The Kraken King Part V: The Kraken King and the Iron Heart by Meljean Brook [Review]

The Kraken King Part V: The Kraken King and the Iron Heart (Iron Seas #4.5) by Meljean Brook
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Date read: May 13, 2014

Iron Seas
1. The Iron Duke
2. Heart of Steel
3. Riveted
4.1. The Kraken King and the Scribbling Spinster
4.2. The Kraken King and the Abominable Worm
4.3. The Kraken King and the Fox's Den
4.4. The Kraken King and the Inevitable Abduction
4.5. The Kraken King and the Iron Heart - Kindle
4.6. The Kraken King and the Crumbling Walls
4.7. The Kraken King and the Empress's Eyes
4.8. The Kraken King and the Greatest Adventure

Meljean Brook
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

With their lives and the fate of an empire at stake, Ariq is forced to leave Zenobia behind. Held captive by their enemies, Zenobia can only pray that Ariq keeps his promise to come for her—until a terrible loss prods her to action.

Ariq has no intention of handing over the Skybreaker to the two men responsible for the marauders’ attacks against Krakentown—but without a ransom to give them, Ariq must risk everything to rescue Zenobia and stop the swarming forces bent on destruction…

Thoughts on The Kraken King and the Iron Heart: I think one of the things that gets me the most about Zenobia is how fragile she is. Not physically, but emotionally. She has such a hard time believing Ariq would want her for her. Her captors strike right at the heart of her fears, but instead of breaking her, it gives her the strength to fight back.

As an aside, what the general did to Zenobia pained me. *quietly kicks things* I hope he gets what's coming to him. In a big, painful way.

Meanwhile, Ariq's determination to get to Zenobia despite all the roadblocks thrown in his way made me squeal. I admire a man who will do the unthinkable and stop at nothing to keep a promise. *slow thumbs up* to that.

It's going to be very hard waiting for the next installment. I want to know what's coming for our heroes. I want to know how they're going to work their way out of the issues that have arisen. *flails dramatically*

I feel like a junkie waiting for my next hit.

Top Off Tuesday - This moob's for you!

I've decided to join Felicia, Christi and Amanda for their gratuitous shirtless covers on Tuesdays. Because nothing says Tuesday like flashing some skin! Hop over to Felicia's blog to see who else is participating!

I have to admit I'm partial to this one because I made it. Yep, I doubled the man-chest JUST FOR YOU! As you ogle those moobs, imagine me grinning madly as I coaxed them to become all I wanted them to be. Or something.

Perfect Chemistry by Jodi Redford

When it comes to sexy geeks, Leo Martinez and Devlin Hawke are as hot as they get. But falling for the wrong guy has always been Sidney Chase’s forte. She’s not about to submit to her inner bad girl by giving in to her secret fantasies about her sex-on-a-stick bosses. When she’s accidentally exposed to the supercharged aphrodisiac in their lab, Sidney tosses aside her inhibitions and unknowingly provides her bosses with an eye-popping display of self lovin’ courtesy of the office security cameras.

Despite their mutual craving for Sidney, Leo and Devlin made a pact long ago to keep her off limits. The last thing they’d wanted was to scare off their best PA by overwhelming her with their kinky tendencies. Witnessing the arousing effects of their aphrodisiac elixir on Sidney changes everything. Not only is she the answer they’ve been looking for in regards to fine-tuning their formula, she’s the perfect woman for them. And with a little help from one helluva sinful science experiment, they’ll prove that love is far more potent than anything manufactured in a bottle.

Warning: This red hot office romance contains 3 parts sizzling m/f/m menage, 2 parts sexy and sweet geeks, one part wicked bondage and sex toys, and a whole lot of combustible chemistry. Safety glasses required.

Prisoner by Lia Silver [Review]

Prisoner (Echo's Wolf #1, Werewolf Marines #2) by Lia Silver
Format: ebook
Source: provided by the author for an honest review
Date read: August 9, 2014

Werewolf Marines
1. Laura's Wolf
2. Prisoner (Echo's Wolf #1) - Kindle
3. Partner (Echo's Wolf #2)
4. Packmate (Echo's Wolf #3)

Lia Silver
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Echo was created to be a weapon.

Echo was born when a secret laboratory tried to genetically engineer the perfect assassin. Two clones survived: Echo, the success, and Charlie, the failure. Stronger and faster than any normal human, Echo knows no life but killing, and has never loved or been loved by anyone but her frail sister. But that’s about to change…

DJ Torres made himself into a Marine.

DJ was born a werewolf. But he grew up to be a rebel, and left his pack to join the Marines. When his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan and his best friend lay dying in his arms, DJ bit him to save his life. Revealed as a shifter, DJ is imprisoned in the lab and subjected to mind games and experiments. But the lab rat is about to bite back…

Can two misfit people fit together?

Echo was engineered to surpass the limits of the human body, but she doesn’t know how to relate to other human beings. No one thought DJ could make it as a Marine, but he doesn’t know when to quit. When they’re forced to partner up, will they betray each other as their only chance to escape? Or will they risk everything on a love that crosses the battle lines?

Thoughts on Prisoner: I am STILL loving the worldbuilding going on with this series. Bitten vs born wolves and pack bonds. *swoon* It rocks my socks off. In a BIG way.

This book lets us see what happened to DJ after he and Roy were separated in book 1. We get a feel for the anguish and guilt DJ felt at having to leave Roy behind. While DJ has his wolf side well under control (being a born wolf definitely helps with that, I think), he has some other issues that make him a less than ideal prisoner. And he is a prisoner. The facility he finds himself in isn't one he would choose to stay at if it wasn't for the threats against his best friend.

On the other hand, seeing as how Echo has captured his (and his wolf's) attention, maybe he would voluntarily stay if his bud wasn't being threatened.

Speaking of Echo, she's an interesting lady. If not for her sister, she'd be completely apart from those around her. Her abilities give her an edge most others at the facility lack. She's deadly and determined not to form any attachments other than to her sister. DJ is a punch to the gut for her. That his strength matches hers and he's not quite like anyone else intrigues her.

Heh. Those two. So determined to try to keep their distance, so taken unaware by those pesky emotions.

I'm really enjoying this series as a whole and can't wait to see what's in store for DJ and Echo in the next installment. *thumbs up*

RtP Week in Review (09/07/14)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Hotter Than Helltown by S.M. Reine [Review] - Good gravy, I adore the world S.M. Reine has created with this series.
• Top Off Tuesday - Yesssss!
• Vigilante of Shadows by Miranda Stork [Review] - Enjoyable but I could have done without the regional speech patterns of the main character. It made him tough to understand.
• Taken by the Megalodon by Shauna Michaels [Review] - Chum breath. That is all.
• Super Trouble by Vivi Andrews [Review] - Super heroes and super villains getting into super trouble!
• Peanut Goes to School by Thea Harrison [Review] -Oh, good gravy! I just ADORE Peanut.

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile - 7
• Bound by Night (MoonBound Clan Vampires #1) by Larissa Ione
• Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After #1) by Tessa Dare 
• Perfect Chemistry by Jodi Redford
• Caressed by Shadows (Rulers of Darkness #4) by Amanda J. Greene - For review!
• Through the Veil (Through the Veil #1) by Christi Snow - For review!
• As Long As You Love Me (2B Trilogy #2) by Ann Aguirre - For review!
• Freebies - Check the prices before you buy!
• The Wrong Girl (Freak House #1) by C.J. Archer (Historical paranormal)
• Books read - 9
• Currently reading 
• Dark Blossom by Vincent Stoia

Globetrotting...

• On Tuesday, I talked about my next few releases at KellyApple.com. Basically, I'm working feverishly on getting book 2 in the Demonkind series ready for public consumption!
• On Wednesday, I reviewed Blue Moon Over Bliss Lake by Cate Masters over at Amanda's blog. Meh.
• Free Books Need Love, Too! weekly reviews:
• Monday - Blind Wolf by Aubrey Rose
• Tuesday - GLA: The Ice F**k-It Challenge by Wendy Doer and Ronnie Kinski
• Wednesday - Like a Fox by Celia Kyle

Check it out!

• Seriously Series weekly update: This is the point where I start to eyeball all those book 3s in a trilogy I have hanging out on my bookshelves and think "I really need to pick those up and knock out a few more Before 2014 series." Every.time.
• Series started in 2014: 17/18 (+3 since last week)
• Series started before 2014: 13/18 (+1 since last week)
• Series rereads: 7/9 (+0 since last week)

Peanut Goes to School by Thea Harrison [Review]

Peanut Goes to School (Elder Races #6.7) by Thea Harrison
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Date read: July 1, 2014

Elder Races
1. Dragon Bound
2. Storm's Heart
3. Serpent's Kiss
3.5. True Colors
4. Oracle's Moon
4.5. Natural Evil
4.6. Devil's Gate
4.7. Hunter's Season
5. Lord's Fall
5.5. The Wicked
6. Kinked
6.5. Dragos Takes a Holiday
6.6. Pia Saves the Day
6.7. Peanut Goes to School - Paperback | Kindle
7. Night's Honor

Thea Harrison
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Dragos Cuelebre is no longer the only dragon.

Dragos’s son Liam Cuelebre (a.k.a. Peanut) is springing into existence, reminiscent of the first of the Elder Races who were born at the beginning of the world. At just six months of age, he has already grown to the size of a large five-year-old boy. He can read, write in complete sentences, and his math skills are off the chart.

A white dragon in his Wyr form, Liam also holds more Power than almost anyone else. In an effort to give him a taste of normality, no matter how fleeting, his parents Pia and Dragos enroll him in first grade.

They hope school will help teach Liam how to relate to others, a vital skill that will help him control his growing Power. But school has a surprising number of pitfalls, and relating to others can be a tricky business.

When a classmate is threatened, Liam must quickly learn self-control, how to rein in his instincts, and govern his temper, because there’s no doubt about it—he is fast becoming one of the most dangerous creatures in all of the Elder Races.

Thoughts on Peanut Goes to School: Good gravy, I love this family. From Dragos's fierce personality to Pia's more gentle approach to getting things done to Liam's inquisitive nature. They just work for me. I adore their interactions and the way they band together when needed.

While the Cuelebres fascinate me as a whole, this is Liam's story and I really do love the way he looks at life and all the various experiences he has. He's not like other children and Pia and Dragos don't have a guidebook on how to make his life "normal," but they do a stellar job showing him how much he's loved and how to interact with those around him.

Side note: Seeing Dragos through Liam's eyes slayed me. That crafty old dragon is a downright awesome dad.

An absolutely captivating peek into the mind of the Elder Races' only child dragon, Peanut's story gives us a glimpse at some of the trials he and his parents have to face and show us how strong the Cuelebres are as they feel their way through Liam's childhood.

I absolutely wouldn't mind seeing more of Liam in the future.

Super Trouble by Vivi Andrews [Review]

Super Trouble (Superlovin' #4) by Vivi Andrews
Format: ebook
Source: free Kindle download 04/29/14
Date read: April 29, 2014

Superlovin' by Vivi Andrews
1. Superlovin'
2. Super Bad
3. Super Hot
4. Super Trouble - Kindle

Vivi Andrews
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

To keep her out of trouble, he'll have to hold on tight.

Kim Carruthers is done being the damsel in distress, waiting for some superhero to save her. Now that she finally has super powers of her own, the bad guys had better watch out. It's payback time. Provided she can get past the sexy super determined to stop her quest for vengeance.

Unfortunately, the hero on her tail is none other than Frost Nightwing, the man even supers fear and the ex-lover whose icy touch always set her on fire. Tall, dark and deadly Frost is the one love she could never forget and the last person she wants to face… especially now that he's playing for keeps.

Thoughts on Super Trouble: I like this series. The books have sass and steam and the characters always have issues to work through. Those issues tend to revolve around super villains and unpredictable powers and attraction that hits at the most inopportune moments. WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?

So. Frost and Kim. As a regular person, Kim is the perpetual damsel in distress thanks to her endless kidnappings. Now that's she's all suped up, she's not willing to play the victim. As a reporter, she's dogged in following leads and getting answers, so it doesn't take much of a stretch for her to ferret out details of her kidnappings to try to figure out why she was made a target so many times.

Frost is the bogeyman amongst supers. An enforcer who hunts down good guys who cross the line, he's isolated himself from most of the superhero community. With good reason, as it turns out. Not going to lie, he steams up the sheets with Kim something fierce when he finally loses his cool and drops his walls.

I gotta say, I really love these supes!

Taken by the Megalodon by Shauna Michaels [Review]

Taken by the Megalodon (Monstertantra Erotica #2) by Shauna Michaels
Format: ebook
Source: provided by the author for an honest review
Date read: April 23, 2014

Monstertantra Erotica
1. Snowed in with the Yeti
2. Taken by the Megalodon - Kindle
3. Slaking the Giant Ground Sloth

Shauna Michaels
| Website | Twitter | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

On a mission to avenge the death of her lover and master Rafe, Bronwyn is pushing her boat to its limits and throwing out a chum trail for his murderer, the Megalodon. Her impossible and unlikely objective: to lead the beast into a scientist’s iron-barred trap. Her boat is shuddering, her slave and shipmate Peleus’s courage is flagging, and the Megalodon is closing on them fast. She’s finally seeing how helpless this all is, how foolish she was to agree to it in her rage.

Will she make it to the trap before the Megalodon reaches her boat, and if not, will he be gentle?

Thoughts on Taken by the Megalodon: Word of warning: This book deals with some dark, heavy-duty non-con BDSM. It's not for the faint of heart.

That said, I had no issues with the forced consent or that Bronwyn was made to humiliate herself for the pleasure of the Megalodon. My biggest cringe-worthy moment came when Mr. Megalodon blew his fish breath in her face. *gags* I can't even. I just... *gags again*

Apparently, I have issues when the creature in question consumes vast amounts of chum and then does the equivalent of when my son burps and blows it in his friends' faces. Blech. Gross. *tries to think of anything else* Other than that, we're given whips, binding, body alterations, blood play, and... umm, I'm sure there was more. The point is, it's dark. There's no romance. No safe word. No trust, except what the Megalodon forces from Bronwyn.

And somehow it works.

And the ending? Not going to lie, I kinda dug it. Very ambiguous. When you've been stripped down to nothing and had something monumental forced on you that will change you in a fundamental way, what do you do next? That's the question Bronwyn faces.