With scars, both physical and psychological, Farran Monroe has been reduced to working in a store stocking shelves. All that changes completely in one short walk home when she is confronted by a demon. She has no choice but to turn to the people she is sure want nothing to do with her, the Gineal. When the one she is looking is unavailable, she finds Kellan Andrews, a troubleshooter with more than a few of his own scars. He has been dealing with nightmares and flash backs to a time when he had been captured and tortured. He has been suspended from his duties as a troubleshooter but knows he must help Farran. As the two try to thwart the demon, dangers in other forms appear and they realize that both must resolve their past issues if they are to survive. Since trust is one of those issues, Kel and Farran must work quickly and together, something they cannot do until they face their pasts.
In the Darkest Night follows another excellent tale, but can be read and thoroughly enjoyed without reading Edge of Dawn. Kel’s story begged to be told and what as story it is. Patti O’Shea does an excellent job keeping us on the edge of the seat as we fall into the lives of Kel and Farran. Both were damaged by their past, and while together they can heal, they must find that trust inside to allow that healing to occur. Action packed adventure, fantastic romance and two hurt and loveable characters all add up to In the Darkest Night, a memorable tales from the pen of the talented Patti O’Shea. I can’t wait to see what is next.
Kristin Montgomery was not expecting her life to be turned upside down when she agrees to watch her three aunts’ home. Finding out she is a Fairy Godmother is the last thing she expected, left with no real instructions she is reeling when Tennyson Ritter arrives telling her that he will access whether she is worthy of the task.
Tennyson is focused on his studies researching the lost works of Merlin. As an arbiter, he is sent to watch Kristin’s progress which pulls him from what wants to do. Tennyson immediately sets off Kristin with his arrogant attitude, and Kristin manages to twist everything Tennyson says to his disadvantage. Add a few wrinkles from someone wanting every ancient fairy gone, and you have a modern day fairy tale.
Gabi Stevens creatively weaves a fairy tale story filled with current twists on legendary classics. The chemistry between Kristin and Tennyson is instantaneous with witty comebacks and sizzling tension between the two. The book was a entertaining read that kept me captivated to see what would happen next.
THE RECKONERS begins a series where the supernatural world is thriving all around us, and this innovative book tells the specifics of those who know this usually hidden area extremely well. Doranna Durgin cleverly brings many fantasy elements to life with much imagination, leaving you wondering about what is really out there.
Her ability to converse with spirits led Lisa “Garrie” McGarrity to a career of ghost hunting, and she even has a team to help her get the answers required when she is on a case. Lately, her ability to appease those who have never left the world of the living does not make her happy, and she is thinking it might be time to do something else with her life. Before Garrie can change professions, a man shows up at one of her assignments and says he desperately needs her help. However, she is extremely busy and cannot talk at the moment, yet the man is persistent and comes to see her the next day.
The explanation given to Garrie by Trevarr as to why he needs her aid is exceedingly vague, but she is intrigued by both him and the case in San Jose. She has wanted a challenge in her life and believes this may be demanding, so she and part of her team travels from Albuquerque to the ghost infested home in order to see if she can bring any relief to the disgruntled spirits. As Garrie and her supportive team begin their investigation, they quickly discover there is much darkness associated with the structure. They also cannot get many concrete answers from Trevarr, as he seems content to let her work out any episodes by herself without any reasoning from him. As the situation becomes bleaker, Garrie and her team plus Trevarr know they have to come up with a workable plan or much could be lost.
Doranna Durgin is a notable writer, and her eclectic style is apparent all the way through THE RECKONERS. This creative author entwines numerous genres to make the story more captivating with interesting situations, and will leave you eager to see what occurs next. The paranormal genre is definitely front and center, as ghosts plus strange occurrences repeatedly crop up and even seem plausible. A real historical home is featured for much of the contemporary setting, and Ms. Durgin lets resourceful ideas make up what is not public knowledge and the outcome is cleverly believable. Toss in some fantasy aspects, add in a sprinkling of romance plus a hefty dose of humor and you have a well-balanced story which will mesmerize. The plot is certainly inventive with numerous layers, as mysteries abound and emotional issues continuously arise with way too much frequency. Numerous atypical characters star in the skillfully depicted scenarios, and their countless quirks in addition to diverse personalities make them more realistic and enjoyable. There are also the beginnings of romantic sparks between Garrie and Trevarr, with the potential for them becoming even closer expertly portrayed. Striking visuals and detailed descriptions make the surroundings more perceptible to the reader, thus causing the scenes to seem more credible. Let your imagination run free and enter the world created by Doranna Durgin, where the improbable comes across as possible. THE RECKONERS is an original paranormal adventure which will fuel your imagination on every page.
When Logan is called before the cearnnards, the leaders of the Gineal, he is afraid that they have discovered the problems he has been having recently with his magic. To his relief, he is being assigned to guard a Dormant, one of Gineal decent but without access to her magic. The cearnnards have recently found out that she is being stalked by a Tàireil. Logan is also tasked with keeping all knowledge of magic and the Gineal from this Dormant, Shona, as well. But it doesn’t take long for him to realize that this job is more than a simple protection job and he’d better watch his heart or he could be in even deeper trouble.
Shona is a glass artist who has lost her creative spark and energy. That becomes a secondary concern however when she is suddenly attacked by a man. Her rescuer, Logan both intrigues and frightens her. The heat between them is intense and soon explodes between them, but as more attacks happen Shona is wondering what on earth is going on.
What Logan can’t tell her about the attacks is that they are by the Tàireil and magic is being used. Will what Shona doesn’t know put her in even more danger?
This book is a magical thrill ride with twists and turns all over the place. I enjoyed the dynamics between Logan and Shona, who both acknowledge the fear of such a strong attraction and the developing emotions between them on such short notice. While it seems crazy to them, it is also undeniable. I also enjoyed the dynamics of Logan’s struggle of whether to follow orders as he has sworn to do and keep the information about magic from Shona, or to follow his instincts about what the right course of action to take is.
I suspect there are a few little things I missed because I came into this series in the third book. However that had no effect on being able to follow and understand this story. (Though now I need to read the first two In the Midnight Hour review here http://singletitles.com/?p=68 and In Twilight’s Shadow review here http://singletitles.com/?p=393.)
Enjoy!
BETRAYED included angels, demons and other assorted supernatural beings in a fascinating storyline, and numerous characters introduced in this compelling book are once again featured in CURSED. Jamie Leigh Hansen takes her original idea for this intriguing world and turns it into a romance with plenty of thrilling plus unexpected turns.
As a dream weaver, Elizabeth Raines experiences both enjoyable times and painful moments when she lets certain images come to her. Some of her most pleasurable dreams are the ones shared with Alex Foster, the boy she secretly adored in high school but never let him get close before leaving her hometown after graduation. Even though it has been twelve years since they were in school, neither Elizabeth nor Alex has gotten over the feelings they previously felt for the other. When he has a separate dream showing she could possibly be harmed by a supernatural enemy, he must decide what course of action to follow.
With the lives of her family members being in complete turmoil, Elizabeth has come home to help wherever she is needed. Sadly, she seems to be the only one who is willing to try and bring their home life back to normal, and she begins to feel her responsibilities dragging her down. When a chance meeting between Elizabeth and Alex has him taking her home, he quickly realizes there is only one choice for him to make now that he has actually seen her outside of his dreams. He just hopes their decisions will be the right ones to stop the evil which threatens their futures.
When the inventive thoughts of Jamie Leigh Hansen lead to a book, it is always stirring from her vivid imagination. The world this talented author has crafted for her first two books is totally ingenious, and she brings these stories to life through convincing scenarios where the paranormal elements seem realistic. With the main characters in CURSED being portrayed as normal, everyday individuals who just happen to possess supernatural abilities, this story will make readers speculate if the depicted occurrences could actually be taking place without their knowledge. Ms. Hansen has a gift for creating likable characters whose emotional lives touch the reader on many levels. Alex and Elizabeth are two very complex characters as there is much going on in both of their lives, some things known to each other and a couple of extremely well-hidden secrets. With the reader being profoundly aware of these undisclosed truths, there are several anxious moments during the story as this couple sorts through their exceedingly complicated dilemmas. Getting to see how these two tried to balance what was presently happening to them is movingly told with genuine plus sincere feelings, and their inner compassion is clearly shown throughout the story. There are many characters whose futures became important to me, and Ms. Hansen definitely had some surprises in store for several of them. CURSED is a love story of second chances, and the myriad of paranormal situations will keep the reader guessing as to the outcome of the book.
