Review: Wild Wolf Mate by Dianna Love

Wild Wolf Mate by Dianna Love
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review.

This follows Adrian who we met in book two as he was struggling to control his wolf.  After sort of coming to a workable agreement to stay under control Adrian and Mad Red begin going on missions again.  This time Adrian is working on a personal mission trying to figure out who murdered the brother of a friend.  When he comes across an old acquaintance from a previous mission, he doesn't understand how she can be the culprit.  Wanting to give Jaz, another wolf shifter, the opportunity to tell her side of the story and clear her name, Adrian and his wolf find that they not only believe her, but they are drawn to her and her wolf.  Jaz on the other hand, is on a mission of her own to prove that she isn't a cold blooded killer, and to find out why women in the area are being kidnapped.  She and her wolf are also drawn to Adrian and Red, but she doesn't want him to get drawn into what she's got going on.  When the Guardian tasks Adrian and the Gallize to find out what is going on in the area, he finds himself tangled in the same tangled plot as Jaz.  Torn between duty to his job and his sense of wanting to protect Jaz, Adrian and Red find themselves in a fight for their sanity to save both. 

There is alot going on in this book, and I really enjoyed the ride.  Not only was there a pretty steamy romance between the two main characters, there was a fairly suspenseful plot.  With most of the Gallize shifters, it is the case of insta-love/insta-lust.  In this case Jaz and Adrian knew each other previously, so it felt like they came crashing together fairly quickly.  I think had I read the previous book I might feel differently.  The character development was good.   Both Adrian and Jaz have a lot of baggage, and they deal with quite a bit of it throughout the story.  I will say parts of the story left me confused at times, but by the end all was made clear.  Like I said there is a lot going on and there are quite a few characters to keep track of throughout, but I felt like the story wrapped up with a pretty clear understanding of who was who and what happened from start to finish.  I found this hard to put down because I had to know how things were going to work out for Adrian and Red and Adrian and Jaz.

This is book 5 in the series, and while it is a standalone, I would recommend reading the previous books in the series so you have some of the background of the two main characters prior to starting this.  I have read books 1 & 2, but skipped 3 & 4.  While it is not necessary and the author does a great job giving you enough of the backstory for you to follow along without having read the prior books, I kept wondering what I missed by skipping out on those two books.  As the book progresses, you do get all of the information you need to put all of the pieces together without having read all of the prior books, but I still recommend reading them.  On a positive note, I'm now hooked on this series and want to go back and read the books I've missed because I really like this series and the characters.  I'm very much looking forward to future books with these characters especially some of the mysterious characters we met in this book. 

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Review: League of Gallize Shifters: Box Set One by Dianna Love

League of Gallize Shifters: Box Set One by Dianna Love
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is for both Gray Wolf Mate and Mating a Grizzly. I really enjoyed this boxed set. Since this is a review of both books, I'll review some of the things I that were common in both then review each book individually.

Both books are standalones, but are part of a larger shifter universe that has a common cast of characters with some interwoven plotlines. The box set, ebook and audio, includes books 1 and 2 of the series and you could have read book 2 without having read book 1. The author does a great job explaining the mythology behind the Gallize Shifters and the background you need to pick up the second book without having read the first. I hope this continues with the rest of the series. I'm not a new reader of Dianna Love's and she's always done a good job making sure there is continuity within the series.  I'll let you know if that continues, as I have book 5 which comes out on the

Both of these books get pretty steamy at times so if you are looking for a good paranormal romance with some heat, check this series out. This series is a bit different than other shifter series as not all of the characters shift into the same animal and the animals they turn into have their own personalities. I thought that was a nice touch and something different that you don't normally see in PNR. Both the shifter and their animal have to develop as characters through the story and I thought Love did a really good job making sure the personality of the human and the animal side got ample time for the reader to get to know them and develop. I also appreciate that the women in this story are just as powerful as the men. So far they each have abilities and strengths of their own as well as being intelligent and fierce. The couples compliment each other and make each other stronger.

Gray Wolf Mate - This is a second chance romance featuring a wolf shifter, Cole. Cole belongs to a sort of black ops organization of elite shifters who have powers above and beyond the normal shifter. His college sweetheart, Tess, works for a government organization that studies shifters in an attempt to protect humans. Tess is an extremely fair person so she wants to make sure that the law extends to shifters as well as humans. Cole left her when he found out he was a shifter, knowing that would not sit well with her family. Neither of them have gotten over each other, so when a case brings them back together they have to work together to solve the case and work through their feelings for each other.

Mating a Grizzly - This was actually my favorite of the two books. The narrator did a better job distinguishing between the characters in my opinion than in the first book. There was also a lot more humor in this book than the first one. The bear personalities of Justin and Elianna added some whimsy to the book that really came through in the narration. As you can tell Justin and Elianna are both bear shifters. He works with Cole from book 1 as a member of the Gallize, that black ops elite special forces group of shifters. Elianna is a bastard and an outcast because of her mixed blood. She makes a deal with her father to move to America to protect her brother, and Justin is tasked with protecting her. The two of them immediately don't get along because of their preconceived notions about one another, but they quickly have to get over their issues when it becomes clear that someone is after Elianna.

I really enjoyed this boxed set. I had a hard time putting it down once I got started with the audiobook. I think I listened to both books in 2 days. I'm looking forward to catching up on the rest of the series and finding out about the other members of the Gallize and their mates.

I was provided an audible code in exchange for an honest review. 

The boxset ebook is currently free on most platforms for the remainder of April, so go grab it and check out this entertaining shifter series.

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Blog Tour: SHADOWS by Kristen Proby

“Shadows had it all—a chilling villain, witches, spells, and a captivating romance!” - Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author

Shadows, an all-new spine-tingling paranormal romance from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby, is available now!

I am never alone. Not even when I am alone.

I see the unquiet dead, the souls that wander through the French Quarter.

They can’t move on, and I can’t stop seeing them.

I wear malachite for protection, and I control what I let in. It’s the only way to stay sane. Everything changes the day Cassian Winslow joins my ghost walking tour and knocks my world off its axis with green eyes the color of the stone around my neck.

An unspeakable evil is loose in New Orleans, taking young women and leaving a bloodbath in his wake. More shadows lurking for me. More unhappy dead. There might be a way to stop it.

Open myself up to Cassian.

If I do, it could spell his death.

But if I don’t, it’s mine.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ZLVNmx

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2l9jw1y

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Shadows

Nook: http://bit.ly/2kjVr87

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2m17Eix

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/31JzfUA

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2lErqQk

Excerpt

“As I was about to walk down the street, I turned, and there was a shadow on the sidewalk. Just standing there. I’ve never seen her before.”

“Her?”

“Yeah, she was about my height. Very feminine.”

“Did she say anything?”

“Not that I heard. It just threw me because you know how careful I am about my route. I don’t like surprises, especially not like this. It’s creepy as hell. And, yes, I know I should be used to it by now, but—”

“It’s creepy, like you said.” She leans on the counter and bites her lip, thinking. “It probably means that someone recently died there.”

“I know that.”

“And now it’s a new spirit on your tour. Too bad she didn’t say anything. If she did, you could add it to your show. Could be fun. ‘Lucy was killed in this building three days ago, and her spirit now wanders the sidewalk in front of her former home.’”

“Talk about creepy.”

I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. “Did you sweep this area recently?”

“Is the floor dirty?”

I look at her as if she’s being obtuse on purpose. “You know what I mean.”

“It’s been about a week.”

“You need to do it again.”

Millie frowns, looking around the space. Her shields are as strong as mine, maybe stronger because she doesn’t just see the dead, she feels them, and that’s much more dangerous.

She fiddles with the amethyst around her neck.

“What do you see?”

I narrow my eyes. “I shouldn’t tell you.”

“I don’t want to look, Bri. I dropped my guard for just a second earlier and was slammed with the pervy thoughts of a nineteen-year-old college kid who couldn’t take his eyes off my ass. So, just tell me. Is it the little girl again?”

“Yeah. And she brought a friend.” I reach over to take my sister’s hand. “Don’t drop your shields anymore, Mill. Not for a minute. Ever. I know we live and work here in the Quarter because it’s where we make our living, but it could really hurt us.”

“I know.”

“I couldn’t bear it if I lost you, too.”

About Kristen Proby

Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.

During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops, and more mornings than she can count up before the dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike, but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.

Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.

Connect with Kristen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByKristenProby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Handbagjunkie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenproby/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristen-proby
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kBRdpj
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BD4vfq
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/handbagjunkie/
Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/
Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/kristenproby/newsletter-sign-up

Release Blitz: Shadows by Kristen Proby

"Gripping, unique, and just enough scary to make you jump when you hear a loud noise--Shadows is the perfect blend of paranormal and contemporary romance!" -- Rachel Van Dyken, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Shadows, an all-new chilling and must read paranormal romance from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby, is available now!

I am never alone. Not even when I am alone.

I see the unquiet dead, the souls that wander through the French Quarter.

They can’t move on, and I can’t stop seeing them.

I wear malachite for protection, and I control what I let in. It’s the only way to stay sane. Everything changes the day Cassian Winslow joins my ghost walking tour and knocks my world off its axis with green eyes the color of the stone around my neck.

An unspeakable evil is loose in New Orleans, taking young women and leaving a bloodbath in his wake. More shadows lurking for me. More unhappy dead. There might be a way to stop it.

Open myself up to Cassian.

If I do, it could spell his death.

But if I don’t, it’s mine.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ZLVNmx

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2l9jw1y

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Shadows

Nook: http://bit.ly/2kjVr87

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2m17Eix

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/31JzfUA

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2lErqQk

About Kristen Proby

Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.

During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops, and more mornings than she can count up before the dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike, but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.

Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.

Connect with Kristen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByKristenProby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Handbagjunkie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenproby/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristen-proby
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kBRdpj
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BD4vfq
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/handbagjunkie/
Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/
Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/kristenproby/newsletter-sign-up

Review: Shadows by Kristen Proby

Shadows by Kristen Proby
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fairly dark paranormal romance with a pretty creepy thriller element. I'm looking forward to the next installment. Each book in the trilogy is set to follow one of three sisters as the main character.

This one focuses on the eldest sister who sees the dead as shadows. When the shadows begin following her and haunting her dreams, she knows that she has to help them somehow. She teams up with a handsome FBI agent who happened to be on one of her ghost tours of the city and helps her discover that she's is the ultimate target of a serial killer. They have an insta-love connection, which I could have done without. While the romance worked, I wanted more of the paranormal with the sisters and the other witches. While the romance element was nice, I'm not a fan of insta-love as a preference and it just happened way to quickly for my taste. I really enjoyed the thriller element to this story. It really pushed the limits dark and disturbing. It is perfect for this time of year. That being said I don't want to give anything away because the paranormal part reads like a thriller and I really enjoyed that part. As a big fan of thrillers it gets a thumbs up from me and I can't wait to see what is in store for the sisters in the next installment.

This was my first book by Kristen Proby and I'll be checking out more by her. I'd like to read her actual romance works as I enjoyed her writing style and her characters. I think in this case the romance was overshadowed by the thriller element (which I loved), and I'd really like to see what one of her fully developed romances looks like. For her first go at a paranormal romance this is a great PNR debut.

I'd stay away from this if you don't like gruesome stuff as parts of this are pretty twisted and violent. If that stuff doesn't bother you, pick this up it is a page turner for sure and you won't want to put it down!

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Blog Tour War of Hearts by S. Young

War of Hearts by S. Young

Release Date: October 1, 2019

War of Hearts, an all-new adult paranormal romance by New York Times bestselling author S. Young.

Thea Quinn has no idea what she is. All she knows is that her abilities have been a plague upon her life since she was a child. After years of suffering at the hands of a megalomaniac, Thea escaped and has been on the run ever since.

The leadership and protection of his pack are of the utmost importance to Conall MacLennan, Alpha and Chief of Clan MacLennan, the last werewolf pack in Scotland. Which is why watching his sister slowly die of a lycanthropic disease is emotional torture. When Conall is approached by a businessman who offers a cure for his sister in exchange for the use of Conall’s rare tracking ability, Conall forges an unbreakable contract with him. He has to find and retrieve the key to the cure: dangerous murderer, Thea Quinn.

Thea’s attempts to evade the ruthless werewolf are not only thwarted by the Alpha, but by outside dangers. With no choice but to rely on one another for survival, truths are revealed, intensifying a passionate connection they both fight to resist. At war with themselves and each other, Conall and Thea’s journey to Scotland forces them to face a heartrending choice between love and betrayal.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2vKc7HI

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/SYoungWoH

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2Ukhdby

Nook: https://bit.ly/2JQ4pFY

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2V2z0Bo

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2D5fVYf

Excerpt:

Stepping back inside the motel room, Thea halted as Conall came out of the bathroom. His height caused a logistical problem for her next move.

Although his color hadn’t fully returned to normal, the wolf was looking much stronger. She didn’t know if she could take him in a fight when he was at full strength, which was more than a little concerning. As if he’d read her mind, he cut her an expressionless look. “You should have left me to die, lass.”

“Probably. I guess I’m just going to have to take the chance you were bluffing.”

He frowned and opened his mouth to question her, but Thea had already made her move.

Before he could comprehend it, she was on the bed behind him and reaching for his head before his weakened reflexes could catch up.

The crack of his neck echoed around the room, causing a sick lurch in Thea’s stomach.

For some reason, stupid tears stung her eyes as she watched his body hit the ground with an almighty thud. Why should she care? It wasn’t like he was dead. She’d knocked him out. For … however long he took to heal.

And he had stuck her with that goddamn injection.

Speaking of …

Thea jumped off the mattress, avoiding Conall’s body. Earlier when she’d been treating his wounds, she’d spied the syringes in the first aid kit. Grabbing them, Thea hurried out of the motel room and toward the fields beyond. Quickly she dug a hole with her bare hands and buried the syringes. Hurrying back, she avoided staring at Conall because he looked very much dead.

She grabbed his wallet and as she took his money, leaving him his credit cards, a folded-up photograph caught her attention. Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled it out. Smoothing her fingers across the picture, she spotted who she thought was Conall only to realize it wasn’t. The man who looked like him was standing next to a much younger Conall, and Thea deduced it was his father. The younger Conall had his arm around the waist of a small, redheaded girl buried into his side. And beside the man she’d mistaken for Conall was a beautiful redheaded woman.

Was this Conall and his family?

They were standing on a rocky beach, a beautiful lake and mountains behind them.

Thea wondered which one of them was sick. Which of these people was he willing to sacrifice her for?

Memories of her own parents swelled in her throat, burning and screaming to get out. But Thea shoved them back down as she shoved the photograph into his wallet.

There were times she pulled those memories out and let herself swim in the pain because it was worth it to remember the happy moments.

But now was not the time.

With a ruthless supernatural sure to wake up from a broken neck wanting to kill her, and some unknown entity out there hunting her too, now was very much the time to go.

About S. Young:

Samantha Young is a New York Times and #1 International bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. On Dublin Street was Samantha's first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in thirty countries. She has since published over thirteen romance titles including the New York Times Bestsellers Into the Deep, Hero, and her most recent contemporary romance Fight or Flight. When writing Adult Paranormal romance she writes under the pen name S. Young.

Connect with S. Young:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSamanthaYoung/

Website – http://authorsamanthayoung.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authorsamanthayoung/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AuthorSamYoung

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.co.uk/samyoungauthor/

Email – authorsamanthayoung@gmail.com

Amazon - http://amzn.to/2H47kEP

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/2FWgYdn

Bookbub - http://bit.ly/2D241eO

Release Blitz War of Hearts by S. Young

“An excellently written paranormal, engrossing and addicting.” #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken

War of Hearts, an all-new adult paranormal romance by New York Times bestselling author S. Young is LIVE!

Thea Quinn has no idea what she is. All she knows is that her abilities have been a plague upon her life since she was a child. After years of suffering at the hands of a megalomaniac, Thea escaped and has been on the run ever since.

The leadership and protection of his pack are of the utmost importance to Conall MacLennan, Alpha and Chief of Clan MacLennan, the last werewolf pack in Scotland. Which is why watching his sister slowly die of a lycanthropic disease is emotional torture. When Conall is approached by a businessman who offers a cure for his sister in exchange for the use of Conall’s rare tracking ability, Conall forges an unbreakable contract with him. He has to find and retrieve the key to the cure: dangerous murderer, Thea Quinn.

Thea’s attempts to evade the ruthless werewolf are not only thwarted by the Alpha, but by outside dangers. With no choice but to rely on one another for survival, truths are revealed, intensifying a passionate connection they both fight to resist. At war with themselves and each other, Conall and Thea’s journey to Scotland forces them to face a heartrending choice between love and betrayal.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2vKc7HI

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/SYoungWoH

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2Ukhdby

Nook: https://bit.ly/2JQ4pFY

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2V2z0Bo

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2D5fVYf

About S. Young:

Samantha Young is a New York Times and #1 International bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. On Dublin Street was Samantha's first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in thirty countries. She has since published over thirteen romance titles including the New York Times Bestsellers Into the Deep, Hero, and her most recent contemporary romance Fight or Flight. When writing Adult Paranormal romance she writes under the pen name S. Young.

Connect with S. Young:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSamanthaYoung/

Website – http://authorsamanthayoung.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authorsamanthayoung/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AuthorSamYoung

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.co.uk/samyoungauthor/

Email – authorsamanthayoung@gmail.com

Amazon - http://amzn.to/2H47kEP

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/2FWgYdn

Bookbub - http://bit.ly/2D241eO

Review: War of Hearts by S.Young

War of Hearts by S. Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an advanced review copy via the author in exchange for an honest review.  This book will be published on October 1, 2019

It is no secret that Samantha aka S. Young is one of my favorite authors. I'm so glad that she's writing paranormal romance again. I discovered her writing when she was writing YA paranormal and this is a merging of the YA urban fantasy, paranormal, and romance that she does so well. This book is adult much like her more recent contemporary romance novels, but it blends really well with the fantasy and paranormal elements that's she's written in her YA books.

This story follows Thea Quinn, a girl on the run from her adoptive father because he wants to use her. Thea is a paranormal of unknown origins and she has unique abilities even for someone of the supernatural world. Her adoptive father Ashforth approaches Conall, a Scottish werewolf chieftain with who also has a unique tracking ability to find her and bring her back. They make a bargain, and Conall quickly finds Thea's latest hiding spot. Conall has been told that she is a dangerous killer, but when she shows compassion and respect for life, Ashforth's story doesn't seem to add up. As Conall gets to know her real story, a bond begins to form between Thea and Conall as more than one group tries to stop them from getting back to Scotland and Ashforth. Conall is determined to help her find out her true origins and well this is a romance so you know he eventually decides to protect her instead of turning her over to the bad guy.

I really loved this. Thea is a great loner type character and I really enjoyed watching her develop from a standoffish, self sufficient, untrusting character to someone who knows she can't and doesn't want to continue on alone. While their relationship develops quickly, it has all of the banter and tension that you want from a romance. Conall pushes her to open up about her life and experiences but he is respectful and isn't overbearing. She tries to be selfish and he won't let her. I really loved their dynamic. I also really enjoyed the side characters.

While this was a standalone, it was definitely left open for more books. I do hope that the series continues. I would like to see more in the series or just in the genre from Sam.

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