Summary Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter, and she has always had the talent for being able to detect and sense vampires around her. She is considered to be the best of the best. When she is called upon to meet with the archangel Raphael, she is shocked, but he needs her to hunt down a rogue archangel who has gone insane and is on a killing spree. She has never before been able to scent archangels, until now. This hunt will put Elena in the middle of a mad killing escapade that will put her in danger of losing herself to the dangerous and lethal archangel Raphael. Elena knows what her job is, and she also knows that she may not survive. This is the most dangerous mission she has ever gone on, and when an intense desire for Raphael gets thrown in the mix, Elena starts to realize that if the rogue doesn’t kill her, the danger of being with Raphael could very well destroy her…
The Hero Raphael, holds one of the most powerful territories of the archangels. Despite the fact that he isn’t the most oldest of his kind, he is one of the most dangerous and cunning of them all. He is ruthless and not afraid to use every weapon at his disposal to get what he wants. Raphael isn’t your typical hero, in fact he is quite edgy and pretty dangerous. But whew did I love him. In fact I don’t think I have ever read a hero like him before, there was something so much more to him and you get that sense from the very beginning. That even though he is pretty damn dangerous and scary at times, there is also a soul deep part of him that needs love and affection just like everyone else. This side of him no one sees until Elena comes on the scene and we see him change slowly but surly to a being that begins to love.
The Heroine Elena, is a vampire hunter, but she is so much more than the average hunter. There is a reason Raphael wants her so bad, because she is the best the Guild has to offer. She was born a vampire hunter, and her senses are natural to her. Which makes it easier for her to hunt vampires than anyone else. The family that Elena was born into it she has lost them all because of her father. And she despises him, but she has created a new family, her best friend and her husband, and other members of the Guild are her real family and she will do anything to protect them. What was most intriguing about Elena was the various facets to her character that we see. At first we see a bad ass fighter, that can bring in those rogue vampires pretty dang easily. We see her as a protector and a fighter and stands up to Raphael (which could easily get her maimed or killed) but she forges on. Despite how scared she is of him at times, she still goes forward and boy did i love her strength and fortitude to deal with whatever came her way. She was a heroine that I cheered for from page one.
Plot and Story Line For the longest time I have been in love with Nalini Singh, and I fell for her Psy Changeling series, but I resisted reading this series, why? I have no idea. hehe oh the workings of my mind, I honestly don’t even know why I didn’t, probably because I just haven’t read that much in Urban Fantasy, but I was thrilled that there was a focus on the romance as well as this world that Singh has created for us. but I found myself just falling for this story immediately. From the first page I was completely hooked, and I couldn’t put this one down, and whew what a page turner this story was for me. The first aspect that I fell for was our heroine. She is completely a bad ass and love her personality, and I found myself relating to her in those strange ways that I would never normally see if I hadn’t been so involved in this story. And the hero….WOW….he is a shock to the core, because he is so much more than any hero you will ever read. And the chemistry between these two is pretty fiery hot!! I mean honestly, the whole sensual game they play with each other is hot enough to set fire to you. Now on to the main focus of the story…the hunt for the rogue Archangels. Now these archangels aren’t your average ones that you hear about. They are dangerous and scary and formidable. You don’t cross these beings or you are dead. What was so spectacular about this book was how well Singh balances out the Urban Fantasy world and the paranormal romantic elements. In fact it was quite difficult at times to distinguish the two, they were melded together in such a way that it formed a rich story that will enthrall you from the beginning. I was astonished at the way the story developed and the ending….DANG can this author give me a surprise or shock that I would never see coming. This book really tested me in a way that allowed me to see “outside the box” and in a perspective of seeing a different side to a character or actions being taken. The story itself is action packed and thrilling to the end, guaranteed to get your blood pumping with adrenalin and excitement. The romance between Elena and Raphael is intense and magnificent and is utterly captivating!!
The Cover I am not sure what I think of the cover to be honest, the colors are very dramatic, and it makes you feel that edgy and dangerous feel that the book portrays.
Overall View Angels’ Blood is an utterly engaging read that will have you on edge from beginning to end, a story that is packed with suspense, dangerous creatures, a fighting heroine, and a passionate love!!
Griff has no desire to ever marry, he hides a secret that changed his life forever. Despite his mother's will to see him married, he knows it will never happen and plans on the Dukedom to die with him. But then the most unexpected happens, his own mother drugs him and kidnaps him and takes him to Spindle Cove. Her intent is that he will marry any woman there, no matter who she is and his mother plans on turning her into a Duchess. So Griff picks the one woman that would be the least likely to be turned into a duchess...serving girl, Pauline Simms. Pauline has worked hard trying to protect herself and her younger sister, saving every penny so that one day she can open a library, that is her dream. But when the Duke of Halford makes a deal with her. For one week she comes to London, to be tutored as a duchess and if she fails he will give her a thousand pounds-which is a huge fortune to Pauline. Where she will open the doors to her dreams and to live a comfortable and content life in Spindle Cove. However as the week goes by, there is a certain chemistry that builds between Griff and Pauline. Griff knows that if he were to ever pick a woman to love it would be Pauline, but he vowed a lifetime ago to never marry, but will he be able to trust Pauline with his secret...and his heart?Any Duchess Will Do is the fourth installment in the Spindle Cove series. Now I have just fallen in love with this author and this series. Spindle Cove is a place set in regency England, where spinster ladies come to find friends and husbands if possible. In this book, we start off with a Duke being taken hostage by his mother..now to say this story starts off with a hitch is a understatement. I love bold and daring stories, and this one beats them all. I found Griff to be stubborn yet sexy and utterly irresistibly charming, if a bit spoiled and arrogant at times. Then you look at Pauline who has had to work for everything which is very little so far, but she still has dreams and desires, in spite of her circumstances. I loved how even though her sister is everything, she is willing to sacrifice a week, to gain a fortune that could save them both. There is some serious tension between Griff and Pauline, and their interactions between each other are priceless. There is enough sizzling chemistry that it will blow your mind. I enjoyed seeing Griff's mom, she was just so fun to see her meddling in her son's affairs, I was SO on her team. All she wants is grandchildren and for her son to find love and happiness. It was such a treat to see Griff almost being double teamed toward the end. There was such a sense of passion and a full range of emotions that can't be helped to be felt by the reader. Its almost like falling in love for the first time, Memorable and breathtaking! A classic tale of how opposite attract in the most perfect way when you least expect it. It will have you hooked until the end.
Anything But A Duke is the second book in the "Duke's Den" trilogy and somehow I missed this book when it was released over a year ago especially when I adored the first book. I have to say that Christy Carlyle is an author I am warming up to. I won't say that this was a page turner in any means (personally I have had a struggle with historical's lately, not sure why) but I did find this one enjoyable in many ways. So what is this book about here? Well it actually has a nice twist here, the hero is NOT a duke (finally, I swear sometimes I get sick of all the dukes) but he is a man of wealth and success and our heroine is a STEM.
Anything But A Duke is a story that features self made man Aiden and is part of the trio that run the "Duke's Den" and for the first time ever they have allowed women into the club. Aiden and his comrades are big supporters of growths of science and technology. So they invest to a handful of inventors....and the one inventor that has Aiden intrigued is a woman...a female inventor who is determined to make her way. She is avoiding marriage like the plague and the last thing she wants to do is put herself on the marriage mart. But she has this one last chance to sell her invention which could help countless households make cleaning easier. So Aiden strikes a deal with her, he is looking for a wife and if she leads him to the right connection among the Ton....then he will work with her on getting sponsorship. But soon their arrangement turns into something deeper neither of them expected to find.
Anything But A Duke was a story I was NOT expecting. I always get a kick out a STEM character whether its a hero or heroine. And this was such a unique one with a female inventor. That was quite different. I don't think I have read hardly any inventors in romance so whenever it happens I always get a kick out of it. This was quite interesting. I was worried about the heroine, that she would be too feminist. But she really didn't come off that way to be honest. She felt so real and had a desire to help others and explore her dreams. She isn't fully against marriage either, she just have other dreams that she doesn't know how it would play out. But I love seeing Aiden and Diana together. They have such sweet chemistry together and make such a great pair. And you can see how much they support each other and love the balance they find in one another.
Overall I found Anything But A Duke to be a startling, refreshing read that is empowering in many small but big ways.
After reading the first book of Legal Briefs, I was super eager to pick this one up!!! I had such a fun time with this one. What was most enjoyable was the bantering that these two engaged in. Brent Mason and Kennedy Randolph once liked each other and more, but misunderstandings of the past drove them apart. Now they are facing opponets in a courtroom. But as they face off, the secrets of the past unravel and they learn the truth and learn to open up to each other and find love that was always beneath the surface.
What an incredible romance that this one turned out to be. I liked it way more than book one. Even though there is some fun bantering with a bit of angst, it didn't have an "angst" feeling at all, and it didn't last very long. I liked seeing these two become honest with each other. It was simply delightful to see Brent court Kennedy, and the sweet and romantic things he does for her. We have quite a few heated smexy times too---and boy it gets hot enough to fog up the windows for sure.
A heartwarming and sexy romance that you won't want to put down!!! SIMPLY FANTASTIC
Approaching The Bench was such a charming read, if a bit too short for my tastes. Nothing wrong with a shorter romance, however I became so involved with this story and these wonderful characters I just wanted more. This story features a heroine that is the youngest female judge on the bench. And the hero is her legal aid. And yeah sparks fly, but when her life is put in danger and Callum saves her life, they both are put in protective custody and sent to a house in the country.
I found this story to be so sweet, sexy and fun. The bantering between these two is just awesome. The heorine is very closed off, but in her profession, she has to be tough as nails but she has some vulnerabilities that only Callum sees. Callum is fun and charming and he never takes himself too seriously. Which provides a great balance between these two here. If you are looking for a short but endearing romance grab this one....it is simply a gem!!
Archangel's Consort is the third installment, in this series. This book continues with Raphael and Elena's story. It continues off shortly after the second book. Both Raphael and Elena are having to deal with quite a bit all at once. Raphael's mother, the oldest and one of the most dangerous of their kind is starting to wake up with dangerous consequences. Elena is still dealing with nightmares of her childhood and having to face her past, and still training and making an effort to gain as much strength and agility as she can before they face Raphael's mother, because they both realize she will wake up and when she does who knows what her plans will be for them.
A lot of women have trouble with their mothers-in-law.” Raphael’s look was priceless. “My mother is an insane archangel.
What was quite interesting about this one, was how we see more elements of this world come into play, a bit of focus on their relationship but not as strongly as the second book. We see both Raphael and Elena individually battle their own demons. What was most vital about this book was how at the end of the day, for Raphael and Elena all that mattered was that they stood together. This has been their moto ever since they fell in love with each other. They both know they with Elena still weak and considered a "babe" of their kind, their chances of survival isn't super high. But we learn some remarkable insights into their bond to each other, insights neither of them or the readers realize until the end when their relationship is tested in a very brutal way, but at the same time we see how powerful and healing their love can be for each other.
“For the first time in forever, he was stunned to silence. Not by her words, but by the tenderness in her hands, the worry in her eyes. He was an archangel. He’d been wounded far, far worse and shrugged it off. But then, there had been no woman with sun kissed by the sunset and eyes of storm gray to tear into him for daring to get himself hurt.”
Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. What has been remarkable about this series, was seeing how Raphael and Elena have been dealing with conflicts and challenges both separately and collectively.
Even as she spoke, silver blue flashed on her other side and then Illium was standing beside her, his wing touching Elena's in an intimacy that made Raphael raise an eyebrow. Illium's lips curved in a wicked smile that did little to hide the intensity of his emotions. I would not watch you die again, Sire. His veins stood out against his skin as he gripped the wrist of one hand with the other.
Raphael met those eyes of gold that had stood beside him for centuries. If I had done so, I would have gone knowing you would keep my heart safe.
Illium's gaze went to Elena. Always
We see more of the supporting characters and a reunion of Elena and her best friend Sara with her husband and their little girl---it almost made me cry. Because even though they have been in contact, they haven't physically seen each other and you see how much Elena cares for this family when her own have practically abandoned her, but this family is the one that she created and built and you see how much it matters to her. Loved every moment and delicious detail of this book. I am curious to see where the series goes from here.
