Buffy's Ramblings

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: One bad boy. One good girl. One unforgettable week. Angelle Prejean is in a pickle. Her family is expecting her to come home with a fiancé--a fiancé who doesn't exist. Well, he exists, but he definitely has no idea Angelle told her mama they were engaged. Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look--and leave her heart a mess if she falls for him. But when she ends up winning him at a charity bachelor auction, she knows just how to solve her fiancé problem. Cane Robicheaux is no one's prince. He doesn't do relationships and he doesn't fall in love. When sweet, sultry-voiced Angelle propositions him, he hopes their little fiancé game can finally get her out of his head. He doesn't expect her to break through all his barriers. But even as Angelle burrows deeper into his heart, he knows once their seven days are up...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: It’s not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear-a lot-or else salute. It’s true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother’s soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer. Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly, and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe-a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fills her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn’t get any stranger. She’s wrong… And just wait until you meet the rest of the family… ...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Irishman Brogan Byrne is at the pinnacle of 1974 rock-music success. Handsome, charismatic, with a three-octave voice, you’d think he had it all. But Byrne sinks to new depths of depravity with women, liquor, and drugs. Carly Montgomery is an ambitious record executive offered an opportunity to be manager for the last leg of Byrne's tour. Though she’s detached and tough as nails, Carly’s cool facade comes under attack. Somehow Byrne manages to slip by her frosty defenses. Brogan, for his part, is broken inside. A past memory weighs on his soul, affecting his actions. Is Carly the one woman to help him forget his guilt and heal his heart of rock? Thoughts: I have mixed feelings about this book in all honesty. I like the broken man needing healing angle, sure, but he really hits rock bottom at the beginning and it’s hard to like Brogan at all. However, as he’s forced to cl...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Kissing her best friend's brother never felt so right… Sela Sullivan is resolved to be the best maid of honor ever, even if it means tolerating the best man. Insufferable, too-handsome Luke Watters is not only the guy who humiliated her at a kissing booth in high school, but he also happens to be her best friend’s older brother. Positive he’s the same arrogant jock, Sela vows to focus on her duties and steer clear of the frustrating—and frustratingly tempting—Luke. As a world-renowned extreme-sports photographer, Luke is used to undertaking life-risking adventures. But risking his heart for the beautiful Sela Sullivan, who clearly still hates him for his rejection all those years ago? He didn’t see that coming. Sela inspires a passion he’s never known, and the more time they spend together, the more he craves her. But can he prove to the maid of honor he’s become a man of hono...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Sometimes dreams are where you least expect them Connor O’Malley and Becca Sanders were once high school sweethearts, ripped apart by rumors in the small town of Kortville, Illinois. Connor left to join the military, and Becca stayed, waiting for her younger brother to graduate so she could live her dreams of traveling the world. But now that Connor's back as the town sheriff, Becca finds herself struggling to resist the too-handsome man who once broke her heart. Connor loves Kortville—its quaintness keeps at bay the painful memories of Afghanistan he’s sure make him unworthy of any woman, particularly the beautiful brunette he’s always secretly dreamed of a future with. But when a scandal rocks the town, suddenly Connor and Becca must trust in each other if they want to weather this storm…and come out on the other side of it together. Thoughts: I enjoyed this book plenty,...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Wolf-shifter Yvette Nelson is incredibly bored with her job as a waitress at Gunther’s Bar. Until one night, when a man she’s never met enters the place. He makes her wolf want to come out and play—she has to have him. Stark just wanted a beer. But Yvette brings out yearnings in him he didn’t even know he had. Together, they’ll find that letting go of inhibitions can open up all kinds of fun times, like a chance at forever. Thoughts: This was a good and hot little story, but I felt like I was missing something like little scenes here and there. It also feels incredibly short, which I know is the point, but this one feels too short like it was cut off too abruptly instead of ending smoothly. That being said, the relationship itself is hot. Both parties seem to be the dominating type, but they have no problem giving and taking with each other. Yvette as a shifter is partic...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Meet the Alpha Pack, a top-secret military team of wolf-shifters fighting the most dangerous predators in the world, human and nonhuman. After a massacre leaves Jaxon Law crippled, he must relearn how to fight-and battle the anger and guilt threatening to overwhelm him. But when Jax rescues a beautiful woman who awakens his primal instincts, he is unprepared for the dangers that lie ahead. Soon he must decide if the deep connection he feels with Kira is worth defying the ultimate shifter law... Thoughts: There are some books that you have expectations of and then as you read, they both meet those expectations and excel right past them. This was one of those books for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not amazing and perfect, but I just bonded with it. Right from page one JD Tyler gets you engaged in the story and invested in the characters and from that point on you are taken on a...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: A mission to find his brother sends Scott Quaid to Gunther’s Bar, but a storm has emptied the place of everyone except a beautiful shifter hot enough to dry his damp leathers. Nancy Elwood has faced the worst of humans and shifters alike and has no intention of ever letting her guard down again, until a handsome biker sweeps in with the rain. As background music throbs around them, a different type of vibration urges two strong souls to mate with animalistic passion. Thoughts: This installment had a slightly different feel than the others did for me, and not at all in a bad way. Instead of a crowded bar where the two characters see each other and immediately seek a little privacy, we have an empty bar with a little spontaneity. Scott and Nancy have a hot, but softer chemistry (though still with that wolf shifter edge) and their story is sweet and oddly romantic. It’s just p...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Determined to uncover the secret behind her eccentric aunt's mysterious death, Sadie Strange, a quirky substitute teacher with a Master’s degree in comic book superheroes, takes a job at isolated private school Strange Academy. Her biggest obstacle? Haughty hottie Lorde Gray, the chemistry teacher who looks down his Roman nose at her as he tries to get her fired. Undercover demon hunter Gray vows to use his spell-brewing powers to protect Strange Academy's true purpose—educating extraordinary children with paranormal gifts. If the world knew the school's secret, it would start a war that would destroy humanity. Gray won't let a feisty mortal threaten that, no matter how much she swishes her heart-shaped butt. When fate throws them together, strange allies Sadie and Gray seek to uncover the hidden forces behind her aunt's death before they destroy Sadie—and th...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Lainie travels the rodeo circuits helping to fix up injured cowboys, so she knows not to fall for a rockin’ bod and southern drawl. Then Kyle and Hank each wear down her defenses and she finds herself with two lovers. When they happen to all wind up in the same place at the same time, new ideas fly and the dynamic between them all changes. Which cowboy will win her heart? Thoughts: I’d been wanting to try Lorelei James and when I found this book that is cowboys AND ménage, I knew I had to give it a shot. I’m really glad that I did! It had its flaws, sure, but overall I really enjoyed the story. It’s got exciting rodeo action and romance that’s both heartwarming and very hot. It’s pretty light hearted and there’s no suspense plot angle or anything, it’s just about the characters and their daily lives. There was a time when I felt the relationship they’d entered into was ...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Ryan still grieves for the loss of his brother two years ago, especially since he started having nightly dreams of him asking for the impossible. His wife, Rose knows something’s up, but she hopes it’s just grief. Ryan’s best friend gives them an unexpected gift that he hopes will help them get a second chance to make things right. Thoughts: The premise for this book caught my eye, but its execution fell short for me. The plot line had me confused as to exactly who was supposed to be reunited and to what end. The dreams show that Ryan’s brother needed something from him and that it was “now or never”. I never did catch why that was and when the request was fulfilled, you almost couldn’t tell. I just didn’t really see the point of that part. I appreciated that sex in this book was more sensual than straight up erotic and was more about love than just sex for the sake of s...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Bay dreams he’s a wolf attacking people, waking each morning to vomit the memories up and wonder if he’s sleepwalked or anything. Eden is attacked by a bear sized wolf and takes her broken dog sled to Bay in hopes he can fix it. When Eden walks up, Bay realizes that his dreams may not just be nightmares, but reality. When their worlds collide, they discover that magic is real: Werewolves, trolls, and the queen of the winter Fae to be exact. They stick together to try to fight the frightening queen, hoping their new love will be enough to protect them. Thoughts: Despite jumping right into the action and mystery, it took me a bit to get into the story. I liked the characters and the events were clearly exciting, but I didn’t feel the connection until Bay and Eden met and sparks flew. Once that happened, I was totally hooked. It was really neat to see Bay’s transition from ...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Sixteen year old Nickie refuses to give up on her father, whom is believed to be dead by everyone else. Having gone missing nearly a year ago, some strange things have begun to happen in his absence. Meeting the new hottie in school, Xavian, only adds to her confusion. When Nickie’s world shifts as she grows whiskers and a tail, it’s Xavian that helps her understand her new life. When her father’s rival, Derek, wants her to join him, she finds that Xavian might be her only hope to solving the mystery behind her father’s disappearance and her only hope to surviving the situation. Thoughts: This was a pretty fun YA read. The mystery throughout the beginning was kind of creepy and unnerving in some ways, and would be tough to take for a sixteen year old still struggling without her father. The mystery felt a little drawn out when parts of it were a little predictable, but it ...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Sophia is a geneticist studying the shifter gene after her sister was changed into a wolf shifter. In a freak accident in the lab, she’s infused with the genes of both a cat and a wolf. Chase is the pack alpha and he’s pathetically in love with Sophia after meeting her when her sister joined the pack. After her accident, Sophia goes to her sister’s for a get together and the sparks fly between her and Chase, but neither fully understand why. Chase helps her through her first heat only to discover that others know of her research and will do anything to get ahold of her. Everything between them will be put to the test. Thoughts: There was a lot I enjoyed from this story, with a few things that bothered me just a tad. First, this is book one in the series, but there were several times throughout particularly the first half of the book that I felt like I had missed a story an...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Lily is a traumatized succubus after putting her prom night lover into a coma after amazing sex. She’s steered clear of mortals since, afraid of hurting them, plus she knocks out the power whenever she has sex with the lightning that comes along with her. Campbell was changed after that sexy, but strange prom night. He throws himself into work to forget the woman he loved. They both remember that night and the love they shared. They have no idea what 1Night Stand really has in store for them. Thoughts: This novella was just plain funny! Very witty, it’ll have you laughing out loud on occasion. The world created is fun and interesting, though I wish we got a little more insight into it, such as why does the lightning come along with sex for a succubus or incubus. The chemistry between the main characters is sizzling. Almost literally, it’s like barely harnessed power. ...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Holly has a unique insight into a serial killer that is haunting Sanctuary Falls, having once escaped his clutches herself. Due to that event, the werewolf has made her his ultimate target and changed his game to taunt her. Caine is the alpha of the pack “The Hunter” is terrorizing to play with Holly and he’s determined to not only protect his pack, but the hound he’s come to respect and care for. Together, they’ll face a horrible killer that wants nothing more than to scare Holly enough to make her run, for he loves the chase. Cry Sanctuary is a must read! Thoughts: The books opens up with a bang as Holly is at the killer’s mercy. This implies that this story will be a darker one than the first one was, and it certainly lives up to expectations. The villain is a real twisted bastard that you just ache to see get what he deserves. The investigation and conflict as a whole...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Held captive following the war of 2185, Raeth is fearing interrogation, torture, and a slow and painful death. Her only chance is a potential ally in the Queen’s daughter, but what can she trust when they’re using mind alteration to attempt to extract information? She can only hope to die before she gives up the secret of herself and her people. Thoughts: This is a young adult story, and the age of the main character, Raeth, is said to be twelve, but damn if this isn’t a bit dark. The pain and hopelessness from the torture scenes, not to mention the state of society is just dark and depressing. If it weren’t for the age of the Raeth and the fact that the violence isn’t as graphic as it could be, I’d wonder if this really should be young adult. I was intrigued with the world as two races are named and war is referenced, with a powerful “gift” among one of them, but we neve...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: As a trauma surgeon, Dallas is too busy to date, so he signs up with 1Night Stand, but his plans are derailed by a savage wolf attack. Still recovering, he agrees to meet with the woman Madame Eve found for him anyway. Werewolf Cara is disappointed when her date is cancelled at the last minute, but finds out a few weeks later why. She agrees to meet with him to help him to help him through all the changes he’s experiencing. Running out of time, they each meet with their own ideas, never realizing what Madame Eve really had in mind. Thoughts: Rebecca Royce certainly has a way with writing werewolves. She’s got plenty of world building in such a short time that catches anyone not familiar with her work up without any confusion. You can tell there have been other stories prior to this one, but it doesn’t hurt at all if you’ve not already read them, though it does peak your i...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Lily won’t date a vampire, not ever again. The last time she did, it got her turned into one. She agrees to a one night stand only because she believes that she doomed to such trysts now. Luc, a three century old vampire, can’t continue to play into the fantasies of young ladies while he longs for a mate. He vows this will be his last, giving up all hope. Madame Eve is a skilled matchmaker, and has a surprise in store for both of them that neither are prepared for. Thoughts: From the very beginning, you get emotionally involved as you witness Lily struggle with the concept of re-entering the dating world while still adjusting to her new life as a vampire, courtesy of a former lover. Her friend convinces her to give one night stand a shot, and though she’s nervous, she gathers her courage to go through with it. Luc knows he’s supposed to meet his mate, but fears his time h...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Lennox is a Hound from Idaho’s Shifter Town Enforcement, and she’s on a mission to arrest a lion-shifter. Without back up, she finds herself outnumbered by Kanon and Tegan and ends up believing his Kanon’s innocence. None of them have any idea why he would be framed for murder, but they’re in big trouble that gets worse by the minute and they’re only way out is to work together. Along the way, all three of them discover an unrivaled passion, but it could lead them to ruin if they lose sight of the killer hot on their tails. Lennox will have to learn to trust beyond herself in order to survive the danger that lurks closer than she ever imagined. Thoughts: Despite the serious danger that definitely lurked in the background at all times in the story, it was actually a fun book. I loved the banter among the characters, the world building was nice and progressive, character deve...