Thursday, April 25, 2024
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Uncaged Review – Air Born by Rayanne Haines

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Air Born
Rayanne Haines
Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Quinn Taleisin hates secrets, and shadows, and subterfuge. Which is why she still can’t believe she agreed to become a member of the Guardians, an elite force of immortals tasked with keeping the balance between good and evil in the world.

Sounds great, except, to be a guardian you must agree to live in secrecy. Quinn is a wind elemental. Being caged in by secrecy is worse than death for someone like her. She can’t imagine a worse fate—until she’s asked to work with Lachon Findel, the man she holds responsible for her mother’s death and her father’s insanity.

Lachon is the oldest living elemental in the world. Known as Lachon the Law, he’s an earth element; a man who sees the world in black and white, right and wrong. So maybe once, briefly, a hundred years ago she thought he was a good guy. She knew better now. No way would she fall for his savior of the world shtick.

When the dangers of the past catch up with them, Quinn realizes the only way either of them will make it out alive is if she can put the ghosts of the past behind her and finally trust the flesh and blood man in front of her.

Uncaged Review: I’m running out of good words about this series and this author. I wanted a book about Lachon from the first time I met him, and bringing in Quinn just sweetened the deal for me. I knew that I was going to want to dig into Lachon – and so many questions about him and his actions that we learned in past books, we finally get the answers. And a few of the answers may surprise the reader.

You could get away with reading this as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the first two books in the series first – so the reader will learn about this world and the established relationships, and more about our two main characters here. Two people that can’t stand each other are thrown together and the secrets are going to come out. They will need to get over their prejudices and trust each other to live through the danger they are facing. Keep writing Ms. Haines, I’m already having withdrawal symptoms. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Stella of Akrotiri: Origins by Linda Rae Sande

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Stella of Akrotiri: Origins
Linda Rae Sande
Historical Fantasy Romance

Immortality can be a lonely existence, especially when the world is about to implode.

For over six hundred years, Darius of Agremon has fought wars on behalf of those who needed his skills in combat. As a lechagos on Strongili, he spends his days commanding the Minoan coastguardsmen against pirates and marauders. His nights are spent alone, for despite having had wives in the past, he has watched them all grow old and die, childless, as he continues to live.

So when he senses immortality in an olive farmer’s young daughter, Darius bargains to take her to wife when she is old enough to marry.

A foundling, Stella works in her adoptive father’s olive orchard above Akrotiri, climbing the ancient trees to prune and to harvest the strings of pearls from their branches. She fears invaders when she watches flaming arrows arc in the sky, a sign the island is under attack. She worries about how the ground quakes beneath her feet and steam erupts from cracks in the ground. She wonders at the odd tingling sensation she experiences whenever Darius of Agremon is near, a sensation not unlike the one she feels when spending time in the oldest trees.

Unaware of the arrangement her father has made with the lechagos, Stella thinks she has been sold into slavery when Darius comes to claim her. Her youth has been spent admiring the man who helped her father’s olive business thrive. Now she has only contempt for him and his hard-headed manner.

While the earth trembles and a volcano threatens to destroy the island of Strongili, these two will have to forge a relationship that will last far longer than a lifetime—one that must endure an eternity and the disaster that’s about to wipe out the only home Stella has ever known.

Uncaged Review: The second book in this series takes us backwards to how Stella and Darius met. Darius meets Stella when she is a child, but senses her as an Immortal – and is charmed by the young girl who climbs olive trees.

Now this book is a bit of a slower burn and this is a pattern I’ve found consistent with this author – before I even know what’s happened, a couple hours have passed and I’ve been sucked into the story. There is no better way to capture a reader, and Ms. Sande has a special knack of doing that with her stories.

I enjoyed this story and gives us a better background on these characters and I really hope the author will revisit this world in the near future. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Desert Blood by Anna Lowe

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Desert Blood
Anna Lowe
Paranormal/Shifter Romance

She’s on the run…into the arms of forbidden love.
Heather Luth knows nothing about the paranormal world until one awful night changes everything. Now she’s on the run — straight into the arms of forbidden love. Her mind knows better than to fall for a werewolf’s sunny smile and mesmerizing voice, but her heart — and destiny — have other ideas.

On the surface, Cody Hawthorne is warm, witty, and fun, but beneath his carefree facade, Heather sees a real man struggling to break free. Day by day, Heather and Cody grow closer and closer, unable to resist their simmering passion — while day by day, a serial murderer closes in on his prey. Duty fights desire; fear wrestles trust as the human world clashes with the paranormal in a tale of forbidden love.

Uncaged Review: This is the 2nd book in this series, and I think I liked it even better than the first one. Anna Lowe is an author that I can count on consistently for a good read. This book is a quicker read and even though it’s forbidden for Cody to fall in love with a human, resisting Heather is not going to happen for him. But the danger ramps up when a serial killer is on the loose and now seems to be targeting Heather.

Great read, and I’m looking forward to the next one. Get out the tissue boxes for a couple great moments that will steal your heart.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 1/2 Stars

Uncaged Review – Beyond Dead by Jordaina Sydney Robinson

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Beyond Dead
Jordaina Sydney Robinson
Paranormal Cozy Mystery

Dead, snarky heroine? Check. 

Dead, sarcastic BFF? Check. 

Murdered ghost stuffed in a locker? Check.

Death is not what Bridget Sway expected. Not at all.

The afterlife is a mess of bureaucracy littered with nonsensical rules. It’s a fashion disaster for a uniform and a job that doesn’t pay. It’s a heinous communal living situation with housemates who have no concept of privacy or personal space. And it’s a handsome parole officer who is a stickler for those nonsensical rules that no one has bothered to explain.

As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, someone has stuffed a dead ghost in her locker … and the afterlife police are ready to pin the murder on her.

Uncaged Review: This book is off the wall, and not like anything I’ve read before. It took me awhile to really get into the book, it seemed a bit slow in the beginning, but it really does pick up speed and will have you laughing out loud as Bridget tries to solve a mystery that they are trying to pin on her – different ghosts are ending up dead dead in her locker – so she’s breaking all kinds of rules and her guardian Oz has his hands full keeping her out of trouble. But Bridget and her fun sidekick and dead BFF, Sabrina have a mystery to solve and to clear Bridget’s name and it turns into a lot of fun getting there and watching Bridget navigate her new life as a dead person. And you can kill a ghost so that they are dead dead. Who knew? Reviewed by Cyrene

4 1/2 Stars

Uncaged Review – Charming Marjani by Rebecca Rivard

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Charming Marjani
Rebecca Rivard
Paranormal/Shifter Romance

He’s rich, sexy–and part-fae. But she’s a shifter assassin on a mission. She can’t let herself be charmed…

Marjani is the strong, silent second-in-command to her alpha brother. She’s seen too much death, lived through too much darkness. Now her cat threatens to take over, leaving her a cougar in a human body. But before it does, she undertakes one last mission to Iceland.

Fane Morningstar holds a prestigious position as one of the ice fae king’s envoys. But the fae never let him forget he’s not a pureblood. Then he meets Marjani and everything he thought he wanted gets turned on its head. He’d sell his soul for a night with her.

Unfortunately, he just might have to…

Uncaged Review: One of my favorite shifter books this year so far. This is a series book, and this book is the 5th book in the series, and I had no trouble getting used to this world that the author built considering I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series.

The pack believes that the pack alpha’s sister, Marjani is close to going feral and that her cat is beginning to dominate. But Adric believes his sister can make it back from the darkness, and when a message comes from that Corban from a different pack wants to challenge Adric in Iceland, Marjani goes instead, as his second. When she meets Fane, a half fae, the whole plan changes and Jani and Fane won’t be able to deny the attraction. So many feels this book delivers, from anger, to sadness and pity, to laughter and fun. And I may have needed a tissue at the end. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Witch’s Reign by Shannon Mayer

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Witch’s Reign
Shannon Mayer
Urban Fantasy

They think her an underdog against impossible odds…
And she will fight tooth and nail to prove them wrong.

The first in the plot twisting, heart pounding, magic riddled, USA Today bestselling Desert Cursed series.

The Witch’s Reign…a land of eternal, unnatural winter ruled by the Ice Witch. In turn she is guarded by three supernatural creatures who wander her lands hunting for unwary souls, killing any who cross their paths.

To get to the Witch’s Reign, you first must pass through the Dragon’s Ground. Full of dragons, who for the record, do not like trespassers.

This is where I am headed, though my mentor has forbidden me.

My best friend was sent with a team into the Witch’s Reign to recover a powerful jewel that belongs to our mentor, and they are long overdue to come back.

That leaves me, Zamira “Reckless” Wilson to go after my friend. Forbidden or not.

Somehow, I get saddled with a human male tagging along for the ride. A human that is as weak and useless as my own shifting abilities.

Throw in a sentient magical weapon that tries to kill me every time I touch it, and a small dragon that has a penchant for Shakespearean insults, and you’ve got my journey in a nutshell.

May the sands of the desert swallow me whole because this is going to be a damn bumpy ride.

Uncaged Review: This is a really good start to a series, with some twists and turns that you won’t see coming with Zamira – or with Maks, her human partner she’s been saddled with. Nothing is as it seems, so be ready for a lot of one liners that will keep you smiling, and enough action to keep you furiously tapping the next page on your Kindle to see what happens next. And after the dragons come into the storyline, you wonder if it’s going to be another lie that is piled on top of Zam.

I’m not going to blow smoke and tell everyone that I loved the book. I liked it and think it’s a good start, but I’m not head over heels in love with the series….yet. But I’ve always liked Mayer’s writing style in the past, so I’m willing to give myself time and let the series brew a bit longer and see where it takes me. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Beneath Deception by A.L. Long

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Beneath Deception
A.L. Long
Romantic Suspense

Everyone has a story and for Xavier London, he preferred to keep his hidden. As ruthless as he was, he still had morals and those morals included betraying the one man who saved his life. He never thought that meeting one woman could change everything. 

Tessa Sands never knew the truth about her life, nor did she ever question it. The only life she knew was the one she was taught, disciplined by the man who raised and groomed her to be only his. But, when another man entered her life, she slowly begins to discover that she had been deceived from the start.

Can she find true love or will his secrets get in the way?

Their love for each other will be tested. Only they can determine if love will win. 

Uncaged Review: In this book, we have the ultimate playboy Xavier – whom I didn’t really like at all. The way he treated women was stereo-typical bad boy, love ‘em and leave ‘em, lucky if he remembers their name. He somewhat redeems himself in this book after he meets Tessa, who is being brutalized and abused by a powerful man who is also Xavier’s “boss.”

There was a lot of twists and turns, and the chemistry between Xavier and Tessa was the glue that held this together. There was a bit of a disconnect for me with the book, as there seemed to be too many things that weren’t explained, or left me with even more questions. There were also some lost opportunities with the abuse of Tessa that wasn’t all that realistic. But at the end of the book, I did enjoy the story and would definitely recommend this book to romantic suspense lovers. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Lost and the Chosen by Ivy Asher

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Lost and the Chosen
Ivy Asher
Paranormal Romance

My name is Vinna, and I’ve been keeping a lot of secrets.

You would too if you’d experienced some of the weird shit I have: red-eyed monsters chasing me, markings on my body appearing out of nowhere, a strange power that crackles colorfully over my skin from time to time, and don’t get me started on the weapons I can conjure up almost out of nowhere.

Lucky for me, I have yet to meet someone whose ass I couldn’t kick, inside the ring or out. I put that to the test when I run headfirst into a fight that brings all my secrets, and reality as I know it, crashing down around me.

Now, I’m looking for answers and trying to piece together what the hell is going on. Paranormal is my new way of life. It’s not going to be easy, and I’m not exactly welcome.

That is, until I meet the boys, and trust me, they are anything but boyish.

I’m up against elders who think I’m too powerful, a family who views me as a threat, and something lurking in the shadows that’s been coming for me my whole life.

There’s not a chance in hell I’m going down without a fight. I’m not lost anymore, and I’m about to show this world exactly what I can do.

Uncaged Review: This book is touted as a reverse harem, so I was wondering what I was getting myself into, but I was pleasantly surprised. The series could be leading up to being a “more sexy” series, but it’s not overwhelming at all – but you can start to see the build up in this book with the Chosen.

I was hooked. From Vinna to the boys, it’s a good supporting cast – and each character definitely has their own voice – so it’s hard to decide which you like better. The action is non-stop, it does end at a minor cliffhanger – nothing heartwrenching, but there are already three books out in the series. The world building is excellent. The mystery of Vinna and the answers are surprising – specially the reveal at the end – but also left a lot of questions which I look forward to reading. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Oracle by Carissa Andrews

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Oracle
Carissa Andrews
Fantasy

Even the most powerful psychic in the world has her blind spots. 

For the past two-thousand and some odd years, Diana Hawthorne has always been able to see the past, present, and future with near perfect accuracy. Her only blind spot has been herself. The first twenty years of her existence is a complete blank and she doesn’t know why. 

Then she met Blake Wilson. 

Not only is he another blind spot—he’s also a Private Investigator hired to disprove her abilities in order to protect some missing girls they were both tasked with finding. With her psychic gifts on the fritz whenever Blake’s around, everything Diana’s fighting for starts to unravel. 

And worst of all, it’s leading her to the one thing she’s always wanted: the key to her past. 

Can Diana get over her deficiencies and show Blake how gifted she really is? Or will she let the callings of her ancient past cloud her judgment and derail her mission?  

Either way, lives hang in the balance. 

Uncaged Review: This book grabbed a hold of me right away – it’s original, suspenseful and fun. Diana is immortal and can see the past, present and future. She has never met a person that she couldn’t “read” until a private investigator comes along looking for her help. For some reason, Diana finds Blake as her blind spot. This book clicks along well, and the supporting cast is just as fun, the characters all interact very well with some great laugh out loud moments. The author does a great job bringing unique voices to each character.

When Diana and Blake try to break up a child trafficking ring which will lead them to Italy – and Diana and Blake may find out more than they ever thought. The only part that I thought was too perfect was the ending and how everything snapped into place so easily. But it’s easy to root for these characters and I’m looking forward to the next book. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Wylde by S.C. Mitchell

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Wylde
S.C. Mitchell
SciFi

Forced to undergo experimental procedures that grafted wolf DNA into his own and then given super healing powers, Jonathan Wylde wants nothing to do with civilization, preferring instead to run with his wolf pack. A reluctant member of the Xi Force super team, he keeps to himself unless his talents are needed.

Dove Locklear returns home after spending exciting and adventurous weeks with the Xi Force super team, and reconnecting with her childhood friend, John Wylde. But danger lurks in her father’s genetics lab. An agent of Red Guard, with nefarious plans, whisks her away at gunpoint to a secret Russian facility.

When his closest friend, Dove Locklear, is kidnapped, Wylde needs to learn to work with his team if he wants to save her. He knows where they took her, and the danger she’s in. He’ll do whatever it takes to rescue to her, even if that means confronting the man who created him: his father.

Uncaged Review: Third book in the XI Force series but can be read as a standalone. I was hoping this character got his own book. As I found him interesting before when he was briefly mentioned in a previous book. Without spoiling a lot of the story, Wylde is half human with wolf DNA who also has superpowers. Just like a comic or superhero movie. Minding his own business and trying to live his life off the grid. He gets caught up in a whole lot of trouble when some old friends turn up. I really like the author’s use of comics and such in this book and the mention of the superheroes. I’m hoping this won’t be the end of this series or I will be very sad. Reviewed by Jennifer

5 Stars

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