REVIEW: The Cursed (Coven of Bones #2) by Harper L. Woods

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My Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

The Cursed is the sequel to The Coven and picks up exactly where the previous book left off—mid-scene, with no recap. If you don’t remember how The Coven ended, you’ll want to have it nearby because this book assumes you do. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t remind us of last names or house affiliations, which makes it frustrating when trying to place characters, even with the table at the front of the book. Adding to the confusion, the author frequently references past events—like what Charlotte did to Willow’s father—without offering any reminders, forcing readers to dig back through the first book.

Continuity issues were another major problem. Characters seemed to teleport between actions—one moment Willow was walking, and the next she was suddenly being carried. Even more frustrating, several characters underwent unexplained name changes. Ziva from book one is now Nova, Itar has become Itan (except for one brief slip where Margot calls him Itar again), and his nephew Ilan has inexplicably turned into Iban. These inconsistencies felt careless and made for a jarring reading experience.

Despite all this, I kept reading—probably out of sheer determination to see how it all ended. I enjoyed The Coven well enough, even though the writing wasn’t the strongest. At least it had a coherent plot, which is more than I can say for The Cursed. This book felt like a messy, disorganized sequel that lacked the polish and structure needed to make it engaging.

From what I’ve heard, the next book will focus on Margot, but after this experience, I won’t be continuing the series.

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REVIEW: Fifty Shades Freed by E L James

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My Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

This final book in the trilogy had a little more going for it and in my opinion, was a bit more interesting than the others as it actually had a little more to the plot than just sex and more kinky sex. There was actually a little bit of intrigue and danger going on in this one as someone is after Christian and Ana. Though if you've been paying attention, it's really a little too easy to figure out who that someone is. But at least the why remains a mystery till the end.

And then they've got relationship issues they're struggling through: Ana is determined to maintain her own identity, integrity, and independence despite all the smothering and control that her life with Christian now affords, while Christian must learn to overcome his compulsion to control everything and come to grips with the horrors of his past. Together, they're determined to face all their challenges so that they can have their happily ever after. And yes, as trite as it may seem, this book definitely has a fairy tale ending. :)

REVIEW: Fifty Shades Darker by E L James

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My Rating: 3 out of 10 stars

Repetitive and predictable: the two words that immediately come to mind when reflecting back on this book. I had liked the first book enough to want to read the next, especially when it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger in Ana and Christian's relationship. I though this second one book would be different, perhaps a different focus, maybe a little bit of suspense, but unfortunately it was just more of the same, and even the small slice of danger from two separate events was over in a couple of pages! :(

With all the overused phrases, the overused sex, and basically the same interaction between characters over and over again, I felt like I was in a time loop, or the movie Groundhog Day.

Because of this, I had almost decided against reading the final book in the series. But as she did with the first book, the author left a little dangly bit at the end meant to pique the reader's interest: the promise of danger ahead for Christian and Ana. Hmmm so maybe book three will be more than just Ana and Christian doing it every which way to Sunday for a change. I hope so, because at this point, even the sex is getting boring! :/

REVIEW: Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

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My Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

If you're reading this review, I'm sure you've already heard of Fifty Shades of Grey or the Fifty Shades trilogy. Though I'm not much of a romance reader, I was anxious to find out what all the hype was about; why so many people were raving about this book, while other BookCrossers and BookObsessors had plenty of criticism for it. What is it that gave the Fifty Shades trilogy the push to cross over from the erotica genre into mainstream? And is all the high praise that's been poured upon it truly justified? ETA - I since feel that this book was never really erotica to begin with. More details on that below.

For point of reference, I have a wide range of experience to draw from, both real life and fiction, and there is so much about the BDSM lifestyle portrayed in this book that just doesn't ring true. But knowing that the author was drawing from research as opposed to first hand experience, I was able to overlook that to a point. This is a fiction title after all.

Moving along to the writing style, I found it a bit amateurish at times; I mean, just how many times can Anastasia and Christian murmur to each other? When they're not arguing, they seem only to talk to one another in murmurs, mutters, whispers, and sighs. And the author often got pretty repetitive in her descriptions. I swear if I had to hear about Christian's tousled hair one more time, I was going to go shave a hairy mole just for the satisfaction of pretending it was Christian Grey's sexy tousled locks! ;)

So why did I keep reading? Well, it was like a beautiful train wreck! It just sort of snuck up on me and sucked me in. And the fact that it even ended on a bit of a cliffhanger left me anxious to find out what happens next. Though I knocked this book in several places on the writing and even the believability of the story itself, I actually liked Ana's character somewhat; she's the kind of girl I'd like to be friends with despite all her flaws and shortcomings (or perhaps because of them). Just like a real friend, I found myself exasperated with her over how clueless she could be, or for keeping certain things from Christian that she really should've fessed up to earlier on. While at other times, I applauded the way she stood up to him. Yet it was that same odd combination of both vulnerability and strength that I admired about her, so much so that I even cried along with her at the end!

So what do I think made this story so "great" that it crossed the erotica genre into mainstream and made the bestseller lists? Well for starters, I'd call it more of an erotic romance than full erotica, more comparable to the soft porn one might find on late night Showtime for example. Really nothing to get too hot and bothered over, and the sex scenes didn't really work me up at all the way full erotica books do. I think that fact made it a bit more digestible to the masses. ;) Though one might think the BDSM aspect of the story would place it into the full erotica or hard porn category, all that is really just an aspect of Christian's personality and the BDSM does not really dominate. It's definitely more the relationship itself, and the feelings Ana is experiencing along with it, including her conflicting feelings about being submissive, which pull together the pieces of the story.

The story started off as online fan fiction of the Twilight series, so it had already gotten a wide audience through that channel. And finally, I think timing played a key role. At a time when our economy is just pulling out of a serious depression, a bit of control and dominance might be appealing to a lot people, that and the focus on the "darker side". ;-)

REVIEW: Santa Steps Out by Robert Devereux

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My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

What do you get when you take the myths of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny, turn them on their heads, and add in a little bit of naughtiness and perversity? If you said Santa Steps Out: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups then you would be correct.

This story is both shocking and titillating, yet funny and reflective. I can't say I found it to be a super read. Perhaps it's because I've read too many great books lately (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, Hunger Games trilogy) to feel this was in the same league as those. And though I kept losing interest in the beginning and had trouble getting beyond the first few chapters, I read on nonetheless and found it more interesting as the story progressed, with a bit more of an underlying story going on beyond just Santa doing the Tooth Fairy every which way to Sunday.

I didn't always care for the way the author portrayed some of these characters. It's not because he turned them into highly sexual beings, for I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but some of their actions seemed a bit forced or cliche to me, almost as if you could tell they were written by a guy, with a guy's fantasies.

I'd definitely say this book belongs in the Erotica genre as opposed to the Dark Fantasy/Horror genre where it currently resides. Though the antics of the Tooth Fairy could well fit into horror at times, the actions throughout the rest of the book. and the language it uses, would definitely categorize it as erotica. And it is that part which kept me reading, and the fact that I found some of the sex scenes kind of hot. ;-)

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REVIEW: Joker's Wild: Call Me by Lena Matthews

My Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

Publisher's Description
Anything can happen when jokers are wild. When Kayla Martin tries to revolutionize the sex toy industry she calls on the one person she's grown to count on more than anyone else, her best friend and downstairs neighbor, Dylan Thompson. When Kayla approaches him about being a test subject for her newest invention, an anal toy, Dylan is intrigued and aroused. That is until he finds out that The Walnut Wand is an anal toy for men. Kayla's sure that a prostate stimulator will be a hit, all she needs is a willing participant. Far from willing, Dylan flat out refuses, but that's not enough to deter Kayla. After their monthly poker game, Dylan and Kayla decide to make a risky bet. Kayla wants a test subject and Dylan wants the one thing's he's being craving for years. They'll risk it all on one hand, but anything can happen when jokers are wild.

My Thoughts
I purchased this book for my Kindle anticipating a nice steamy erotica read. At only $2, and a subject matter I've expressed keen interest in of late, I was expecting to get myself all worked up over it, butt [sic] unfortunately, the delivery was a bit of a letdown and the sex scenes barely came to a boil.

I can't criticize too much however as this was at least a fairly decent read for what it is, a slightly erotic romance novel. (Is that where what the term romantica means?) I'm sure I would've enjoyed it a bit more if a) I liked the (standalone) romance genre to begin with, and b) I didn't go into this thinking I was getting more than what was delivered. Despite all that, the characters were kind of cute and funny and at least somewhat believable, and the writing was decent. I liked Kayla's character even if she was a bit ditzy, and Dylan even if he was a bit pig-headed. Dylan's colleague Chris however, seemed like a real ass. So even had I had liked this a bit more, I probably wouldn't be picking up the next Joker's Wild book since it focuses on Chris and his relationship, if you want to call it that, with his secretary, both of whom are minor characters in this book.

Should you read it? Well, for light romance with a little bit of kink, this would fit the bill nicely. But if you're looking for a hot, steamy erotica read, then move along.

#63 Unmasqued: An Erotic Novel of The Phantom of The Opera by Colette Gale

My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

I'm a huge Phantom fan. I've seen it on stage several times, read the original book by Gaston Leroux, have the movie version on DVD in my collection, and have the original Broadway production soundtrack on CD. So I guess you can say I know my Phantom. ;) For the other Phantom fantatics out there, know that this book is based on the Broadway play and movie version, not the original Gaston Leroux book. However, this is probably the version most people are familiar with anyway.

I read through the reviews over at Amazon and was surprised at the number of negative reviews complaining about the sex. Sheesh, it's an Erotic novel people! That's why the word is part of the subtitle even! Though from that same vantage point, I actually found the sex scenes a little lukewarm and only mediocre for my taste. This wasn't the spicy hot erotica I usually find like in Ellora's Cave or Black Lace books. Granted they were explicit, but in my opinion, more along the lines of what you find in an erotic romance as opposed to full-out erotica. But I suppose that's how she got published with a major publisher instead of an Erotica-specific one such as Ellora's Cave or Black Lace. I'm not faulting her in any way for this, simply stating the facts.

I really did enjoy this take on Phantom though, taking it at face value. Sure, I think it could've been a little hotter on the sex as I already stated. ;) But I enjoyed the fleshing out of the various characters: Christine Daaé, Madame Giry, and especially Erik. I loved how the author really made you feel for Erik! She also managed to make the Comte de Chagny, Raoul's brother Philippe, look like a real asshole, while leaving you with a sort of indifferent attitude towards the Raoul himself. So her words and story did a good job of evoking plenty of emotion. :)

The pacing of the story was quite good as well. There was a good mix of action with the sex scenes placed appropriately throughout. Going in, I was afraid the sex would seem contrived, randomly inserted and disjointed from the rest of the story, but that wasn't the case at all. All the sex was woven in with the rest of the action, which in turn was woven into the standard Phantom story we all know and love.

Most excellent work, Ms. Gale! Bravo!

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#58 Nymph by Francesca Lia Block

My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

This is a collection of short erotic stories by Francesa Lia Block, author of the Weezie Bat books. I wasn't quite sure how to feel about this collection, but I think I at least got my money's worth in the "hotness" factor department. ;) Each story was loosely related to the others, either via a common character or a common location. Some stories had an element of fantasy to them while others did not. And though some seemed a little weird, they weren't much weirder than some of the goth books I've read, and I know this author writes in that genre anyway. That said, I think I enjoyed Plum's character the most.

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#36 Hot Spell by Emma Holly, Lora Leigh, Shiloh Walker, and Meljean Brook

My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars (average of all stories)

The Countess's Pleasure by Emma Holly
Not quite as erotic as some of Emma Holly's other works that I've read, though still definitely hotter than your standard paranormal/fantasy romance as well.

Georgiana, a widowed countess from Britain, travels to Bhamjran, a British Victorian India, and unknowingly meets up with the man of her dreams, or at least, a dreamy man... well, then again, he's not really a man but a demon. Iyan is part of a separate paranormal race known as the Yama; they aren't actually demons as you might think of them in terms of evil spirits or minions from the various levels of Hell. But besides their sculpted bodies, perfect features, and unwillingness to succumb to emotion, they are also able to draw energy from humans in a most unusual way.

Mixing between the races is generally frowned upon. But then again, "What happens in Bhamjran, stays in Bhamjran." And Georgiana is committed to living for herself now, even if that means taking pleasure where she can find it... in the arms of a demon!
My Rating: 5 stars


The Breed Next Door by Lora Leigh
I plan to read some of Lora Leigh's other Breed books so this novella was a good introduction to the race, and the writing style of the author. I liked it a bit more than the previous story because there was some additional elements of danger that weren't present in the previous story.

Lyra is a human, and unknowingly living next door to a "Breed", a genetically engineered human clone species bred to serve, usually in a warlike capacity. The Breed species were very ill-treated by their masters, until the revolution that is, fought side-by-side with humans who also thought their treatment too cruel. Many escaped to live in the real world among humans, trying to hide their true identity. Tarek was such a creature... and sexy as hell to boot! And the two of them are forced into close quarters after the people hunting Tarek decide to go after Lyra instead...
My Rating: 6 stars


Falling for Anthony by Meljean Brook
Anthony is a Guardian, a special type of angel created to protect the human race from evil. After being killed by a Nosferatu while serving as a medic during the Napoleonic Wars, Anthony is made into a Guardian, a special type of angel created to protect the human race from evil. Though most Guardians must wait 100 years first if they choose to fall, Michael the archangel has decided to send Anthony back after only a few short weeks, to protect the very family he unknowingly helped to betray to the Nosferatu who attacked him.

There's a whole back story, which is pretty intense, but when I tried to get into it, the summary got super long, so suffice to say, I really enjoyed this story the most of all of them so far. Though the sex scenes could've been a wee bit longer >:-> the story was definitely well fleshed-out.
My Rating: 7 stars


The Blood Kiss by Shiloh Walker
Roman Montgomery, the Wolf King of Wolfclan Montgomery, believes he has found his true mate. Unfortunately, she's the daughter of his sworn enemy, Lord Eduard Capiet, head of The House of Capiet. While on a mission to free his younger brother from the hands of Eduard, he abducts Eduard's daughter Julianna, not wanting to leave her in the hands of such a monster as Eduard, who's archaic old ways have drawn the eye of the Ancients.

There's a bit of similarity to Romeo and Juliet. Not just in the names, but also in the fact that the 2 Houses are sworn enemies. And Roman and Julianna fall in love. Fortunately, the story doesn't end in tragedy as Romeo and Juliet does. And there was enough action and danger going on, since the erotica wasn't as sizzling as some of the other stuff I've read, to keep the story interesting for me.
My Rating: 7 stars

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#27 Secrets, Volume 8 by Jeanie Cesarini, MaryJanice Davidson, Alice Gaines, Liz Maverick

My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Taming Kate by Jeanie Cesarini:
When Kathryn Roman inherits a legal brothel, she refuses to trade her high-powered career in Manhattan for a life in the wild, wild west. Little does this city girl know that the town of Love, Nevada wants her to be their new madam so they've charged Trey Holliday, one very dominant cowboy, with Taming Kate.

A so-so story. The whole cowboy/pretty lady thing got old pretty fast. I can't say I disliked it totally though, only that there was a bit too much romance for my liking.
Rating: 4 stars

Jared's Wolf by MaryJanice Davidson:
Jared Rocke will do anything to avenge his sister's death, even believe in werewolves. What he doesn't believe is that he's attracted to Moira Wolfbauer, the she-wolf sworn to protect her pack. In Jared's Wolf, two enemies must join forces to stop a killer while learning that love defies all boundaries—even those between species.

Much better than the first story, which to me read much more like a pure romance novel, a genre I don't particularly care for.

These are the first 2 Wyndham Werewolves stories written by MJD's. And I specifically put off reading Derik's Bane, Dead and Loving It, and even Undead and Unpopular until I read these two short stories, "Love's Prisoner" from Secrets 6, and this one from Secrets 8. I'm now more looking forward to reading Derik's Bane since I should feel like I'm coming back to familiar friends.
Rating: 8 stars

My Champion, My Love by Alice Gaines:
My Champion, My Love tells the tale of Celeste Broder, a woman committed for a sexy appetite that is tolerated in the men, but not the women of her time. She desperately needs a champion, and finds one in mayor Robert Albright. If she can convince him her freedom will mean a chance to indulge their appetites together.

Bah, this story was so boring I don't even know how or why I finished it! I guess I can only blame it on my OCD, my need to complete things I start, and particularly since I liked the stories in Secrets 6 so much better.

One of my main problems with this story is due to the fact that this story takes place back in 1888, when things were extremely uptight and Puritan sexually. And that alone is a huge pet peeve of mine! I hate the sexual repression we live with even today, and since the basis of this story was the fact that Celeste was put into an insane asylum because of her strong sexual nature and the books she read had me screaming with indignation on her behalf. And I guess because I don't really like romances just for the sake of romance, without any danger or other stuff in the story. And this story just did not have enough "other stuff" for me, and not nearly enough erotica. *sigh*
Rating: 3 stars

Kiss or Kill by Liz Maverick:
In this post apocalyptic world, Camille Kazinsky's military career rides on her ability to make a choice—whether the robo called Meat should live or die. Meat's future depends on proving he's human enough to live, man enough... Should Camille Kiss or Kill this man/machine that makes her feel like a woman?

I really liked this story a lot and was surprised to read that the short story appearing here in Secrets 8 was her first published work. I have a couple of her books from the Crimson City series, including the first one aptly named Crimson City, waiting on Mt. TBR so now I'm more looking forward to reading that.

Unlike the Cesarini and Gaines stories in this anthology, this was a lot more erotic and thus was more to my liking. And for the romance portion, I didn't have to deal with a swooning female and a bunch of "mushy gushy". LOL The sex scenes weren't really long, but were explicit enough to get me hot! ;-)
Rating: 7 stars


Overall, I'm rating this book a 6 when I average out the 4 individual ratings (which actually come to 5.5). The stories from Davidson and Maverick definitely made this anthology worth reading. The other two I wouldn't recommend for anyone who's not a die-hard romance fan.

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#12 Black Lipstick Kisses by Monica Belle

My Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Angela McKie, aka Dusk, lives her Goth lifestyle as caretaker at All Angels, living rent-free in exchange for looking after the historic old church in East London, complete with graveyard, tombs, and all manner of Victorian decadence. In a single day, she has attracted the attentions of two very different men: Stephen, a serious young politician threatening to convert All Angels into a modern recreation center, and Michael, a brooding young artist who draws for fantasy, Gothic and horror zines. What she plans to do with them is anyone's guess....

This was one of the best erotica novels I've ever read. Angela's character really resonated with me since I hold her same outlook towards sex. And though I think I've mellowed somewhat in my late 30's, it brought back a ton of fond memories. *evil grin*

The author is a great writer, and has the uncanny ability to elicit atmospheric response with her vivid descriptions, particularly the descriptions of the various pieces in the church. I loved how I felt as if I was right there viewing it all through my own eyes. And the sex scenes were oh so hot!! I'll definitely be keeping my eye open for more from this author in the future.

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#68 Naughty Fairy Tales from A to Z edited by Alison Tyler

My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

There were some really great and titillating stories in this book! I'm definitely going to seek out additional works by some of these authors. Fortunately, the editors included a section at the back with further detail on each author including what else they've written, where they've been published, including some website URLs, etc.

Because I don't generally like to read a bunch of short stories all at once, I read this book over the course of 2 months, tucking in anywhere from 3-5 stories in between other full-length books I was reading. But you know what? I always looked forward to finishing a novel because that meant I'd get to read a few more of these juicy tales before starting something new. I especially liked to "go to bed" with this book. ;)

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#61 Courting Midnight by Emma Holly

My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

I went into this book thinking it took place before the events of Catching Midnight and Hunting Midnight, but that is not the case. I guess I got that impression from something I read at Amazon, plus the fact that the events of this book take place in 1813. But referring back to the journal page for Catching Midnight, I see that one actually took place in 1349. But in any case, this book could very easily have stood alone. Some of the characters from the others were mentioned briefly and towards the end an appearance is made by Aimery and Gillian, but there's nothing in this book that requires that you've read the others first.

That said, I did like finding out more about Lucius after seeing him as sort of a stand-alone kind of upyr throughout the other books. He doesn't seem to have much feeling or emotion left to him, being the oldest living upyr, and so it's nice to finally see him happy and embracing life.

I appreciate that Holly doesn't censor her sex scenes. Granted, this isn't one of her Black Lace books, but she doesn't really hold back and use flowery terms when talking about sex, and in these Upyr books, particularly this one, she's not afraid to let her passion for erotic writing come through. :)

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#53 Menage by Emma Holly

My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

I'm glad I finally found a chance to squeeze this book into my reading queue. It was a wonderful read... I could barely keep my hands off myself. The story starts out with what would be any woman's fantasy: Kate has two hot male housemates, Sean and Joe, living with her, and not only are they hot for each other, but they're hot for her too! After Kate discovers Sean and Joe together in her bedroom, Sean dares her to join them. What follows is a hot and steamy sexual relationship between the three of them, a ménage à trois, with all partners being faithful to one another, meaning they don't date or sleep with anyone else outside the threesome. Throughout this, Kate and Joe develop more serious feelings towards one another that go beyond sex and lust, and how these dynamics work within the current relationship is the subject of much of the book.

This is my 4th Emma Holly book and I definitely look forward to reading a lot more!

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#48 Secrets Volume 6 by MaryJanice Davidson, Sandy Fraser, Alice Gaines, Angela Knight, Sandy Tetzlaff

My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Wow, these were some great reads. I hadn't realized when I started this that it was actually erotica, so I was pleasantly surprised by that too.

Flint's Fuse by Sandy Fraser
I enjoyed the character of Dana, who was a tough as nails rich bitch who always got her way (and her man). And Flint too, who though he had feelings for her, didn't let it get in the way of doing the job he was assigned to do. I'm glad they wound up together in the end.

Love's Prisoner by MaryJanice Davidson
My first intro the MJD's Wyndham Werewolves, who appear in later books starting with Derik's Bane. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more about them now. Jeannie's character reminded me a little bit of Betsy from the Undead series, and I understand that in the final story in Dead and Loving It, which actually takes place before Undead and Unpopular, the werewolves meet the vampires. So I'll be curious to see if Jeannie and Michael are still around then. I hope so as I really enjoyed their story here.

The Education of Miss Felicity Wells by Alice Gaines
This one was only alright for me. The innocence and virginity of Felicity was a bit annoying. That she'd go to a known casanova to teach her to please her husband, and expect to retain her virginity throughout the process, was a little silly in my mind. But then again, maybe she's just stupid!

A Candidate for the Kiss by Angela Knight
The sex in this one was hot! I didn't care for the author's habit of inserting a chapter break in the middle of a conversation. You usually expect a chapter ending to allow you a good place to put down the book and get back to it later, but in the case of this story, I'd often have to go back and reread the last few paragraphs of the previous chapter to pick up where the new chapter started. Since I've got some of Ms. Knight's books on my TBR shelf, I can only hope she's become better in this regard because I found it quite annoying! At least the story (and the sex) was good.

See the BookCrossing journal page for this book or it's Amazon page for more reviews and information.

#32 Cooking up a Storm by Emma Holly

My Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

This is my first Black Lace book and I loved it! I wish I could teleport myself into Abby and Storm's world. I'm going to Cape Cod this weekend myself so maybe I'll look for their little village (though I think it might be fictional). LOL

When playboy Storm Dupré blows into town, he turns Abby's world upside down, and opens her up to all kinds of new sexual explorations; things she couldn't imagine herself doing a few short weeks before. But what are his true intentions... and what can Abby do to keep herself from falling hard for the confirmed playboy?

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#21 Catching Midnight by Emma Holly

My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

I read this book after Hunting Midnight, which is the 2nd in the series. This story centers around Gillian, who is mentioned quite often in the 2nd book, so I enjoyed finding out more about her, though I wish I’d read this one first as you also find out a bit more history about some of the other major characters.

Gillian comes to the pack as a young girl of 10 years old, whose mother and brother are in the death grips of the plague sweeping the country. She is adopted by the upyr pack and grows to become a strong upyr, partially because she had the some natural gifts, such as the gift of sight, to begin with. Unfortunately, Gillian feels unfulfilled and eventually leaves the cave and protection of the upyr to explore the human world. As a shapeshifter, she finds her familiar in a falcon, but is then captured by a kind falconer named Aimery Fitz Clare whom she eventually falls in love with.

Like bookrabbit, who lent me Hunting Midnight, I think I liked that one a little bit better than this one though not by much. And though the 2nd book expanded on some of the history of the characters, there was certainly enough information given about the major characters in that book (with the exception of Gillian since she was part of that book in word only) so that you didn’t feel lost if you started the series there.

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#73 Hunting Midnight by Emma Holly

My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

This was a pretty good book, not a bad read for my first Emma Holly book. I can't claim the genre is among my usual favorite since it appeared to be more of a romance than anything else, though paranormal, and didn't have as much danger and intrigue as my favorites usually do. However after an initial slow start, I began to develop an affinity for the characters and will look forward to future books in this series to see where things lead with Ulric and Juliana. Mucho thanks to bookrabbit for sharing this with me.

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