HEA, I've transferred my affections to this gorgeous badass who totally needs to be in more books.

3. Sebastian (Lisa Kleypas' Devil in Winter) - A drop-dead gorgeous rake who falls for a wallflower...hell yeah.

4. Jay (Kate Pearce's Roping the Wind) - Sexy-as-sin ex-rodeo cowboy *drools*

5. Derek (Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series) - Shocked it's not Curran? Ever since Magic Strikes, I've kinda had a thing for this werewolf.


Can I have a top 5 for the I-Don't-Have-the-Right-Equipment List? I read a lot of m/m romance.
1. Blaylock (J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series)
2. Kyle (Riley Shane's Two-Man Advantage)
3. Aidan (Cameron Dane's Aidan & Ethan)
4. Jake (Josh Lanyon's Adrian English series)
5. Ethan (Cameron Dane's Aidan & Ethan)


New on Wit and Sin this week:
- Review of Unclaimed by Courtney Milan
- Waiting on Wednesday: Revenge at Bella Terra by Christina Dodd
- Newest reviews added Monday

Review: Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

Unclaimed by Courtney Milan
Series: The Turners, Book 2
Publisher: HQN
Genre: Historical Romance Unclaimed Cover
ISBN: 978-0373776030
Release Date: September 20, 2011
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Sir Mark Turner never thought his book, A Gentleman’s Practical Guide to Chastity, would become a sensation. He also didn’t expect to be put on a pedestal and worshiped by all of London society. All Mark wants is peace…and for someone besides his brothers to truly see him and not some make believe saint. Even a trip to his small hometown doesn’t free Mark of constant adulation. Then he meets Jessica Farleigh, a woman who is everything he ever wanted. There’s just one problem…

Jessica is a courtesan who was almost broken by her last “protector.” She’s desperate to be free, to be her own person, not a man’s possession. However, freedom has a price; to earn the money she needs, Jessica accepts an offer from an enemy of Mark’s. For fifteen hundred pounds, she’ll seduce and ruin Sir Mark Turner. But as she grows closer to her target, Jessica finds it more and more difficult to plot his downfall. Soon, she finds herself faced with a difficult question: Will she sacrifice love for freedom?

I’ve got a new author on my auto-buy list: Courtney Milan. Unclaimed is a dazzling, captivating book that I practically devoured in one sitting. I only paused to order Ms. Milan’s Unveiled, because I’m officially hooked on the Turner brothers!

Mark was a superb character. He’s a rather unusual romance hero, in that he’s a virgin. But as much as others try to define Mark by this one part of his character, it isn’t the whole of him. Furthermore, Mark isn’t– as he often reminds Jessica – innocent or lacking desire. The choices he makes in his life are deliberate, based on a desire to protect women from the disdain of society. He’s a good man who tries to do his best to make others’ lives better, but his message is frequently distorted by the adoring public. I felt bad for Mark as I watched him be mobbed by worshippers who didn’t truly understand or hear him. That’s why it was such a delight for him to cross paths with Jessica. She may be a courtesan rather than the provocative widow he thinks her to be, but her deception doesn’t make me dislike her. She’s not cruel, but she is a survivor that’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. She wants to be her own person, unclaimed by any man. The story felt all the more real to me because Ms. Milan highlights how Victorian society viewed women – “fallen” women in particular. My heart broke for Jessica, and – just as I wanted her to see Mark for who he was – it was every bit as vital to me that Mark see Jessica for who she truly is, strengths, vulnerabilities, and all. Both of them may make mistakes, but what they do wrong adds to the book as much as what they do right does. The chemistry between Jessica and Mark made the pages of Unclaimed fly by and their banter elevated the book from simply being a delightful historical romance to being a book that’s truly memorable.

Unclaimed is the second full-length book in Ms. Milan’s Turner series, but it can be read as a standalone. The Turner family is an unusual one, though I won’t spoil Mark’s story by revealing why. I will say that all three brothers intrigued me, which is why I paused in my reading of Unclaimed to purchase Unveiled. I cannot wait to dive into Unveiled, but as jazzed as I am to read Ash Turner’s book, I am even more excited to read Smite Turner’s book, Unraveled.

With its unique characters, fresh plot, sizzling sexual tension, and sparkling dialogue, Unclaimed has everything a romance fan could want and more. I absolutely adored Mark and Jessica and I cannot wait to read more of Ms. Milan’s work!