Tuesday Teaser with Review: Dark Instincts by Suzanne Wright

Dark Instinct by Suzanne Wright
Series: Phoenix Pack, #4
Pub Date: April 7, 2014

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

It happens whenever wolf shifter Roni Axton is near Marcus Fuller: a crackle of sexual awareness that’s intoxicating…and deeply annoying. Marcus is a pack enforcer who oozes power, but Roni is lethal in her own right—nothing like the flirty females who flock around him. Even still, his possessive gaze makes one thing clear. Marcus has singled her out for seduction, and he wants to make her sit up and beg.

No matter how aloof and unfazed Roni acts, Marcus can tell she wants him. When a brutal attack by a jackal pack forces them to work together, it’s the perfect opportunity for Marcus to chip away at her defenses—until he falls into his own trap, completely unprepared for the intensity of their connection. Roni is the only one who’s ever seen past his shifter charm and discovered the man hiding beneath it. And for Marcus, claiming Roni once will mean needing her forever.

I didn't read the blurb for this one before I started reading because I wanted the couple to surprise me.  I have to say that I was surprised that Roni was paired with Marcus. And this was the first book of this series where I liked the female character better than the male. Don't get me wrong, Marcus was yummy in his alpha male behavior. I liked that he was possessive, yet supportive, instead of just out-and-out controlling. He coaxed Roni into trusting him in a way that the other males probably would not have thought to try. But Marcus was kind of an unknown for me before this book - I never really paid attention to him in the earlier parts of the series.

Roni was a great heroine, and I was able to connect with her pretty quickly. I understood her need to escape into her wolf when people were coddling her or treating her as a weak female. I totally identify with this as I cannot stand for someone to think that I am not capable of doing something, whether its due to my back injury or due to being a girl. I am one of those independent capable chicks that does not need a man to be happy - and I felt like Roni was the same.

Dominic and Derren continue to be my favorite secondary characters, and I do hope that one of their books is coming next. This series just has a recipe to keep my interest no matter who the main characters are. There is just enough action, suspense, drama and steamy sex to keep the pace going for a fast, quick and interesting read. Rock on, Ms. Wright!

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Blog Tour: Andromeda's Fall by Abigail Owen

Title:  Andromeda’sFall

Series:  Shadowcat Nation, Book 1

Author:  Abigail Owen

Genre: paranormal romance

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Date of Publication: 12/10/14

ISBN: 978-1-62830-661-3

ASIN: B00PM6T2YW

Number of pages: 258

Word Count: 61,300

Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor

Book Description:

Andromeda Reynolds is being hunted. After witnessing her mother’s violent death at the hands of a pack of wolf shifters, Andie has devoted her life to protecting her community of cougar shifters from a similar fate. But now, a greater threat lies within her own dare, and she must run. If she stays, Kyle Carstairs will force their mating, seeking the added political power their union would provide.

Andie would rather chew off her own foot than end up with Kyle. Though, knowing him, she won’t live long either way. Andie’s only hope of survival is to mate Jaxon Keller, the Alpha of the Keller Dare with which she is seeking asylum. But before she can get to him, Andie must first go through A.J., one of the Alpha’s Protectors.

What Andie doesn’t realize is that A.J. has secrets of his own. All Andie knows is that the incredibly frustrating shifter insists on challenging her story, her skills, her trust… and her heart.

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/VPoOg6WFolo

Series Pinterest Board:

https://www.pinterest.com/abbyowen/the-shadowcat-nation-series/

Available at  The Wild Rose Press  

Amazon   BN   Apple   Kobo

Excerpt:

He glanced down at her. “You really are a tiny thing, aren’t you?”

Andie scowled. “Don’t let my size fool you. I can pack a wallop when I want to. Even with a broken arm.”

A.J. laughed. “I’m sure you can.”

Andie stared straight ahead, her mouth thinning. She hated being patronized. Men were so dense sometimes. They never took her seriously until she showed them exactly why they should.

Keeping her left arm protected, Andie suddenly dropped. One leg shot out and she spun low to the ground, sweeping A.J.’s feet out from under him. As he landed on his back, she was on top of him, her knee on his windpipe—not crushing, just sending a message.

Before she could gloat too much, though, she was flying through the air. Andie tucked into a back flip, landed on her feet, and then spun and launched herself backwards in a one-handed back handspring. A.J. had just gotten on his feet when her legs wrapped around his neck. She used her momentum to drop him back to the floor.

Andie rolled and ended up in a crouch close by. A.J. held up his hands in surrender. “All right, wildcat. You’ve proved yourself.”

Andie glared at him. “Don’t doubt me. And don’t insult my intelligence by pretending you just lost either,” she said in a severe voice, made harsher, perhaps, by the fact that she’d just realized exactly how incredible his blue eyes were. They were a vibrant color made even more interesting by the black ring that rimmed the irises. And she was more than irritated with herself for having noticed that at all.

He levered himself up off the floor. “Fair enough.”

The only thing that kept her from proving her point more—because she could tell he’d held back—was the small amount of respect she could see in his eyes. With a brusque nod, she followed him down the hall.

About the Author:

Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado, and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

Website/Blog: http://abigailowen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Abigail.Owen.Books

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AOwenBooks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/abbyowen/

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Review: Carnal Secrets by Suzanne Wright

Carnal Secrets by Suzanne Wright
Series: Phoenix Pack, #3

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

A pack Alpha and his estranged, true mate wrestle with painful secrets, ruthless enemies, and their own irresistible attraction, in the sexy third book of the Phoenix Pack series.

Half-shifter Shaya Critchley may hold a submissive role in her pack, but she’s done taking orders. After her Alpha wolf mate refused to claim her—but committed to interfering in her life—she took off. Now she hides from him, posing as a human in a town full of anti-shifter extremist groups. She thinks he’ll never find her again, and that suits her just fine. But she’s wrong.

Nick Axton can barely control his feelings for Shaya, but he could never claim her—not if he truly cares for her. The degenerative brain condition he keeps secret would ultimately leave her with a burden rather than a mate. But when Shaya runs away, Nick can’t bear the thought of never seeing her again. After tracking her down, he discovers Shaya’s feisty and passionate side in the process…a side he’d never seen before.

Under the menacing gazes of territorial local packs and violent human extremists, Nick vows to finally claim the spirited Shaya…and despite her initial resistance, Shaya just might find his fiery determination to be the ultimate aphrodisiac.

So I felt really bad for Shaya in the last book... but I flipped the script for this book and felt really bad for Nick instead. Once we learned Nick's reasons for not claiming Shaya immediately, you couldn't help but empathize with him. And Shaya got on my nerves when she continued to reject and hurt him no matter what he did to make up for his past mistake.  That date was a huge insulting no no!

The drama in this book dealt with some human hate groups that targeted shifters, and some pretty nasty individuals from Nick's past. It wss nice to see them get what they had coming. Dominic continues to be one of my favorite secondary characters, but he is now joined by the very dark and broody Derren. I am looking forward to reading both of their books, as I am sure they will each have one.

In sum, this is the same trope as the previous books. Alpha male finds his fated mate, has lots of hot steamy sex, caveman behavior, and encounters some kind of crazy drama along the way. I probably would've rated this book higher if I wasn't reading the series one after the other because that makes me compare each book to the others, and also makes me notice how similar they are. But they are quick enjoyable reads so I'm not complaining.

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Review: Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright

Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright
Series: Phoenix Pack, #2

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

For years, wolf shifter Jaime Farrow has harbored a not-so-secret crush on gorgeous Dante Garcea. But the time has come for Jaime to face facts: despite her best efforts, Dante just isn’t interested. And that’s probably for the best. The last thing Jaime needs is for anyone—particularly Dante—to find out about her little “problem.” The one that haunts her past and threatens to destroy her and everyone she loves…

As the pack Beta, workaholic Dante Garcea doesn’t have time for distractions—especially the kind promised by Jaime Farrow. It’s all he can do to keep her at arm’s length and his desire at bay. Yet when her flirtations abruptly end, Dante becomes suspicious. She’s hiding something, something big, and unless he can convince her to trust him, their entire pack could be in danger. He knows hot-headed Jaime will resist him…but Dante never takes no for an answer.

I've waited a couple days to write my review because I couldn't think of what to say other than "I liked it." I hate it when that happens, but with some books, that's just the way it is. It was a solid 4-star read for me.

I've read some of the other reviews that said it was too much like the first book. I can't comment on that because I read Feral Sins so long ago that I don't really remember it. Basically we have a group of alpha male werewolves meeting their fated mates. Throw in some drama, suspense and hot sex, and you have a story. It's not original, but that doesn't mean it's not interesting or enjoyable to read. Just don't read them too close together and you won't notice the sameness. That's my advice anyway.

I enjoyed Jaime. Her strength was admirable given her past and difficulties with her wolf. Dante, despite being the pack's Beta, was still a very alpha male. He was a bit dense and sometimes I wanted to smack him. But his domineering and kinky side was pretty hot.

Dominic and his cheesy pickup lines continue to emerge as a hilarious secondary character, and I think I will enjoy his book (hopefully coming soon?). Shaya, another secondary character in this book, pulled on my heart strings. Given the insight into her and Nick's situation, I had a feeling her book would be up next in the series. I am looking forward to it.

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Review: Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris
Series: Midnight, Texas #1

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale: 

FIRST IN A NEW TRILOGY

From Charlaine Harris, the bestselling author who created Sookie Stackhouse and her world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, comes a darker locale—populated by more strangers than friends. But then, that’s how the locals prefer it…

Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.

There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).

Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth...

This book was like an episode of Seinfeld in a podunk town. Meaning, for most of the book, it seemed to be a story about nothing (with a little paranormal thrown in). The story followed the everyday lives of some strange people that live in a small town with only one stoplight. There was a little bit of "who done it" type mystery... but nothing exciting. Just a meandering story told from third-person POV of many different people. Maybe this is a cozy mystery? I don't know b/c I've never read one of those before... so I'm only guessing. All-in-all, it was okay... but I would have liked it to be a little more Sookie and a little less Aurora Teagarden.

After reading some other reviews for this book, I realize that I probably should have read some of Harris' other series as the characters in this one are a spinoff of the Shakespeare and Lily Bard series. Getting to know the characters in the earlier series would probably have made me like them more here.  As it was, the story was told from so many points of view that you could not form an attachment to any individual character.

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Other Books in this Series:

Day Shift, Book 2

There is no such thing as bad publicity, except in Midnight, Texas, where the residents like to keep to themselves. Even in a town full of secretive people, Olivia Charity is an enigma. She lives with the vampire Lemuel, but no one knows what she does; they only know that she’s beautiful and dangerous.

Psychic Manfred Bernardo finds out just how dangerous when he goes on a working weekend to Dallas and sees Olivia there with a couple who are both found dead the next day. To make matters worse, one of Manfred’s regular—and very wealthy—clients dies during a reading.

Manfred returns from Dallas embroiled in scandal and hounded by the press. He turns to Olivia for help; somehow he knows that the mysterious Olivia can get things back to normal. As normal as things get in Midnight…

Thrifty Thursday! Conflicted by M. M. Koenig

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Conflicted (Secrets and Lies #1) is on sale for 0.99 at all retailers!! Find out what happens when a sexy, tattooed bad boy goes head to head with a sassy, fierce female in this explosive series!  The twists and turns will keep you on your toes and the sex is sure to leave you panting.  Go grab your copy today! 

“Our bodies rode together with effortlessness. It was so damn hot that I couldn’t control anything within me, let alone what flew out of my mouth.”

“There are lines you can cross that will change your life forever.”

 Conflicted - Secrets and Lies #1

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1AoyD5K

B&N: http://bit.ly/1s5uPlC

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1a96gie

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New Release and Giveaway! Exiled (Anathema #2) by Lana Grayson

Exiled by Lana Grayson  

(Anathema #2)  

Publication date: March 19th 2015 

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

Goodreads / Amazon

Synopsis:

The only thing more sacred than the Anathema MC is the vengeance of a wronged man…

Excommunicated…

Exiled from the Anathema MC, Brew Darnell escaped the bullet only to face the unforgiving solitude of the road. With no future before him, Brew battles his past and vows to protect the one he loves the only way he can—by hunting the man who destroyed his family, devastated the Anathema MC, and betrayed every promise he ever made.

Saved…

Trapped in an abusive relationship with a sadistic biker, Martini Wright learned to manipulate, controlling her boyfriend’s temper with a wink and a smile until she’s traded as collateral to a rival MC. Her captor, Brew, has never trafficked a woman before, and Martini intends to exploit his guilty secrets to escape. Caught in the middle of a gang war, Brew and Martini fight a dangerous attraction—a second chance to heal from the mistakes of their past if they can confess the terrible truth.

Redeemed…

Brew failed his family before, but Martini can still be saved. With redemption delivered at the edge of a blade, Brew must choose who to rescue—the one he already lost…or the love he never deserved.

AUTHOR BIO:

Lana Grayson was born to write romance. Her favorite genres range from the dark and twisty to the lighthearted and sentimental—as long as the characters are memorable, the story is fun, and the romance is steamy. Lana lives in Pittsburgh with her husband, and, when she isn’t bundled in her writing chair, she’s most likely cheering on the Steelers or searching for the ‘Burgh’s best Italian restaurants. 

Author links:

http://lanagraysonwrites.blogspot.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lana-Grayson/884548538224978

http://eepurl.com/9npYX

https://twitter.com/Lana_Grayson

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Other Books in the Anathema Series:

Warlord: Book 1

Trapped... 
For twenty-one years, Rose Darnell desperately searched for a way out of the Anathema MC, but the only thing more dangerous than the desecrated club is the rival chapter manipulating Rose into starting a war. 

Bound to a world of bloodied knuckles and drug money, Rose is determined to use her musical talent to escape her abusive father and overbearing brothers. A chance audition would free Rose from the outlaw 1%, but her brothers ensnare her within Anathema’s shadow. 

A rival club threatens Rose, and only Anathema’s President, Thorne Radek, can protect her from the bloodshed. 

Betrayed... 
A traitor lurks within the brotherhood, and Thorne will burn the world to scorch the rat. When an innocent diva with baby-bunny eyes and dark secrets needs his help, Thorne volunteers to protect the girl and secures his ultimate bait to lure out the traitor. 

Thorne may be the only man who ever distracted Rose from her music, but his obsession with the club's betrayal endangers the one woman easing his desire for vengeance. 

Helping Thorne find the traitor will damn more than the club. 

It will tear Rose's family apart...