Spooktacular Reads :)

Tags

Angela Knight, erotica, eryn lockhart, Halloween, Linda Lael Miller, Mageverse, paranormal, romance, vampire

Happy Halloween everyone!

No tricks, just treats today. In the spirit of the season, I’m recommending a few books I’ve truly enjoyed over the years, featuring casts of characters that modern Halloween wouldn’t be the same without–vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches, warlocks, and more! Thrills & chills abound in these books, and should you choose to enjoy any of these sweet reads, you have the options of naughty…and naughtier. They’re wickedly good fun :) The only thing better than 1 deliciously decadent treat is several–so I’ve hauled up two of my favorite series for your paranormal reading pleasure on this sugar rush & costume-fueled holiday.

Option 1: Linda Lael Miller’s Vampire series~ My favorite paranormal romance series. Ever. These are the vampire romances I compare all others against–the gold standard. I’ve read both Anne Rice & Laurell K Hamiliton, and numerous other authors exploring romance with immortal nightwalkers…and Miss Miller’s take on eternal love among the creatures of the night is by far my favorite. These books are richly sensual, compelling, addictively good, with superb characterization, storyline,  pacing, and plot. Simply put–they are AMAZING.

Cover Art for Linda Lael Miller's Vampire Series

• Forever and the Night
• For All Eternity
• Time without End
• Tonight And Always

Option Two: Angela Knight’s Mageverse Series~ Paranormal Erotic Romance–very heavy on erotica. These books are scorching hot! Suspension of disbelief is fairly important as the series combines Knights of the Round Table, vampires, werewolves, fey creatures, demons, alternate magical realms, and our own non-magic Earth in rather um–inventive–ways. However, while the plots and storylines may be a little far-fetched, the love scenes/sex scenes sizzle. These books are unabashedly erotic, undeniably stirring, and unashamedly inventive between the sheets, against the wall, in the shower…pretty much anywhere there’s a reasonably accommodating surface. There is a story, there is a plot, and there is character development…but 5 alarm sexual chemistry & its red hot release is the driving force & big draw of this series.

Sampling of Angela Knight's Mageverse Series

• Master of the Night
• Master of the Moon
• Master of Wolves
• Master of Swords
• Master of Dragons

I hope you have a fantastic Halloween! :)

“Heartbreaker” by Julie Garwood

Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heartbreaker is one of Julie Garwood’s 1st contemporary romances that I’ve read, and it looks like she’s made a successful transition between sub-genres. The heroine is still charming and sweet, the hero is still gruff and something of a loner, and both characters are engaging and well-crafted—I wanted them to reach their happily ever after, I cared about what happened to them, and I was relieved when their story came to a happy conclusion. Despite that…I felt there was something missing.

The villain of the piece was rather lackluster, and so was the chemistry between the two leads. I never really felt a sense of urgency when reading this book, it never reached a point where I couldn’t put it down…it was missing that indescribable X-factor that elevates a good read into one that’s unforgettable. I’d definitely recommend it; I just wish that certain story elements had been pushed a little further.

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“Canyons of Night” by Jayne Castle

Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Canyons of Night is the 3rd book in a trilogy, yet it reads like a prologue for an upcoming book or series. The world of Harmony has been expanded with new locations, a new island, and a new mystery…unfortunately, the biggest mystery was not addressed in the book.

I definitely enjoyed the mix of paranormal, suspense, and romance that Castle does so well. I’ve been following her Harmony series (and to some extent her St. Helens books), for years. This latest title is a worthy addition to the line up. Engaging, well-written characters, and a story that propells you smoothly with hardly a hitch to the dramatic conclusion and happily ever after, with a loveable, mischevious four-eyed companion who’s a bit on the wild side thrown in. It was almost everything I could have wanted from a new tale in Harmony…except that when I reached the final page, it was with a sense of disbelief and frustration, not satisfaction.

There is a sense of crawling dread, of ominous, creeping doom snaking it’s way through the novel–and the source is the “Preserve”, a strange, feral, surreal forest that has been fenced off from inhabitants, and is undergoing some sinister changes. Enough page length and detail goes into describing the area that the setting becomes another character, a power player with enough impact that it took the spotlight off the main mystery for the trilogy–and switches it to wondering just what is happening out there in the darkness of the forest primeval? It’s a question that’s never answered, and probably won’t be until the next book or trilogy comes out.

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