Audiobook Review: How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper

Series:	Mystic Bayou #1
Pub. Date:	Jan. 23, 2018
Publisher:	Audible Studios
Narrators:	Amanda Ronconi Jonathan Davis
Length:	6 hrs 33 min
Source:	Audible Romance

I thought this story was just as cute and fun as all get out, but that is kinda what I expect from Molly Harper. I can't wait for the next books in the Mystic Bayou series to see what the magi are getting up to down in the Lousiana swamp. 

This book is an Audible Original - so the print copy has yet to be released. But I encourage you to listen to the audiobook if you are able. The narrators did a great job... but I really really liked the female narrator Amanda Ronconi. She did a great (and believable) Cajun accent, probably the best I have heard in an audiobook. I wish she had narrated the whole book just to have continuity, but Jonathan Davis didn't do a bad job either.

ARC Review: Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by Kerrelyn Sparks

Series:	The Embraced #3
Pub. Date:	March 27, 2018
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Length:	435 pgs
Source:	NetGalley

I'm a huge fan of fantasy romance, and there doesn't seem to be many traditionally published adult fantasy romances being published these days. So I'm always very excited when a new book comes out in this genre. This third book takes place about 3 years after the previous book, So I Married a Sorcerer. 

To recap for the series: In the fantastical realm of  Aerthlan, the Embraced are born on the night of the two moons eclipse. This special birth gives them special powers which, in the past, was seen as dangerous by the kings of the land. The Embraced were executed if found, so they must live in secret, and are sometimes sent to the Isle of Moon as infants to be raised in hiding. This is where we met our five heroines, girls who were raised in a convent on the Isle of Moon - Luciana, Brigitta, Gwennore, Sorcha, and Maeve. Having grown up together, these girls share a special bond and consider themselves sisters who will be together forever. Luciana and Brigitta met their fate, married and are each queens in their own right. As a result, things have been changing across Aerthlan and the Embraced are coming out of hiding.

ARC Review: Counting on a Countess by Eva Leigh

Series:	London Underground #2
Pub. Date:	March 27, 2018
Publisher:	Avon
Length:	389 pgs
Source:	Edelweiss

Counting on a Countess is the second book in Eva Leigh's London Underground series, which features noble heroes who become entangled with less-than-lawful women of the commoner class.

Our hero in this second installment is Christopher "Kit" Ellingsworth, who has returned home a war hero and been awarded an earldom for his service in the fight against Napoleon. Kit has the reputation of being a spendthrift and womanizer, and his new title hasn't added a penny to his coffers.  But Kit's laissez faire lifestyle is really his way of coping with the horrors of war, and this vulnerability drew me into Kit's character and created a good emotional connection with his character. When Kit's mentor, Lord Somersby, dies and leaves him a fortune with some very unusual conditions, Kit's dreams are within reach if he can only find a willing and supportive wife. 

Audiobook Review: The Dark Ones by Rachel Van Dyken

Series:	The Dark Ones #1
Pub. Date:	Jan. 30, 2018
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrators:	Chris Chambers Hollie Jackson
Length:	7 hrs 1 min
Source:	Publisher

The Dark Ones is the first book in a series of the same name by Rachel Van Dyken that features a diverse cast of paranormal characters including vampires, werewolves, sirens and fallen angels. 

Our heroine is named Genesis, a human whose number has been called to go and serve immortal society. The way Genesis was raised has given her an inferiority complex, and you really wanted to shake the spit out of her hateful mother. But this results in Genesis arriving before the immortals wholly ignorant of her role and what is expected of her. She adapted fairly quickly and took things in stride without freaking out, which was commendable. 

Audiobook Review: About That Kiss by Jill Shalvis

Series:	Heartbreaker Bay #5
Pub. Date:	Jan. 23, 2018
Publisher:	Avon / HarperAudio
Narrator::	Karen White
Length:	9 hrs 26 min
Source:	Overdrive/Library

About That Kiss is the fifth book in the Heartbreaker Bay series, of which I have only read one book. While these may technically be read as standalones, I felt like I was missing info and wish I had read all the earlier books first. There is quite a bit of character crossover and references to their stories (particularly the fateful fountain) and, as I didn't know everyone, I felt like I was the clueless new kid on the block.

So this story is about a kiss (duh) that seems to have happened off-page... or maybe in a previous book? We start off the story two days after the kiss has happened. I wish that scene had been included in a prologue or something because I felt like I was coming into the story late. So the gist is that our heroine (Kylie) and hero (Joe) had a steamy, possibly drunken, kiss at a bar. Then he didn't call her, but comes into her reclaimed wood store a couple days after.

ARC Review: One Lucky Cowboy by Carolyn Brown

Series:	Lucky #2
Re-Release. Date:	March 6, 2018
Publisher:	Sourcebooks Casablanca
Length:	352 pages
Source:	NetGalley

I have been on the hunt lately for a good solid cowboy series that I could sink my teeth into... but so far I'm kinda striking out in this trope. I don't know if being a southern girl makes me overly picky when it comes to these stories, or if I just haven't found the right fit. But this one didn't work for me at all. 

ARC Review: Bring the Heat by G.A. Aiken

Series:	Dragon Kin #9
Pub. Date:	Aug. 29, 2017
Publisher:	Kensington/Zebra
Length:	416 pgs
Source:	NetGalley

This is another book from my blogger shame pile... another one that got caught up in my moving transition between New Orleans and Tucson. But I'm kinda glad that I waited on it now because it really helped lighten my mood this week while I've been trying to read and not die of the plague (thanks to all those germ harbingers of doom that you pick up on an airplane). 

It seems like its been a long time since I've read a Dragon Kin book. I had no problem remembering our heroine, Branwen the Awful, but I couldn't seem to place our hero, Aidan the Divine. That didn't really matter in the long run as Aidan is the typical egotistical dragon, he thinks he's the GOAT (greatest of all time) and its up to our heroine to bring him back down to earth. I like it when the pretty boy and/or intelligent dragons have been paired with the Cadwaladr females, who are big tough fighting machines. Branwen definitely takes after her mother, Ghleanna, and is a renowned warrior known in all the realms. I like the mix of ridiculous and relatable and felt like Branwen hit both of those marks. She and Aiden definitely kept me entertained.

Audiobook Review: Cowboy SEAL Homecoming by Nicole Helm

Series:	Navy SEAL Cowboys #1
Pub. Date:	Jan. 2, 2018
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrator:	Romy Nordlinger
Length:	10 hrs 24 min
Source:	Publisher

Cowboy SEAL Homecoming is set on a horse and cattle ranch in a small town in Big Sky Country - Montana. Three wounded Navy SEALs have returned to the ranch with our hero to start an equine therapy center for wounded veterans, but must heal themselves in the process. 

Rebecca Denton is an extremely sheltered young woman who was left half of the ranch by her recently deceased stepfather. After having meningitis as a child, Rebecca was coddled and sheltered by her smother, who still treats Becca as if she is naive and incapable of caring for herself and knowing her own mind. As a result, Becca has made friends on the farm and has a wide array of furry companions like Ron Swanson (the goat) and Rasputin (the rooster), among others. Becca talks to the animals as if they were people, which gives you some insight into her life and loneliness. Deciding to open an equine therapy ranch for wounded veterans with her stepbrother and his comrades is a huge step for Becca, but one at which she is determined to succeed (and have her way). I liked watching Becca come out of her shell and start to stand up for herself, her wants and needs. She didn't back down from the military men, and she earned their respect in the process.

Audiobook Review: Dark in Death by JD Robb

Series:	In Death #46
Pub. Date:	Jan. 30, 2018
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Narrators:	Susan Ericksen
Length:	13 hrs 25 min
Source:	Audible

There is not much left that I can say about Eve Dallas and In Death that I haven't already said in the multitude of reviews that I have done for this series. It continues to be one of my favorite series, and one that I hope stays around for years to come. 

ARC Review: Guardian's Bond by Rhenna Morgan

Series:	Ancient Ink #1
Pub. Date:	March 12, 2018
Publisher:	Carina Press
Length:	393 pages
Source:	NetGalley

I'm a big fan of Rhenna Morgan's Men of Haven series, but this is the first time I have read one of her paranormals (despite having her Eden series on my TBR forever). So I'm glad to be getting in on the Ancient Ink series at the outset, and this will spur me to get started on Eden. 

Ancient Ink centers around a race of magical people in a somewhat clannish society. Their various powers are tied to the Otherworld and they have a animal companion, which allows them to shapeshift into that form. They are a long-lived race integrated with human society, but don't seem to be "out" as far as their magical abilities go. The world setting is the modern United States, so not a ton of world building is needed and you instead will be focusing on the characters and their relationships.

Audiobook Review: The English Wife by Lauren Willig

Pub. Date:	Jan. 9, 2018
Publisher:	MacMillan Audio
Narrator:	Barrie Kreinik
Length:	14 hrs 52 min
Source:	Publisher

The English Wife is a historical drama set during the Gilded Age in London and upstate New York. While it is not a romance, there are some romantic elements. However, your main focus is going to be on the drama and mystery that unfolds as you read or listen.

There is a split narration/POV of this story for the past and present. Half of the story is following Bayard and Annabelle Van Duyvil from their meeting to murder, and the other half follows Janie Van Duyvil as she attempts to find out the truth about the mysterious deaths. There are quite a number of distasteful secondary characters that meet and mingle through the Van Duyvil lives, and they gave the story a darker theme that really made this into a drama instead of a run-of-the-mill historical fiction.

ARC Review: One and Only by Jenny Holiday

Series:	Bridesmaids Behaving Badly #1
Pub. Date:	February 27, 2018
Publisher:	Forever Romance
Length:	368 pages
Source:	Netgalley

This is my first read from Jenny Holiday, and I was excited to pick it up as I was in the mood for something light and fun. I'm not typically into the bridesmaid and wedding theme, but I an excerpt that was floating around for One and Only and the steamy selection piqued my smutty interest.

So Jane Denning is our responsible introvert of a bridesmaid - a nerdy girl author who writes fabulous young adult fantasy novels. After a failed relationship, Jane has stuck to the solo life for the last six years... something that definitely resonated with me. Sometimes its just easier to be in your own space than it is to think of inviting someone into your life and all your "stuff." But her long bout of celibacy and tendency to wrangle her girlfriends has earned Jane the reputation of being a responsible, boring, wet blanket. This was a bit harsh because there is nothing wrong with being responsible and not sleeping with half the town. We aren't supposed to slut shame... but how about we don't single shame either, okay ladies? And besides - Jane wasn't TOTALLY an adult. She lived in fantasy worlds and dressed up for Comicon! That's not boring! So I connected with Jane a little bit with her single life and nerdy girl introvert tendencies. I also didn't like Jane sometimes though, particularly when she was judgy and willing to believe the worst of people despite evidence to the contrary.

ARC Review: The Woman Left Behind by Linda Howard

Pub. Date:	March 6, 2018
Publisher:	William Morrow
Length:	368 pages
Source:	Edelweiss

This must be a week for new-to-me authors, as this is another new one for me. Though I have had Linda Howard on my TBR for a really long time, I just haven't found time to fit her in until now. And now I want to go back and read the whole back list! This was a great romantic suspense!

The premise revolves around GO Teams, a secret sect of the government sending highly specialized and trained teams out into dangerous situations to address whatever situation is needed. Unfortunately the teams, and their leader, Axel McNamara, have an enemy in Congress who wants to see them fail in the worst way. So there was suspense and danger at ever angle in this novel.

ARC Review: Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London

Series:	Bad Bachelors #1
Pub. Date:	March 6, 2018
Publisher:	Sourcebooks Casablanca
Length:	384pages
Source:	Netgalley

This is my first read from Stefanie London, and I admittedly got sucked in by this cover and the very Tom Hardy looking cover model. This book also brought out my heroine hater tendencies and found me squarely in the corner of all the bad bachelors out there. Shocker!

The premise behind the story revolves around the Bad Bachelor app - an app along the lines of the former Don't Date Him Girl (DDHG) site that was around a handful of years ago. Touted as a way to empower and educate women, the Bad Bachelor app allows anonymous users to rate and hate on men, airing grievances and saying whatever their heart desires without any consequence whatsoever. As you can imagine, that can result in countless keyboard warriors being vile and vindictive and making my lip curl with their petty behavior.

Audiobook Review: Serpent's Kiss by Thea Harrison

Series:	Elder Races #3
Pub. Date:	Oct. 6, 2011
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrator:	Sophie Eastlake
Length:	13 hrs 14 min
Source:	Audible Romance

My re-read for the Elder Races series continues, and I'm approaching the point where I got waylaid in the series before. So I'm making sure to take notes this time! I continue to enjoy Harrison's world building and unique paranormal characters, and I remember the next book, Oracle's Moon, being one of my favorites so I will be moving onto it very soon. That's not to say that Serpent's Kiss wasn't very good... it was.

The hero of this installment is Rune Ainissesthai, a gryphon and First Sentinel for Dragos Cuelebre (hero of Dragon Bound). In the last installment, Storm's Heart, Rune made a deal with a vampire to save Tiago's life... and now he has to go pay up the favor he owes her. Rune is a typical weir hero, a growly alpha male that is dominant and protective when it comes to his mate. Rune is also a being of the between places, as his gryphon nature demonstrates. He has an affinity for portals to other times, places and dimensions... and we see that working in interesting ways in this story.