Hidden Talents by Emma Holly

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Synopsis

Werewolf cop Adam Santini is sworn to protect and serve all the supes in Resurrection, NY - including unsuspecting human Talents who wander in from Outside.

Telekinetic Ari is hot on the trail of a mysterious crime boss who wants to exploit her gift for his own evil ends, a mission that puts her on a collision course with the hottest cop in the RPD. Adam wants Blackwater too, but mostly he wants Ari. She seems to be the mate he’s been yearning for all his life, though getting a former street kid into bed with the Law could be his toughest case to date.

Review

I wrote this review in the form of a letter to the author because that is how it started. I fell in love with the book so much I felt compelled to message her directly about it. Once I had finished I realized I might as well write a review: So here it is.

I just finished reading Hidden Talents and I truly enjoyed it. Your unique perspective was so very refreshing. You honored the traditions of were and fae yet still made it completely unique and your own. I really loved that Ari was such an incredibly realistic heroine instead of the chaste and quaking virgin. I love that she is sexually experienced and adventurous yet still appreciated by her Alpha who was absolutely perfect for a change instead of the domineering chauvanistic assholes currently popular. Don't get me wrong sometimes those are fun too as well as the whole virginal bit but sometimes just sometimes I want a little down to earth mixed in with my fantasy. I love that you were able to depict an Alpha with every trait I love including strength, loyalty, compassion, protectiveness and love. Yes ladies a real man is someone who is not afraid to be mushy infront of the guys because he realizes what is truly important in life. Adam was truly my dream man :)
I have been reading quite a bit of shifter type paranormal romance, urban fantasy stuff lately but I have to admit this book stood head and shoulders above most of what is out there right now. Emma Holly's world and concept building skills are quite impressive. There were several new character archetypes that I really liked as well as old school ones that were done very very well and true to form. An example of this is her depiction of the Fae Lord! Yes most authors will mention how beautiful they are to all other creatures, but none other than Emma Holly have truly been able to depict exactly how intoxicating their presence is to others. She absolutely nailed it! So much so that I would love to read a book about this wonderful creature and the songstress he pines for.

As a final endorsement (All sensitive souls should look away now) I have to say that Hidden Talents has some of the most fanFUCKINGtastic, hottest, steamiest, raunchiest, earth shattering and wonderfully origional sex scenes I have read in a long long time. Emma Holly gives Lora Leigh a very serious run for her money.

At 3.99 on Amazon this book is a wonderful bargain and an exceptional read.

The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

This title will be released on December 27, 2011.

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I gasped . . . or tried to. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t draw breath. . . . His lips, pearly wet, parted and he blew into my mouth. My lungs expanded beneath his weight. When I exhaled he sucked in my breath and his weight turned from cold marble into warm living flesh.

Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of writing her bestselling book, The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. After all, Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she finds herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.

But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: He’s not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the incubus, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this demon lover from her heart.

Victoria Holt style gothic romance meets modern day paranormal erotica!

Those of us that love this genre are fortunate enough to be experiencing a wonderful new array of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels. We are absolutely spoiled for choice and can practically pick any fantasy our heart desires because of it. The unwanted side effect of this is that pretty much every scenario has been played, every angle has been looked at and every fantasy whim has been satisfied. There are a small group of novelists who are transcending these barriers and leading their imaginations through even wilder and darker paths to places we never imagined could exist.

The awesomely pseudonymed Juliet Dark has managed to do this and more. She has taken the glorious gothic romance genre of yesteryear and blended it with the wonderful urban fantasy and paranormal romance themes of today to create a story that left me breathless. Her storytelling is masterful and commandeering! She took me through every scene and kept me exactly where she wanted me. I felt every nuance and every emotion that Callie experienced, and when her heart was broken I felt the pain as if it were my own. The desperation and despair of her situation and the revelations that followed were so real to me that I could almost feel myself walking through the story through her.

The Demon Lover is going down as one of my best reads of the year and I believe that this book has all the goods to become a true classic of our time.

Ecstacy Untamed by Pamela Palmer

 Available October 25, 2011

They are called Feral Warriors -- an elite band of immortals who can change shape at will. Sworn to rid the world of evil, consumed by secrecy and seduction, their wild natures are primed for release...
Shattered by recent nightmarish events, Hawke feels his bond with his animal spirit weakening -- and once it breaks, he's finished. The arrival of Faith sends his life spinning even further out of control, for although she delights him and enflames his deepest primal passions, she's promised to Maxim, the newest Feral Warrior.
Faith is drawn to Hawke from the start, but Maxim holds her in his thrall and has secretly bent her to his malevolent will. Though gravely damaged, Hawke is the only one who can end Faith's slavery and protect the Feral Warriors from Maxim's evil designs. But first they both must embrace the wild...and surrender body and soul to a forbidden, all-consuming ecstasy.

I have just finished reading Christine Feehan's Leopards series and Lora Leigh's Breed's series so I was more than curious to try Pamela Palmer's Feral Warrior's series. It is never easy to delve into an already established series without knowing the back story and I had my concerns that after being ensconced in Lora Leigh's world for so long I would not be able to appreciate a new concept in the genre. I must admit it did take a few chapters to get my bearings, but once I did I found myself enjoying the story of Hawke and Faith. I will not compare to Christine Feehan and Lora Leigh's books because each author has their own merits and quirks.

 What stood out most clearly to me was how likeable the characters were. Hawke and Faith are two of the most genuinely warm and endearing characters I have read in a while, and if for no reason else I will continue reading this series in order to catch cameos of them. All in all the rest of the concept was entertaining and well written. It had a decent and inventive storyline and the right amount of intrigue and suspense to keep the reader well motivated.

Avenger's Angel by Heather Killough-Walden

This title will be released on November 1, 2011

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When four female angels were created for the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Azrael, a chaos spurned by jealousy erupted, and the archesses were secreted to Earth. The four favored archangels followed, prompting a search that has last millennia. But for Uriel, the former Archangel of vengeance, the search ends the moment he lays eyes on Eleanor Granger, his one true arches. Can he protect her from the danger lying in wait for her-and win her heart?

Avenger's Angel obliterated my pre-conceived notions almost immediately! I should have known better than to expect anything Formulaic from Heather Killough-Walden, and in this book she has managed to keep me guessing yet again. HKRWs Lost Angels series is going to create an entire new paradigm on the subject of Angels and in particular one specific fallen angel we all know well.Over the course of the book each and every one of the characters managed to worm their way into my affections, and I am eagerly looking foward to the next three books in the series so that I can spend more time with them.

 HKRW succesfully examines the contours of brotherhood as the four archangels battle together to save Uriel's archess. The odds seem overwhelming at times and through it all they band together with a sense of warmth and cameraderie not often succesfully conveyed. Uriel is thrown into some very dificult situations and undergoes painful changes while Ellie has to come to terms with who she is and just what that means. Against all odds they discover a connection that erupts into some very passionate and heart felt moments.

 HKRW does a great job of bringing the many elements together in ways that kept me on the edge of my seat and yearning for more at the end of it. I can honestly say I loved every moment of Avenger's Angel and I cannot wait to meet the next archess.



Solar Eclipse (Book 2 of the Heresy series) by Poppet

Now available on Amazon

I am well and truly HOOKED!!! The story of Micki has captured my heart yet again and the past 24 hours have been spent in agony and ecstacy as the events unfolded.

In Solar Eclipse Micki's story takes a twist so earth shattering that it leaves her friends and Grant reeling against impossible odds while facing the grim realisation that they may have lost Micki forever. The ensuing battle is agonising and heart breaking. There were times when I stopped breathing for so long that I was gasping for air and still I kept reading for almost 24 hours straight.

Poppet's writing style is almost chameleon in it's ability to change to fit what the story needs, but the one element that is present in every single book is sheer INTENSITY. Poppet creates an intensity that I have not seen before in any other writing, and for an adrenaline junkie like me that is pure catnip.There are barriers breeched in this book that many author's fear to touch on and I am sure there will be people that might not be able to handle the content but I am not one of those people. It is probably for this reason that I love Poppet books so much.

As with all good things in life there is balance and thank goodness for that. As much intense heart break as there is in this story there is also intense love. There are moments shared between Micki and Grant that transcend all barriers. I am hard pressed to think of any other book I have read where the moments have been as tender and the love as poignant as the love shared in Solar Eclipse.

 I did not think it was possible but at over 15000 Kindle locations book 2 is 3000 Kindle locations longer than book 1. That is an entire novel length longer than the first. There is no doubt that this story is epic and addictive, and I cannot wait for book 3 The Scorpian's Sting to come out this Winter.

Heresy by Poppet

First off I should qualify that I have LOVED every single Poppet book that I have ever read. There is something about her writing style that appeals to me on a very deep level. Her style might come accross as unusual to some people and if it does do not let it stop you, read on and discover what is around the bend because the best thing about Poppet is that she never lets you down.
Heresy is a book that is difficult to categorise! It has elements of several different genres but it belongs in a genre all it's own. If I had to categorise it I would say Paranormal romance with a good dash of Da Vinci code and a dollop of occult horror. Heresy was a rollercoaster from the moment I picked it up till the moment I read the last word and still wanted more. That is no easy feat in a book this long. Kindle users will get my drift when I say there are over 12 000 kindle locations in this book and you will definitely be getting your moneys worth.
The central character in this delicious story is Micki! Micki has spent her life honing her spiritual powers and engaging in the spiritual war between light and dark. In doing so she has gained the attention of a seriously sinister cult that will stop at nothing to destroy her ability to combat their evil by destroying her in the most horrific way possible. Micki is not alone in this fight though and she will need each one of her friends unique skills to make it through the insanity that becomes her world. Throw in some very capable and yummy police officers and you end up with a book that is too hot to handle. I am on the verge of gushing non stop about this book so I will spare you all and stop right now while I enjoy the very sweet knowledge that Heresy is only part 1 of a series and that Poppet will be releasing Part 2 very very shortly because really I love love loved this book!!! One last thought: Henceforth a Pog will always be called a Pog by me and Ya'll are gonna have to read the durn book to find out what that means :)