OMG that ending!!!! You're killing me!!!!

Full review coming....

Updated 6/25/15

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Please note that if you have not read the previous episodes in this series that there are minor unavoidable spoilers in this review.

Gildemer: The Dress by A.S. Oren is the third episode in the serial series The Gates, which focuses on two central characters: Gabby and Prince Koi. In true Oren fashion, this episode picks up exactly where the last left off. Gabby is panicking at realizing the boy she's been meeting in the garden in secret is the heir to the throne. Koi is confused at Gabby's abrupt leaving and also at how he feels about the possibility of not seeing her. Will Gabby's secret stay safe or will she have to face the Prince as a servant and sentenced to death?

OMG!! I'm in love with this series! Gabby is awesome, though I'll admit that in this episode she's fretful for her life. All she wanted was a taste of the outdoors, to see the sun again, but now after having met Prince Koi she realizes that it was foolish of her to want. She's now facing treason and death. But what I love about her....she doesn't run from her fate. Instead she accepts it and faces it head on!

Koi is a bit lost this book as well. His fight with Etu, his indifference to Mirabelle, and his longing for Gabby have him all kinds of confused. He's not questioning his father's laws yet, but there is a voice of doubt banging around in his head that sounds suspiciously like Gabby.

The plot focuses on Gabby's fate and something she didn't expect (sorry no spoilers from me). Let's just say that it will bring her face to face with Koi ;)

Overall the world building, the well-developed characters and of course the infamous cliff-hangers keep bringing me back for more! I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys young adult, fantasy, science fiction, and a little romance/suspense.

I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

So this was different…but in a good way. Hell’s Dodo by Tamara A. Lowery is the fifth installment to the Waves of Darkness series about Bloody Vik Brandee, his crew and his curse. Like the last four books, Vik is sent on a quest to find the fifth Sister of Power and she in turn sends him on a wild chase of his own. I would say that there is a pattern to each book, and while there is to some degree, making it slightly predictable, there are more and more side plots that tie into the main adding to the unpredictable side.

Please note that if you HAVE NOT read this series to date, there are minor unavoidable spoilers to the previous books in this series.

If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again…I really like Bloody Vik Brandee. He’s ruthless, cunning, more than a little scary, and a pirate. Did I forget to mention he is also a vampire? Oops…my bad! So Vik has been cursed and he’s running out of time to find the Sisters, complete their requests and get back to his old life. In this installment, Vik is getting a little desperate, reckless, and downright horrifying. He was scary enough as a pirate, add in that he is now a VERY powerful vampire and he’s is doubly scary.

As much as I like Vik though, my favorite character is his first mate, Hezekiah Grimm. He is loyal to a fault, both to Vik and his new wife. He’s just as cunning, but slightly older and wiser if I can say such a thing about pirates. He notices things that Vik doesn’t and he watches out for him. He makes an excellent person to have your back!

Lady Carpathia (as the synopsis suggests) finally catches up to Vik in this installment. I was more than a little disappointed with their encounter. I thought Vik was smart! And Lady Carpathia….shame on you!!!! I thought you were woman here me roar! She has haunted me since the first time I read about her and she is sorely lacking in the scary department this book…more like she is lusting in this installment.

Overall I really enjoy this series and this installment does the captain justice. Why 4★ instead 5? The books are starting to feel too predictable even with the extra stories that are going on in the periphery. However what this book lacked in surprise it made up for in action, adventure, and plenty of horror! If you enjoy historical fiction, paranormal romance, or you’re looking for a frightful read, I highly suggest you grab a copy! If you’re new to the series, start at the beginning, otherwise you will be lost!

I received an eARC of this book via I Am a Reader in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.

I absolutely loved this anthology which features one of my favorite authors, Stacy Henrie. The Mail Order Bride Collection includes 6 novellas all featuring the trend of mail order brides during the late 1800s and the Western expansion. I love this time period in America so it was a real treat! I was also impressed with how 6 authors could write about the same topic to such a varying degree. Each had her own unique spin to the topic of being a mail order bride and the outcome.

Written in the Stars by [a:Stacy Henrie|5778153|Stacy Henrie|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1340140237p2/5778153.jpg] ★★★★★
I adored this story!!! Georgie is a young woman, an orphan who runs her father’s business with the help of her best friend and childhood crush Cole. Cole works in her house every day, taking his meals with her, yet he doesn’t return the affection she so desires. She’s lonely and this loneliness leads her to place an ad as a mail order bride. When Georgie asks for Cole’s help, he realizes what a fool he’s been. Cole doesn’t want to see her with anyone else. He loves her, but how does he prove it to her. This was such a sweet story about friends growing to love each other. I loved the spin that Henrie took with this topic as well, having Cole answer the ad to see if by chance she would pick him over the other candidates.

WANTED: Midwife Bride by [a:Kristin Holt|7358927|Kristin Holt|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1411131819p2/7358927.jpg] ★★★
Dr. Naomi Thornton had it all, breaking the mold of the traditional woman of the late 1800s. She was an educated surgeon, working for her grandfather’s hospital with a huge inheritance she received after marrying. However her husband is resentful and only after the money. A particularly nasty encounter leads to Naomi fleeing her home and answering an ad she’d seen in her medical journal for a midwife bride. Dr. Joe Chandler is the only doctor in a small town out west and he is drowning in work. When Naomi arrives she seems to be an answer to his prayers and more than he asked for. I struggled with this one a bit. I liked it and the premise behind it, but the love was a little too instant for me and I just didn’t buy into it. It’s well-written and I liked the dynamic between Naomi and Joe as it isn’t the traditional marriage you see in these period-pieces. I just wasn’t for me.

The Sound of Home by [a:Annette Lyon|899093|Annette Lyon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1445283664p2/899093.jpg] ★★★★
This is such a sweet story! Marilyn answers an ad for a mail order bride after being threatened by Victor, either she was to marry him or be framed for a murder he committed. So she runs, as any sane woman would! However it isn’t what she expected. Harry, the man to whom she is to marry, placed the ad because he wanted a mother, someone to take care of him and his brother. When his brother Thomas learns of the arrangement, he agrees to let Marilyn stay with them until other arrangements can be made. What Thomas doesn’t count on is falling for the girl. I personally adored this one. Harry is older than Thomas but an accident leaves hi disabled and with the mind of an 8 or 10 year old. Marilyn’s dynamic with Harry is perfect. She understands him, knows how to help him and eases Thomas’s burden. Just perfect!

For Better or Worse by [a:Sarah M Eden|14654070|Sarah M Eden|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] ★★★★★
This one is my favorite! Gerald Smith is lonely. He followed his brother on a hare-brained adventure and is stuck settling the debts and making a life for himself in the middle of nowhere. On the advice of his neighbors, he contacts a matchmaking company who sends him a bride. The bride however is the last person he wishes to see. Mary Hill was Gerald’s annoying neighbor who trailed after him everywhere he went. He was glad to leave knowing he would never see her again. Unfortunately she’s his bride. The relationship between these two is funny and butterfly-inducing all at the same time. I loved their ease with each other and how they came to truly know one another. After reading this novella, I can’t wait to read more from this author!

An Inconvenient Bride by [a:Heather B Moore|8113588|Heather B Moore|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] ★★★
I’m not really sure how I feel about Carmela and Samuel’s story. Carmela followed her brother to America after his wife died, helping him with his two boys. After he decides to remarry (and to a girl she doesn’t approve of), Carmela answers an ad for a wife. Samuel has just buried his good-for-nothing brother when his new bride, Carmela, shows up looking for her groom. For me, these characters didn’t mesh and the story didn’t flow well. I had a hard time focusing on them.

The Price of Silver by [a:Sian Ann Bessey|174699|Sian Ann Bessey|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] ★★★★★
Katie ♥︎ Caleb *sigh* I really enjoyed this one! The story begins with Caleb’s mother breaking the news to him that his brother’s mail order bride will be arriving at the train station and Caleb has to get. Why? Because his brother is off on one of his adventures, leaving Caleb to clean up his mess. With no where for the girl to go, Caleb has to bring her back to his ranch, what he doesn’t sound on though is how quickly the girl becomes a part of his life. Katie breaks my heart. She has no choice but to answer a mail order bride ad because her father is gone, his business has left her destitute and her so-called friends stopped coming by. She thinks of this as an adventure, one she’s excited to partake in. She’s hardworking, dedicated, and most of all she’s a perfect fit on the ranch. I loved the dynamic in this particular book. Instead of focusing on the two main characters, it brings in the mom as a third main character, one that Katie becomes attached to just as much as the love interest.

I received a free copy of this book from Lady Amber's Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Crave by L.L. Hunter picks up one year after the end of the prequel novella. Ash is a college student and suffers from nightmares about murders and burning. When two girls show up in his life, Ash doesn’t know which to choose. One girl is beautiful, seductive, and intriguing while the other girl claims to know him and the past he can’t recall. So who does he trust?

I’ll be honest I struggled with this book. I enjoyed the prequel novella and while there were some glaring plot holes I was willing to forgive them because it was only 40 pages AND it caught my attention to read the rest of the series. However when I started Crave, I was disappointed. Ash had no memory of what had happened in the novella and he was just as clueless as he was in the beginning which meant the reader was also clueless and confused. I was completely lost! I didn’t understand what was going on. Add in some timeline issues and I was completely clueless…just like Ash.

Ash is still a likable character, though I can’t decide if I actually like him or just feel sorry for him. His life sucks. He’s having nightmares about the night of the murders that he was convicted for in the prequel but he has no memory of them occurring. Then there are Emily and Eva constantly in the picture. Emily (as the blurb says) is a Siren and even before that is revealed, the author does some great foreshadowing to point you to the obvious. She’s seductive and her agenda isn’t known. Eva, like Ash, has no memories but she can still remember him…confused yet?! She comes to the Human Realm to find him, to be with him, but the question remains why the were separated in the first place.

The plot was kind of all over the place, or maybe that’s just me. There were times where I would be reading and think I’d skipped a page, so I’d go back and realize I hadn’t missed anything. Then there were timeline issues where the character would say it happened then the next page it’s been three weeks or they’ve been traveling together for a month. Confusing!! The world-building was a little better though than it was in the prequel. The author got into the different realms within the paranormal world and Eva and Ash traveled to a couple of them.

Overall I wasn’t that impressed with this book. The romance was awkward, the timeline was off, and the differing POV was confusing. However the ending hooked me in to read the next in the series. Cliffhangers *shakes head* I cannot handle them! If you enjoy paranormal romance, urban fantasy, check out this series.

I received a free copy of this book from Lady Amber's Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Hunger by L.L. Hunter is the 2nd full length novel of the Dragon Heart series and picks up right where Crave left off. Ash is a prisoner of the Siren Princess. Eva is looking for him with the help of Henry, a wolf-shifter. Once he’s rescued though, Airicka comes up with a plan and separates the three of them. Now they have to find a way back to each other if they are ever to defeat the man with fire in his eyes.

Eva is a character that I’ve struggled to like throughout the series. She’s a girl in love and will stop at nothing to be able to be with Ash. She can come off as selfish, especially after what happened with her and Henry at the end of Crave and she’s impulsive. This impulsivity is what got them in trouble in the first place.

Henry may be my favorite character so far. He’s kind, not overbearing, and obviously in love (or maybe lust) with Eva. Yes, friends there is a love triangle of sorts going on, but it’s mostly one sided on Henry’s part. Henry is a wolf-shifter and working for Eva’s father. Something he’s not proud of and the only reason he does it is his brother.

The plot of the series finally starts to come together in this book. Ash and Eva have a forbidden love thing going on. It’s illegal to be with anyone outside of your race in this paranormal world. So Eva being mostly human is forbidden to mate with Ash, the last pureblooded dragon heart. Obviously they didn’t follow the rules. Now the president of the Paranormal council, who also happens to be Eva’s father, has put a price on their heads. The entire paranormal community is after them. However it is still unclear as to why Ash is wanted dead.

Overall this installment of the series starts to pick up. I still don’t care for the odd POV. It’s one thing to switch POV between chapters, but this series is separated into parts. Sometimes these parts are in chronological order and sometimes they aren’t which can make for a confusing read. For example, Henry’s part in the book picks up where Airicka separated him from Ash and Eva and spans to the part when they are reunited. This is at the end of the book (or close to it), but most of the events are out of order and don’t match up with what Ash and Eva have depicted. Confusing!!! At least it is to me. If you enjoy paranormal romance, though I’d classify this one as more of an urban fantasy with a touch of romance, check out the series!

I received a free copy of this book via Lady Amber's Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Thirst by L.L. Hunter is the last book of the Dragon Heart series. War is on the horizon. Eva has been rescued from the Fae Realm by Henry, Ash, and her father, but Queen Amber of the Fae has a warning for them. Christian wants Ash dead. Why? Because he is too powerful and his power is awakening a power in the paranormal world that hasn’t been seen in millennia.

Ash is conflicted in this book. His memories are returning at a faster pace and he now knows who the people that were murdered are AND who murdered them. This is a game changer for him. He’s focused on hiding, protecting Eva at all costs. If he can give up his power he will do so willingly.

Eva has matured in this book. She’s ready to face the consequences of her actions. BUT more than that, she’s ready to have a showdown with her father. Eva wants to fight for what she believes is right: freedom. But not just her own freedom, but the freedom of every paranormal creature in the realm.

The plot focuses on Eva’s plan, leading up to the ultimate battle between herself and her father. She has to gain alliances, figure out who she can trust and who to avoid. All the Queens participate and Darcy the Vampire King is also present. I’m secretly hoping to see more of him in the spin-off series. I like him! The POVs flowed better in this installment than in previous books which added to the overall appeal.

Overall I enjoyed the conclusion to the Dragon Heart series. While it was a bit predictable, it concluded the series nicely, leaving little room for questions. I liked how Eva resolves the conflict and how it shows the paranormal community after. If you enjoy paranormal romance, urban fantasy, check out the series!

I received a free copy of this book via Lady Amber's Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Burn by L.L. Hunter is a prequel novella for the Hidden Magic series, a spin-off of Dragon Heart. This short story (under 30 pages) sets the stage for the new series while telling the history between Emma and Darcy.

Emma was first introduced in Thirst as Eva’s ancestor. She’s a powerful witch, but also half dragon shifter. She can be either. Her magic is a curse to her. One she feels she cannot control. Because of this, she wants to do away with all magical abilities. In the Human Realm, she offers asylum to those paranormal creatures who escape their world by suppressing their magic. She thinks this is the right thing to do and will continue to do it until she finds the person she is looking for.

Darcy was a young vampire when he took in Emmaline, the princess of the Dragon Realm. She was running scared and she ran straight to his palace. The problem lied in falling in love with her. When he tastes her blood for the first time, he awakens the dragon within her. Emma, scared of what she’s done, flees, but not before casting a spell, locking Darcy within the walls of his castle.

Now the two are pitted against each other. Darcy, now free, offers protection to his realm and those in the Human world. He offers a safe haven for them to use their magic in his club and live as humans the rest of the time. This is in direct contrast to what Emma is doing. I’m excited to see how this will play out in the series to come. I’d love to see more of Darcy!