The Romance Reviews - Fall into Romance Hop

Gotta love this time of year - the leaves are changing and if you're lucky the hot, humid days of summer are close to becoming a thing of the past. (Unless of course you live in my neck of the woods and mother nature's thermostat is stuck on high - in that case, we crank the air conditioner on high and pretend!)  Either way, it's the perfect time to cuddle up with a good book.  Or in my case several good books, which is why when the lovely Carole suggested I pick just one, I was stumped. I've read so many good books this past summer. (I'm a self confessed bookaholic :D) 

So instead I'm going to pick the book I'm currently reading. One that has a little bit of everything paranomal in it.  It's call Primal, and not only does it have one of my favorite authors, Lora Leigh in it, it has also introduced me to three brand new authors - who have series that are now on my to BBR list.  But you want to know what the kicker of it is? I stopped into the dollar store on my way out of town for a writers retreat and picked this little baby up for $3!  Score!

Anyhow let's jump into the book and why I'm finding it soooo yummy! So here's the cover for the book. Which is what caught my eye. It wasn't something I was expecting to find in the discount rack, and it had Lora Leigh's name in big bold letters. Now considering I've got nearly every book she's ever put out, I grabbed it, expecting to find it included a short of one of her breed books that I'd already read.  But that wasn't the case, and I snatched it up even though I'd never heard of the other authors on the cover.  And boy am I glad I did.  

The first short was by Michelle Rowen - and I guess I had heard  her name before, but I'd never actually read anything by her. Bleeding Heart takes place a few days after the end of her book, Nightshade. While I've never read this book, I do plan on picking it up, if only to see what transpired and how Jill and the yummy Declan hooked up for the first time.  This short sizzled but had a bite - literally! (It's a vamp story). I can only say that the lovely Ms. Rowen left me with hope. 

The second short was Skin and Bone by Ava Gray. This story wasn't about vamps or even shapeshifters, but those humans who have that little bit extra - and in Silas it was that he could hurt people and even kill them with his mind.  It's a good thing as his boss claims "that the man wasn't bat-shit crazy."  Either way I found myself drawn to him. He was a loner, a wanderer at the beginning of the story but found his home with the spunky vagabond teacher, Juneau.  I don't know what made my heart melt more - the vulnerability of Silas in his belief he wasn't a hero, or Juneau's assertions he was.  I will definitely be picking up the other books in this series. 

The next book - well lets just say Angel-Claimed by Jory Strong wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Yum.  This Addai was not like any angel I have ever read before. In fact he reminded me a lot of Michael from the movie Legion.  He was rough around the edges, dominant and determined to reclaim his reincarnated mate, Sajia - not to mention he's the kinkiest angel, or in this case djinn I've ever read. Bring the ropes out again, please? This satisfied the darker side of me quite nicely after reading Skin and Bone.

And of course, I can't forget to mention Primal Kiss by Lora Leigh. It took up where Styx's Storm left off and wasn't disappointing in the least. What can I say? I absolutely love Lora's breed series. Creed, our hero, was the typical alpha male who wants to control everything around him, but has a very soft spot for Kita. By the end of the story, I was sighing  and smiling. 

My three bucks were very well spent with this anthology, and I've found a few new series to pick up, which is always a plus.  It just shows one never knows what they are gonna get when they pick up a book with an unfamiliar name on the cover.  What about you? Have you picked up a book that totally took you by surprise? If so...tell me the name and author below and be entered to win a free book off my backlist.  I'll be picking up the winner on September 22nd.  

Remember you have
all 9 days to hop!

©Dakota Trace All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.