Review: Nocturne by Syrie James

Jenny's Review:

Nicole just needs to get home, so she sets off on a mountain road in Colorado only to be caught in a huge blizzard.  While she is attempting to navigate the almost blinding snow she hits a spot of black ice and her car is thrown from the road. The next thing she knows she is waking up in a nice warm cabin and a man is taking care of her.  Michael was just minding his own business plowing his road so he would not be snowed in when he sees the car fly off the road. Knowing he probably does not want to have company he thinks maybe he should just let it go, but he can’t and so he goes down to find out if the person in the car is alive. Now stuck together Nicole and Michael must learn to get along, but Michael has many secrets that Nicole just can’t figure out.  But they find that they understand each other very well and have a lot in common.  As they become more and more attracted to each other Nicole is made aware of a very big secret that Michael is holding back.  Can she manage to stay alive with this man, or should she risk it to run into the raging blizzard?
 

This is a great read for I would say mature adults, as it deals with sexual intimacy. The book is a great romance novel with a twist, and I'm not telling you what exactly that twist might be.  I liked how the characters were developed with an air of mystery about them. Michael is not the only one who has a secret in this book and that made the characters more believable. The mysteries also made the book a quick read because you were always anticipating what was going to happen next. 

*Reviewed by Jenny O. for Bite Club

Anna's sidenotes:

This was my first Syrie James title and although the official review was done by Jenny I did read Nocturne for myself. James has an emotional writing style that lets you become involved with the characters (both Michael and Nicole), and the tension between them was off the charts. I've already added another, Dracula, My Love (such a beautiful cover) to my evergrowing TBR mountain, and all her others (Jane Austen Made Me Do It, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte) are on my Kindle wishlist. All of her books seem unique, intelligent, and thought provoking with a distinct voice, and after reading Nocturne I am recommending them to all my friends.

Syrie James website:

http://www.syriejames.com/

Review: The Shadow Wolf by Bonnie Vanak

September 2011
Silhouette Nocturne
ISBN-10: 0-373-61867-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-61867-5
 
Gabriel is perhaps the most dangerous of all Draicon werewolves and hides a dark secret.  He meets his match in Megan, a Draicon werewolf who turns invisible.

On the run from authorities, gutsy Megan Moraine knows shadow wolves like herself have no place in this world. But she's still prepared to do anything to protect her young charges. That resolve is tested when the trio is captured by Gabriel Robichaux. Everyone knows that Gabriel is a ruthless bounty hunter, a member of an elite group called the Enforcers. Why then is Megan so attracted to her enemy—a wolf who hunts his own people? A wolf whose languid, sexy drawl makes her dream the impossible?

Review:

For me, this book was all about the main characters: investing in them, believing in them, and watching them fall for each other. Megan is tough as nails on the outside, willing to fight for her remaining family no matter what the danger and personal cost, but inside she is warm and caring. I love both sides to her personality because even when it would behoove her to watch her mouth she just continues to speak her mind, and express how she sees things. That is a very relatable quality and something I can identify with. What? Me, outspoken? Well, yes, I am. It's that fierce courage that makes her a worthy mate for Gabriel. She has a few secrets but you can count on always knowing where you stand with Megan.

Gabriel is entirely different. It's like he spent so many years cultivating his persona and hiding his real emotions that he can't always find who he really is anymore. For a man that formed an underground railroad for shadow wolves, a job that takes great skill and endless courage, he seems all too ready to hide from his own life. Even from his own family. Not that I blame him because I spent some time myself trying to figure out how they functioned with such a big disconnect between them. How can his parents act with such fear and cowardice when what he is doing is so noble? It makes his parents seem weak when I know that they are just trying to keep the family safe by not crossing any of the powerful Enforcers. Gabriel feels he must keep his true nature on a leash for fear of hurting those around him (a very real possibility) and it would have played better for me if his parents demonstrated more unconditional love (always helps to know who has your back). So I just had a minor issue with the family theme there because the dynamics made me sad for Gabriel.

I cannot say it enough, I love the Nocturne line of books from Harlequin! The price is always right and it is a fabulous way to discover new authors, something I was once again able to do with Bonnie Vanak. I'm not sure how I've missed her name before, but I'm glad that I gave her Draicon werewolves a try. After today I will be searching for the other books in this series.

Website:
http://www.bonnievanak.com/index.html

Other books in the Draicon series:
*in order but each can be read as stand alone

Book 1:  THE EMPATH,2007 (Nicolas and Maggie)
Book 2: "Broken Souls" in MIDNIGHT CRAVINGS anthology, 2009 (Baylor and Katia from THE EMPATH)
Book 3:  ENEMY LOVER, 2008 (Damian and Jamie)
Book 4:  DARKNESS OF THE WOLF, 2009 (Guy and Kayla)
Book 5:  IMMORTAL WOLF, 2009 (Raphael and Emily)
Book 6:  SEDUCING THE VAMPIRE, 2009 (free read from eHarlequin, Indigo and Avril)
Book 7:  "Unwrapped" in HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE III, 2009 (Adrian and Sarah)
Book 8:  COURAGE OF THE WOLF, 2010 (Michael and Sabina)
Book 9:  "Unwrapped" re-release in CHRISTMAS WITH A VAMPIRE, 2010
Book 10:  THE SHADOW WOLF, September 2011 (Gabriel)

Fallen is out now! And other readerly news

Michele's latest Nocturne is out now!!

Description:

Wanting to be a part of mankind, the angel fell—losing his halo, the prize that held his earthbound soul. Now Cooper must retrieve it. But wherever the Fallen walk, a Sinistari demon intent with slaying one is not far behind. Cooper knows he must be wary of this demon. But his first encounter with her leaves him curiously hungering for more...

 

To reclaim her own soul, Pyxion must kill an angel. Not just any angel, but one who's fallen to earth and taken on an irresistible, seductive human form. She never expected that she would feel an attraction for the man she hunted—or that she might need his help. When faced with a powerful mutual threat, she and Cooper form an alliance. But as the danger heightens, so does the passion...and if they give in, all could be lost.

You can get your copy of Fallen at all the usual locations, or click here to be directed to the Nocturne website for all information pertaining to Harlequin books, including current releases.

More cool stuff 

*Marta Acosta has put her Scottish romance, Wolfish in Sheep's Clothing, up on Smashwords for only 99 cents!  This story originally appeared in The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance which came out last February. Click here to get your ebook copy. 

 *Game of Thrones is set to debut on HBO beginning April 17th and I'm really looking forward to this adaptation, and what an excellent way to pass time while waiting for True Blood to begin. I haven't finished the book yet because Flyboy is hogging it at the moment, but I plan on being ready before episode one airs. Anybody else interested in this show? 

*And since I mentioned True Blood I thought it might be nice to take a look at my favorite blonde vampire. Like I need an excuse.

*I've been slacking on the Being Human posts, extra time has not been plentiful of late, but I will put up a 2 week recap this weekend, along with some cool tech news that I've been meaning to share.

*The President's Vampire comes out on April 28th!! Only 29 days and my patient waiting will come to an end. Maybe I need one of those counter thingies to demonstrate my barely contained excitement. Sometimes I am such a dork. Seriously, I have been waiting for this book since I turned the final page in Blood Oath, which happens to be one of the best books to come out in recent memory and was actually one of my early reviews. Christopher Farnsworth has a really cool website so stop by and check it out. And read these books!!!!