The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dageus MacKeltar has been cursed with thirteen evil souls in addition to his own since he violated the Compact and went through the stones to save the life of his twin brother Drustan. He has been living in New York City, searching ancient Celtic texts for a clue that will help him rid himself of the curse. Chloe Zander is sent by her boss at the Cloisters to take him a copy of text that Dageus hopes will hold the answer he needs. She is appalled that stranger will be allowed to touch and use one of the books that she holds precious, but when these two meet, sparks fly and nothing in Chloe's life will ever be the same. Can Chloe help Dageus defeat the darkness of his demons and win his love? Read this dramatic tale to find out.

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Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
MacKayla Lane is enjoying summer in Georgia, sunning herself by the pool, listening to music on her Ipod, waiting for her sister Alina to come from Ireland and her parents to come home from a cruise. She is as happy as she can be without her parents and her sister. Then comes the call that will change her life - her sister has been murdered in Dublin. MacKayla goes quickly from shock to anger when she sees that noone seems concerned that the murderer has not been caught. She decides to fly to Dublin and do everything she can to find out who killed her sister and see to it that the murderer is brought to justice. As soon as she arrives, strange things begin happening that will forever change not only MacKayla's view of the world, but her life itself. She finds herself plunged into the Fae world of Seelie and Unseelie, vampires, and nightmares brought to life. Will she find her sister's murderer or will she become just another victim?

After reading the sample of this book on my Kindle, I probably would not have purchased it, but it was free, so I downloaded it. It held my interest, but I really did not enjoy the story as much as others of the same genre. There seemed to be too much left unsaid about the characters that I would like to know about them. MacKayla's character was fairly well developed, but I don't feel like any of the other characters were. Of course, many of the characters didn't last long enough to get familiar with.

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Dark Prince by Christine Feehan


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Mikhail Dubrinsky has lived for centuries and has finally decided that he no longer wants to live an existence that is without meaning or love. He is so despondent that he plans to end his life by "meeting the sun". Raven Whitney hears his despair in her mind and calls out to him, startling him with her telepathic skills. Mikhail decides to put off his end until he discovers the women who is able to speak to him with her thoughts. When he meets Raven, he realizes that he has found his true lifemate. Raven is equally drawn to Mikhail, but she doesn't understand or trust the powerful attraction he has for her.

Although I was drawn into this story at the beginning, by the time I got halfway through the book and the characters had already made love multiple times and had each barely survived mortal wounds, I found myself less interested in their story. It seemed to go from disaster to disaster without developing the characters and relationships the way I would like. I finished the story and read the bonus selection at the end, but I likely will not read others in this series.

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Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #7) by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rehvenge has been approached by a high-ranking member of the glymera who wants him to kill the king, Wrath, in order to accommodate a change in leadership among the vampires. In return, he is offered the role of leader, but his symphath side detects another agenda on the part of the aristocrat making the offer. Lash, son of the Omega, continues to plot and plan the end of the race of vampires. Ehlena, a nurse in Haver's clinic, takes on the task of caring for Rehvenge when he comes into the clinic for a refill of the dopamine that he uses to control his darker impulses, and finds him strangely compelling. All of the nurses in the clinic have always been afraid of Rehvenge, but she is the type that doesn't back down and when she sees the infection in his left arm, she insists that he have it seen to. Will she be able to get past his defenses to get him the help he needs? Will Rehvenge find a way to help Ehlena with her schizophrenic father? Read this episode of the Black Dagger Brotherhood to find out.



This is currently the last of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, but there is obviously more to the story, so hopefully more books will be forthcoming.


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Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Phury has agreed to become Primale in place of Vishous and be father to a new generation of Brothers with the Chosen, but he is having problems with living up to his side of the bargain. He has brought Cormia, his First Mate, from the other side to the Brotherhood's mansion, but he has not mated with her because he feels that it would be against her will. Cormia has been staying to herself in her room except for meals, so Phury arranges for John Matthew to spend some time with her, hoping that they could be friends. John Matthew, for his part, is having problems of his own following his transition. His friends Qhuinn and Blay are as close as ever, but his former enemy Lash is back to cause problems. Will Phury consumate his union with Cormia and lay with the others of the Chosen as required by his station of Primale? Will Cormia return to the Other Side to be with the Chosen? Read this interesting chapter in the adventures of the Black Dagger Brotherhood to find those answers and many more.


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Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Vishous is happy that his best friend Butch has finally hooked up with Marissa and that the two are happily mated, but he can't help but feel a sense of loss that he can no longer be as close to Butch as he once was. He is still necessary to Butch, though, since he is the one to draw the evil out after Butch inhales the lives of lessers. Vishous has never known love or kindness in his three hundred years of life, but in this story he finally discovers the identity of his birth mother, when she appears to him to tell him of his destiny. Unfortunately, he is so distraught by this revelation that he ends up with a gunshot wound to the chest while wandering on his own and he is taken to a human hospital where his surgeon, Jane Whitcomb, operates to save his life. What happens between Vishous and Jane, and Vishous and his mother makes for an exciting and interesting story.


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Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Butch O'Neal, former cop and current friend of the Brotherhood, has tried to get over his infatuation with Marissa, a vampire from an aristocratic family, with little success. The Brothers refuse to let him get involved with the fight against the Lessening Society as anything other than a sidekick. Unfortunately, the lessers are perfectly willing to use Butch when they capture him, hoping he will lead them to the Brotherhood. When the critically injured Butch is retrieved by the Brotherhood, he is taken to Haver's clinic to be healed. But there seems to be more to his injuries than the torture he has undergone - he has a black scar on his stomach. Marissa finds out that Butch is in the clinic and despite warnings to protect herself with a hazmat suit, she enters his room. Will Marissa be able to save Butch, or has she doomed herself by her contact with the evil that seems to surround him? Read this engrossing thriller to find out.


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Father Mine: Zsadist and Bella's Story by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a novella telling the story of Zsadist and Bella as they struggle to find peace after the birth of their daughter. Zsadist is struggling with dreams of his captivity and sees his baby daughter in the cell with him. Bella is wondering if Zsadist still loves and wants her and if Zsadist will ever hold his daughter. This story fills in the gaps nicely between the end of Lover Awakened and its epilogue.


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Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In Lover Eternal, Bella has been kidnapped by lesser Mr. O, who is holding her captive in a torture building operated by the Society of Lessers. Zsadist, his twin Phurry and the rest of the Black Dagger Brotherhood have been searching for her for weeks, but they are beginning to lose hope of finding her alive. Zsadist is the scarred and tortured member of the Brotherhood that Bella had been drawn to when she visited the training center with her friend Mary and the young man that she had recognized as a pre-transition vampire. Zsadist refused to have anything to do with Bella when she was there, but now refuses to stop until he finds her. Will Zsadist find Bella and if she is still alive will they be able to find a common ground? Read this fast-paced, thrilling romance to find out.


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Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rhage, a warrior in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, lives in fear that the beast lurking inside him will break free and hurt or destroy one of his brothers. Mary, a human, works her job in a law office each day, and volunteers on a suicide prevention hotline at night. One day, when Mary returns home from work, there is a message on her phone, asking her to call and schedule an appointment to talk with her doctor about her blood work as soon as possible. She immediately fears the worst - that her leukemia has returned after a remission of two years. As fate would have it, Mary's path crosses Rhage's and there is an immediate attraction. But what will happen when a fiercely strong vampire warrior hiding a beastly secret tries to care about a delicate human woman who may be dying? Read Lover Eternal and find out about Mary's hidden strength and Rhage's hidden weakness.


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Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Darius, a warrior in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, is planning to ask a favor from the leader of the Brotherhood, Wrath. He has learned that his half-human daughter, Beth, is about to undergo the transition from human to vampire and he wants Wrath to guide her through the change and feed her his blood to help ensure that she survives the transition. The only problem is that Wrath is not known as a caring, nurturing creature and he refuses to do as Darius asks. Then, as Darius is leaving the bar where they met, Darius' BMW explodes with him inside, killing him instantly. Will Wrath decide to help Beth through the transition to honor Darius? Beth knows nothing of the vampire world, though she has never felt at home in her own world. Will she survive the transition? Read Dark Lover to find out.


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Ashes of Midnight by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Andreas Reichen is working his way through the agents who he holds responsible for the attack on his Darkhaven resulting in the deaths of everyone within, including women and children. His final goal is Wilhelm Roth who ordered the attack. When he goes to find Roth, he finds instead Roth's mate, Claire, the one woman that Andreas Reichen once loved. Will he kill Claire or use her to bring Wilhelm Roth to him? Will he succeed with his mission of vengeance before the fire burning within him consumes him? Read this exciting episode of the Midnight Breed series to find out!


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Veil of Midnight by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nikolai is in Montreal looking for Sergei Yakut, a Gen One vampire who he fears may in danger from a recent rash of Gen One assassinations. When he asks a young male vampire about Sergei, he notices a woman at the bar reacting to the name. He follows her out of the club into an alley, where he tries to ask her about Sergei. She tries to elude him and after her unexpectedly effective roundhouse kick, she is able to dash through a door into a nearby warehouse. Nikolai follows, but when he tries to speak to the woman, he is floored by a high-frequency sound that completely disables him. He sees the woman's accomplices coming to join her and hears them call her Renata. Who is Renata and how is she connected to Sergei Yakut? How was a human female able to disable a warrior of the Order? Read this riveting adventure to find out.


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Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dylan Alexander is on a trip to the Czech Republic when she sees a vision of woman on a rock formation. She knows the woman is dead, even though it has been years since she last saw a dead woman. She is drawn to investigate and finds a narrow entrance to a cave, in which she finds human bones and a large empty crypt. She hears a noise, and is frightened into leaving in a hurry. She comes back later and finds a man lying on the cave floor, but then she looks again and he is gone. Breed warrior, Rio, was left behind to seal the cave some months ago. He planned to seal himself in as well, but has not found the strength to do it, and now there is a woman in the cave who has seen not only the crypt, but also the glyphs drawn on the cave wall. She then proceeds to use a digital camera to take pictures of the cave, the crypt, and Rio before fleeing down the mountain. Rio realizes that it is his duty to find her and wipe her memory and destroy the pictures she has taken before they can be seen by others. What he does not know is that Dylan is a reporter for a tabloid who sees the pictures as her chance to make some real money. Will Rio be able to stop her? Will Dylan survive an encounter with the dangerously damaged Rio? Read this great adventure story to find out.


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Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Elise Chase is on a mission - to do everything in her power to make someone pay for the death of her only son, Camden. She has moved out of the Darkhaven reserve to live in an apartment in Boston while she searches for those who serve the leader of the Rogues. She uses her unique talent of hearing the evil thoughts of those around her to find the former humans known as Minions and kill them. She is usually careful to complete her work before dusk each day, but one day she cuts things too close and is attacked by three Rogues who are attracted to the smell of blood - blood from her most recent kill. Fortunately for Elise, Breed warrior Tegan is also pulled to the scent of fresh blood in time to save her from the Rogues. But will he send her back to the Darkhaven residence and end her quest for vengeance? Read this exciting adventure to find out.


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Kiss of Crimson by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tess Culver spends most of her time in her small animal clinic caring for cats, dogs, and other small animals. One night, she hears a noise in the back of her clinic and when she investigates finds a badly injured man. Little does she know that this man is unlike any other man she has ever met. When she gets close enough to investigate the intruder, he asks her not to call an ambulance, but tells her that he needs blood. Then he grabs her and sinks his fangs into her throat. Will Tess live to tell the tale? Read this second exciting adventure in the Midnight Breed to find out.


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The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
Elena Gilbert is about to start her senior year of high school. She has always been one of the most popular girls at school, and she sees no reason for this to change, but she has a strange feeling that this year will be different. When she gets to school the first day, there is a new student, Stefan, who seems very aloof and mysterious. Elena cannot imagine that she cannot capture the attention of this new boy as she has captured the attention of others through the years. But there is something different about Stefan. What is it about him that makes Elena want him so badly? To find out, read these two stories.



I found the characters in these stories to be totally unlikeable, even the main character, Elena. The only character in the book who had some redeeming qualities was Matt. The girls in these stories were the kind of girls that I tried to stay from in high school - the "popular" crowd. If you like those kind of people, you might enjoy these stories, but I found that I couldn't wait to finish them and I don't plan to read the others in the series.


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Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gabrielle Maxwell is a photographer who is going out to celebrate a successful showing of her work with her friends. Instead of just going out to dinner, her friends decide to take her to a new club, La Notte, to dance and drink. Gabrielle is reluctant, but goes along for a while. She decides to leave the club and head home, but on her way out, she sees what appears to be a gang beating up and killing another person. She tries to call 911 on her cell phone, but cannot get through, so she uses her cell phone camera to snap pictures of what is happening, then flees the scene to go to the police station to report the crime. Unfortunately, when police go to the scene there is no sign of the crime at all. This is the beginning of Gabrielle's entry into the world of vampires and she will soon meet the darkly handsome Lucan Thorne who she thinks is a police detective, but who actually is a warrior fighting against evil. This was another interesting take on vampires, with a whole new set of rules that are both the same and different than other vampire myths. I enjoyed this one enough that I may read the next in the series.


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