by: Mario Acevedo

Number of pages: 368

This was another new author challenge book.

Usually modern vampire stories are written by women, but Acevedo brings a unique twist to the standard. Ex-Operation Freedom vet, now vampire, Felix Gomez has turned to “normal” life as a detective.

His vamp powers add a twist and provide an edge to the standard detective. He’s called to Rocky Flats, Colorado, by an old friend to investigate the cause of an outbreak of nymphomania.

Really, nymphomania… that’s a problem, right?

Before you think this is an erotic romance, think again…it is a detective story with an edge and a lovely one at that.

Gomez bumbles almost as badly as Columbo, but, like Columbo, has a method and it works.

What works better is Acevedo’s writing. It is brutally honest, direct, and poetic. Where else can you get a line like this:

No mistress of the dark, she looked more like a matron of the refrigerator.

I LOVED it! Thanks to Jackie from LE for turning me on to this author.

Overall book rating: 9.75

by: Angela Knight, Diane Whiteside, Emma Holly, and Lora Leigh

Billed as “Four stories of limitless desire…” Beyond the Dark promises near-erotic romance with a bite of paranormal exoticy.

By far, Holly’s story was the most unique. Instead of being rooted to this world and the limitations of standard paranormal fare, the mix throws in aliens, ancient Egypt, erotic god powers and a steamy story line.

Leigh’s installment of the breed series ties up a few loose ends and opens the door to better heroes. Instead of being entirely ruled by the mating heat, the leading man allows his captive intended a choice.

Dragon Dance by Angela Knight was amazing and had great potential as a jumping off point or introduction to a promising series.

Whiteside’s story would appeal to Regency lovers who desire a bit of magic.

Overall book rating: 7.5625

by Rowena Cherry

Wow. Science fiction with a touch of romance. Really. Let me say it again. Science Fiction…! Backstory needed, bizarre world building, and too much going on to really focus on the budding romance. Should not be put in with the romance novels. but I can’t really see some Microsoft clone wanna be Spock reading this one either.

Writing: 7.1 (kudos for world building, minus points for romantic suspense); characters: couldn’t relate. Nope. Couldn’t relate….6.1; plot: out there and contrived. huh. 5; conclusion: wow, Captain Cardboard has a brain. Who knew? 6.1

Total: 6.1

by Shanna Swendson

Frogs, Wizards, Fairies complete with wings…just another typical day in New York City. Small town Texas gal Katie Chandler is trying very hard to ignore all the weirdness in New York City, but when MSI Corp wants to recruit her things get REALLY interesting.

Her special talent of having NO talent is valuable. Just how valuable is proven in the high-jinx and mayhem that ensues. Side-rippingly funny. Don’t miss the frogs, they steal the show.

Overall: 8.8 Sweet ending, but not HEA. Stay tuned for more books it should prove to be an interesting series.

(anthology) with Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, and Virginia Kantra

With heavy erotic romance writers on the billing of this book I knew it was going to be one of “those” books. The Leigh and Knight stories were classic fare that their fans can expect. Leigh’s “Breed” story “Jaguar’s Kiss” was just as hot, steamy, squicky and disjointed as her books. We are hit right in the middle of the story and there is a lot of back story that needs to be told to us as the “romance” progresses. This detracts from the overall work unfortunately. 5.1

Angela Knight’s story was a bit of a surprise to me as it is a futuristic were story. No longer are the wolves confined to the castle (Where wolf, there wolf…) or the forests, but now are slaves in a interstellar meat market similar to Spartacus. It’s a must read of the book for any geek that’s seen Ep. IV of Star Wars more than twice. Of course, if Indiana Jones is more to your liking than Han Solo there are other stories in this book you might like. 7.2

Especially warm and wonderful was Sea Crossing. Not only Hamilton can do Roans. This paranormal meets regency is an eye-opening genre crosser that sparkles like sunlight on the ocean. The hero is fantastically not human and the writing above standard. The story’s uniqueness was the main draw though. It hearkened to ancient tales of lost ships and siren call that draws people to look longingly at the vast sea. 7.6

Filling out the book was Alyssa Day’s latest addition to her Atlantean series. This short isn’t as rushed as the last full length novel she produced in the series and the plot is much better. There are still too many loose ends as we are left with missing Mer-warriors and more questions about who is pulling the evil strings. 6.7

Overall: It rates much better than the last anthology I read with Virginia Kantra in it. 6.7

by Pamela Leigh Starr

This book caught my eye because the cover art was such a divergence from normal romance. There were no heaving breasts, no hunky vampires or pirates, no exotic animals. In fact it looked like a science fiction novel or even a Scientology book. I thought…interesting….

What I didn’t expect was a 70’s movie. No, strike that…a 70’s B movie. Wait, I got it… Barbarella for gals. LOL! The planet Vixen has no more men thanks to a nasty virus that swept through the genetically inferior Vixen males leaving the Amazonian Vixens to scour the galaxy for potential breeding sires.

I’m giggling here…

They didn’t count on daring, dashing FBI agent Jordan Mitchell.

Honestly, I laughed through the first half of the book. I’m sure it wasn’t a comedy but… *ROTFLMAO* Oh, and cudos to Don D’Ammassa for his insight into the science of physical compatibility versus actual genetic compatibility here.

Overall: once you get past the REALLY moon-cheesy script it wasn’t that bad. 6.3

or…three totally unrelated books:

Twist

by Colby Hodge

Shomi, Shomi Shomi….This latest addition to Dorchester’s Shomi line features Abbey Shore, a “normal” gal until things that go bump in the night start following her, and the house that she is renovating turns against her. Actually the house doesn’t, but something sealed up in the walls sends her forward to a bleak apocalyptic future where really scary Vampire aliens rule the night. Sound weird? probably for die-hard romance fans, but for this geek, I loved it.

Score: 8.2 Just enough for a recommendation. The plot twists always shine in this genre.

Sun Kissed

by Catherine Anderson

Alright, I was burnt out this week and grabbed a normal romance novel. Every once in a while I really NEED to view “normal” situations, “normal” romances, and “normal” Happily Ever Afters. Sun Kissed didn’t disappoint, but it lacked much of the angst that is in suspense or paranormal. It had all the gripping tension of a kiddie roller coaster ride and it was obvious by the second page who would end up in bed together. Is that such a bad thing? Not really, but don’t call it literature. Oh, it’s about modern cowboys and gals, so there’s horses, OK?

Score: 6.9, not a recommended read because the villain was quite obvious and the accomplice even more so. Geez!

Solar Heat

by Susan Kearney

Search engines on blogs are great when they work. I could have sworn I read a pan on this book on SBTB a month ago or more. They didn’t refer to the book by title but I recognized it by description once I read it. Guess what? They (the scholars of beeyotchery) were right. It was silly. Even my Luke Skywalker-lovin’ geek couldn’t get past the stilted dialog and cardboard plot. The book featured alien spy Azsla(and former master) and hunky alien miner (former slave) Derrek. Don’t beat me massah! Wait…I like it…beat me massah! (IK…over the top.)

Score: 5.6 Just barely enough to be printed. If your quirks lean toward Han Solo wanna-bes with a bondage fetish go for it.

There. Three unrelated books in one review.

by Deidre Knight

I am overcome by excitement when reading a GREAT sci-fi romance. It’s such an odd genre that doesn’t appeal to many, but the inner geek in me screams for alternate realities, space travel, and aliens. I’ll admit it…I’ve always wanted to learn Klingon. Yeah.

The book’s story revolves around Antousian shifter Scott Dillon’s alternate self, human Jakob Tierny. Right there should be a warning for sci-fi haters. If you don’t appreciate aliens, run away.

Now that we’ve weeded out the flock, Jakob is trying his best to find a place of his own in this reality, one that his wife Hope is still alive and happy with his Scott self. His heart is broken so badly that living inside the shell of his wife’s murderer seems fitting punishment to Scott/Jakob. Along comes Shelby Tyler, Refarian medic…rogue…unwitting collaborator with the enemy, the Antousians. She’s hopelessly attracted to Jakob and tries to deny that attraction. Guess what happens next?

Writing: While not poetic prose, the work is solid. Characterizations are dead on and the reader is drawn into the story. 8.2

Characters: I have a soft spot for bad boys. Who better to lead in this fantasy than Jakob. Shelby is tough but feminine, a hard balance to pull off. 7.9

Plot: These parallel books always twist around. Much like the Shomi series by Dorchester Publishing, you are left guessing at things until the last few pages. I love it. Part mystery, part romance, part geek…great stuff. 8.8

Ending: Not going to spoil things, read the book. 8.9

Overall: this is a great series for sci-fi fans who want romance. The first few are a little too gushy, but this one packs the punch. 8.5

by Simon R. Green

It’s an odd feeling to put on a pair of shoes you haven’t worn in a while. Your feet become so accustomed to the nuances of tight new shoes that your old shoes feel loose in comparison. I bring this up because “The Unnatural Inquirer” (the latest in Simon Green’s Nightside series) is just like that old pair of shoes. It’s loose, comfortable, everything you love about an old pair of shoes, but it lacks the “new” feeling.

Sure, the story is new. There is new trouble to be faced, Walker is more of an enigma than ever, and Suzie Shooter has a couple of walk on scenes. But the main thing I felt that lacked was some of the tension of the prior books. Now that the BIG BAD is gone (sorry, if I spoiled things for fans new to Simon Green) it just seems as if John Taylor is strolling through the case with a lackadaisical ease he didn’t have before. I don’t think I like the old shoes much anymore. But I’ll still bring them out and wear them once in a while.

Writing: Green is his usual paranormal noir self. There are witticisms, collected descriptions of the bizzarro world that makes up the Nightside, but overall it was phoned in. 7.0

Characters: John Taylor, Suzie Shooter, Walker, The Collector…they’re all here. There’s a cameo by Alex Morrisey (he gets more lines than Suzie), and the assorted baddies that wait ’til the last few pages to be revealed. I love all of them, and it was nice to see the dust settle once again in the Nightside. I miss Razor Eddie. 8.0

Plot: Tightly woven mystery despite the lack of tension. That all stems from the apocalypse aversion in the prior couple of novels that made things SO intense. It’s like a Buffy episode following the destruction of a notorious bad guy; it’s there, it’s funny, it’s…eh. Something had to follow Lilith. 8.1

Ending: I’m going to root for John and Suzie ’til the day I die. Well, maybe not, but I liked the way it ended for now. 8.3

Overall: 7.9