Lone Wolfe Protector (Wolfe Creek #1) by Kaylie Newell ~ Review

Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lone Wolfe Protector (Wolfe Creek #1) by Kaylie Newell

Maggie Sullivan is back in Wolfe Creek, determined to find out why her best friend vanished one fog-shrouded night a year ago.  But it quickly becomes clear that if the folks in the secluded mountain town know what happened to her friend, they aren't talking.

Seasoned sheriff's deputy Koda Wolfe reluctantly agrees to help this beautiful woman, even as he tries to convince her to leave for her own good. Soon he's compelled to protect Maggie from herself, his family's ancient curse, and a killer who could strike again.

The nights heat up in more ways than one as Maggie and Koda begin a fiery relationship.  But as they delve deeper into the disappearance, the eerie woods come alive with secrets bound to tear them apart. And someone is watching their every move.

Review...

There were a couple of things that drew me into this book. The first was the title. Even though it's WOLFE and not WOLF, I still went into it thinking without that extra E. And since I'd taken this book to be a paranormal, I was thinking shifters. Shifters are my favorite supernatural creatures, so that would have been perfect! Then there was the fact that Koda is a deputy and sounds pretty protective. Those two things alone pushed me into wanting to try out this book. 

Now that I HAVE read the book, I have to say that I liked it, but I'm not really impressed. To explain why, I'm going to break it down a bit...

What I Liked: 

The characters were well done. Maggie was a sincere woman, determined to unravel the mystery behind her best friend's disappearance. The chick had some guts, and I definitely respect her for that. She was also kind and caring, which swayed me into her favor. Koda was the kind of guy I generally like--strong, protective, gruff, and a big teddy bear despite what he exudes sometimes. I liked that he was so solidly HIM. The deputy who was loyal to the people he was to protect. I found him more and more endearing as I made it farther into the story, and the final verdict is that I do kind of heart the guy.

The mystery was incredibly intriguing, as well. It's introduced right from the start, and builds as the book progresses. Of course, I had my own guess on whodunit. And I was totally wrong. Honestly, I was SO sure I knew who it was. But I was wrong. That mystery, paired with the chunk of the end when STUFF was going down...they played a major part in making this novel work for me.

I was also a fan of the romance around the end, when that STUFF I mentioned before was happening. It made my heart happy in the midst of the events unfolding, and was honestly just so sweet. Considering how much I liked Maggie and Koda, I was glad to see them as a solid couple. 

What I Didn't Really Like: 

As I said, I was expecting this one to be paranormal. I can't say I was wrong, because I wasn't, but it wasn't nearly as paranormal as I'd have liked it to be, either. I actually ended up just not being too convinced by this aspect. I liked how it was intertwined with town legend, but not enough for it to win me over.

The romance for the beginning and half of the middle of the book fell flat for me. The romance at that point just felt so forced to me. We had Maggie, doing her thing, and we had Koda, doing his thing. While I think they were a great couple, I don't think their relationship and romance worked much for me until later in the book. 

And it took me too long to actually get IN to the book. I understand that the beginning was used to introduce everything, but it didn't really hold my attention well. Plus, even when I was IN to the book, I never felt too connected. I would have liked to be invested in the whole thing the whole way through, freaking out over stuff. But that didn't really happen. I was happy for Koda and Maggie and their relationship. And I guessed at the mystery, trying to figure it out. But I didn't feel too invested in it all.

Overall: 

Lone Wolfe Protector ended up being a read that was just okay for me. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. The mystery was well done, the characters were solid, and the tail end of the romance made me happy. But I really would have liked to have been pulled into the story more. That said, I think I WILL probably give the next book in the Wolfe Creek series a shot, so that I can see if the paranormal aspect I wasn't too fond of in this one improves. And who's to say the other issues I had with this one won't be fixed? I'm interested to see.

3 stars - Great mystery and characters, but an okay read overall.

Covet's December Releases!

Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and join the Book Club.


Today I'm happy to be featuring Covet's December releases:

Beg Me to Slay by Lisa Kessler

He’ll slay her demons, but it may cost her heart…

Four years ago Tegan Ashton was attacked. Determined never to be a victim again, she devotes her life to martial arts and self-defense. When her assailant returns to finish what he started, only one person can help her.

Gabe is a private investigator by day and demon slayer by night. After losing loved ones, he vows to defend people from a threat they don’t realize exists.

The relationship is supposed to be strictly business, but fighting demons together stirs up emotions they never expected. Turns out demon slaying is a breeze compared to facing their scarred pasts and even worse - hearts.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads

TODAY!

Beg Me To Slay Book Release Party

4:00pm until 8:00pm PST 

On Facebook

Ashes by Sarah Gilman

Journalist Ambrosia Pellerin accepts an assignment involving the legendary phoenix, expecting, if nothing else, a little entertainment. Instead, she winds up pregnant—by a surprisingly human-looking firebird, Reece Bennu.

As the Phoenix prince, Reece is next in line to the throne and expected to marry a purebred royal. A common human such as Ambrosia is not in the cards. He swears, though, he’ll never be an absentee father.

As Ambrosia’s due date grows closer, so do the soon-to-be parents. But will their tentative love survive the prejudice of Reece’s grandmother, who will stop at nothing to tear the two apart?

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads

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Covet's August Releases & Giveaway

Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, and LIKE their Facebook page.

Today I'm happy to be featuring Covet's August releases!!

The Awakening: Liam by Abby Niles

The Awakening #2

Shifter, Liam Doyle knows Hell. At least he believed he did. The night he feels his mate die, he learns how very wrong he was. Nothing he’d struggled with since Ava’s rejection compares to the emptiness that fills his soul by her death. Lost in his grief, he’s taken by surprise and drugged. When he wakes, everything changes. Nothing is what it seems, and someone is dead set on making him pay.

When Ava Michaels is taken captive, she’s thrust into a dark and terrifying world along with the man she was forced to leave behind. While being near Liam again is heartbreaking, the motive behind her kidnapping is gradually revealed. The more she learns, the more she worries Liam isn’t the man she believed him to be. He has enemies willing to do anything to extract their revenge. Can their love survive a crazy man’s vengeance?

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Itunes * Goodreads

The Demon's Desire by Kendra Leigh Castle

Hearts of the Fallen #2

He’s as dark and dangerous as the storms he once commanded…and she can’t get him out of her heart.

Dru has spent two thousand years fighting to keep the people of Terra Noctem safe. In all that time, she's only opened her heart to one man, with disastrous results. But when her city takes in a group of renegade Fallen, she finds herself drawn to the brooding and tormented Meresin, despite the fact that he seems to be the least redeemable of them all. When his instability hits a breaking point, Meresin’s only chance at survival is a perilous journey into a place from which few ever return. What he never expected was that confronting his demons would mean risking not only his future, but Dru's as well...and that one stubborn vampire might give him back not just hope…but his heart.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Itunes * Goodreads

About Abby:

Ever since Abby Niles picked up her first Sweet Valley High book in sixth grade and fell in love with Elizabeth and Todd, she’s been hooked on romance. By the time she reached high school, she was devouring meatier romances with pirates, cowboys and knights. She never imagined that those years of reading would one day lead to her becoming a published author.

In her late twenties, after having twins and becoming a stay-at-home mom, she started doodling stories to keep her sanity. Next thing she knew, she was actually submitting to publishing houses. And was immediately rejected. That didn’t stop her though. She found herself some kickass critique partners, honed her craft, and continued submitting.

And eventually sold a short story, then a novella, then a novel, and now a series.

Today, she juggles work, home life, and writing. It’s not always easy, but hey, who said life was easy?

In her downtime, which isn’t often, you can find her playing ‘Just Dance’ with her kids or trying to catch up on her never-ending to-be-read list. She also loves Zumba, and refuses to admit she looks more like Animal doing his Muppet flail than a sensual Latin dancer.

Find Abby online:

Website Twitter Facebook Blog

About Kendra:

Kendra Leigh Castle was born and raised in the far and frozen reaches of Northern New York, where there was plenty of time to cultivate her love of reading thanks to the six-month-long winters. Sneaking off with selections from her mother’s vast collection of romance novels came naturally and fairly early, and a lifelong love of the Happily Ever After was born. After graduating from SUNY Oswego (where it also snowed a lot) with a teaching degree, Kendra ran off with a handsome young Navy fighter pilot and has somehow accumulated three children, three dogs, and one enormous cat during their many moves.

While stationed in a remote corner of the Nevada desert, Kendra penned her first romance, and a career often spent working in fuzzy slippers and pajamas was born. Her work has garnered both critical praise and award nominations, but the best part has been connecting with readers who share her love of dark romance (not to mention heroes with sharp, pointed teeth). Kendra currently lives in Maryland, and can usually be found curled up with her laptop and yet another cup of coffee working on her next book. She loves to hear from her readers, and can be contacted via email or her Facebook page.

Find Kendra online:

Website Blog Twitter Facebook

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Don't Bite the Bridesmaid by Tiffany Allee ~ Review

Source:  Received eARC from publisher is exchange for a fair and honest review.

Book Description:

Alice Shepard needs one thing: a date for her sister's wedding. And not just any date. A hunk who will make her fiancé rue the day he left her for her best friend. Her drop-dead gorgeous neighbor fits the bill—even if he is a bit quirky and never comes out during the day—and Alice has downed just enough appletinis to ask him. But she makes it quite clear that there will be no funny business.

Spending a week on a cruise ship full of humans while sleeping close to his sexy next-door neighbor sounds like a helluva bad idea to vampire Noah Thorpe. But his friends need time to get him out of a shotgun wedding—a vampire bonding that will tie his fate to a female vampire he's never met. And Alice's offer comes at just the right time.

What could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts:

 

3 stars - Sexy Noah was the best part

I'm struggling to write this review.  I liked this book...but...  I liked the world where vampires are living among us.  Simple and brief, the world buidling wasn't really the story.  Noah is being pressured to bond and he doesn't want to.  That's really the only part of the world that effects the story.  I kinda liked that fact that this paranormal romance took the front seat of the story.
 
The premise is priceless.  I love when two people who are attracted to each other are forced into a situation where things are going to get out of control.  The pretending to be a couple thing is just so perfect.  I always love those types of books.  Stuck on a cruise ship pretending to be together has so many yummy possibilities.  AND those things definitely happen in this book.

Noah is all kinds of yummy.  He's an older vampire that really needs to consider bonding to hold onto life but he doesn't think he needs to yet.  He certainly doesn't want to be forced into it by the counsel and to a vampire he's never met - no thanks.  So he avoids it by taking the opportunity to help out his neighbor.  What I really loved about Noah was his reactions to Brent, Alice's ex.  The way he meets him is perfect.  Noah has the size of Brent in about two seconds and while he may not have been on board with this plan before, he is now.  His desire to protect Alice from Brent's ideas is adorable.  Noah is also a good sport to go along with all the wedding stuff.  I loved him lots.

Alice is fine.  She doesn't really do anything for me one way or the other.  That may be part of my problem.  I didn't get connected to her very well.  And that really is where my problem is with this book.  Alice and Noah have known each other for about 5 years as neighbors.  Apparently, she has convinced him to be part of the neighborhood events when he never was before she moved there.  The story starts right before the cruise and while there are some vague mentions of their previous interactions, it feels like they are starting new.  But since they are really aren't, things are uncomfortable for me.  As a reader, I didn't get some of it until well into the book.  But by then, it felt like an after thought.  I guess, I needed more of their relationship explained to me before they headed off to the cruise ship and a world wind love affair.  Because in the a weeks time, these two waving neighbors have changed their relationship f o r e v e r.

I had one other issue.  It was the whole "reveal" thing.  Finding out that he's a vampire and how that came down.  It just fell flat for me.  I won't ruin it for anyone by explaining why but it was like...huh? I've read a lot of paranormal and never really experienced it like this before.  Guess that can be good but it didn't work for me.

Overall, I enjoyed the story.  I wish there had been about 50 pages at the beginning that gave a better picture of these two before the cruise and I think it would have been better.  I can see where this series is headed and it could be fun to revisit this world.

If you like paranormal romance with a lot of sexy then this one may be a good choice for you.

Tiffany Allee | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | B&N