Kai is up and he has a lot going on. By that, I mean his beast needs him to find and claim his mate and there are some VERY BAD INDIVIDUALS trying to Kai is up and he has a lot going on. By that, I mean his beast needs him to find and claim his mate and there are some VERY BAD INDIVIDUALS trying to get their hands on her. Which is not good since that means she's in danger.
And when a warlord's mate is in danger, his beast will do anything to make sure she doesn't come to harm. (As an aside, while he'll do anything, the alligator attack wasn't instigated by Kai, it was just a sweet side effect of a bad guy going after Lark in the wrong place.)
So. Kai's in a protective mood (understatement) and Larkspur is in danger. Only, she doesn't know she's in danger. She's just a human lady who likes to take compromising pictures and sell them as a side hustle. She definitely doesn't realize that one of her pics captured something it shouldn't have. Now she has everybody gunning for her and the only one she feels safe with is the big Atlan Warlord who keeps growling MINE at her.
Man, I like these beasts. They're straightforward and more than a little bloodthirsty.
As another aside, I kinda thought we were reaching the end of this series because we've run through the Warlord group on Earth, but BOY is there some big setup for the future. Will it be part of this series? I have no idea. But THINGS ARE HAPPENING and mates are probably in danger and I AM HERE FOR IT.
Okay, I'm super not loving Helion after this stunt. Not that I loved him before. Or even liked him, really. BUT...no, dude. Not cool.
So. Velik has hitOkay, I'm super not loving Helion after this stunt. Not that I loved him before. Or even liked him, really. BUT...no, dude. Not cool.
So. Velik has hit the end of his rope. He's been searching for his mate, hasn't found her, and the mating fever has pushed him to the point that he can't battle his beast much longer. So he reaches out and takes a mission that will ensure he dies in battle.
Naturally, the moment things are in place for that, he meets his special someone. Stefani (Adrian's twin and Vivian's daughter). THINGS HAPPEN (both of the sexy variety and stinging jellyfish variety, which sounds weird when put together, but just go with it) and Velik and Stefani end up separated. (And that's where Helion did something unconscionable and made the choice to keep both of them in the dark about what had been done and NO, DUDE. NOT COOL.)
Velik ends up shipping out on what amounts to a suicide mission while Stefani stays back on Earth. Thinking she's been abandoned. When she has two little nuggets nine months later, well, she can handle it. And so long to the guy who claimed she was his one and only and then walked away.
Eventually Velik figures out what happened, heads straight back to Earth, and finds out he's a dad now. Of course, Stefani has been dealing with some major abandonment issues over the last 15 months and she's not so quick to trust him when he tries to explain (HELION, YOU JERK!). Yeah, these two have more than a few bumps in the road to their HEA, but they get there. Eventually. (Helion's still a jerk.)
Adrian (along with her twin sister) might have thought things moved quickly between her mother and Maxus, but she miiiiiight have them beat. I mean, tAdrian (along with her twin sister) might have thought things moved quickly between her mother and Maxus, but she miiiiiight have them beat. I mean, the lady heard her beast roaring, knew he was the one, and managed to finagle her way into his cell to be claimed by him. The teeny, tiny roadblocks they need to get around to have their HEA? Well, Kovo is imprisoned for one. He's scheduled to be executed within hours. And he absolutely has his reasons for trying to stay as far away from Adrian as he can.
Too bad his beast wasn't on board with any of that. Really, his beast does all the work. He gets Adrian's attention with his roar, gives her all the sexy times she can handle (well, considering their limited time, I guess), and gets himself well and truly mated in no time flat.
There's just that pesky matter of his upcoming execution they need to work around.
On Adrian's end, she knows Kovo is hers the moment she hears him. And nothing is going to get between her and her honey. Well, except a guard or two. And that 2 story drop. No, wait. That last one doesn't stop her. Kovo's situation is not pretty and things take a TURN on the two of them, but that's not going to stop her from doing whatever she has to do to be with her male.
A morally gray doctor who definitely has things percolating in the background, a bad situation, a male who has lost all hope, and a lady who doesn't mind breaking a few laws to save the male she loves. *thumbs up*
It's Tane's turn to find his special someone and the big guy is having a MAJOR Cinderella moment. Because Elena showed up, enraptured his beast, and tIt's Tane's turn to find his special someone and the big guy is having a MAJOR Cinderella moment. Because Elena showed up, enraptured his beast, and then disappeared. Finding her wasn't necessarily difficult, but she's in a bit of a tricky situation they're going to have to work their way out of.
So, yeah. Cinderella ball with a Cinderella lady. Tane isn't about to let her slip through his fingers, but following her and staking his claim comes with its own set of problems. Mainly, her employer and his utter hatred of all things alien.
On Elena's end, she's sticking around because her employer's daughter needs her. She's knows her employer is ruthless, but she didn't expect to be caught in the middle of his machinations. And when Tane is targeted? Our girl shows the aliens (and everybody else in the world, really) what human ladies are made of. Let's just say that they get a whole lot of exposure on more than one level.
Yeah, Elena goes all in when she claims her beast and Tane (and the other warlords) are there for it! *thumbs up*
Maxus is up and he's been hiding out on Earth trying to blend with humans. Which has worked to an extent, but he's a big bad warlord and he kind of stMaxus is up and he's been hiding out on Earth trying to blend with humans. Which has worked to an extent, but he's a big bad warlord and he kind of stands out in a crowd. Plus, the Hive keeps sending units to try to recapture him, which is problematic when you're trying to fit in.
Or, it would be problematic if Maxus hadn't worked his way into some illegal fight clubs. Which, incidentally, is how he crossed paths with Vivian. Who is NOT fighting in the fight club, but rather patching the fighters up with her paramedic skills.
The first time they come into one another's orbit? HOO-BOY. Things get steamy quick. Which makes sense since those warlords know the person they're meant to be with pretty much immediately.
On Vivian's end, she's a single mom of two grown daughters and she DOES NOT expect one of the fighters to push all her buttons like Maxus does. For all he's fighting at the club, he's honorable, gentle, and fiercely protective of her. Which is needed when another Hive tracking unit shows up and tries to take Vivian from Maxus.
As you might imagine, all heck breaks loose when Maxus (along with several others of the warlords on Earth) fights to keep her safe. His beast won't stand for anyone taking her from him and those Hive trackers are in for a world of hurt when he gets his hands on them.
We're back in Sanity Falls and BOY is it a fun place. You know, if you look past the kidnapping and stalking and stuff. Which sounds like I'm implyingWe're back in Sanity Falls and BOY is it a fun place. You know, if you look past the kidnapping and stalking and stuff. Which sounds like I'm implying it's NOT fun, but THESE MONSTERS. They know how to show a lady a good time. And also throw people into walls. And feral hog dimensions. Not that the last one happened, BUT IT COULD.
Anywho. Justine and Khill are the grumpiest coworkers who ever coworked. They both like their job (because DOGGOS! So many PUPPERS!), but they could do with a little less peopling. In fact, I kind of think Justine might be the only people-person Khill likes. And vice versa. Which makes them ideal as coworkers, really.
In fact, the only downside to them is that Justine asked Khill out when he was just getting used to being on Earth and he wasn't ready for anything at that point. So she shoved down her attraction and they did the friend thing. But just because the timing was off, doesn't mean Khill didn't like Justine. In fact, he likes her A LOT. It was just that he couldn't do more than acclimate himself to Earth at the time and a relationship was not on the table at that point.
Now, though? OH, IT'S ON THE TABLE. AND THE BED. AND PROBABLY AGAINST THE WALL. In other words, he's 100% ready. Getting married in Vegas wasn't ideal, but he's committed. That said, as much as he'd love to stay married, he's not about to force Justine into anything she doesn't want. So if she thinks it's best to get an annulment, he'll go along with it. (Until, that is, a whip smart divorce lawyer drops a truthbomb on Justine and gets her seeing what's right in front of her!)
A pathetic ex, a disastrous monster match, a whirlwind trip to Vegas, the hangover to end all hangovers, a little danger (in part because of a hangry Justine), an orc who falls and falls hard, and a lady who knows a good male when she meets him (you know, after her pathetic ex and her disastrous monster match date). GOOD STUFF ALL AROUND!
Oh.My.Goodness. I have SUCH a soft spot for socially awkward aliens who try REALLY hard to make things work and who are just a little left of center iOh.My.Goodness. I have SUCH a soft spot for socially awkward aliens who try REALLY hard to make things work and who are just a little left of center in their attempts. I mean, William calling Becky's unborn baby a tadpole just hits me in the best way. And Becky's almost offended by it, but not really and I don't know why I love stuff like this so much BUT I DO.
So. William is a recent cyborg transplant to Traxia. Heck, he's a recent cyborg, too, since he used to have a tail and now has shiny new legs. He's adorably clueless with all his attempts to be a "typical" cowboy. And his cluelessness leads to him purchasing a mischievous donkey (who REALLY wants to show the lady horses what he can do for them) and ending up married to a pregnant, grieving widow. Honestly, he only marries her because he wants her beautiful horse, but soon he likes her for WAY more than her horse.
Of course, he has a difficult time expressing that he likes her and she doesn't see his attempts at wooing for what they are. Plus, she's still dealing with grief and maybe a little guilt over liking this big, awkward cyborg so soon after her husband died.
Yeah, Becky's got a few things to work through. But once William makes things clear, she can admit to herself (and to him) that he's a good male with a good heart and maybe she likes him more than she expected to.
More than a few messed up rules regarding women (seriously, so messed up), a bad man who wants to take things that aren't his, a little aggressive shows when two cyborg mermen occupy the same space (HA), a happy little tadpole, a gloriously awkward cyborg who gives everything his all, and a lady who has to deal with a little baggage before she can see what a good male she married. *thumbs up*
Aliens, man. You gotta love them and their complete enrapturement of the lady who captures their attention. Even if they tell themselves they need to Aliens, man. You gotta love them and their complete enrapturement of the lady who captures their attention. Even if they tell themselves they need to stay away FOR HER OWN GOOD, they just can't stop themselves from keeping near. You know, in case said lady needs help or something.
Which, AS IT TURNS OUT, if exactly what happens with Viktor/Sevik and Mina. He's in the right place at the right time and he's able to save her. Literally. Since she was being mugged. Her injuries have him whisking her off to his isolated cabin and gives the two of them a chance to get to know one another as she heals. As it turns out, the more he gets to know about her, the more he knows she's the one for him.
But he's still an alien on the run and the people after him definitely aren't of the law-abiding sort. So all his reasons for keeping away from her still stand, he just now knows what he'll be missing out on.
Welp. Mina didn't get the "gotta keep away from one another" memo, so she opts to spend her birthday with him. Celebrating. As one does. What she definitely doesn't expect is that sexy Viktor Novak is actually a sexy alien in hiding. Which explains a lot and doesn't deter her AT ALL in her desire to be with him.
A small town with a long memory, aliens who have revenge on the mind, a little danger, more than a few steamy kisses, a male who has to realign his wants once he finds his special someone, and a lady who never expected that the man she was dreaming about was an alien in hiding. *thumbs up*
Skye's life takes an unexpected turn when she ends up cataloging a big, abandoned house for her job that isn't nearly as abandoned as she thinks. In fSkye's life takes an unexpected turn when she ends up cataloging a big, abandoned house for her job that isn't nearly as abandoned as she thinks. In fact, there's a very old, somewhat cranky vampire in the basement. To be fair, I'd probably be somewhat cranky myself if awakened early from a solid nap. The fact his nap was running around the 70 year mark means Lucas woke up both cranky and hungry.
Which is to be expected, really.
Unfortunately for Skye, she was closest individual who could help with the hunger part. And, well, THINGS HAPPENED. Now she's a fledgling vampire with a brooding master vampire trying to teach her how to effectively vampire. You know, why she teaching him about the modern world. Lucas is a little broody, more than a little grumpy when things don't go his way, and he plays his cards VERY close to the vest. Which is maybe a little alarming to Skye when the big guy doesn't seem to care whether she continues with her undead existence or not.
No worries, however. Lucas is actually pretty invested in making sure Skye thrives. He's just really bad at showing it. That said, his other progeny (who are gathering to make sure all Lucas's plans go according to, uhh, plan) are quick to point out how out of character Lucas is acting with her. Which confuses Skye a wee bit, but she gets over it.
A swank house in the hills, a little accidental killing, a vampire family who are whole-hearted in their embrace of their newest sister, some backstabbing vampire politics, a vampire who knows what he wants when he sees her, and a lady who had no idea how much her life would change when she ventured into the basement. GOOD TIMES!
*ahem* So. A Mothman, a Bigfoot, and a Llorona walk into a bar... HA. Just kidding. They end up in a conveniently spelled glade in the woods before ge*ahem* So. A Mothman, a Bigfoot, and a Llorona walk into a bar... HA. Just kidding. They end up in a conveniently spelled glade in the woods before getting busy, BUT STILL. These three are friends and they all have a soft spot for one another only Xochi is GLORIOUSLY clueless that the guys are into her. So she does her absolute best to not get between them. Which is maybe a little ironic because that's EXACTLY where Bellamy and Mercer want her.
While that does (eventually) happen, these three have a little fumbling awkwardness to get through first. By that I mean Xochi knocks down a naughty display of Halloween decorations and gets an eyeful of just how well endowed her BFFs might be. Which does nothing to put a damper on her like, tbh.
Anywho. A few meddling matchmakers, a sip (or more) of Witch's brew, and suddenly the three of them are realizing three is THE BEST number. Quick, sex-ay, and full of plenty of supernatural steam. GOOD TIMES!
Meg and her pals at the Morrisey (both of the living and ghostly variety) are back doing the thing they do best. Which, unfortunately, means there areMeg and her pals at the Morrisey (both of the living and ghostly variety) are back doing the thing they do best. Which, unfortunately, means there are some deadly shenanigans going on. In the building. During an ice storm. Which, as you might imagine, is not ideal for the living residents.
But Meg has her secret ghostly weapons and she's ferreting out clues. And accidentally telling folks other than Laurie about her ghost-seeing ability. Which works out well and also not-so-well. Unfortunate, bus what can you do?
Anywho. A trail of blood in the lobby, a bullet lodged in some furniture in the basement, a decided lack of ghosts who actually witnessed what happened (hey, even ghosts like watching people slip and slide their way through the icy city), and a detective who doesn't mind utilizing Meg in her investigation. A few bumps, a little case of hidden treasure, some spilled secrets, and a lady who's right in the middle of it all.
The inimitable Hercule Poirot is chasing his biggest case yet and the perpetrators keep slipping through everyone's fingers. Even his. Which doesn't sThe inimitable Hercule Poirot is chasing his biggest case yet and the perpetrators keep slipping through everyone's fingers. Even his. Which doesn't sit well with the M. Poirot.
So he applies himself to finding connections between seemingly random crimes and the people involved in them. He uses his little gray cells to get into the minds of the people he's chasing and he slowly builds a picture of each of the members of the Big Four. Sort of. One of them remains frustratingly elusive and that vexes Poirot. Which means he doubles down and does whatever he needs to do to find the elusive number four.
A solid mystery with a group of criminals that nearly gets the best of Poirot. Nearly because he's, well, Hercule Poirot. And even a hive mind of bad guys can't stop him from finding justice. *thumbs up*
The next Vultor male is up and Korrin's surprisingly soft-hearted when it comes to the most recent job he's agreed to take. To be fair, he only took tThe next Vultor male is up and Korrin's surprisingly soft-hearted when it comes to the most recent job he's agreed to take. To be fair, he only took the job because he knew Tessa's stepmother would just contract with someone else if he didn't. And he REALLY didn't like the idea of Tessa being disappeared by anyone. Himself included.
So he whisked her off to a hidden cabin. As I mentioned, though, the big guy is pretty soft-hearted and he also took the Adyani pups she was caring for when he took her. Since, you know, they wouldn't survive without her. So now he has a sweet human and a small pack of pups to care for. Not that he's caring for them. He's just socking them away in his cabin for safekeeping.
There is absolutely no caring involved. Probably.
On Tessa's end, she's a little leery of her current situation, but she doesn't exactly feel unsafe with Korrin. Sure, it might not be the future she saw for herself, but she's happy for the first time in a long time. It isn't long until Korrin's gruff kindness has her looking at him in a romantic light. Sure, they have more than a few speedbumps along the way, but things work out. Eventually.
A little betrayal, a handful of mischievous pups, a cabin in the woods, a steamy kiss or two, a Vultor who has to learn how to share space, and a lady who chooses to grab her happiness with both hands when the opportunity presents itself. GOOD TIMES!
Straight up, I SUPER loved this book. It had zombies speaking sad French (just to be clear, they weren't speaking sad words in French, just the fact tStraight up, I SUPER loved this book. It had zombies speaking sad French (just to be clear, they weren't speaking sad words in French, just the fact they were speaking French was sort of sad. Maybe? There was something a little melancholy about it, OKAY?) and a GLORIOUSLY GRUMPY vampire who really didn't like Edie riffing on his name (honestly, though, how could anyone resist when presented with a vampire named Gaston who growled whenever you sang his song to him) and ridiculously friendly counterfeiters and trolls who could eat their weight in appetizers before even beginning on the main course. Yeah, I loved this book.
So. Zombies. A potential zombie outbreak isn't fun, but the government assures everyone they have everything under control. So Edie goes about her regular life (or as regular a life as possible, all things considered) living inside one of the containment zones. Her neighbor might be a hardcore dudebro, but even dudebros don't deserve to be snacked on by zombies. So when a zombie goes gunning for said neighbor, Edie jumps in to save him. With her burrito. Which is just as ineffective as it sounds, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do when her only weapon is her dinner. (To be fair, the burrito survived the incident and was duly devoured by Edie once things had settled down.)
Fortunately for Edie (and her burrito), dudebro Chad was actually a vampire and he had some serious sword skills. And some really nice glutes. Which Edie ogled whenever possible because WHY NOT? If a zombie breach isn't a good reason to stare at your formerly-a-dudebro-but-now-a-hot-vampire neighbor's buns when he's wearing tiny furry underwear, WHEN IS?
Anywho. Let's just say things go a little south. Max (who does NOT go by Gaston, thankyouverymuch) and Edie team up (mostly because Max is a big softie where Edie's concerned and he can't let her go off on her own when she refuses to stay put in his glam man-cave bunker) and start to unravel some plans that possibly put both humans and supernaturals on the extinction list. And by "possibly", I mean if they can't figure out how to deal with things, things are going to be baddddd for everyone. So bad.
I got to the end of this book and I really really REALLY wanted more. It hit the spot on so many levels. *thumbs up*
What better place for an alien to hide in plain sight than at a sci-fi convention? Since going to the convention also means Tam gets to meet the humanWhat better place for an alien to hide in plain sight than at a sci-fi convention? Since going to the convention also means Tam gets to meet the human he feels a connection to, WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO LOSE? Right?
When Tam and Jen meet in real life, the connection they felt online is still there. On one hand, Tam's hiding a pretty big secret and he's endearingly awkward (you know, seeing as he's not native to human mannerisms). On the other hand, Jen has an open mind and she likes the intense focus Tam brings to everything. Heck, she just flat-out likes him. She also likes the others in their little group since she feels like she can actually be herself around them.
That said, it's going to take some serious trust if things are going to progress beyond friendship for these two. And when you throw in some juicy secrets some of the others in their online group are keeping, plus the potential for danger if Tam's alien-hood is ever found out...well, these two have a lot to juggle if they're going to pursue a relationship.
Beyond their relationship, we also get found family that helps people feel a little less alone in this messed up world, a little danger, the realization that being yourself can be enough and finding joy in the things that spark your creativity doesn't have to conform to others' expectations, and that sometimes reaching out can mean the everything to someone.
What can I say? I liked this one. Tam and Jen worked for me!
It's been a good long while since I spent any time in the D&D world. A band of adventurers fighting their way through some dangerous terrain? Count meIt's been a good long while since I spent any time in the D&D world. A band of adventurers fighting their way through some dangerous terrain? Count me in! This band of adventurers, as it turns out, are complete strangers. Or at least they were until they were dropped in the middle of an unforgiving realm...no, that's not quite right. They're still strangers after being dropped there and it takes A LOT for them to finally find their groove with one another.
They all also have a lot more in common than any of them suspect. I mean, it isn't quite happenstance that drops them in this terrible place. They each have secrets and those secrets are doozies.
As they navigate the increasingly more dangerous land of Barovia and the count who rules it, they have to figure out their strengths and weaknesses and face off against some pretty messed up individuals. Seriously, the people in charge in these places have some pretty bonkers plans in motion and YUCK on a lot of levels, amirite?!?
More than a little danger, a beefy barbarian drow (who was probably my favorite because barbarians who have a soft spot for animals, YAY!), zombies, monsters, more monsters, probably more monsters, reluctant bonds of friendship, and an ending that kinda socks you in the gut. *thumbs up*
We're back in Fairhaven Falls with the meddling firecracker Flora and her matchmaking shenanigans. Which means this loner orc and the new human lady iWe're back in Fairhaven Falls with the meddling firecracker Flora and her matchmaking shenanigans. Which means this loner orc and the new human lady in town are destined to find their HEA. Because, you know, Flora's never wrong.
So. Posy's new to town and she's digging on the friendly supernatural vibe. Enough that she can't say no when Flora ropes her into coming to the bachelor auction. She didn't mean to bid on the awkward orc hottie, but sometimes THINGS HAPPEN. And now she has a blind date with an orc who has some pretty hermit-like tendencies.
On Varek's end, he's...well, he's convinced himself that he's happy being alone and no one in town would want him even if he did make the effort. Agreeing to the bachelor auction might be the biggest mistake he's made lately, but it's better than dealing with Flora's disappointment. Now he has a blind date with a lady who looks at him without suspicion and he's realizing he might have a chance at happiness if he could just get out of his head.
A little run-in with a bully, a whole lot of plants, a meddling godmother, a male with a soft heart who needs to learn to trust again, and a lady who sees all the good in her blind date and is willing to fight for him. *thumbs up*
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