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africreole's review
5.0
A great mix of stories
The Beast Within by LaVerne Thompson
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ironic how on generation can release a spell from a previous generation
Lisette’s gr-grandmother Taabia, a priestess of Damballah, put a curse on the men of the deNuit family after they brutally assaulted her daughter that caused her death. She cursed them with “One son only. At the turn from child to man, he be ruled by the call of the full moon. You act like selfish beasts, then let you be beasts. On all fours shall you crawl the earth until the pull passes. Every cycle from moonrise to moonset, your beast will rule. Until the day one of mine deem you selfish no more.”
When Caleb deNuit met Lissette in his night club La Lune in the French Quarter. He felt that she put a spell on him. He was unexplainably drawn to her and she to him.
He never gave women much thought. He wanted one, he had one, then he moved on. None stayed in his mind, nor was he in the habit of chasing after women, that is until Lissette.
With Lissette following in her grandmother’s footsteps as an herbalogist, she often went alone in the swamp to gather rare flowers. Unbeknownst to her she was being watched. It’s ironic how Caleb’s beast saved her and in turn, she saved him and his family by loving him.
In Another Time by Sage Young
⭐⭐⭐
One can bring the horse to water by one cannot make him drink
Jasper Davene’s parent’s annual Sorcerer’s Ball was the event that sorcerer’s were looking for connections to strengthen their own blood lines. Mary Plauch had her eyes set on him. Although she was powerful in her own right, she was purely evil. He wanted nothing to dod with her.
When Jasper met Clarissa Trudeau, it was love at first sight, just like with her mother and father. Just like her parents, they married. Mary was furious to the point of killing Jasper’s bride but Jasper had one more trick up his sleeve but Mary still would not be undone.
Even though their souls were separated to the far ends of the Earth, two hundred years later, their souls recognised each other in the form of James Donovan and Charlotte Trudeau. But there are still forces scheming to destroy them.
With all of this said, I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!
The Elixir of Life, Legace: Origins by S. Campbell Williams
⭐⭐⭐
A complex story
This story was a little too complex for me. This story talked about some difficult situations in the lives of some folk from south Louisiana, and that is the subject of passe blanc or passing for white. Claude jumped at the opportunity to leave the area so he could live the life he wanted to, as payment for the spirit La Croix to use his body to court Afeme and feel human feelings of the flesh again. She was his star he was her moon. But he could not stay in Claude’s body, but he stayed in spirit to watch over her. She chose death to be reunited with her Mr. Moon. Their love will last forever in the spirit and through their daughter Bijoux.
The Philosopher’s Stone, is the heart. Immortality can be achieved through the trials and testing of the human soul. If love rules out and the heart wins...that is the secret to the Elixir of Life, love!
Blood Ties by Phoenix Daniels
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Secrets are revealed over time!
Since I have south Louisiana creole heritage, it was interesting to read this paranormal story. I don't usually read this genre but since it was situated in New Orleans, I gave it a chance and I'm glad I did. Ms Daniels started with the intriguing prologue that set up the story. I loved Enola and Gideon together. At first,she fought who she was becoming but when her friend and daughter where hurt due to her developing powers, she came back home to New Orleans to find out more about herself and family from her dying gran-mere who was getting weaker due to the fact that Enola was getting stronger. Gideon knew when he saw Enola Roux that she was his mate and proceeded to claim her. Enola was equally pulled in by his hypnotic blue eyes.
Gideon and Gabriel Toussaint were alpha and beta werewolves who were in allegiance with the Roux family over the century. Gabriel's mate, Auriette Roux, had been executed over a hundred years prior and he vowed revenge on the Warlock priest responsible. The priest was determined to wipe out the Roux family and the werewolves because of his hatred for them.
Phoenix wrote an intriguing story about hatred lasting through the centuries due to unrequited love, causing a feud that lasted just as long, waiting for the right heroine to come into her own to completely stop it. This was a good read.
Spellbound by Reana Malori
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The magic of the bayou and New Orleans is real.
But, he was already under her spell for two years and did not know it. Levi was too busy trying to protect his heart and raise his daughter Jessica after he and his wife divorced and she abandoned them. He and his daughter fell in love with Theresa but he refused to listen to his heart. Theresa, on the other hand only saw a playboy and did not want to let her heart be broken. She was coming to the decision that Levi was either going to sh*t or get off the pot. She was no longer comfortable being only friends with benefits, but she loved him. In New Orleans, while at a friend's wedding celebrations, the mysterious Madame Sophie kept popping up in their lives to make them decide once and for all. Theresa was afraid that the love potion was working on Levi but was afraid that his reactions to her in New Orleans would wear off and his feelings were not real. She did not want their friends knowing about their friends with benefits relationship for fear that things would not work out between them and she did not want her friends to pity her. She did not think that love was for her. What she and Levi did not know was that their friends already figured out what was going on anyway and they were only fooling themselves. Levi decided that it was time to come clean and claim Theresa for himself. He wanted what they had in New Orleans for the rest of his life.
Reana wrote a sweet and mysterious love story about two stubborn people who were in love with each other but just too afraid to admit it. Once out of their home element and in the mystique of New Orleans, they were able to spend quality time with each other without Levi having to run home to his daughter. Theresa really did not need a love potion after all. Madame Sophie just helped them to see what was already there. New Orleans just has that magical gris gris.
Love Bites by Twyla Turner
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
When friends are not really friends
That is what Regan Wright found out. In her group of friends, and Ree, as her friends called her, was the only fat chick. The rest of her friends are slender, athletic, or curvy in all the right places. All the appropriate height. From petite to average. They are all officially attached, except her. Most guys avoid her five-foot-eleven Amazonian figure with endless hips and ass, and a size 22 bod. Her size has even alienated her from the honor of being a bridesmaid in her friends Lisa and Ben’s wedding. They all came to NOLA for a combined bachelor/ bachelorette party from Chicago.
She gets her dream squashed when she realized that her five year crush Jake, can not live up to her fantasies of him with the one night stand. She’d given up on love and just decided she’d be happy just being the crazy old cat lady. Madame Serfine, the spiritual adviser, medium, healer and potion maker, knew exactly what she needed when Regan entered her shop. He knew on sight that Ree was the perfect person for a special customer of hers. Royce Arnaud, the owner of the Empyreal, a special mysterious members only club, was drawn to Ree like a moth to a flame. They were each other’s soul mates. Just one bite from Royce and she could see the black souls that her so called friends harbored.
I enjoyed reading this story, since I am a woman of a particular size myself. It was nice to read that the plus sized woman gets the hottie that everyone wants.
When The Beautiful Awake by Angela Kay Austin
Falling for the Reaper by Adrienne D’nelle Ruvalcaba
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love is eternal
I loved this story. It was heartbreaking to read that the two beings were willing to sacrifice their own personal existence for the sake that the one they loved would live a better life. Even though Viggo Bronlund’s father was responsible for illegally putting a young Seraphina in servitude to the Reaper, she was still willing to help out Ivan Bronlund get his mate back. The love that Vigo and Sera had lasted through time even Ivan had wiped all of their childhood memories of each other. Love never dies, it may be buried or hidden but it never dies. That is what Viggo and Seraphine proved to all, even to the hard hearted Ivan, who turned out to be heartbroken on the death of his won mate.
His To Claim by Stephanie Morris
⭐⭐⭐
When you are mated you are mated!
They Pierre Mercier knew on sight that Serafine Hardy was his mate when he saw her at the Primal Lounge in the French Quarters. There was only one problem, she was human and did not believe in paranormal shifters. She was turned on by an unexplainable draw she had to him and decided she would give in to her curiosity after a soulburning kiss he gave her. And that was it, amost.
I’m not a big fan of paranormal stories but they are growing on me. When I do read them, I do enjoy reading about shifting wolves and this one was enjoyable.
Warlocks: The Creole Coven by Latrivia Welch
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
All is revealed!
What was hidden for Toni St John about her life is revealed to her. She knew of her adoption and had no need to find her natural parents until strange things started happened in New Orleans at the New Bourbon Hotel. She felt this strange pull to its owner Jericho Laveau. As she di the investigations for her newspaper article, disturbing resemblances were seen between she and the 4 girls that committed suicide. Until Jericho’s brother Jules removed the blind spot from her mind to enhance her insight to what was going on. It was not until Jericho’s father Lafayette and other brothers cast a spell that Toni found out what and where her true nature and gifts came from and whom she was destined to be.
Latrivia wrote a very interesting well plotted mysterious paranormal story that held my attention through out.
The Beast Within by LaVerne Thompson
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ironic how on generation can release a spell from a previous generation
Lisette’s gr-grandmother Taabia, a priestess of Damballah, put a curse on the men of the deNuit family after they brutally assaulted her daughter that caused her death. She cursed them with “One son only. At the turn from child to man, he be ruled by the call of the full moon. You act like selfish beasts, then let you be beasts. On all fours shall you crawl the earth until the pull passes. Every cycle from moonrise to moonset, your beast will rule. Until the day one of mine deem you selfish no more.”
When Caleb deNuit met Lissette in his night club La Lune in the French Quarter. He felt that she put a spell on him. He was unexplainably drawn to her and she to him.
He never gave women much thought. He wanted one, he had one, then he moved on. None stayed in his mind, nor was he in the habit of chasing after women, that is until Lissette.
With Lissette following in her grandmother’s footsteps as an herbalogist, she often went alone in the swamp to gather rare flowers. Unbeknownst to her she was being watched. It’s ironic how Caleb’s beast saved her and in turn, she saved him and his family by loving him.
In Another Time by Sage Young
⭐⭐⭐
One can bring the horse to water by one cannot make him drink
Jasper Davene’s parent’s annual Sorcerer’s Ball was the event that sorcerer’s were looking for connections to strengthen their own blood lines. Mary Plauch had her eyes set on him. Although she was powerful in her own right, she was purely evil. He wanted nothing to dod with her.
When Jasper met Clarissa Trudeau, it was love at first sight, just like with her mother and father. Just like her parents, they married. Mary was furious to the point of killing Jasper’s bride but Jasper had one more trick up his sleeve but Mary still would not be undone.
Even though their souls were separated to the far ends of the Earth, two hundred years later, their souls recognised each other in the form of James Donovan and Charlotte Trudeau. But there are still forces scheming to destroy them.
With all of this said, I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!
The Elixir of Life, Legace: Origins by S. Campbell Williams
⭐⭐⭐
A complex story
This story was a little too complex for me. This story talked about some difficult situations in the lives of some folk from south Louisiana, and that is the subject of passe blanc or passing for white. Claude jumped at the opportunity to leave the area so he could live the life he wanted to, as payment for the spirit La Croix to use his body to court Afeme and feel human feelings of the flesh again. She was his star he was her moon. But he could not stay in Claude’s body, but he stayed in spirit to watch over her. She chose death to be reunited with her Mr. Moon. Their love will last forever in the spirit and through their daughter Bijoux.
The Philosopher’s Stone, is the heart. Immortality can be achieved through the trials and testing of the human soul. If love rules out and the heart wins...that is the secret to the Elixir of Life, love!
Blood Ties by Phoenix Daniels
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Secrets are revealed over time!
Since I have south Louisiana creole heritage, it was interesting to read this paranormal story. I don't usually read this genre but since it was situated in New Orleans, I gave it a chance and I'm glad I did. Ms Daniels started with the intriguing prologue that set up the story. I loved Enola and Gideon together. At first,she fought who she was becoming but when her friend and daughter where hurt due to her developing powers, she came back home to New Orleans to find out more about herself and family from her dying gran-mere who was getting weaker due to the fact that Enola was getting stronger. Gideon knew when he saw Enola Roux that she was his mate and proceeded to claim her. Enola was equally pulled in by his hypnotic blue eyes.
Gideon and Gabriel Toussaint were alpha and beta werewolves who were in allegiance with the Roux family over the century. Gabriel's mate, Auriette Roux, had been executed over a hundred years prior and he vowed revenge on the Warlock priest responsible. The priest was determined to wipe out the Roux family and the werewolves because of his hatred for them.
Phoenix wrote an intriguing story about hatred lasting through the centuries due to unrequited love, causing a feud that lasted just as long, waiting for the right heroine to come into her own to completely stop it. This was a good read.
Spellbound by Reana Malori
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The magic of the bayou and New Orleans is real.
But, he was already under her spell for two years and did not know it. Levi was too busy trying to protect his heart and raise his daughter Jessica after he and his wife divorced and she abandoned them. He and his daughter fell in love with Theresa but he refused to listen to his heart. Theresa, on the other hand only saw a playboy and did not want to let her heart be broken. She was coming to the decision that Levi was either going to sh*t or get off the pot. She was no longer comfortable being only friends with benefits, but she loved him. In New Orleans, while at a friend's wedding celebrations, the mysterious Madame Sophie kept popping up in their lives to make them decide once and for all. Theresa was afraid that the love potion was working on Levi but was afraid that his reactions to her in New Orleans would wear off and his feelings were not real. She did not want their friends knowing about their friends with benefits relationship for fear that things would not work out between them and she did not want her friends to pity her. She did not think that love was for her. What she and Levi did not know was that their friends already figured out what was going on anyway and they were only fooling themselves. Levi decided that it was time to come clean and claim Theresa for himself. He wanted what they had in New Orleans for the rest of his life.
Reana wrote a sweet and mysterious love story about two stubborn people who were in love with each other but just too afraid to admit it. Once out of their home element and in the mystique of New Orleans, they were able to spend quality time with each other without Levi having to run home to his daughter. Theresa really did not need a love potion after all. Madame Sophie just helped them to see what was already there. New Orleans just has that magical gris gris.
Love Bites by Twyla Turner
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
When friends are not really friends
That is what Regan Wright found out. In her group of friends, and Ree, as her friends called her, was the only fat chick. The rest of her friends are slender, athletic, or curvy in all the right places. All the appropriate height. From petite to average. They are all officially attached, except her. Most guys avoid her five-foot-eleven Amazonian figure with endless hips and ass, and a size 22 bod. Her size has even alienated her from the honor of being a bridesmaid in her friends Lisa and Ben’s wedding. They all came to NOLA for a combined bachelor/ bachelorette party from Chicago.
She gets her dream squashed when she realized that her five year crush Jake, can not live up to her fantasies of him with the one night stand. She’d given up on love and just decided she’d be happy just being the crazy old cat lady. Madame Serfine, the spiritual adviser, medium, healer and potion maker, knew exactly what she needed when Regan entered her shop. He knew on sight that Ree was the perfect person for a special customer of hers. Royce Arnaud, the owner of the Empyreal, a special mysterious members only club, was drawn to Ree like a moth to a flame. They were each other’s soul mates. Just one bite from Royce and she could see the black souls that her so called friends harbored.
I enjoyed reading this story, since I am a woman of a particular size myself. It was nice to read that the plus sized woman gets the hottie that everyone wants.
When The Beautiful Awake by Angela Kay Austin
Falling for the Reaper by Adrienne D’nelle Ruvalcaba
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love is eternal
I loved this story. It was heartbreaking to read that the two beings were willing to sacrifice their own personal existence for the sake that the one they loved would live a better life. Even though Viggo Bronlund’s father was responsible for illegally putting a young Seraphina in servitude to the Reaper, she was still willing to help out Ivan Bronlund get his mate back. The love that Vigo and Sera had lasted through time even Ivan had wiped all of their childhood memories of each other. Love never dies, it may be buried or hidden but it never dies. That is what Viggo and Seraphine proved to all, even to the hard hearted Ivan, who turned out to be heartbroken on the death of his won mate.
His To Claim by Stephanie Morris
⭐⭐⭐
When you are mated you are mated!
They Pierre Mercier knew on sight that Serafine Hardy was his mate when he saw her at the Primal Lounge in the French Quarters. There was only one problem, she was human and did not believe in paranormal shifters. She was turned on by an unexplainable draw she had to him and decided she would give in to her curiosity after a soulburning kiss he gave her. And that was it, amost.
I’m not a big fan of paranormal stories but they are growing on me. When I do read them, I do enjoy reading about shifting wolves and this one was enjoyable.
Warlocks: The Creole Coven by Latrivia Welch
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
All is revealed!
What was hidden for Toni St John about her life is revealed to her. She knew of her adoption and had no need to find her natural parents until strange things started happened in New Orleans at the New Bourbon Hotel. She felt this strange pull to its owner Jericho Laveau. As she di the investigations for her newspaper article, disturbing resemblances were seen between she and the 4 girls that committed suicide. Until Jericho’s brother Jules removed the blind spot from her mind to enhance her insight to what was going on. It was not until Jericho’s father Lafayette and other brothers cast a spell that Toni found out what and where her true nature and gifts came from and whom she was destined to be.
Latrivia wrote a very interesting well plotted mysterious paranormal story that held my attention through out.
toasted_coconut_plans's review
5.0
Why did it have to end? Now I am TRULY going to have some withdrawal. Phoenix Daniels can weave a story a cast a spell on her readers. I thoroughly enjoyed this story ~ Smooches 💋
breaking_the_epigraph's review
4.0
This is my review and how I see each story in this anthology. Each author brought something uniquely different to this collection of stories. While some stories were some I would like to see more of, others were not my cup of tea. An author provided a free copy of this work in exchange for an honest review. This is my review and how I see it.
The Beast Within - Laverne Thompson
Rated: 4.5 Stars
Date read: August 2, 2017
Two families intertwined by an act that no one really knows the entire story behind their connection. The males of one family despicable act led to a curse to last the ages and could only be broken by a descendant of the family who placed the curse. Cable and Lissette felt a pull toward each other like they had never felt before. One night in Cable's club we change their lives and set them on a course of love they never expected to find. Where is good, evil always lives in the shadows...and there is one such evil that will do everything in his power to make sure that Cable is out of the way and he can have Lissette all to himself...whether she wants him or not.
In Another Time - Sage Young
Rated: 4.5 Stars
Date read: August 2, 2017
The story proved that love does not know time nor color. Jasper and Clarissa were robbed of a life of love by a jealous and evil woman. They met during a time where their union in the eyes of certain people would be an abomination. Yet, the Jasper met the woman of his dreams in Clarissa and desired to have her even though his parents have pledged him to another. Their love would be short lived due to jealous and the young lovers would be separated in death be a wicked soul. Some two hundred years later, by fate, they would meet again and not understand the pull toward each other. As Charlotte tried to fight against her attraction to James, there are dark forces afoot. Will love conquer all or will evil finally win the day?
The Elixir of Life, Legacy: Origin - S. Campbell Williams
Rated: 1 Star
Dates read: August 2-3, 2017
I had a hard time with this story. The deity that the lead female character appealed too played a game with her life in such a way that she almost entered a life that she vowed never to participate. They played with her life like it was a toy and theirs to do with as they pleased and gave no thought to whether or not she would survive the outcome of their little wager.
Blood Ties - Phoenix Daniels
Rated: 4.5 stars
Dates read: August 3, 2017
I love a good book by this author...I mean she can write her assets off. At first, I thought this was going to be on of those reincarnation type of stories; however, it wasn't that is was so much more. A police dispatcher rushes to NOLA to see about her grandmother as she is told she is ill and may not have long to live. While home her life as she knows it changes and she high tales it back to Chicago. Even though she saw vampires and a werewolf she refuses to believe in their existence. Things happen which drive her back to NOLA and from there, things start to get very interesting...! You have got to read this story to find out what happens next.
Spellbound - Reana Malori
Rated: 4.5 stars
Dates read: August 3-4, 2017
This story puts me in the mind of "be careful of what you wish for because you just might get it." Two lovers what the same thing, but they are both hesitant about going after what they each so desperately want. This is until a trip to NOLA for a mutual friends wedding and each is drawn to Madam Sophie's shop. I could feel the pain and the anguish of rolling off the character.
Love Bites - Twyla Turner
Rated: 4.5 stars
Dates read: August 6, 2017
Something new and different from author Twyla Turner's story Love Bites takes a new spin on love in the paranormal. This is a well-developed story, it took on the main character from thinking she was chasing Mr. Right who was so very wrong and friends that were really frienemies. This story just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover and those with outer-beauty can be just as ugly within.
When the Beautiful Awake - Angela Kay Austin
Rated: 1 star
Dates read: August 7, 2017
This is the first read for me by this author and a very disappointing read for me. This story had a lot going on with it and became hard for me to follow the plot. In my opinion the title "When the Beautiful Awake" did not fit the story line. I can say that I will continue with the rest of this story.
Falling for the Reaper - Adrienne D’nelle Ruvalcaba
Rated: 3 stars
Dates read: August 7-11, 2017
This is the first read for me by this author. It was good but not great, the flow of the story was hard to follow as one scene flowed right into another without a break in between and because of this, I struggled reading this story. This story is about a young girl that is tricked into an eternity of servitude and she is tricked mad me a little angry. When she goes to guide a soul into the afterlife she comes across her soulmate and things start to take an interesting turn for them both. This story is not without its heartbreak, moments of sadness for the heroine and unexpected happy ending.
His to Claim - Stephanie Morris
Rated: 4 stars
Dates read: August 11-12, 2017
His to Claim was a good read that could have been better especially with the paranormal aspect of this story. What I found to be unrealistic about this story is that the heroine using paranormal romance book provided by her friend to prepare her for potentially meeting a shifter of any kind.
I rated this story four stars because it is a good story that could have been better than it was. The heroine's reaction when he turned in a wolf before her eyes were way too anti-climatic, but her disbelief at believing that it was real even though he told her and her friend told her and she saw for herself when he changed...her denial was real. I may read the rest of the books in the Mated series to see how the other book s pan out.
Warlocks: The Creole Coven - Latrivia Welch
Rated: 4.5 stars
Dates read: September 2-3, 2017
I missed this story somehow when I read the others. What a story and something different from author Latrivia Welch. A reporter chasing a story of mysterious deaths of four women based off of information she received mysteriously heads down to NOLA. She checks into the New Bourbon Hotel the scene of the deaths. She finds more than she bargains for in the mysterious hotel owners son and the information she uncovers has she seeks answers during her interviews with the locals and the families of the four women.
I really wish there were more to this book. This book is for anyone who likes a good paranormal story of unexpected discovery.
This is my review and how I see it.
The Beast Within - Laverne Thompson
Rated: 4.5 Stars
Date read: August 2, 2017
Two families intertwined by an act that no one really knows the entire story behind their connection. The males of one family despicable act led to a curse to last the ages and could only be broken by a descendant of the family who placed the curse. Cable and Lissette felt a pull toward each other like they had never felt before. One night in Cable's club we change their lives and set them on a course of love they never expected to find. Where is good, evil always lives in the shadows...and there is one such evil that will do everything in his power to make sure that Cable is out of the way and he can have Lissette all to himself...whether she wants him or not.
In Another Time - Sage Young
Rated: 4.5 Stars
Date read: August 2, 2017
The story proved that love does not know time nor color. Jasper and Clarissa were robbed of a life of love by a jealous and evil woman. They met during a time where their union in the eyes of certain people would be an abomination. Yet, the Jasper met the woman of his dreams in Clarissa and desired to have her even though his parents have pledged him to another. Their love would be short lived due to jealous and the young lovers would be separated in death be a wicked soul. Some two hundred years later, by fate, they would meet again and not understand the pull toward each other. As Charlotte tried to fight against her attraction to James, there are dark forces afoot. Will love conquer all or will evil finally win the day?
The Elixir of Life, Legacy: Origin - S. Campbell Williams
Rated: 1 Star
Dates read: August 2-3, 2017
I had a hard time with this story. The deity that the lead female character appealed too played a game with her life in such a way that she almost entered a life that she vowed never to participate. They played with her life like it was a toy and theirs to do with as they pleased and gave no thought to whether or not she would survive the outcome of their little wager.
Blood Ties - Phoenix Daniels
Rated: 4.5 stars
Dates read: August 3, 2017
I love a good book by this author...I mean she can write her assets off. At first, I thought this was going to be on of those reincarnation type of stories; however, it wasn't that is was so much more. A police dispatcher rushes to NOLA to see about her grandmother as she is told she is ill and may not have long to live. While home her life as she knows it changes and she high tales it back to Chicago. Even though she saw vampires and a werewolf she refuses to believe in their existence. Things happen which drive her back to NOLA and from there, things start to get very interesting...! You have got to read this story to find out what happens next.
Spellbound - Reana Malori
Rated: 4.5 stars
Dates read: August 3-4, 2017
This story puts me in the mind of "be careful of what you wish for because you just might get it." Two lovers what the same thing, but they are both hesitant about going after what they each so desperately want. This is until a trip to NOLA for a mutual friends wedding and each is drawn to Madam Sophie's shop. I could feel the pain and the anguish of rolling off the character.
Love Bites - Twyla Turner
Rated: 4.5 stars
Dates read: August 6, 2017
Something new and different from author Twyla Turner's story Love Bites takes a new spin on love in the paranormal. This is a well-developed story, it took on the main character from thinking she was chasing Mr. Right who was so very wrong and friends that were really frienemies. This story just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover and those with outer-beauty can be just as ugly within.
When the Beautiful Awake - Angela Kay Austin
Rated: 1 star
Dates read: August 7, 2017
This is the first read for me by this author and a very disappointing read for me. This story had a lot going on with it and became hard for me to follow the plot. In my opinion the title "When the Beautiful Awake" did not fit the story line. I can say that I will continue with the rest of this story.
Falling for the Reaper - Adrienne D’nelle Ruvalcaba
Rated: 3 stars
Dates read: August 7-11, 2017
This is the first read for me by this author. It was good but not great, the flow of the story was hard to follow as one scene flowed right into another without a break in between and because of this, I struggled reading this story. This story is about a young girl that is tricked into an eternity of servitude and she is tricked mad me a little angry. When she goes to guide a soul into the afterlife she comes across her soulmate and things start to take an interesting turn for them both. This story is not without its heartbreak, moments of sadness for the heroine and unexpected happy ending.
His to Claim - Stephanie Morris
Rated: 4 stars
Dates read: August 11-12, 2017
His to Claim was a good read that could have been better especially with the paranormal aspect of this story. What I found to be unrealistic about this story is that the heroine using paranormal romance book provided by her friend to prepare her for potentially meeting a shifter of any kind.
I rated this story four stars because it is a good story that could have been better than it was. The heroine's reaction when he turned in a wolf before her eyes were way too anti-climatic, but her disbelief at believing that it was real even though he told her and her friend told her and she saw for herself when he changed...her denial was real. I may read the rest of the books in the Mated series to see how the other book s pan out.
Warlocks: The Creole Coven - Latrivia Welch
Rated: 4.5 stars
Dates read: September 2-3, 2017
I missed this story somehow when I read the others. What a story and something different from author Latrivia Welch. A reporter chasing a story of mysterious deaths of four women based off of information she received mysteriously heads down to NOLA. She checks into the New Bourbon Hotel the scene of the deaths. She finds more than she bargains for in the mysterious hotel owners son and the information she uncovers has she seeks answers during her interviews with the locals and the families of the four women.
I really wish there were more to this book. This book is for anyone who likes a good paranormal story of unexpected discovery.
This is my review and how I see it.
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