BOOK REVIEW | The Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy

Do you enjoy well-thought world building, protective yet caring heroes, clever heroines, and a tender romance? If you answered yes to those questions, then this book is for you!

I didn't know what to expect going into Kathryne Kennedy's The Fire Lord's Lover. It is the first romance novel I have ever read revolving around elves and I thought it was going to be this whimsical, lovey-dovey, everything-is-so-great kind of story, but it is definitely not. These elves are not two dimensional. They are complicated, with a corrupt political system and a shaky social one. I was a little hesitant at first because this takes place in London and I felt a bit jarred by that. I was expecting high fantasy, not alternate-universe fantasy, and it was a bit off-putting. However, as the story progressed and the world revealed itself, I realized that I really liked what Kennedy had done with London in this universe.

Both the hero and heroine in this novel are intriguing, layered and willing to do whatever they can to protect the ones they love. Dominic, the hero, is a half-elf, half-human bastard son of the Imperial Lord of Firehame. He is the Lord's champion, the general of his army and the son that has never been loved. Elves do not have human emotions and are very cold, treating humans as little more than animals. Dominic, however, has a human heart, something he considers to be a weakness until he meets Cassandra, his bride-to-be and his human emotions become dominant.

Cassandra was a fantastic heroine. She was a strange mix of innocent, clever, naive and deadly and wrapped up into this adorable, tiny package. She holds a strong faith in God and yet never feels preachy. I really felt like she was sincerer in her faith and it was endearing to read about her belief. She is a trained assassin, something that she struggles with considering her faith, yet is completely innocent when it comes to the ways of men. I really, really, really liked that she was clever. She is not necessarily physically strong, but she makes up for that by being extraordinarily bright. In fact, all of these characters were smart and quick to act. I never felt like any of them made stupid decisions. Rash and impulsive decisions, maybe, but I could always understand their reasoning.

One thing I especially loved was the sex in this book. It's not exactly smutty and there's not that much of it. It's not the type of sex that will make you blush or giggle. It's just beautifully described. Kennedy weaves sex into the story so effortlessly and magically that it really felt like I was reading the combining of two souls rather than a physical act. Here's a description of sex that I found to be especially beautiful:

"And then the pain faded and the general taught her a new dance. A dance she never could have conceived of, that held beauty and grace and a desperate longing to somehow make two people become one. A dance so intimate that she thought she felt his very soul."

However, there is still a plot going on besides the romance between Dominic and Cassandra, which, by the way is a great romance. They have to deal with a Rebellion, an Imperial Lord whom they both want to kill, a dragon who rarely talks and when he does he makes no sense, the fact that she is an assassin and a lot more. Overall, this is a fantastic read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the fantasy or romance genre.

BOOK REVIEW | Looking Glass Friends by E.L. Neve

Looking Glass Friends by E.L. Neve follows the story of a man and a woman who married the wrong people. Neil feels stuck; he’s in a loveless marriage and is on the verge of ending his life when he is saved by a new pen pal, Ellie. Ellie finds herself in an equally loveless and unfulfilling marriage. Through their email correspondences, both Neil and Ellie find solace in each other’s intellect and wit, and soon find themselves falling in love.

There is a lot to like about this novel. For one, Neve knows how to construct a beautiful sentence. The novel is full of imagery, beautiful metaphors and figurative language. I often found myself marveling at how poetic it seemed. Her writing gives the book a dreamy feel, as if what you’re reading isn’t quite real, isn’t quite tangible. Instead, it’s floating among the clouds, which is exactly as it should be, for both Neil and Ellie are the kind of people who would live among the clouds.

That being said, the writing style is a double-edged sword. When it came to Neil and Ellie’s perspectives, it made perfect sense to keep the flowery, poetic style, but I was a bit confused as to why that style remained when the reader was given the point of view of Jake or Fay (Ellie and Neil’s respective spouses). Neither of those characters lent themselves to an imaginative or dreamy mindset and yet the writing didn’t change. I think this book would have been even more powerful if there was a clear cut style to each narrator.

Also, in terms of narrator, it was sometimes difficult to pin point which POV I was reading from. The book starts off as a third-person limited narration style, but then there were a few instances when the book suddenly became third-person omniscient. Why was I reading about Neil’s feelings in Ellie’s chapter? I’m not sure if this was simply a mistake or if the author wasn’t aware which narration style they wanted to go with.

There were a few grammatical errors, but nothing outstanding or jarring. For the most part, I noticed the author didn’t know when the place a period inside or outside of a parenthesis. For example, at 24% in the Kindle edition, we have this line: “(and would fire her, eventually, when the novelty wore off.)” This is written in the middle of a sentence so the period should actually come after the parenthesis. The only time a period goes inside the parenthesis is when the entire sentence is in it as well. There were also a few times the author forgot a comma or used a comma incorrectly inside of a parenthesis. Once again, these mistakes were very minor and if it weren’t for the fact that I’m an English teacher, I may not have even clocked them. None of them were dramatic enough to pull me out of the reading experience.

I believe it’s important to note for anyone interested in reading this novel that there are a few mentions of sex as well as a sex and almost-rape scene. I did not find any of it to be vulgar and it did not make me want to stop reading. There is nothing that is particularly explicit, but if you’re looking for a perfectly clean romance, this may not be for you. However, I would personally classify this as relatively clean.

I believe that hopeless romantics, people who love flowery and poetic writing and those who love literature – there were many references to great works of literature, particularly novels by Ayn Rand – will greatly enjoy reading this. However, those who have had marriages fall apart due to infidelity or who are greatly uncomfortable with the aspect of cheating, even emotional cheating, may want to steer clear.

BOOK BLAST: Strangers for the Night by C.J. Fallowfield

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~About the Book~

Title and Author: Strangers for the Night by C.J. Fallowfield

Publication Date: 17th October 2014

Genre: Erotic Romance, Adult Romance

Blurb:

The steaming novella ‘Strangers for the Night’ is part of the ‘For the Night’ series of eight standalone short reads, which fall into Amazon’s new quick hot erotic reads category. The series contains adult themes~ Suitable only for the over 18’s.

My name is Logan Steele. I’m devilishly handsome, seriously ripped, well hung, charismatic and highly sexed. Women just can’t resist me. So when I lost my job in the construction industry and was struggling for cash, I decided to put my assets to good use.

By day I’m a private personal fitness trainer. By night I’m a high class gigolo.

I don’t my advertise my sexual services anymore, I have a long client list that come to me through word of mouth. I’m that good I’m booked months in advance. Scores of women pay me extortionately high fees to fulfil their fantasies. And for the most part I do. I have a strict set of rules that I abide by, which are provided in the full contract that you’ll receive along with the booking form, if accepted. I’ve bullet pointed an abridged version below, just so you’re clear before you send me an email request:

Rules my clients must comply with are:

I must see a picture in advance.

I can decline the booking request without explanation.

I can only be booked for the night.

All sexual acts must be consensual.

I will provide you with a report to complete, then I will choose the setting for our meeting based on your scenario.

I am flown first class or by private jet if I am required to work abroad.

In the event of the above, I will provide my dietary requirements in advance.

I will perform a full background check.

I base my variable charge on the scenario being requested.

“No” rules that I stipulate are:

No bareback.

No minors.

No physical violence.

Nothing illegal.

No form of emotional attachment during or after the event. I am merely performing a sexual or companion service.

No contact after the event, unless it is for a new booking.

And my absolute no rule, without exception is:

Full payment up front which, is non- refundable.

There is no requirement for a refund clause, I never fail to perform.

So, now you are aware of my rules for the night and are about to contact me, all that remains to be asked is “Who do you want me to be?”

~Add to Goodreads~

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23159360-strangers-for-the-night?from_search=true

~Buying Links~

Amazon {Pre-order deal at only $0.99}

~Excerpt~

 I put my hand in the small of her back and steered her out of the bar, aware that many eyes were on us. ‘You live dangerously,’ I observed as we made our way across the cavernous lobby.

‘For accepting the offer of a stranger?’

‘That and the fact that you’re brazen enough to do it in this hotel.’ I wasn’t supposed to bring up the fact that I knew who she was. ‘You’re not worried people will think you’re a prostitute, dressed like that?’

‘How dare you!’ she hissed as she glared up at me.

‘A high class prostitute, one I’d happily pay good money to f**k,’ I shrugged. ‘Lucky me to get you for free.’

‘I’m paying you arsehole,’ she snapped, breaking cover, as we stood in front of the lift door and she rummaged for her key.

‘Did you never question why the price was so high?’ I asked as I trailed a finger up and down the inside of her wrist making her swallow again. ‘You’ve never been f**ked by a real man Camilla, a man so large he could split you in half with one thrust, who can make you come multiple times in seconds just with his fingers, let alone his tongue and thick c**k. I’m so large, I’ll stretch you so wide that you’ll have to resort to dual penetration in your c**t to feel half of what you felt with me when you f**k anyone else. I’ve even made a woman come just by telling her what I was going to do to her. Tell me you’re not dripping down your thighs right now at the thought of it? That your little clit isn’t screaming for me to touch it properly without that lace in the way?’

‘Logan,’ she mewled as she swayed on her feet and dropped the private lift key card. I dropped to one knee next to her and stooped to pick it up, pretending to steady myself by clasping the back of her right leg, taking the opportunity to press my thumb against the little known erogenous zone at the back of her knee. I smiled as I heard her pant as my thumb worked while I picked up the key card with the other hand. I released her leg just before she had to reach out to palm the lift door to keep upright. I placed my hand back in the small of her back as I swiped the card then leaned closer to her and breathed on her neck, making all of her hair stand on end.

‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ I whispered as the doors opened.

~Meet the Author~

I write contemporary erotic romance, with humour, which are full of emotion and plenty of drama. I am a 44 year old female from the United Kingdom and live in the wonderful countryside of Wales, surrounded by rolling hills, trees and fields full of sheep and cows. Writing aids include chocolate, Ben & Jerry’s and copious amounts of coffee, wine or cider.

Follow the Author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cjfallowfield

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cjfallowfield

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7807992.C_J_Fallowfield

Website: http://www.cjfallowfield.co.uk/

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BOOK REVIEW | Bound by Night by Larissa Ione

2 blood sucking stars.

I am so disappointed to be giving this book two stars. I should preface this by saying everything else by this author has been a great hit for me. I love her Demonica series and can't wait to start her Lords of Deliverance series, which I have heard is equally fantastic. One of the things I love about Demonica is how crazy sexualized the demons were.  I mean, that series is one where you will find yourself blushing throughout the entirety of it.  And it's awesome.  

I didn't have that same giddy, excited feeling with this book.  This series deals with vampires, not crazed sex demons, so clearly there are going to be vast differences. I had acknowledged that in my head, but I'm not sure I had accepted it yet until I realized that all of the craziness that I loved in the Demonica series just wasn't going to happen. I mean, there's still plenty of sex. I think there were four decent scenes, and the chemistry between the two characters is... okay?  I guess I just wanted something more, if that makes sense. It's probably unfair because I'm comparing apples and oranges demons and vampires, but I think anytime you've ever read an author's work previously, you always have expectations.

On to the flaws and merits of the book: I have to question the basic premise. Why are vampires slaves if they're better than humans in every way? They're stronger, faster, have better eyesight... they're a natural predator to humanity. This being the case, wouldn't history have taken a different turn than the one presented in the novel? The logical course would be vampires rising into dominance and enslaving the humans, but, instead, the reader is meant to believe that it is vampires that have been "domesticated." I couldn't help wondering how this happens and, unfortunately, a concise answer was never given. It is possible that it is a slow reveal throughout the series, but my review is intended for this book. 

I also didn't like how Riker and Nicole, the two main characters, had sexy-times with each other even though there was so much hatred between them. I know hate-sex is a thing, but this wouldn't fall into that category. Nicole was literally afraid of him. She is terrified of vampires and their culture and everything they stand for because of what happened to her as a child, but she suddenly forgot about all that fear in the heat of the moment? She forgot about something she's been in therapy for years for because she wanted to bang a vampire? I have to question how she'd even want to have sex with a vampire she didn't love after all she'd been through. I didn't think that this was a believable build up of the characters or the tension between them.  And, unfortunately, this feeling of "unbelievable" permeates throughout the entire novel.

All in all, if this had been my first Larissa Ione book, I might have enjoyed it more. But because I've already read other books by her - books that I really, really love - it felt flat and ill-planned. I'm not too sure if I'll end up reading the second, but I do want to know what happens after the Epilogue, which was my favorite part of the book (and is quite telling as to how unenjoyable the rest of it was).

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