Review - - Atonement Sky

Atonement Sky

by Nalini Singh

Psy-Changeling Trinity - Book 9

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: July 15, 2025

Reviewed by Nancy

Justice-Psy Eleri Dias knows the end is near for her, her mind one step away from fatal psychic exposure. In the short time that remains, she is determined to atone for an act of omission that has haunted her for a long, cruel decade. But that decision not only means facing a powerful changeling wing leader, but also putting herself in the path of a serial killer.

Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett is fiercely protective of his family and his clan. After losing his parents as a teenager in a shocking act of malice, Adam has no forgiveness in him for the J-Psy who betrayed him, betrayed them, at the most painful moment of his life. But the evil that stalks his territory will allow him no respite, forcing him once more into contact with the J he has never been able to forget.

Everything that could’ve been between Eleri and Adam was lost years ago, a shimmering promise crushed. As they work to uncover a monster, the moment of reckoning looms ever closer. Soon, there may be no more time left for either atonement…or love…

Nancy’s Thoughts: 

One of the pleasures of the Psy/Changeling universe is that it holds so many beings with so many different skills. The Psy have a variety of abilities, some valued more than others, and many of them two-edged swords. The Changelings come in a wide range of species, each with commensurate abilities. And the PsyNet, the interconnected psychic web the Psy need to survive, is deteriorating. All that makes rich ground to mine for stories. 

In Atonement Sky, we get a close look at the J-class Psy and the price they pay for using their abilities in the justice system. When walking in the memories of serial killers and other criminals becomes too much for them, they undergo a reconditioning process that scrapes off a layer of their personalities. Each time, the procedure scrapes away another, deeper layer. Having undergone this reconditioning several times, Eleri no longer feels emotions. She believes that anything left of the woman she once was is so deeply buried that she’ll never access it. As most J-Psy do, she has planned to self-terminate before she loses the last shreds of her psionic shielding and is overwhelmed by the thoughts of everyone around her roaring into her skull. Before that happens, though, she wants to track down the serial killer known as the Sandman. That hunt brings her to Raintree, Arizona, home town of the WindHaven falcon changelings. 

When Adam realizes she’s the newcomer in town, he confronts her. He demands to know whether she’s in Raintree in hopes that he might forgive her for not correcting her mentor’s lie at the trial of his parents’ accused murderer. That lie let the murderer go free and crushed the nascent mating attraction between Adam and Eleri. 

She explains that she’s tracking the Sandman and believes he’s based in Raintree. No matter how he feels about her, Adam can’t take the chance that a serial killer is hiding in his hometown. He’s torn between wanting her and wanting to punish her, even to destroy her, for letting that injustice stand. Eleri’s flat manner contrasts with the warmth that drew him toward her before her mentor’s lie shattered any hope of anything between him. 

Seeing Adam again, Eleri finds herself drawn to him despite her inability to touch the feelings she remembers having for him. Certain he will never forgive her, believing her time will run out soon, she vows to focus on the hunt that brought her to Raintree. 

When one of Adam’s clanmates is shot and hovers so near death, frozen in mid-shift, powerful empaths cannot reach him. They do sense something in his mind, though, and his brain wave patterns show one unusual reading. Adam knows his friend, Jacques, doesn’t want to be kept alive on machines, but he can’t call an end to the treatment until Jacques is truly gone and not trapped in the depths of his mind. 

Eleri agrees to try to help Jacques, and her willingness to risk herself and the fragile state of her shields helps break through Adam’s old anger. She pays a price for her efforts, and he gradually comes to realize the events at the trial were more complex than he knew. As he and Eleri spend time together, the old attraction between them flares, and understanding follows. 

Changelings are family-oriented, and the family around Adam is loving and fun. Eleri also has a family, four longtime friends whose abilities are also rolling toward a point of no return. One, Bram, is particularly well drawn. So are Adam’s wing second, Dahlia, his sister, Saoirse, and Saoirse’s daughter, Malia. Eleri admires his dedication to clan and family. 

There’s a delightful scene with Eleri and a very young fledgling, and the interactions between Bram and one of the falcons were both touching and fun. The characters are easy to root for and enjoy, and the plot moves at a good pace. 

I enjoyed the beautiful, evocative descriptions of the southwest. The use different types of falcons and the culture of WindHaven were also engaging points in the story. 

The deterioration of the PsyNet isn’t a major point in this book, but it is one in the overall arc of this series. Singh pulls that thread through without letting it disrupt the flow of the main story. 

The serial killer plot is well constructed and logical. I could’ve done without the scene in the killer’s point of view, though. For me, it didn’t add anything to the story. 

My other quibble with the book is a scene where four J-Psy whose shields have collapsed are in a single space with falcon changelings. Singh establishes early in the story that changeling shields mostly compensate for the lack of them in the J-Psy. I was baffled, though, as to how four Psy with no shields could be in close proximity without their unshielded minds crashing. After I thought about the nature of that space, I came up with what I think is the answer, which means the space affects telepathy in a way that wasn’t clearly established earlier. Wondering what was going on with that distracted me from the story. A sentence of explanation would’ve clarified that and let me stop wondering. 

Despite the quibbles, I recommend this story highly. 

4 Stars 

~ Nancy

Review - - Archangel's War

Archangel’s War
by Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Jove
Release Date: September 24, 2016
Reviewed by Nancy
 

Archangel’s War is the latest installment of Singh’s Guild Hunter series. As promised by the blurb and by the prior book, Archangel’s Prophecy, the story builds to a showdown with Lijuan, the rogue Archangel of China. It’s a difficult book to review without spoiling it because almost everything in it is important. So bear with me if this review seems a little vague. I don’t want to risk ruining the book for anyone.

Let’s get one thing out of the way up front—Raphael and Elena are alive. Most of us probably assumed that, given that the Guild Hunter series is named for her and this is a romance series. At the end of Archangel’s Prophecy, Elena was dying. Raphael tore out part of his heart and gave it to her. He fell onto the bed beside her, and a chrysalis gradually formed around her. The chaotic force known as the Cascade intends to turn her into a power reservoir for Raphael, obliterating her own personality.

Archangel’s War picks up there, shortly before they awaken. When they do awaken, they’re dramatically changed by the experience. Bits of Elena’s mortal heart circulate in Raphael’s blood, and his archangelic power is linked to her. 

The first part of the book focuses on Elena and Raphael dealing with the changes they experienced in hibernation. This includes their many friends and allies’ reactions to these changes and to their awakening. Not all the changes are easy to interpret, and the mystery there keeps the pages turning through the scenes of happy reunions, which are so based on the characters involved that they’re not at all repetitive.

Eventually, however, darkness creeps into the joy. Those keeping watch on China while Lijuan sleeps after the last battle report disturbing changes. The rest of the archangel Cadre have kept watch while Raphael was unavailable, but he needs to take a turn now to meet his responsibilities. He also needs to show that he’s still capable to protect his territory. Even though Lijuan sleeps, healing, she has found new ways to use the people in her territory to build her strength. 

As though that weren’t enough for the Cadre to deal with, Ancient archangels are awakening, complicating the lives of Raphael’s friends and the power dynamic of the Cadre. Elena and Raphael continue experiencing change in their powers as the story builds to Lijuan’s return and a showdown in the streets of New York. 

All the characters we love are there, Raphael’s Seven and his Tower and household staff, the Guild Hunters, the Legion, the Cadre, and Elena’s family. We learn more about some of them and their personal struggles in ways that also serve the larger plot. The Legion fulfills its purpose at last, leaving Elena and Raphael with a cryptic clue they must figure out if they’re to succeed against the supremely powerful monster Lijuan has become. I rarely cry over books or movies, but the scene where the Legion reveal their mission to Elena and Raphael and then conclude it had tears running down my face.

The events of this book change the Cadre even as they change Raphael and Elena. Every series regular has a moment to shine, though some who seemed about to redeem themselves instead betray their allies’ trust. Some characters remain in their regular roles while others move on. Still others don’t make it through the crisis.

One of the joys of this series is the detailed worldbuilding. Every character has layers and depth, and so does the world. As the story rolls toward its climax, seeds planted in earlier books come to fruition. Raphael’s and Elena’s changing powers also become important in unexpected ways. Archangel’s War is a powerfully emotional and action-packed story. It’s a superb conclusion to
this arc, but it isn’t a good book for jumping into the series. It’s really of a piece with Archangel’s Prophecy and will make more sense to those who’ve read that book first. With that caveat, I highly recommend it.

Review - - Kaylee's Justice

Kaylee's Justice
Case File #1
By Jennifer St. Giles
Release Date: April 4, 2016

  

Eva St. Claire, along with her siblings, carry a heavy burden. Each, in their own way, see the nightmare of evil hidden beneath the surface. 

Serial killer Mason Smith rots in prison for the murder of a young woman. However, the secret of another killing still resides within him. Through Eva's unique family ability, she knows Mason is guilty of yet another murder, and she is determined to see him put to justice. 

When FBI Agent Adam Frazier's father reveals a blindsiding secret, he's forced to delve deeper into his investigation of the Angel of Death, and Eva holds the key. Dogged by secrets and hounded by a mysterious killer bound and determined to end Eva, Adam and Eva will have to find the truth, before becoming victims themselves. 

Together or apart, they fight to expose the darkness no matter what the cost.




This first book in Jennifer St. Giles' new series about three siblings with unique psychic abilities is packed with edge-of-your-seat thrills, chills, twists, turns, and non-stop action. I was riveted from first to final page. The suspense is expertly crafted, characters are realistic and vividly portrayed. The villains in particular are chilling in their evil realism. St. Giles has written in a variety of sub-genres but it's her suspense thrillers where I think she does her best work and I am all in!

In Kaylee's Justice, she introduces us to the St. Claire siblings: Eva, Iris, and Devin. Each was born with a different psychic ability; abilities they keep hidden from the world. With each sibling, St. Giles has created a complex, realistic character, haunted by the effects of his or her "gift," as well as the tragic events of their family's past, yet continuing to use their special skills to fight for justice. I'm already invested in all of them and cannot wait to read each of their stories.

Though Iris and Devin have important roles in this first book, the primary focus of this story is on oldest sibling, Eva and FBI Special Agent Adam Frazier. Both are strong characters, natural protectors, and deeply impacted by tragedy in their lives. I love them individually and together. St. Giles puts them through the wringer - and then some - but it only makes them stronger in the end.

While this is not a romance in the traditional sense, there are romantic elements and, by the end of the book, the reader is left with the impression that there's a good chance a lasting relationship may be in their future. With the way Kaylee's Justice ends, I feel hopeful that we will be seeing more of them in Iris' and Devin's books. I can't wait!

~PJ

Today's Special - - Allie Burton

We're delighted to welcome Young Adult author, Allie Burton to the Romance Dish. Allie didn’t realize having so many jobs would become great research material for the stories she writes. She has been everything from a fitting room attendant to a bike police officer to a professional mascot escort. She has lived on three continents and in four states and has studied art, fashion design, marine biology, and advertising.

When her kids asked, “when are you going to write a story we can read?” she switched from adult novels to Young Adult and Middle Grade and hasn’t looked back.

Allie is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Romance Writers of America including the Young Adult, Dallas Area Romance Writers and Heart of the Rockies chapters. She is also a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Currently, she lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.

www.allieburton.com

www.twitter.com/Allie_Burton

www.Facebook.com/AllieBurtonAuthor

Welcome, Allie!

Thank you, PJ for inviting me to be interviewed on the Romance Dish.

1   My pleasure, Allie.  Congratulations on the release of ATLANTIS RIPTIDE. Please tell our readers what they can expect from this book.

ATLANTIS RIPTIDE is the first in a Young Adult series called the LOST DAUGHTERS OF ATLANTIS. In each of the books, the heroines discover the secrets behind their underwater abilities and must decide whether to accept the additional responsibilities that come with the powers. All three books have strong heroines, adventure, and romance.      

A fascinating premise!  Growing up on a lake, I had many youthful fantasies about being able to breathe underwater like Pearl.  What do you want readers to understand about this character?  

Pearl is the main character in ATLANTIS RIPTIDE. She’s hard on the outside but soft on the inside. She’s been taken advantage of since she was little so she has a hard time trusting people. Her goal is to find a place where she belongs and she believes she’s found that in the mythical town of Mermaid Beach until her old life and her new life collide.

This is a Young Adult novel. For what ages is it appropriate?

ATLANTIS RIPTIDE is definitely on the younger side of the Young Adult scale. I’d say ages 12-18. The tone is light, but adventurous. The romance is intense like first love should be, but only goes as far as a few kisses.

Sounds perfect for the young teens in my life.  

We love call stories here at the Romance Dish.  Will you share yours?

My agent call story wasn’t a call at all. ATLANTIS RIPTIDE was a finalist in a local contest and the agent who judged was present. Right before I went up to accept the award, the agent whispered to me that I should announce I was just offered representation. I’m not great at public speaking, add in the shock value of her words and I was speechless!

Oh, my!  I can imagine!  I'm not sure I'd have been able to utter a word.  lol

Who (or what) do you enjoy reading when you’re not busy creating your own stories?

I love to read anything young adult and middle grade. I also enjoy romances and paranormal stories. Some of my favorite authors include Rachel Hawthorn, Sarah Mlynowski, JA London, Tera Lynn Childs, Addison Fox, Suzanne Ferrell, Jo Davis…I could go on and on.

A few of my favorites are in that list too.

      What can we look forward to from you next?

The second book in the series was just released called ATLANTIS RED TIDE. Coral, the heroine in this story, has been brought up to believe she’s an Atlantean Princess but she has her doubts because she’s never shown a special power. She decides to search for her two missing sisters, but before she can act she is kidnapped by a spy.

The third book in the series is ATLANTIS RISING TIDE featuring Maris, a girl who has been kept away from water and only just discovers she’s different from her friends and family. This book releases at the end of June.

That's great that we don't have to wait long for all three stories!  

     Thanks so much for visiting with us today, Allie.  Do you have a question for our readers?

Pearl’s special power is breathing into humans so they can breathe underwater. Coral can create or protect from earthquakes. Maris can heal. If you had a super power what would it be?

Allie has generously offered an e-copy of ATLANTIS RIPTIDE to one person who leaves a comment on today's blog.

ATLANTIS RIPTIDE

Sixteen-year-old Pearl Poseidon ran away from the circus tired of her adoptive parents’ abuse of her special skills. As a runaway, she craves anonymity but when she saves a small boy from drowning she draws attention to herself and her special abilities. Boardwalk employee and aspiring investigative reporter, Chase Thomas, helps her with the rescue and witnesses her amazing dive.

                Now, he has questions. And so do the police.

Unbeknownst to Pearl, a battle rages under the Pacific between Loyal and Non-Loyal Atlantean forces and each side wants to use her powers for their cause. Will the commotion in the ocean expose her secrets to the world? Will Chase’s reporter-determination ruin their chance for a real relationship? Will staying near the ocean she loves catapult into a battle royale?

ATLANTIS RED TIDE

Sixteen-year-old Atlantean, Princess Coral, secretly plans to find her lost sisters of legend. Before she can escape the palace to begin her quest, she is kidnapped by Finn Plankson, a Non-Loyal Atlantean.

A spy for the separatist movement, Finn knew Coral as a child. When he sees her being mistreated by Royal Guards he takes action.

As their adventure changes from antagonistic to a temporary truce, Coral must convince Finn to help her find her sisters before the battle between the Loyal and Non-Loyal forces erupts into a full scale war.

Coral fondly remembers Finn, her first crush, but can she trust him now that he’s aligned with her enemy? In the end, will Finn betray her and her sisters? And what are these strange sparks that go off whenever they’re together?

ATLANTIS RISING TIDE 

Junior lifeguard Maris Sanders thinks she’s a normal high school girl. In reality, she’s one of the lost princesses of Atlantis. At sixteen, she’s finally discovering her special powers.

Exiled from his community of Atlanteans, Cuda Fisher has taken a special interest in Maris. As he secretly tests her abilities, the two teens grow closer until Cuda realizes being with Maris is risking more than his heart.

An evil scientist is analyzing Maris’s skills and putting her in danger. Cuda realizes his father, a leader of the Separatist movement, is behind the scheme and Cuda will do anything to stop him even if it means breaking Maris’s heart.

Will Maris accept her real identity, or still hurt by Cuda’s betrayal, will she fall prey to the scheme? Will Maris be able to choose between the life she’s always known or a new dangerous adventure? And will the choice be hers?

Today's Special - - Pamela Palmer

The Dishes are delighted to welcome paranormal author Pamela Palmer to the blog!  A Love Untamed (Dec. 26, 2012) is the seventh book in Pamela's popular Feral Warriors series.  Pamela is joining us today to blog about experiences and how they shape the people we become.

Welcome, Pamela!

Experience Makes the Man (or Woman)

Our past experiences, whether from early childhood, our teen years, or later, can, and often do, affect our perceptions, our actions, and many times who we become as we get older. We are, in essence, a combination of nature and nurture, who we started out changed by all we’ve experienced.

I’ve often wondered who I might be today if I’d grown up in one home, going to school with the same kids from kindergarten through high school. Instead, I grew up moving constantly. My dad was an Air Force pilot until he retired when I started high school. At fourteen, we moved into the eleventh house I’d lived in. Friendships were temporary things to me, but family was everything, even though mine was small—just my parents, my brother, and me. Home meant family, period. Because the house and the city we lived in changed constantly.

Moving all the time formed me, I’m sure of it. I handle change extremely well, as you can imagine. But I was also taught to embrace the changes in our lives by a mother who loved the Air Force life. She grew up in a small town dreaming of travel and adventure. She was the perfect Air Force wife. For decades after Dad retired, Mom claimed that every three years, she and the furniture headed for the front door, ready to move again.

My nomadic childhood may have formed me, but it was happy and left me with few traumas. The only one, really, happened when I was five and we were living in Boulder, Colorado. One day the Chinook winds barreled through Boulder at over 100 mph. Mom called Dad at work—he was in Denver where the winds were mild—and said, “The winds are terrible. I think you need to come home.” Dad told one of his co-workers he was heading home and the man shook his head. “The winds are nothing.” My dad’s reply, “In the eight years we’ve been married, this is the first time Pat’s ever asked me to come home. I’m going.” By the time he entered Boulder, he could hardly keep his big old station wagon on the road. Within an hour of his getting home, the plate glass window in the living room blew out. Then other windows started to go. The house was less than a year old. By the end of the night, my brother’s room, a lower level one of our split-level, was the only one in the house with the windows still intact. We all slept in that one small room that night. I’ve never forgotten it. And to this day, when the wind starts blowing hard, I tense, subconsciously waiting for the windows to break.

Past events, past traumas, change who we are, or at the very least, affect us in ways we often neither realize nor understand. Sometimes, if we’ve been victims of violence or trauma, we know exactly what’s changed us, even if we can’t do anything but live with it.

In A Love Untamed, the heroine, Melisande, is an immortal, an Ilina mist warrior. Yes, she’s virtually indestructible, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be hurt. And she has been. Melisande is over 5000 years old. That’s a lot of time to acquire baggage. And Melisande has baggage, in spades. It’s no wonder her emotional armor is three feet thick, and no wonder no one’s been able to penetrate it. Not until Kieran, the new fox Feral Warrior, takes an interest in her and begins to burrow not just under her skin but beneath those impenetrable barriers. It hurts when defenses shatter. But sometimes that’s the only way to start healing.

The back cover blurb for A Love Untamed:

The newest member of the elite Feral Warriors brotherhood, Fox is eager to prove himself on the frontlines of battle against the Daemons. When paired with the legendary Ilina warrior, Melisande, he expects the fierce beauty to quickly fall under the spell of his quite considerable charm. Instead, he finds himself spellbound by a woman who's his match in every way.

Beneath Melisande's brittle exterior lies centuries of pain and a violent hatred of all shape-shifters--a hatred that slowly crumbles after they're caught in a deadly and cunning Mage trap and she glimpses a surprising depth in her far-too-seductive partner. Their survival demands unconditional trust--and their salvation surrender to a wild, untamed love.

Question for you: Who’s your favorite character (in a book, movie, or television show) with a tortured past? Comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Desire Untamed, the first book in my Feral Warriors series. 

Review - - Renegade

Renegade
The Protectors - Book 1
By Nancy Northcott
Publisher:  Hachette Book Group (digital)
                   Grand Central Forever Yours (print)
Release Date:  November 6, 2012 (digital)
                          December 18, 2012 (print)

Deep in the heart of Georgia, a woman fights against insurmountable odds.  As Shire Reeve (sheriff) of the southeastern United States, Valeria Banning is charged with the protection of Mundanes (non-magical humans) in her district yet on this steamy summer night, it's Valeria who needs protection and there's no one in sight to come to her aid.  Stuffed into the trunk of a car carrying her deeper into the murky swamp, her Mage powers are blocked by an amulet the ghouls have hung around her neck but she manages to shake it off and send out one last, frantic, magical plea for help, praying with everything in her that someone, somewhere will hear.

Rather than ease readers into her story, Nancy Northcott plunges them straight into the heart of the action from the first page of this extraordinary tale.  I was right there with Valeria as she struggles against the evil ghouls determined to drain her of her magic then either kill her or force her to mate to create more ghouls.  With Northcott's vivid descriptions and superb writing, I could feel the sheen of perspiration from the dense Georgia humidity, smell the pungent aroma of the dense vegetation of the surrounding swamp, feel the pulse-pounding desperation as Valeria fights for her life, the soul-wrenching sadness as she realizes she has no hope of winning and the stunned realization that her rescue has come at the hands of her enemy - the man whose position as Shire Reeve she now holds - the man who ignites an unwanted flame of desire in her - the traitor she has taken a solemn oath to kill.  

A fugitive for the past six years, Griffin Dare has been tried in absentia, found guilty and condemned to death for joining forces with ghouls and murdering Mages.  It's a long fall from grace for the once honorable Shire Reeve and those in the Mage community haven't forgotten the deep pain of his betrayal.  But is Griffin really guilty or is he the fall guy for a much more powerful traitor?  He may have spent the past six years living in hiding but he hasn't lost his honor or his dedication to helping others.  After he realizes the woman he has rescued is the current Shire Reeve, he knows this is his opportunity to show her the evidence he has gathered and appeal to her sense of fairness and justice to work with him in uncovering the real traitor conspiring with ghouls to overtake the world.  But first, he has to convince her not to kill him.

Being orphaned in her teens as the result of a ghoul attack has made Valeria more devoted to the Mages who cared for her following her parents' deaths, more determined in her battle against the ghouls, more resolute in her pursuit of justice.  Convincing her to open her mind to the facts; that it's possible Griff isn't the bad guy and those she's trusted may be lying to all of them won't be an easy feat to accomplish.  But if Griff and his team have any hope of preventing the ghouls from perpetrating a massive attack against humanity, then bringing her over to their side is their only hope.

I don't read a lot of fantasy and probably wouldn't have picked up this book had I not personally known the author.  And you know what?  I would have missed one of the best books I've read this year.  The ancient magic and struggle between good and evil seamlessly woven into present day Georgia is fascinating and easy to believe.  In fact, the magic (which is drawn from the earth's elements) is such an integral part of the characters that I easily accepted it as just one more facet of who they are; the world in which the story is told so expertly constructed that I had no difficulty imagining it.  In fact, it won't surprise me one bit if I start taking second looks at passersby the next time I'm in Georgia!  But while the world building, fast paced action and suspense are superb, it's the characters that drive this story and what fabulous characters they are.  Realistically drawn, complex and conflicted, they are characters that have found their way into my heart.  From Griff and Valeria to the Mages who work undercover to help Griffin identify the real traitor to the residents of Wayfarer, Georgia who only know Griff as the man who looks after the homeless and is always available to lend a helping hand, these are people I've come to know and care about...and, hopefully, will have an opportunity to revisit in future books in this series.
The next book, Guardian, is scheduled for release in May, 2013 and I've already started counting the days!

If you're looking for a fast-paced, action-packed story with ancient magic, pulse-pounding suspense and a deeply satisfying romance then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Renegade by Nancy Northcott.  

~PJ

Today's Special - - Carrie Ann Ryan

It's our pleasure to welcome Carrie Ann Ryan to the blog today.  Carrie Ann is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate - even if it’s just in her books. Happy endings are always near - even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.

Her first book, An Alpha's Path, is the first in her Redwood Pack series. She's also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.  Carrie Ann also loves hearing from readers. You can find her at:

Website | Blog | Heartthrob Haven | Facebook Author Page | Facebook Friend | Goodreads |

Twitter: @CarrieAnnRyan |

Small Town Romance

Why do I love small town romance? Well, because it’s nice just to sit back sometimes and enjoy life without the craziness of a big city. I’ve lived in both, big cities and small towns and I liked both of them. When reading, I don’t have a preference; it really just depends on my mood at the time.

Even when I’m writing, sometimes I like the big cites, the far off mountains, or a small town like Holiday, Montana. I have a new series by that name that is all about the small town with some holiday paranormals to sweeten the pot. You see, Holiday myths aren’t myths at all in Holiday, Montana. No, they’re real, and people are just starting to understand that.

In the first book, Charmed Spirits, Matt Cooper is the youngest of the Cooper brothers and has always known magic exists. After all, the girl who left him had been a witch. Jordan Cross is coming back to Holiday to find out if she can handle the looks, the speculation, and the attitude. Oh, she will, she’s stronger than most, but it’s seeing Matt that may change things.

With living in a small town, there are no secrets. (At least that’s what they think anyway.) Jordan was ostracized as a kid because she was different. At least that’s what she thinks, anyway. In the small town of Holiday, people have a lot to answer for toward Jordan, and some will do it willingly…some…not so much. Even though all of that might not sound nice, that doesn’t mean small towns are horrible. No, people are there for each other, no matter what. And the Cooper brothers are in the center of that. No matter what happens in Holiday’s future, the Coopers are there to stay and to help when needed. That’s why I like small town romance. The people. The romance.

***Giveaway***

Carrie Ann is giving away a Swag Pack and a $5 Amazon Gift Card to a lucky commenter!

Charmed Spirits

Holiday, Montana Book 1

Jordan Cross has returned to Holiday, Montana after eleven long years to clear out her late aunt’s house, put it on the market, and figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Soon, she finds herself facing the town that turned its back on her because she was different. Because being labeled a witch in a small town didn’t earn her many friends...especially when it wasn't a lie.

Matt Cooper has lived in Holiday his whole life. He's perfectly content being a bachelor alongside his four single brothers in a very small town. After all, the only woman he'd ever loved ran out on him without a goodbye. But now Jordan’s back and just as bewitching as ever. Can they rekindle their romance with a town set against them?

Warning: Contains an intelligent, sexy witch with an attitude and drop-dead gorgeous man who likes to work with his hands, holds a secret that might scare someone, and really, really, likes table tops for certain activities. Enough said.

Find it On:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ARe 

 Find it in Print Here:

eStore | Amazon 

EXCERPT:

“Have you seen the house yet?” Matt asked, his brows furrowed.

She shook her head and took her Coke and gum back with a small smile to Mr. Clancy. “Not yet. I was on my way over there. I just wanted to stop by for a drink.” She squared her shoulders and started toward the exit.

“You might find more than you bargained for if you want to get out quick.”

Jordan stopped and pivoted toward him. “Why? It should only take a few days to clean it out then slap on some paint, right?”

Matt shook his head and put his thumbs in his belt loops—too sexy. “Your grandmother got real sick at the end, and none of us knew.” Sadness washed over his face, and Jordan held back any similar feelings. “It may take more than you anticipated to get it ready.”

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, counting to ten. “Then I’ll just have to deal with it, won’t I? I’m here for the duration in any case.” After all, she’d quit her PR job, a job that she hated, so she could find herself. God, how pathetic did that sound?

“Well, if you need anything, I’m here. And I bet my brothers would help out in a second.”

Jordan nodded, a smile forming. Damn those helpful, sexy Cooper brothers. “Thanks, if I need anything, I’ll holler. But I hope to do most of it on my own.”

Guest Review - - Copper Beach

 

Copper Beach

By Jayne Ann Krentz  
Publisher: Putnam Adult  
Release Date:  January 10, 2012


 

This is the first book in Jayne Ann Krentz’s Dark Legacy series, but it reads like a spinoff from the Arcane books. The setting is the San Juan Islands, the danger is related to mysterious crystals that in the wrong hands can wreak enormous destruction, the body count mounts, and the romance has sizzle and psychic connections. I consider it a measure of Krentz’s skill that she can hook a reader like me, one leery of romantic suspense and paranormal elements, into enjoying this book and anticipating the next in the series.

Abby Radwell is a rare-book expert. Her specialty is decoding books that are encrypted and can be unlocked only by those with psychic powers as rare as the books. When an armed intruder breaks into the home of one of Abby’s clients, Abby is able to use her special talents to render him unconscious. Only Abby and her eminently trustworthy client are supposed to know what really happened, but someone else knows. And that someone is blackmailing Abby, threatening an exposure of who Abby is and what her gifts are, a revelation that would damage her family and her livelihood. Abby’s long-time mentor, Thaddeus Webber, sends her to Sam Coppersmith for help.

Sam’s family is the wealthy and powerful Coppersmith family who founded an empire on the mining of rare earths. Sam, who works as a consultant in the mysterious family business and lives in seclusion in Copper Beach, the family mansion on Legacy Island, has been given the task of locating a coded lab notebook that contains information about crystals with powerful paranormal properties. Sam’s father has thought for forty years that the notebook was destroyed in the explosion in which its owner perished, but a warning from an old friend assures him that the notebook is still in existence.

Abby arrives on the island thinking Sam is a private investigator whom she expects to hire to find her blackmailer, but she discovers Sam is far more, professionally and personally. The two strike a bargain. Abby describes it thusly: “You find my blackmailer and make him go away. In exchange, I will find the lab notebook for you.”

As Abby and Sam work to achieve their goals, it becomes clear that more than one person is after the notebook. Thaddeus Webber and another bookdealer die in suspicious circumstances. Lander Knox, the son of Elias Coppersmith’s former partner is definitely in pursuit,  but Gideon Barrett, the son of the Coppersmith’s strongest business competition, and the Stricklands, Abby’s wealthy stepfamily, are also involved. Abby and Sam continue their search with danger all around them, but the attraction between them may prove the greatest danger of all.

Sam and Abby are likeable characters, and most readers will find it easy to root for them to complete their mission and begin their HEA. The mystery is not much of a mystery, but few of  Krentz’s regular readers are reading the book with the expectation that it will be. Copper Beach has the compelling characters, the psychic paranormal elements, and the solid writing that JAK’s fans consistently have found in her books. The book also features some intriguing secondary characters, including some that will set readers dreaming about subsequent books. I expect Sam’s brother and sister will get their own books, and I’m hoping to see more of the fascinating Gideon Barrett. But my favorite secondary character is Abby’s dog Newton, “a condo-sized version of a junkyard dog.”

If you are a JAK fan, you won’t want to miss this book. I don’t think it quite measures up to Running Hot, the best of the Arcane series, but it’s an entertaining read nonetheless. If, like me, you prefer your paranormals without other species, I recommend Copper Beach.

~Janga

SOULLESS has soul!

by Anna Campbell

There are many things for which I'm thankful (including the fact that I was lucky enough to link up with the lovely gals who run the Romance Dish).

One is friends who drag me kicking and screaming to read books that just don't sound like my cup of tea (cups of tea feature strongly in the story I'm reviewing today!).

Bek, one of my chums from the Australian Romance Reading Association (why not join? Great group!), recently lent me a stack of her favorite reads, including SOULLESS by Gail Carriger.

Wow, I can see why this book got so much buzz when it came out. It's wonderful!

Firstly, and most importantly, this book is great FUN!

I can't remember the last time I got such sheer enjoyment from a romance. It's clever, it's witty, it's sharp, it's perceptive, it's quirky - and it's actually pretty sexy as well. The dialogue is prickly and sparky and zings with sexual tension. The heroine is gutsy and smart. The hero is hirsute, handsome and heroic. The tone is really individual - humorous high Victorian style if that makes sense. Wins all round.

As you can probably gather, I'm a convert!

The story is set in a Steampunk Victorian England with Almack's, corsets, dirigibles (which play a similar part to balloons in Regency romances) and steam technology powering all sorts of useful devices. Vampires and werewolves have come out of the closet (some literally) to play their role in society although elements of the human world still look askance at the Supernaturals. This world is so completely imagined and so beautifully portrayed, you just go with the flow. This book is a mind-boggling feat of the imagination.

Our heroine Alexia Tarrabotti is a confirmed spinster at 26. She's laboring under several disadvantages - a very silly family; a deceased Italian father who has passed on his Roman nose and his swarthy complexion; a stubborn, combative nature; and intelligence unacceptable in a marriageable female of this era. She is also that rarest of creatures, a Preternatural who can neutralize a Supernatural's powers. Vampires and werewolves become merely human while she touches them. The title 'soulless' refers to this gift of Alexia's.

In spite of all these strikes against her, our hero, the Alpha werewolf of the Woolsey Castle Pack, can't get her out of his mind. By the way, you see why I referred to the hero as 'hirsute'! Lord Maccon is one of the real treasures of this story. A gruff, cranky, shaggy Scottish earl who breaks into brogue when he's on an emotional edge - which is where Alexia tends to put him. Sigh.

When crisis hits this society, Maccon and Alexia are thrown together to solve the mystery. Vampires who should be there are disappearing and new vampires unexpectedly turn up. Only Alexia's mysterious powers can rescue the fragile peace established between humans and Supernaturals.

The story reminds me in some ways (if you discount the paranormal elements) of the wonderful romance between determined, strong-minded spinster Amelia Peabody and shaggy, awkward, but intriguing archaeologist Emerson in CROCODILE ON THE SANDBANK by Elizabeth Peters. There's that same meeting of minds, that same reluctance to admit love's hit both of them like a brick, that same reluctant sexual awareness in people who have never previously considered themselves sexual beings. It's a dynamic I love.

I could go on and on about the glories of this book. It's peopled with intriguing secondary characters. There's the Oscar Wilde-ish Vampire Lord Akeldama who gets some of the best lines. His picturesque sidekick Biffy (Biffy the Vampire Player?). There's Maccon's unfailingly capable beta werewolf Professor Lyall. And I seriously want to hire Alexia's butler Floote. Gail Carriger has created such a rich world in the Parasol Protectorate. I can't wait to explore further!

So have you read SOULLESS? Are you a Steampunk devotee? When was the last time you strayed outside the tried and true in your reading and had your socks knocked off?

Review -- Must Love Lycans

Must Love Lycans
Broken Heart Novel, #8
By Michele Bardsley
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: September 6, 2011

It only takes one bite....

Since the moment he showed up---gloriously naked---I've been having a hard time keeping my relationship with the clinic's newest amnesiac patient strictly professional. Damian might not remember his past, but sweet mamma jamma, he sure knows how to push all my buttons.

Even with my empathic abilities, I'm not sure I can get past Damian's anger to find the cause of his delusions. After all, falling for a patient is bad enough, but falling for a patient who thinks he's a werewolf is a whole other kind of crazy. Especially when said patient decides to mark me as his. Now I'm feeling a little bit funny, and not just because Damian sets my hormones raging....

Kelsey Morningstone is a psychotherapist in charge of a mental institution (and also an empath) and her latest patient is a tall, dark and sexy---and very naked---man with amnesia. She can deal with all of that (although the naked part is a bit unusual, but very easy on the eyes), this patient seems to believe that he's a werewolf. Ok, definitely weird, but it is a mental institution. Still, Kelsey is drawn to him, but the last thing she needs is to even think about getting involved with a patient. After almost being killed by a previous patient of hers, getting lambasted by her own famous psychotherapist mother on national television, more drama is something she so does not need. But that's exactly what she gets when Damian bites her, marking her as his "mate" and they find themselves escaping from the facility and being transported to Broken Heart, a town filled with vampires, lycans, faeries and the like. Kelsey was beginning to feel a bit like Dorothy ending up in Oz.

Damian can't remember anything except his name when he wakes up in a padded cell. But when he sees Kelsey looking at him through the window in the door, he thinks mine---something about her calls to him.


"And when you were lost, did you come across something that reminded you of home? Something that comforted you so much that you could fight off the panic, the fear?"

I could answer yes to those questions, too. Instead, I asked, "Are you afraid, Damian?"

His brows dipped down and his eyes turned icy. "No." He leaned down and sniffed my wrist. Then, much to my shock, his tongue flicked against my pulse. "That's how you smell to me, Kelsey," he said in an aching voice. "Like I have come home."


Indeed, Damian marks Kelsey as his own, even before he recovers his memory. When he does remember who he is even more determined to protect her from the people who captured him, for they are after him again, and they will stop and nothing to see him---crown prince of the lycans---destroyed. And they will have no qualms of harming the woman he loves in the process. Can a lycan and a human empath find happiness in the midst of paranormal pandemonium?

Michele Bardsley's Broken Heart series has been one of my favorites since I read the first book. Laugh-out-loud funny and filled with action and plenty of sensual heat, Must Love Lycans is a worthy addition to the series and it will be residing on my keeper shelf with the rest of the Broken Heart crew.

~ Gannon


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