Naked Dragon-Annette Blair

Naked Dragon

Annette Blair

Berkley, Jan 2010, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425232002

The Roman soldiers were fighting when Killian the crone of Chaos cursed them; changing them into dragons and propelling them into an alternate reality on the Island of Stars.  They have waited for centuries to come home as humans.  Now they have a chance due to Killian’s enemy Andra who enables  one of them Bastian to return to Earth two millennia after the banishment spell as a human in search of his soulmate.

In Salem’s End, the firm Works Like Magick hires magical temps for their clients.  Viveca Quinlan hooks up Bastian as a handyman for McKenna Greylock, who must turn her bed and breakfast into a profit making venture or lose an estate that has been part of her family for centuries.  .The land developer has other thoughts for the property and will do anything to obtain it.  Only Bastian Dragonelli stands in the way, but his employer wants him to leave as she fears her attraction to her temp.

The first Works Like Magick urban romantic fantasy is a fun lighthearted entertaining tale that is filled with magic mostly because of the hero’s struggles to adapt to modern society.  Amusing yet with a serious subplot as no one escapes the wrath of Killian, fans will enjoy the naked Dragon who learns what a lance truly is and its true purpose from his beloved employer.

Harriet Klausner

Street Game-Christine Feehan

Street Game

Christine Feehan

Jove, Dec 29 2009, $7.99

ISBN: 9780515147605

A San Francisco street punk, Mack McKinley found a home and a purpose when he became a GhostWalker.  He would do anything for his teammates.  His only negative is when his beloved Jaimie Fielding abruptly left the GhostWalkers two years ago taking his heart with her.

Jamie quit when she could not get her beloved Mack to see the sinister side to the GhostWalker program.  She vowed to go alone and find the proof to expose those in charge.  However, her efforts have come to the attention of those same people who want the status quo, which means using the GhostWalkers against one of their former associates.  Mack and his team following a weapons shipment from Beirut end up in her San Francisco home with him literally on top of her; as she points out someone wanted them back together, but she does not trust their matchmaker.  When she tries again like she did two years ago to explain the other side of the leadership, he listens though he still doubts her theory but more important to him he vows to keep his Jamie safe although it rocks his world to do so.

This is an enjoyable urban romantic suspense thriller as the telepathic GhostWalkers are betrayed from within and thereby struggle to survive.  The story line is action-packed, but clearly fueled by the volatile relationship between Mack and Jaimie who may have a second chance at love if they live long enough.  Christine Feehan provides a superb entry in her thrilling saga.

Harriet Klausner

The Lost Enchantress-Patricia Coughlin

The Lost Enchantress

Patricia Coughlin

Berkley, Jan 2010, $14.00

ISBN: 9780425229828

Two decades have passed since the tragedy that killed much of her family and left Eve Lockhart denying her magical skills.  When a family heirloom talisman is up for auction, Eve outbids Gabriel Hazard.  Afterward he tells her he needs the artifact that is on her neck to overcome a curse.

When two thugs attack them, Eve and Gabriel use magic to thwart their assault.  Afterward Gabriel vanishes so Eve visits her grandmother to obtain information while Gabriel studies Eve.  As they fall in love, Gabriel must decide between love and a curse while remaining ignorant to the machinations of an evil spirit who wants the power of the pendant and will use Eve to succeed as she is his adversary’s weakest point, his heart.

This is an enjoyable romantic fantasy that that is at its best when it stays in the present as the past that intertwines throughout the story line, especially that of the heroine, feels intrusive.  This is an exciting tale as two magical practitioners enhanced by love team up in an attempt that both feel is futile to save one another from their childhood demons.

Harriet Klausner

The Taking-Erin McCarthy

The Taking

Erin McCarthy

Berkley, Jan 2010, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425230213

In New Orleans affluent Regan Henry decides to leave her husband though she acknowledges to herself he is not a nasty person; the problem as she sees it is that her spouse is too perfect as perfect demands perfection; something she is not.  On that same evening when she walks out, she meets voodoo priest Felix Leblanc.  They connect as each is attracted to the other, but both know their bond is much more.

Her new home is apparently haunted by a ghost.  She asks Felix for help.  He knows he must stay away from Regan whom he loves because he sold his soul to the devil.  He fears Satan will destroy her soul while she is willing to risk her soul for her beloved.

This is an entertaining paranormal romance that grips the audience who will wonder what will happen to Regan and Felix as each places their respective soul on the line.  In her case her soul remains pure but in his it is a last chance at redemption.  Ironically if either succeeds in their Gift of the Magi like sacrifice Satan wins.  Fans will enjoy Erin McCarthy’s aptly titled The Taken as the lead couple is taken with each while Satan is the Taken scheming to take two souls as the devil diabolically manipulates love.

Harriet Klausner

Hunting Julian-Jacquelyn Frank

Hunting Julian

Jacquelyn Frank

Zebra, Jan 2010, $6.99

ISBN: 9781420104257

 

In Fort Lauderdale, bounty hunter Asia Callahan observes Julian Sawyer who has sex with a different girl every night.  However, she watches him because thirteen females vanished across the country including her sister Kenya after meeting him.  She knows his pattern and vows to learn what happened to her sibling and prevent number fourteen.  Asia enters the Pussy Willow nightclub where Julian moves in on her.  At his apartment, he grabs her throat and says she emits no sexual odor.  Asia tries a jujitsu attack that draws pink blood.  Julian picked her like her sister as a Chosen, but instead needs her as his zini.  He mentally rapes Asia, but stops short of the physical.  Instead they enter a portal to his world.

 

Julian explains to the Ampliphi leaders that his days as a gatherer are over as the human is his kindra.  His companion Ariel is elated to see Julian until he introduces her to Asia as his kindra.  He tells Ariel he will retire soon and informs Asia she is in the “Beneath” plane below that of the earth where his people are starving.  As she struggles to adjust, some leaders want her dead while Julian needs her to come to him as he wants her, but his people need them to feed off their sexual energy.

 

Readers will be hooked from the moment Julian takes Asia to his dimension as the other realms premise comes across quite powerfully real even the need for sexual energy fueling this odd world with edifices hanging on nets.  The lead couple is an interesting pairing as he needs her while she rejects him for taking her against her will leading to his major frustrations.  Although the Ampliphi should have stopped the villainess long ago as she was hurting those dependent on her, fans will relish this terrific science fiction romance.

 

Harriet Klausner

Garden Of The Moon-Elizabeth Sinclair

Garden Of The Moon

Elizabeth Sinclair

Medallion, Dec 1 2009, $7.95

ISBN: 9781933836980

 

Her mother believes her paranormal skill is an embarrassing curse; her father does not understand her skill, but cares what happens to his daughter.  Sara Wade sees ghosts.

 

Although their motives differ, her parents concur with Sara moving onto Harrogate, an estate she recently inherited from her late grandmother.  She wants to renovate the old house that she realizes she shares with two ghosts.  Jonathan Bradford claims she is his beloved Maddie Grayson who is in an old diary Sara found.  She believes Jonathan, who sends her back to his era to the year he died 1805.  The other spirit in her present wants Jonathan dead while Sara prays she can save the life of her beloved.

 

Garden of the Moon is an engaging reincarnation romance starring an intrepid heroine willing to risk her soul to go back to save that of her beloved, Jonathan who has waited two centuries for her return while sharing hell on earth with his enemy.  Although the moving back and forth between the present and the early nineteenth century feels jarring, fans will enjoy this fine paranormal romantic suspense due to the brave Maddie.

 

Harriet Klausner

A Storm Of Passion-Terri Brisbin

A Storm Of Passion

Terri Brisbin

Kensington Brava, Nov 24 2009, $14.00

ISBN: 9780758235169

 

The seer sent killers to murder her and her family.  The only survivor of the massacre, Moira swore vengeance and six years later her quest takes her to the camp of the Lord of the Isles Diarmid.  His Counselor guiding the lord, Connor has visions that disturb him as he sees himself jailed in a luxurious prison yet also spending nights with an unknown beautiful female.

 

Moira plans to sleep with the seer before killing him.  However, the night proves incredible and she fumbles her attempt to kill the seer.  Instead only wounded Connor enslaves Moira.  Over time she learns the secret price her capturer pays for visions and begins to feel for Connor, but is it enough to overcome her loathing in order to forgive him and help him.

 

This is a super paranormal romance that grips the audience the moment Connor sees the beautiful Moira for the first time and makes a bad assumption that his liege sent her.  The story line is fast-paced as she uses him but fails to kill him so she becomes his prisoner instead.  As their relationship changes the key remains constant throughout the exhilarating story line: readers and the hero wonder whether Moira can leave her hatred behind for her love of him.

 

Harriet Klausner

Untamed-Crystal Jordan

Untamed

Crystal Jordan

Kensington Aphrodisia, Nov 2009, $13.95

ISBN: 9780758238290

 

“Stolen Temptation”.  The Great Third World War was fought with biological weapons that devastated much of the planet.  To survive, humanity adjusted on a cellular level.  In New Chicago, hybrid human-lynx, Delilah Chase is a jewel thief.   However, her current robbery of a valuable ruby goes wrong when half-human-half-hawk Hunter Avery catches her.  He offers her a Faustian deal of going to jail or spending a week in his bed.

 

“Deadly Temptation”.  In New Chicago, Delilah’s human-mink shifter sister Lorelei Chase owns The Tail techno brothel that handles any fantasy a client might request.  She refuses to sample what her employees offer or her customers want but her worker jaguar-shifter Nolan Angelo and Fed wolf-shifter Pierce Vaughn have her ready to break her golden rule.

These two interrelated erotic urban romantic fantasies are fun to read as the cast heats up the Windy City from the moment the Avery flies to his penthouse and never slow down until Lorelei brings out the shivers in her two mates.  The novella format limits the background even with two entries; this especially makes it difficult for fans to understand the true differences between the diverse hybrids (to include the villain Tarak the viper who gets the short straw) besides the obvious physical beastly attributes.  Still fans will relish Crystal Jordon’s erotic take on half breed shapeshifters.

Harriet Klausner

Instinctive-Cathryn Fox

Instinctive

Cathryn Fox

NAL Heat, Oct 2009, $14.00

ISBN: 9780451227942

Jaclyn Vasenty knows in thirty five hours her true inner self will be dead.  She no longer run the wild side of life having sex with Brian and Kane who make her want to forget the obligation she owes her adopted parents Ben and Marie Vasenty who rescued her from Chicago transit and foster care.  She would do anything for the her parents so if she is to become head of her family’s company Vasenty Cosmetics as they want, she must change her image from bad girl to corporate exec starting by saving one of the failing stores in aptly named Serene, New Hampshire,.

However, her thought of boring serene rustication proves false when night falls on the gated community.  The wild come out in the dark as all types of paranormal walk the streets.  However, Jaclyn can indulge her Instinctive wild side impulse with shapeshifting panther Slyck as he takes her on runs to a nirvana she never tasted before.  As her libido goes stratospheric with the troposphere next, the paranormals are having intra species issues and Kane arrives to claim her.

This erotic romantic fantasy heats up New Hampshire with a variety of sexual trysts including the incredible sexcapades between the panther and his “Impulsive” feral female, a ménage a trois and FF.  However, the key to the torrid tale is the belief that the variety of paranormal species exists because the in-fighting seems genuine mirroring real life.  Still it is the torrid sex scenes that will arouse sub-genre fans to want more Eternal Pleasure in the erotic realm of the Fox.

Harriet Klausner

Soul Magic-Jennifer Lyon

Soul Magic

Jennifer Lyon

Ballantine, Oct 27 2009, $7.99

ISBN: 9780345506351

Wing Slayer Sutton West has vowed to follow his father’s lead if the moment he can no longer control his blood lust begins.  When the curse began to overwhelm his sire chose suicide rather than harm an innocent witch.

Rogue witch slayers killed Keri Fisk.  Two years have passed and her twin sister psychiatrist Dr. Carla Fisk still mourns her loss.  Sutton finds he is attracted to Carla, who runs a clinic, but he fears that desire might be the first step in the curse.  However, he saves her life when rogues attack, but both realize a shocker; the rogue Styx and the demon Asmodeus have teamed up and trapped Keri’s soul in a knife used by the witch slayer to provide his partner with the souls of witches she kills.  As they try to save Keri’s soul, Sutton and Carla wonder which twin is his soul mate.

The second Magic romantic fantasy (see Blood Magic) is a super saga as readers learn more about the plight of Keri and the soul mirrors through the lead couple.  The fun in the tale is observing Sutton and Carla forging a loving relationship in spite of the curse placing them in opposite hostile camps in which their attraction means death.  Filled with danger Soul Magic is a terrific tale that stands alone, but reading the previous entry enhances the knowledge of the Lyon world of Magic.

Harriet Klausner