Love Immortal by Felicity Heaton

4 Stars


We've all struggled with feeling out of place at some point in our lives. Now imagine being saved from a werewolf by a gorgeous man—who then explains you're a reincarnated goddess he has protected for three millennia. Oh, and your destiny is to kill the first and most powerful werewolf, before he destroys Olympus.

Oh, yeah. We're talking big story here.

I love the way Ms. Heaton weaves classical mythology with urban myth, to create a preternatural world, hidden within an everyday existence. This combination makes the heroine's life anything but ordinary. Lauren must face the outlandish claims, accept the proof her savior Julian provides, and ready herself for a battle that will end in certain death for some of its warriors.

The nearly 700-page novel certainly provided the canvas to show Lauren's journey toward discovering her inner strength, finding true love, and fulfilling her destiny. Julian's character is *swooning*a fantastic combination of emotional vulnerability, physical perfection, and deadly skilled protector.

Any woman in her right mind would recognize Julian's amazing qualities, the feelings he stirs and act on them, right? Well, Lauren does…eventually. The sensual tension between our main characters scorches the page. Unfortunately, they don't work out their insecurities and satisfy their (and the reader's) need to consummate their bond until around 600 pages into the story.

Lauren's character is a strong, caring woman that inspires others in her world to fight for what is right. The reader roots for her to succeed on this journey, but is left with an almost perpetual feeling of waiting—for the moment she and Julian resolve their issues, for the ultimate battle to finally occur.

And therein lies the only issue I have with LOVE IMMORTAL. The story took too long to happen. Some information was repeated initially, but for the most part the extra details dragged the story out. Don't get me wrong, this is a good read. For me, I think in this instance less would have been more—making it a great book.

Having said that, anyone that loves sweeping paranormals will enjoy the book. And after becoming acquainted with Ms. Heaton's voice and storytelling skills, I'm sure I will enjoy her other works as well.

This review originally written for The Romance Reviews.

Direct Book Review Page: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=1218

Intimate Weapons by Kathleen Scott

4 Stars

When pushing for scientific progress, how far is too far? Kathleen Scott has created a fantastic love story that poses that very question. And Jovita Rees answers it. In her world, conquering space and ruling the universe is fueled by political might. Jovita's being abducted, injected with nanite technology, and experimented on proves, for some, too far isn't far enough.

I loved Intimate Weapons! It just thrills me when I pick up a book I wouldn't normally read and then can't put it down. Let me explain why.

Jovita Rees flees for her life. She evades her torturers by stowing away on the Guidestar—a Vanden vessel used by Ambassador Mallic Telonis. Knowing of his reputation for indulging in pleasure, Jovita proposes sex for safe passage…except he refuses her proposition. (Crazy interesting, right?)

Mallic instead offers Jovita political asylum. When he initiates the paperwork to secure her safety, he discovers Jovita Rees is listed as dead. Jovita insists she was abducted, experimented on, and has no memory of her life except her name. Unsure what to make of the situation, Mallic knows something is not right and places her under Vanden protection.

Upon arrival at the Vanden Royal Palace, Jovita is examined by medical staff. An unusual technology is found in Jovita's bloodstream. As the doctors work to discover the design and purpose of such technology, Jovita struggles to control the changes the experimental technology causes within her body. To make matters worse, every time she feels threatened, she sees things that can't be real. Even her dreams become irrational and frightening, causing her to doubt her sanity.

Mallic watches her struggle against her haunting fears. Her strength and determination to remain in control garner his admiration. Her luscious curves and exotic beauty drive him to distraction. Once he discovers Jovita's connection to the Celedon Royal Family, he vows to keep his distance.

The Royal family is informed of Jovita's existence. Once Prince Rohan arrives, they discover not only was she the beloved psychic for the Celedon Royal Family, she and the prince shared a very close relationship. Mallic realizes he doesn't care. Jovita belongs with him, and he uses every skill in his sexual repertoire to convince her.

Despite piecing together Jovita's past, the most important information relating to Jovita's abduction is unknown: Who kidnapped her and why. And now that she has resurfaced, and her memories are returning, whoever arranged for her "death" might try again. Mallic, Prince Rohan, and Jovita race to find Jovita's abductor before he finds her.

Whew…there's a lot going on in this book, and I love every detailed page of it! Ms. Scott blends the science fiction element with the erotic romance perfectly. The relationship between Jovita and Mallic progresses at a natural pace. Each frustrating, sensual, page-scorching encounter between our hero and heroine builds to a satisfying climax—and still leaves the reader begging for more.

Readers that enjoy plot driven as well as character driven stories will love this futuristic romance. And even though Jovita and Mallic's story could end here, there's still a question or two Ms. Scott could answer in a sequel. Here's hoping she decides those questions are worth answering. I know I'll be looking for them!


This review originally written for The Romance Reviews

Direct Book Review Page: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=1322

Blogging

Okay. Well, I totally suck at blogging on a consistent basis.

*cue loud sigh*

So, I've decided to add reviews of books I've read to this blog. That will accomplish several things. First, I'll have at least a weekly contribution to my blog! I'm reading anyway, so why not post the reviews I do here that I always put on Amazon, B&N, and Goodreads? Second, hopefully the book, review, or just subject matter will spark material for a blog article.

It's worth a shot anyway!  ;-)