Thursday, March 30, 2023

Her Alien Angel by Michele Mills [Review]

Her Alien Angel (Monster Bites #3) by Michele Mills
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 14, 2022

Monster Bites
1. Her Alien Priest
2. Her Alien Ghost
3. Her Alien Angel - Kindle
4. Her Alien Ex-Con
5. Her Alien Bully
6. Her Alien Stepbrother

A spinoff of:
Monsters Love Curvy Girls
(Find all the reviews for this series under the first review)
1. His Human Nanny

Michele Mills
Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
A winged, fire-breathing infant cries from within the soft basket left upon my porch.

Wow.

Why was this tiny baby placed on the doorstep of the only human female on Salo for miles? I’ll never know. Babies are completely foreign to me. But I can’t find any next of kin for this adorable infant, so I do my best to feed and care for her as if she were my own.

And soon I hear whispered footsteps and feel the faint brush of white feathers from something much larger and muscular with its own wings and black tail that silently enters my home. And then one day I fully see him—the baby’s father. My breath catches in my throat as this shockingly handsome angel wraps his wings around me.

Each night I eagerly share my bed with him. My fingers map every inch of his hot-blooded, red-skinned body. And each morning I awake to find him gone.

And I wonder—why did this magnificent Hyrrokin male leave his baby with me? And what will I do if he eventually leaves, and takes his daughter with him?
Thoughts on Her Alien Angel: We're back on Salo with a human woman and the alien who finds himself drawn to her. As it turns out, Isak's been isolated enough from him people that it takes him a while to realize why he's so drawn to Evie. And why he trusts her enough to take care of his baby girl when he can't.

So, yeah. Isak and Evie sort of have to feel their way along in their budding relationship. Evie is fascinated by the Hyrrokin with wings. She adores his daughter and is willing to do pretty much anything to make sure the baby is cared for and safe. Isak is a Hyrrokin on a mission and he doesn't expect to get distracted by Evie, but she not only distracts him, she also approaches the problem he's dealing with from a different perspective and comes up with a solution to his issues.

It also turns out that Isak has a connection to another Salo resident. I do enjoying revisiting familiar faces, so that was a nice treat.

A fire-breathing baby, a winged, giant of a man, a little danger, a family reunion, and a couple who found one another despite the odds stacked against them.

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Spider Alien's Bite by Bebe Harper [Review]

Spider Alien's Bite (Urf Oomons #3) by Bebe Harper
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 11, 2022

Urf Oomons
1. Mandy and the Tentacle Monster
2. Chasing Cthulhu
3. Spider Alien's Bite - Paperback | Kindle
4. Apocalypse with an Alien
Earthers Go Hard

Bebe Harper
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
Shayna is having a run of bad luck. Abducted by aliens, frozen in a cryopod, then thawed out and tossed into a cage to be a meal for a giant sentient spider!

Could things possibly get any worse?
Thoughts on Spider Alien's Bite: Baht, the sentient alien spider who happens to need to eat other sentients to stay alive, is up and...his story takes a few twists. I mean, he gets a talkative human woman thrown in his cell and EVERYTHING changes for him. For her, too. Because aliens, amirite?!?!

Anywho. Baht and Shayna. He's one of the feared Arana-Vora, she's a human who's been tossed into a terrible situation. Except it isn't quite as terrible as it seems on the surface. Baht isn't the monster most of his kind are and he's not about to consume the tempting human tossed in with him. In fact, he kinda like Shayna and if he can figure out a way to convince her to choose him (somehow!), he's going to do it.

A little case of captivity, an unexpected meal that causes some profound changes, a not-so-nice queen who really likes our spider alien, a human who doesn't mind things that are out of the ordinary, and an apocalypse on the horizon. Things are a little wild, but Shayna and Baht ended up exactly where they needed to be. *thumbs up*

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Dangerous Flames by Stephanie Burgis [Review]

Dangerous Flames (Good Neighbors #2) by Stephanie Burgis
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 14, 2023

Good Neighbors
1. Good Neighbors
2. Dangerous Flames - Kindle

Stephanie Burgis
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
No killing until the wedding's over. No killing...

It is such a simple, temporary rule - but Carmilla, the notorious Countess Cardenza, will still find it hard to follow when she's confronted by her most dangerous old flame at Mia and Leander's wedding. With appallingly respectable neighbors, shambling zombies, and old enemies on every side, will her reunion with Eliza end with murder or kissing - or both?
Thoughts on Dangerous Flames: Carmilla, one of the more powerful necromancers, has a wedding to attend, a castle (and the nearby town) to help keep safe, and an old sweetheart (one whom she didn't part ways with in the most amicable manner) to harden her heart against. That said, Carmilla tries her very hardest to pretend like Eliza doesn't affect her. BUT SHE DOES.

Which means when an old enemy appears right before the wedding to do whatever he can to cause a little havoc, Carmilla is both a little off her game and VERY ready to cause some damage to said enemy. Because trading veiled barbs with your old honey-bunny while trying to pretend their long ago parting didn't hurt sometimes puts a lady in a fighting mood.

On the plus side, Eliza is more than willing to stand by Carmilla's side in this battle. Even more of a plus, they find a way to talk through some of their issues and clear up a few misconceptions.

A little danger, a very bad man, two powerful protectors, and the potential for something more to be rekindled.

Monday, March 27, 2023

I Married a Minotaur by Regine Abel [Review]

I Married a Minotaur (Prime Mating Agency #5) by Regine Abel
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 1, 2022

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 - Paperback | Kindle
6. I Married a Dragon

Regine Abel
Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
Tiny, sassy, but oh so fierce

Rihanna is condemned to a twenty-year sentence on the most savage prison planet in the sector for a crime she didn’t commit. On the day of her transfer, she’s offered a deal to commute her sentence: an arranged marriage with a grumpy orc-minotaur who has muscles for days, devilish red eyes, and an insufferably smart mouth. Despite his species’ reputation for being violent brutes, Rihanna soon finds herself drawn to the gentle giant that lurks beneath his terrifying appearance.

Fearsome, savage, and yet so fluffy

When the agency informs Zatruk he’s been matched, the last thing he expects is for his mate to be such a tiny human. With his people rapidly entering blood rage, and the looming threat of war, he needs a queen to stand by his side as he strives to save his people, not a delicate flower. But he soon discovers that behind her fragile appearance, his little female hides a fierce and dauntless soul, with a sassy attitude that stirs him in unexpected ways.

With time running out, will Rihanna be the blessing he needs to achieve the peace his people desperately desire, or will they self-destruct?
Thoughts on I Married a Minotaur: The PMA strikes again! In a good way. A very good way, really, since they not only managed to save a sassy smuggler from a prison planet, but put her in a position to help a group of people from self-destructing.

That said, Rihanna had to put the pieces she'd been given together to figure out what she needed to do. So the PMA got things moving, but Rihanna and Zatruk had the vision and drive to see it through. All while seeing exactly how compatible they were.

Frankly, Rihanna showed up at exactly the right time. Zatruk's people were on the verge and while he had a plan to keep them from descending into their blood rage and destroying themselves, he lacked the galactic know-how to make it happen. Rihanna, on the other hand, had exactly that. Plus, the lady knows a good thing when she sees it. Or him. And she REALLY likes what she sees in Zatruk.

I've thoroughly enjoyed all these less-than-human aliens and the human women who rock their worlds. Here's to the PMA doing their thing for a long time to come. *thumbs up*

Saturday, March 25, 2023

Lexi Carmichael Mystery by Julie Moffett [Books 5-8 Review]

Lexi Carmichael Mystery (Books 5-8) by Julie Moffett
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Lexi Carmichael Mystery
0.5. No Money Down
1. No One Lives Twice
2. No One to Trust
3. No Place Like Rome
4. No Biz Like Showbiz
5. No Test for the Wicked - Kindle
6. No Woman Left Behind - Kindle
7. No Room For Error - Kindle
8. No Strings Attached - Kindle
9. No Living Soul
10. No Regrets
11. No Stone Unturned
12. No Questions Asked
13. No Escape
14. No Vow Broken

Julie Moffett
Website | Amazon |

No Test for the Wicked (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #5)

Date read: November 8, 2014
*Originally posted at On a Book Bender*
Synopsis (Goodreads):
Returning to high school is not something I ever wanted to do over—it was awful the first time around. So why do I have to go back as part of a new undercover assignment? Because the universe loves playing jokes on me, obviously.

I've been ordered to go all 21 Jump Street and track down the students who are breaking into the computer system, changing grades, and causing all kinds of havoc. Although I'm not thrilled about my new gig, at least it gives me something to do other than worry over the fact that I now have a boyfriend. And no freaking idea what to get him for Christmas.

Or it did give me something else to worry about, until I stumbled across a more sinister threat. I was shocked to find distinct traces of a group of international hackers inside the network. Why would dangerous cyber mercenaries be interested in a high school in the middle of Washington, D.C.? What exactly have I gotten myself into?
Thoughts on No Test for the Wicked: Sooooo. I've only read book 1 in this series. That would be the one where the bevy of potential love interests for our geeky girl were introduced. There was plenty of hot man-flesh to go around in that book, but clueless Lexi wasn't quite ready to dive into the uncharted (for her) waters of indiscriminate dating. Between books 1 and 5, Lexi has found her groove. Sort of. One of her dudes is now her boyfriend. This is a good thing and I LIKE the guy, but... I kinda might feel like there's a little something between her and one of the other guys that REALLY needs to be explored. (and I hope hope hope it is because he sort of stole my heart.)

Anyway. Lexi, resident geek girl, goes back to high school to find the hacking masterminds who are mucking up the computer system at a posh private school. Figuring out who did it isn't all that difficult (for her or us), but convincing them it would be in their best interests to stop before they cross a line they can't come back from is another story. And of course, there's that pesky problem of international terrorism to deal with. That problem is a little more physically dangerous than finding some genius high schoolers and talking them down from ruining their future.

Meanwhile, there's the relationship issue. I really do like her dude, but he seems almost too worldly for her. Lexi's kinda relationship-clueless and someone a little less...umm, experienced seems more her speed. On the other hand, Lexi's smart and quick-thinking. If she wants it to work, I'm sure she'll find a way. (but I'm still rooting for her and the other guy to explore what's between them. Just so we're clear.)

Fun, quirky (because Lexi's friends are a crack up!), and nicely entertaining, I just might have to go back and catch up on everything I missed. You know why? GIRL POWER!


No Woman Left Behind (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #6)

Date read: April 3, 2015
*Originally posted at On a Book Bender*
Synopsis (Goodreads):
My mother's life goal has been to see me, geek extraordinaire Lexi Carmichael, happily married. So bringing my first boyfriend, Slash, home for dinner has me hyperventilating. Things get a lot worse when bullets start flying over our corn chowder.

Now the entire alphabet soup of government agencies want my help finding the man behind the attack—Johannes Broodryk, a cyber mercenary I foiled on my last case. He wants revenge and he’s taken something of mine to ensure I’ll play, so it’s game on. But the government has its own agenda, and Slash is not on board with the plan. Things are a bit bumpy in paradise.

Although I'm more comfortable with computer code than commandos, I've been assigned a team of navy SEALs to help bring Broodryk down. The question is, will they survive me long enough to solve his cryptic puzzles and save the day?
Thoughts on No Woman Left Behind: I kinda dig these Lexi books. She's smart and totally socially clueless, but she still manages to navigate the rough waters of dating while battling international terrorism. AS WE ALL DO. Well, at least the dating part.

Lexi being Lexi, she freaks out over bringing her hunk of a man to meet her parents. I'm not going to lie, her having to admit that she knows very little about him (such as his real name or where he lives, etc) to her parents made me crack up. Hearing that, it makes him sound fishy, but knowing he's a government asset adds a little more context to Lexi's lack of knowledge. But her parents aren't quite in the context loop and I can only laugh at how awful it must have sounded to them.

And of course, Lexi being Lexi THINGS HAPPEN to toss her feet first into danger. And her friends and family into danger. But mostly Lexi. Because that's how she rolls.

I LOVED the dynamic with the SEAL team. Lexi isn't a soldier and she asks questions when she shouldn't, gets in trouble when she should be hunkering down, and has a very hands-on run in with the SEAL team leader. Which, OUCH. Watching them come around and begin to appreciate Lexi and what she can do sort of made my day. Geek girl takes on the SEALs and charms them with her awkward social banter (and her level head in a tense situation). YESSSSS!

All in all, I felt for her friends (OMG!ELVIS!), am finding her relationship with her man growing on me, and like seeing Lexi in her element. Which seems to be anywhere. As long as there aren't spiders.


No Room for Error (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #7)

Date read: October 22, 2015
*Originally posted at On a Book Bender*
Synopsis (Goodreads):
Trouble follows me, Lexi Carmichael, like a little black cloud. At least according to my boyfriend, Slash: brilliant hacker, national treasure and vault of secrets. Even I have to admit he could be right.

After a series of high-profile cases at my cyberintelligence firm, I was looking forward to a simple job. All I had to do was personally deliver a revolutionary microchip to a manufacturing plant in Indonesia. Easy, right?

Wrong.

Someone else wants the design and is willing to kill to get it. A failed hijacking attempt lands me, my best friend Basia and our boss, Finn, in the middle of the jungle. Our mission is clear: protect the microchip design from the hijackers on our tail...and survive. But how can a geek girl like me survive without access to my beloved technology? I'm about to find out. And this time, there's no room for error.
Thoughts on No Room for Error: OH MY GAWD, LEXI! Given the situations you stumble into with alarming regularity, someone (Slash) needs to lock you in a room no one knows about for your own protection. Oh, hey. Doesn't he have one of those conveniently stashed away somewhere? Good times, man. Good times.

But seriously, Lexi is in the middle of another dangerous situation and this time she doesn't have any of her high tech gadgets to help her out. Which means she and her friends are struggling to survive with only their wits and some well-times allies they meet on the way. Did I mention they have some pretty gnarly injuries while going head to head with the people hunting them down? Because they do. Really, no trek through the jungle is complete without a life-threatening injury or two.

Basically, I'm trying to say that everything Lexi learned from dealing with cyber terrorists and lending a helping hand during a SEAL mission comes in handy this time around. She not only has to save her own life, but those of her best friend and boss as well. And with nothing to rely on but their wits and good looks (questionable good looks, actually, given the extent of their injuries), things get mighty hairy.

I get a major kick out of Lexi and her lack of social skills. She's smart and quick on her feet, but she's not so great at reading people and she tends to stumble into awkward social situations about as often as she stumbles into danger. Which is awesome to read.


No Strings Attached (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #8)

Date read: June 5, 2016
*Originally posted at On a Book Bender*
Synopsis (Goodreads):
Oops, I did it again…

Leave it to me, Lexi Carmichael, to become a target for an elite organization of cyber criminals simply by being in the wrong place at the right time. As if I weren't already freaking out about planning my best friend's bachelorette party, I now have to keep my eyes peeled for people trying to kill me.

After accidentally intercepting a dangerous hack into the NSA and discovering the involvement of a foreign country in said hack, things begin to get seriously complicated. Diplomats, danger and spies, oh, my!

With Slash and my loyal friends by my side, I'm in a race against time to stop a team of sophisticated hackers on a deadly mission. My team of geeks is brilliant…but derailing an international plot for revenge will take everything we've got.
Thoughts on No Strings Attached: Lexi always finds a way to make me smile. Whether it's with her endearing social awkwardness or the way she unwittingly stumbles into THE WORST situations, I get a kick out of this lady. She's smart and determined and it doesn't matter if she sometimes says the wrong things at the wrong times, she eventually figures things out.

I LIKE THAT!

Smart heroines, man. They do it for me. It doesn't hurt in the slightest that her man is crazy about her and has the training to help her out when things go south. It also doesn't hurt that she has a group of friends who are willing to bend time and space itself (if they could) to help her. She's this goofy, awkward, super smart trouble magnet and it WORKS. I love that she's intelligent enough to see her own limitations and ask for help when she needs it.

*slow nod*

So. This time around, Lexi ends up hip deep in some seriously nasty stuff. Well, wait. That's not uncommon. She ends up in a rough spot, but she has her genius friends and her boo to help her. Between all of them, they're well equipped to handle anything thrown their way. Sure, it's touch and go for a while--especially with that bachelorette party--but THEY HAVE THINGS UNDER CONTROL. Mostly.

Fast-paced and fun, Lexi is going places. Probably dangerous places, but who am I to judge? Besides, she entertains me. So bring on the danger!

Friday, March 24, 2023

The Detective by Anna Hackett [Review]

The Detective (Norcross Security #7) by Anna Hackett
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 10, 2022

Norcross Security
1. The Investigator
2. The Troubleshooter
3. The Specialist
4. The Bodyguard
5. The Hacker
6. The Powerbroker
7. The Detective - Paperback | Kindle
8. The Medic
9. The Protector

Anna Hackett
Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
She’s a woman on the run and desperate to avoid her hot, nosy detective neighbor.

Artist Savannah Cole has secrets. She can never stay anywhere too long or let anyone get too close. An obsessed stalker has her in his sights, and to protect her family, she can never go home, never share her art, and never fall in love.
But when she plays her music a little too loud, she collides with her good-looking, inquisitive, and far-too-hot neighbor, Detective Hunter Morgan. A man who makes her want things she can never have.

After an injury ended his military career with Delta Force, Hunt Morgan found his place at the San Francisco Police Department. He may not have been there for the men of his team, but now he does his bit to keep his city safe. But his mysterious, new neighbor is disturbing his peace. One look at the beautiful blonde and Hunt knows she has secrets…
When a spate of mysterious attacks threaten Savannah’s life, Hunt steps in. He’ll keep her safe and he’s not going to let her run again.

As Savannah’s stalker closes in, she finds herself with her own private protector. Even with his brothers and friends at Norcross Security at his back, she’s terrified he’ll become the next target. But Hunt isn’t afraid of her deadly stalker, because he knows the hardest challenge will be convincing Savannah to take the biggest risk and stay.
Thoughts on The Detective: It's Detective Hunter Morgan's time to shine and he's met his match in Savannah. I mean, a lady on the run who doesn't dare trust anyone (including her hunky neighbor) who has a shadowy past thanks to a stalker bent on destroying her life is EXACTLY the type of woman who's going to get under Hunt's skin. They guy's a born protector and Savannah's way to wary to let anyone close enough to protect.

Except, you know, she does trust Hunter. She thinks she shouldn't (for his own safety) and she tries to protect him by staying away, but that doesn't work well. Because, like I said before, Hunt's a protector and he's not going to let a stalker run loose in his city. And he's REALLY not going to let said stalker terrorize the beautiful woman next door.

We get to meet up with a slew of familiar faces (the Norcross crew are quick to rally when someone needs their help) while getting a deeper peek into the Morgan brothers family dynamic. Plus PLUS...hints on what's to come. By that I mean, there's a certain someone with Vander-like intensity who makes an appearance and yesssssssss.

Danger, heartache, steamy kisses, and a couple who find one another just when things get tough. *thumbs up*