Stone by Anna Hackett [Review]

Stone (Sentinel Security #6.5) by Anna Hackett
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: July 26, 2024

Sentinel Security
1. Wolf
2. Hades
3. Striker
4. Steel
5. Excalibur
6. Hex
6.5. Stone - Paperback | Kindle

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Norcross Security
1. The Investigator

Anna Hackett
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

He’s the new silver fox recruit at Sentinel Security.
The hot, tough former Marine Raider.
And he won’t touch her because he works with her brother.

Real estate agent Magnolia “Nola” Newhouse has it all. Okay, not quite all. She loves her work, has a growing collection of designer heels, and is about to become an aunt…she’s just missing the love of her life. She’s watched her brother and her best friend fall in love, and Nola wants that too.

When she first sees the big, rugged silver fox across the bar, she feels an instant connection, and knows he does too. They share a passionate kiss, then he discovers who her brother is…

Former Marine Knox “Stone” Holman needed a change. He’s left California and taken a job at New York’s top security firm: Sentinel Security. What he never expected was to lay eyes on a tiny, curvy woman and feel his world tip upside down. But Knox lives by a code, which means his co-worker’s beautiful sister is off-limits. Besides, Nola has love, marriage, and kids stamped all over her, and he’s past that.

But when Nola goes to inspect an empty penthouse and accidentally witnesses an execution-style murder, everything changes. She’s on the run and being hunted by the mob, and Knox will do everything to keep her safe.

Running the gauntlet of the New York streets, Knox and Nola will discover just how hot their attraction runs. Knox is determined to protect her, and Nola is determined to make him hers.

Thoughts on Stone: Nick's little sister is up and she's dealing with kind of a lot. Not on the relationship front, but one the "she saw something the bad guys didn't want her to see and now they're after her" front. Stone might be new to Sentinel Security (and he might be trying to convince himself that he's too old and too jaded for someone as sweet as Nola), but he's not about to let anything bad happen to the first person in a while who makes him feel alive.

When things turn bad for Nola, Stone steps in to do what he needs to do to get her out of danger. Which is easier said than done since the bad guys are REALLY motivated to stop her from telling anyone what she saw. A few close escapes and a night spent in a safe house gets things going between the two of them, but the bad guys just won't stop coming.

A chase, a shoot-out or two (or more!), a steamy night spent one-on-one, a man who tries to convince himself to stay away (and fails miserably), and a lady who knows a good man when she sees him. I never regret time spent with Killian and his people. *thumbs up*

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming [Review]

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human (Mead Mishaps #3) by Kimberly Lemming
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: July 16, 2024

Mead Mishaps
1. That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon
2. That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf
3. That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human - Paperback | Kindle

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Mead Realm Tales
Mistlefoe

Kimberly Lemming
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

When a spirited young woman with a penchant for adventure finds herself locked away in a dragon’s tower, she realizes that fate has a peculiar sense of humor when it comes to her romantic prospects, in this laugh-out-loud fantasy rom-com.

All children are told fairytales. Some are epic adventures with high stakes and exciting twists, while others are tales of pitiful princesses trapped in boring towers pining for their Prince Charmings to come and rescue them. Growing up, Cherry always hated those stories. Why didn’t the princesses just get up and rescue themselves? Little did she know that her own fate would take an ironically similar turn. Because now, here she is. Stuck. In a tower. Turns out, when a dragon holds you hostage, he doesn’t just let you get up and leave.

Who knew?

And just when Cherry thinks she sees hope on the horizon, that hope is smashed to bits by—you guessed it—another damn dragon.

Thoughts on That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human: We're back with another member of the Hotpepper family and Cherry has NOT been having a good couple of years. Mostly because she's been confined to an island by a dragon who refuses to speak to her. Which is bothersome because Cherry needs people to talk to. Or dragons. She's not picky.

So when a handsome dragon lands on her island, Cherry does what any self-respecting lady would do and drugs the poor guy. No lie, if Cherry had been a little slower on the trigger, she *might* have found out Dante was more than willing to spirit her away to the place of her choosing, but she drugged first and asked questions later and now she and Dante are mated. Whoops.

Not that Cherry has much to complain about. After all, Dante is filthy rich, treats her like the queen she is, and adores every trouble-magnet inch of her. In fact, Dante's only real flaw is his complete lack of game when it comes to wooing women. (I mean, he does well enough, but he has a few missteps along the way and I don't know if he should be taking advice from Felix, but that's probably another story for another day.)

On Dante's end, he knew Cherry was his person the moment he met her. Maybe even before. Let's just say that he really likes the way she smelled and mating with her was everything he thought it would be. With a side of weird requests and a few instances of mortal danger.

A danger-prone lady, the return of the sassy talking sword, a little mayhem, a little brain eating (whoops), a dragon who is blissfully happy making his honey-bunny happy, and a lady who didn't know what she wanted in a dragon until she drugged one and got Dante. GOOD TIMES!

Checked Out by the Chupacabra by Wendi Guff [Review]

Checked Out by the Chupacabra (Monstrous Meet Cutes #5) by Wendi Guff
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: July 12, 2024

Monstrous Meet Cutes
1. Audited by the Anubis
2. Claimed by the Cthulhu
3. Inked by the Ithaqua
4. Bossed by the Boggart
5. Checked Out by the Chupacabra - Paperback | Kindle
6. Edged by the Erlking

Wendi Guff
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

CHECKED OUT BY A MONSTER—sounds hot, right?

Except I’m not the type anyone ever gives a second glance to, let alone is interested in. The only thing guys check out from me are the books in the library that I oversee.

But every day, the same Chupacabra comes back. At first, I think he’s just lonely as he prowls behind me as I work, asking me questions.

Then I realize he can’t read.

Knowing his job depends upon it, I offer to teach him, reading stories aloud to the sweet monster. Everything is great until he brings me The Tentacle Kama Sutra and Monster Orgasms with a wink, silently daring me to open them—and like an idiot, I accept the challenge.

Now the damned man won’t leave me alone. He’s always lurking behind my shelves…

Chasing me.

Charming me.

Cherishing me.

It’s almost like one of those monster romances I secretly read alone at night—but those stories are labeled fiction for a reason.

Will I continue to hide behind the pages of my book, or will Chente prove love isn’t just make-believe?

Thoughts on Checked Out by the Chupacabra: Oh man. Chente was a SWEETHEART of the highest order. Smitten with Odette from the very first, this lonely Chupacabra courted her with meaningful gifts and made her feel seen after years of being ignored. To say Odette was overwhelmed (in the best way) might be an understatement. She's charmed and attracted and just generally befuddled by all his attention.

And she DEFINITELY doesn't mind that he's a monster. In fact, his monstrous traits are not a turn off IN THE SLIGHTEST. (yeah, our girl likes her monsters and Chente is the best of all the ones she's read about.)

As Chente courts (and charm) her, these two grow closer and closer. A terrible accident derails the formality of their mating for a while, but they're already bound in their hearts. As it turns out, a sweet, lonely monster and a shy, lonely librarian are the perfect sort of match you can imagine. (Also, Chente REALLY likes Odette's reading material. Monster lovin' FTW!)

Willow and the Wraith by Honey Phillips [Review]

Willow and the Wraith (Alien Abduction #23) by Honey Phillips
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: August 25, 2024

Alien Abduction
1. Anna and the Alien
2. Beth and the Barbarian
3. Cam and the Conqueror
4. Deb and the Demon
5. Ella and the Emperor
6. Faith and the Fighter
7. Greta and the Gargoyle
8. Hanna and the Hitman
9. Izzie and the Icebeast
10. Joan and the Juggernaut
11. Kate and the Kraken
12. Lily and the Lion
13. Mary and the Minotaur
14. Nancy and the Naga
15. Olivia and the Orc
16. Pandora and the Prisoner
17. Quinn and the Queller
18. Rita and the Raider
19. Sara and the Spymaster
20. Tammy and the Traitor
21. Unity and the Usurper
22. Vera and the Victor
23. Willow and the Wraith - Paperback | Kindle

Honey Phillips
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Ruthless alien bounty hunter Wraith has buried his past so completely that not even he remembers his original name. All that matters now is that he's the best at what he does. He lives by two ironclad rules: never break a contract and never get involved with a target.

But then he retrieves a fragile human female whose gentle spirit begins to thaw his icy exterior, and suddenly both of his rules are in danger of being broken.

When kindergarten teacher Willow is abducted by aliens and thrust into a perilous world far from Earth, she refuses to give up hope. The enigmatic alien who rescues her claims to be devoid of emotions, yet Willow glimpses the deep loneliness behind his icy facade. She's determined to help him remember the male he used to be.

When Wraith’s memories are restored, will he stay at Willow's side or will his past drive him back into his previous lonely existence?

Thoughts on Willow and the Wraith: Wraith, the mysterious bounty hunter who seems to have a code of his own, is up and he's been tasked with finding (and breaking) the smuggling ring abducting human women for nefarious purposes. Wraith is a hardcore loner, can get a champion brood on, and has no memory of life before he became what he is now. To say Willow and the others he rescued from their predicament shook up his existence is an understatement.

I mean, the guy went from being alone aboard his ship to sharing space with three other individuals. And Willow stirs things in him. Not just the usual physical things, but some serious protectiveness. All that combined sends him into a bit of a tailspin and this shakeup has him reevaluating the things he finds important.

On Willow's end, she's also had a massive shakeup. Being abducted, rescued by a pint-sized alien kiddo, and then by Wraith has her spinning. But Wraith makes her feel safe and she something in him that makes her inclined to believe he isn't the ruthless bounty hunter everyone else sees him as. So she follows her instincts and let's whatever it is they have between them develop as it may.

A little danger, some terrible abductors, found family, buried memories, a bounty hunter with secrets, and a lady who sees the heart of gold hidden underneath his stoic exterior. GOOD STUFF!

I Married a Mothman by Regine Abel [Review]

I Married an Mothman (Prime Mating Agency #12) by Regine Abel
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: July 10, 2024

Prime Mating Agency
1. I Married a Lizardman
2. I Married a Naga
3. I Married a Birdman
4. I Married a Merman
5. I Married a Minotaur
6. I Married a Dragon
7. I Married a Beast
8. I Married a Dryad
9. I Married Wonjin
10. I Married an Incubus
11. I Married Krogal
12. I Married a Mothman - Paperback | Kindle
13. I Married a Catman

Regine Abel
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

He’s everything she never knew she wanted.

When Venus embarked on a luxury cruise, she never expected to rescue a young Promethean demi-god—or that he’d bind her as his guardian. Now stranded on his primitive planet, she agrees to a temporary marriage of convenience to Atlas, the Commander of the Black Guard, in exchange for protection against those hellbent on seizing control of the youngling in her care. Against all odds, she finds herself falling for the sweet and honorable Atlas—antennae, scales, wings and all.

She is his light, his impossible dream.

As an Achromatic Promethean, Atlas has accepted that his society considers him lower than dirt, until the arrival of a fascinating human turns his life upside down. When forced to pick a husband, Venus not only chooses him over the elite, but treats him with a kindness and respect he’s never experienced. As they join forces to thwart a threat to his people, her intelligence, beauty, and fierceness soon stir in him desires forbidden to his kind.

In their dire race against the clock, will Venus and Atlas solve the mystery of the impending cataclysm, or will it destroy everything, including the impossible happiness blossoming between them?

Thoughts on I Married a Mothman: Venus (sister of Serena who married her Naga several books ago) isn't looking to find her special someone when she steps foot on the cruise ship, but the universe (and the PMA) had other plans for her. Which means this lady most definitely found her special someone PLUS became the guardian of an entity that is the only hope to contain an upcoming cataclysm.

No pressure, right? Venus has a lot on her plate and falling for her temporary husband isn't on her radar. Until, you know, it is. Because Atlas is kind and honorable and is the perfect person to help lead a revolution. Not that HE thinks so, but he's also quick to step up when events start moving forward. Given that Atlas never expected to be mated, Venus is an incredible gift that he is determined to treasure in every way he can.

The fact she gives him the opportunity to grow into something more than he ever thought he'd be only makes her more beloved by him.

A looming destruction, magic, a group of people who are about to learn what it means to be free, a warrior with the heart and mind to embrace change as it comes, and a lady who refuses to back down when things get tough. MAN, I love when the PMA does their thing!

RtP's Week in Review (01/12/25)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• A Monster's Fate by Lynnea Lee [Review] - Monster love!
• The Body in the Backyard by Lucy Score [Review] - RILEY IS BACK!
• Books & Broadswords by Jessie Mihalik [Review] - Romantic Fantasy! OH YEAH!
• Unity and the Usurper by Honey Phillips [Review] - Alien love!
• Vera and the Victor by Honey Phillips [Review] - More alien love!
• Soft Focus by Jayne Ann Krentz [Review] - Classic JAK!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• It Takes a Psychic (Harmony #17) by Jayne Castle - For review!
• The Dark Heart (Indulgence Series #4) by Erin Kellison - For review!
• Currently reading 
• The Vampire's Cursed Kiss by Kristen Painter

Soft Focus by Jayne Ann Krentz [Review]

Soft Focus by Jayne Ann Krentz
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: September 11, 2024

Purchase Links: Kindle

Jayne Ann Krentz
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Elizabeth Cabot is all business. She knows how to maximize her investments and cut her losses--in both her career and her personal life.

So when she discovers that Jack Fairfax has deceived her, she's determined to end their relationship. Putting a stop to their budding romance is easy. But breaking up their business deal will be more difficult. Despite all her efforts, she has no luck disentangling herself from Jack's client company, Excalibur. But the situation becomes even more strained when a new obstacle emerges: a lethal act of sabotage that could put both of them out of business for good.

Elizabeth is no fool. If she can help Jack save Excalibur, she'll recoup her substantial investment plus millions in profit. Putting her emotions aside, she insists on helping him search for the scientist who's disappeared with a valuable new crystal that could revolutionize the high-tech industry. She'll go in, solve the problem--and get out.

The trail leads Elizabeth and Jack to a fringe film festival, but their goal is as elusive as the shadowy black-and-white images from classic noir films. Life starts to imitate art, and double-dealing seems to be the name of the game. For these business adversaries turned reluctant partners, keeping an eye on each other--and the lid on a sizzling attraction--seems the only insurance against further treachery. But with millions at stake, trust can turn to betrayal in the blink of an eye.

Thoughts on Soft Focus: I read a lot of JAK back in the day, so it's highly possible I'd read this one before, but since my memory on it is a little fuzzy (which is no reflection on the book itself, but more about how many books I read) it felt new to me. Which works on every level. (For the record, even if I HAD remembered reading it, I likely wouldn't have remembered who did it because that's totally a thing with me.)

Anywho. Elizabeth and Jack. They had what turned out to be a one-night stand (for reasons) and then ended up working together on a project. Which wasn't nearly as terrible as it could have been, actually. The biggest hurdle they have in relationshipping is that Elizabeth was holding Jack's involvement in another takeover against him without knowing the reason why he was involved in it in the first place. On the plus side, neither of them could stop thinking of the other in the months since their infamous night together. As we all know, that's an EXCELLENT sign.

When circumstances have them sharing space as they try to track down their wayward crystal (and the scientist behind its theft) THINGS HAPPEN. Because when two people who are unattached and can't stop thinking about one another spend time together, well, sometimes things really do just happen.

Throw in some fancy films, a whole lot of film noir, complicated family dynamics, an auction, and a little danger, and Jack and Elizabeth have plenty to deal with on top of their budding romance. Which works for me because that's EXACTLY what I was here for.