This was a really great mix of stories. There is a little bit of everything here, and it all has a bit of a dark twist to it. While not all are technically romances (it doesn't claim that either) they all have an element of a love story and a few do have the HEA we all love.

Marion, Missing:
Old school noir detective story - but with a ghost. This was a good old fashioned PI that was determined to find his bad guy. Did it help that he was just a little in love with the ghost that asked him to take the case? Maybe. A really great story with very subtle paranormal elements. Even non-paranormal readers will really get into this one.

Femme Fatale:
This one was a lot of fun. A vampiress hires a PI to protect her and find out who is giving vampires a bad name by leaving bodies all over the place. This one gets a little complicated as two of the main characters have different stories to tell. You will be left guessing up until the very end to try and figure out who is really the bad guy in this one. Lots of action and intrigue.

Dance With the Devil:
What does selling your soul to the devil really mean? There's a definite twist on the tale in Dance With the Devil that I absolutely loved!!! Kathleen has been doing the devil's bidding for years - afraid that she will lose everything she has if she stops. But things aren't always what we think and be prepared for quite a surprise ending on this one.

The Consort:
While I loved the world concept in this one, the story fell a little short compared to the rest. There were a lot of dynamics that I don't think I was able to pick up on in the short novella form that I would have liked to be there. The story is definitely romantic, with Faulk willing to put his life and people on the line to save Liandra from becoming, well, basically a sex slave to a seriously creepy guy.

Heart's Blood:
This is definitely the darkest of the stories, but it was also one of my favorites. Not only does it deal in love and romance, but it tackles the concept of individual identity and what it really means to honor a vow. I loved every word - even the ones that had me sitting there with my mouth hanging open in shock at how horrible the pretend Princess is. Nix may seem like a wilting flower at first, but she is one of the most powerful female characters I've read - and she gets there in just a short novella!!! I may be buying this entire series very very soon.

The Djinn in the Mirror:
Djinns - you gotta love the tricky creatures. It helps that they seem to fall in love with human women just when she needs them the most. This was the sweetest of the stories, but still had some definite dark moments (the cellar near the ends still makes me shudder). A really great twist on Cinderella. At times I didn't realize I was in the modern world, the characters were kept so away from everything that they almost existed in a time unto themselves. I loved our little glimpse into the Djinn world and a taste of all the intrigue and politics there as well.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*