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Uncaged Review: Rescued by the Vampire Outlaw by Jenna Barwin

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Rescued by the Vampire Outlaw
Jenna Barwin
Paranormal Romance

COLIN
Seeing her again tears me apart. Four years have passed, and I still love her as fiercely as the day she walked away. But my vampire community has given me one job: rescue her.

A catastrophic typhoon is racing toward the California coast. To save her life, I have no choice but to abduct her—because she’ll never believe the truth in time.

NAMI
I wake screaming. There’s a man in my room. Then I realize who it is. My ex-boyfriend who believes he’s a vampire.

Part of me still loves him. But I can’t build a life with someone who’s delusional.

Yet if I don’t find a way to escape, I may lose more than my freedom—because my very heart is at risk…

Uncaged Review: This is a short novella, a prequel in the Dark Wine vampire world, and since I’ve read this author’s works before, I understood the back story, but even if you are new to this author, this book gets you into the loop pretty quickly and I don’t feel a new reader would be lost at all.

There is a huge storm coming and it’s not going to only strike California, it’s going to change the weather for good and Colin is tasked with saving Nami because of her scientific knowledge and would be a good addition to the Dome populations that are going up to protect the supernatural and humans alike. These Domes are going up all over the world, but not everyone will survive, so Colin must race to get Nami to safety, although they broke up four years ago because she thought he was delusional when he told her he was a vampire. But Colin won’t take no for an answer and will do whatever he has to, to get Nami to safety.

This is a fast book, introduces you to this world, and I read this in one short sitting. But unlike most novellas, I was drawn into the book almost immediately and enjoyed Colin’s accent and mannerisms. I think this is a great way to introduce this world and this author.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Realms of Dreams & Shadows by J. Kenner

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Realms of Dreams & Shadows
J. Kenner
Dark Fantasy Horror

Some nightmares follow you out of the dark.

Cora Lyte knows how she’s going to die. The same way her mother did. Her grandmother. Every woman in her bloodline who closed her eyes and never woke up.

But she’s not dead yet.

Now she’s caught between two men who haunt her in very different ways—Chase, the golden-eyed Hunter sworn to protect her, and Adric, the silver-eyed king of the Nightmare Realm who claims Cora as his bride. One speaks of salvation. One whispers of power. Both ignite something dangerous in her blood.

The veil between realms is thinning, and a prophecy has painted a target on Cora’s back. Her wrong move could unmake reality itself. Chase has sworn to keep her safe. Adric has sworn to make her his. And Cora is falling for them both—even knowing the wrong choice won’t just break her heart. It could shatter the world.

The only thing more dangerous than falling asleep… is falling in love.

Uncaged Review: In this story, the author has developed different realms, and Cora is at the center of the chaos. Nightmares have plagued her family for generations, and when her mother is killed in one of her nightmares, it’s Cora’s turn to carry out this horrifying legacy. At the heart of the dreams is a Hunter and the Nightmare King, and the King wants Cora to be his bride so he can tear down the barriers between realms and control them all (there are 5 total), but the Hunter continually saves her in her dreams and when she meets Chase in real life, she knows that he’s the Hunter in her dreams. During this time, Cora goes to St. Augustine for college and meets Tia, the type of friend she’s never had before.

This book is very intricately detailed and as it went on, some questions were answered, but more popped up. And the whopper of a cliffhanger at the end was a doozy and since this is a new release, I don’t know when the 2nd book will be released. All-in-all, this book is a good beginning (and confusing at times) and it will be great to find the answers in the next book. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

*As of this posting, Book Two has released

Uncaged Review – Blood Ties by Maggie Clare

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Blood Ties
Maggie Clare
Romantic Suspense

The day A.J. Mathison buried his beloved wife, he buried a piece of himself with her. Now, his kids, his friends, and his job are what keep him going. When the sister of a former teammate partners with him on a new project, he’s intrigued. As the two spend their days together, and eventually their nights, A.J. wonders if maybe a second chance at love isn’t so far out of reach after all.

Josie Callahan can’t wait to put her talents to good use as the director of a new healing center for trauma victims, and working beside the smart, sexy, single dad turns out to be an unexpected pleasure. When tragedy strikes, it’s A.J. who helps Josie navigate the darkest of days, and it’s A.J. who makes her feel something other than despair.

Just as the two begin building a life together, danger arrives on their doorstep, but A.J. can’t lose another woman he loves. When Josie is taken, he and the TSI team will do whatever it takes to get her back home.

Uncaged Review: This book started out very emotional, with A.J. burying his wife whom he lost to cancer and he was left with his two children to raise on his own. Then it jumps to one year later, and when she’s asked to head up a new healing center for trauma victims, she’s paired with A.J. The attraction is almost immediate, and within the first few chapters, they were a couple. When Josie is kidnapped, A.J. and his friends (all ex-Navy Seals) will pull out all the stops to find her.

There were some good things about this book, and some things that could have been better. The pacing is good, the characters are likable and even though this is the 5th book in the series, I was never lost, although I do believe some of the characters popping up in this book were the main characters in previous books. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Josie and A.J., and that could have been because they were pushed together so quickly, and there wasn’t even any issues with the children accepting her, almost immediately they treated her like a new mom, which is hard to believe. It would have been more believable if there was some pushback somewhere.

I liked the book, maybe I would have been more invested in these characters if I had read previous books, but if you like romantic suspense, this is a nice easy read.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Hot and Bothered in July by Tabetha Waite

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Hot and Bothered in July
Tabetha Waite
Historical Romance

They say opposites attract, but for two people who come from different worlds, is the impossible—possible?

Reed Carrington is a ne’er-do-well, a former bluecoat who barely made it through school. He was a terror to his tutors and despised sitting inside a stuffy classroom. He would rather be outside wreaking havoc on London’s social elite. Or so he’d thought. Determined to make a name for himself and leave the past behind, he is starting to embrace success, but one day he rescues a beautiful debutante in a pink dress from drowning, and he’s suddenly dubbed a hero by the Brazen Belle.

Miss Sariah Kent doesn’t appreciate all the strictures placed on women in the beau monde. She would rather be independent than be forced to marry simply because it is expected of her to do so. She yearns for more, but she doesn’t know how to obtain that freedom until a blond Adonis breathes new life—and fire—into her blood. In July, when the temperatures are rising in central London, the passion simmering between this rebellious lady and her hot and bothered hero soon become a recipe for love.

Uncaged Review: Miss Sariah Kent doesn’t follow convention or rules. When she decides to go to the Peerless Pond to find out exactly what the thrill is in going there. Sariah had even heard rumors that men parade around shirtless, and she could go there without ruining her reputation. Of course, when Sariah gets there, a mishap happens, and she falls into the pond. Reed Carrington comes to her rescue and saves her. Reed realizes his good deed puts him in more trouble. Sariah isn’t happy with him saving her and yells at him, but it ruins her anyway. Reed proposes another plan to enter into a fake betrothal. Still, with all of this, will Sariah and Reed manage to keep their heads without losing their hearts to each other? I love the frontispiece. It just made me smile thinking about these two characters, their overwhelming passion, and their affection they have for each other.

I wish all books would have this art in them. Besides the art, the story was just perfect! I enjoy novellas that don’t feel like novellas, and the story is complete, which is exactly what this book is. Usually, with novellas, I always crave more, but I didn’t with this book. Miss Sariah Kent did seem a bit snooty, but I could forgive her because she is an upper-class lady and sometimes does not listen to reason, especially when her maid told her not to be laced so tightly that it was difficult to breathe. At the same time, Reed Carrington is just wonderful as the hero. He might not be blue-blooded, but he is a total gentleman despite his roots. Reed also treats Sariah with so much respect, even when she cuts him down or makes fun of him, which I didn’t really like, but I had to keep telling myself that they are from two different classes and that’s the usual treatment. Ms. Tabetha Waite really knows how to write a fantastic book that leaves me breathlessly wanting more!. Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Dragonslayer’s Valkyrie by Jennifer Ivy Walker

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Dragonslayer’s Valkyrie
Jennifer Ivy Walker
Historical Fantasy Romance

Last of the Völsung line of kings descended from Odin, Sigurd is one of the elite Sjórúlfar—the fearsome Sea Wolves of southern Norway. Endowed with the divine blood of the wolf, he seeks glory at the Sólhjarta Summer Solstice Tournament to avenge his father’s death.

Brynhildr, daughter of the Raven King, is the Sun Falcon shieldmaiden and gifted seeress who has glimpsed her fate as a Valkyrie in a seiðr vision. When her father decrees she must wed the tournament’s champion, she summons Freyja for guidance—only to learn her future is bound to Sigurd.

As the Norns tighten the intricate threads of fate, Brynhildr must guide Sigurd toward his destiny as a dragonslayer—by defying the web of wyrd and incurring the wrath of Odin.

Uncaged Review: Such an epic tale both of these characters will undertake to find their way to each other. As daughter of the Raven King, Brynhildr will need to wed a tournament champion, but with her skills as a Falcon Shieldmaiden, she asks that the tournament winner defeat her to win her hand, on the advice of the goddess Freya. As a seer, Brynhildr has foreseen her life as a Valkyrie, but she didn’t count on the love for Sigurd.

This story sweeps a wide arc, and there are many challenges and trials, for both Sigurd and Brynhildr and where I could see this story becoming twice as long as this book is, the author kept a good pace throughout and didn’t skip over any important details, but didn’t skimp either. The descriptions of everything from what they were wearing, to the landscape around them and the food they ate, draws the reader into the story and makes the reader feel like they are a bystander, not just a reader.

On a personal note, my father was a first-generation Swede born in the states, and his middle name was Sigurd. Although he hated the name, I loved the originality of it. If you like the Norse tales mixed with the Vikings and romance, than give this author a try, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Biker Bodyguard by Logan Chance

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Biker Bodyguard
Logan Chance
Dark Romance

Tia November is not the kind of girl who ends up in a motorcycle club compound. She talks to her houseplants, apologizes to vending machines, and once got detention for drawing smiley faces on her algebra test. She’s absolutely not equipped for this.

But someone’s been watching her, her father is terrified, and the only people he trusts to keep her alive are the Royal Bastards of Key West. Specifically their president. Reef “Kraken” Ryder, who is tall and tattooed and looks at her like she’s already his and hasn’t decided whether that’s a problem yet.

Kraken doesn’t do soft. He does control, loyalty, and violence when necessary. He doesn’t do feelings for the smart-mouthed civilian sleeping in his bed while his club is under attack and a cartel is closing in.

He’s doing a terrible job of not doing feelings.

The Biker Bodyguard is a spicy MC romance about a dangerous man who didn’t plan to fall, a woman who’s more useful than anyone gives her credit for, and a houseplant named Kevin who survives everything.

Uncaged Review: Tia is brought to the Royal Bastards for protection by her father, Gunny. In the beginning she comes off as a bit of an airhead, but as the story progresses, we see the genius in her work by tracking trends in computer networks and she’s discovered some anomalies she shouldn’t have and now has a target on her back. Kraken, the leader of the Key West chapter of the Royal Bastards takes her under his protection and soon finds it’s hard to resist her.

I wasn’t really onboard with the instant attraction that Kraken had for her as it seemed to go against his whole persona as a tough leader of this motorcycle club. As the book went along, I did like Tia more and more, she wasn’t just a pretty face, and she didn’t run into trouble when she shouldn’t like so many other stories do. I didn’t really get to know the side characters much in this book, but I’m sure that may change in future installments. Overall, there was some good danger, suspense, action and very graphic sex scenes. The book had a very good pace and I was pretty well invested within a few chapters and Kevin was a funny touch. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Fated in Blood by L.A. McGinnis

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Fated in Blood
L.A. McGinnis
Paranormal Romance

Bound by blood, divided by destiny.
One bite is all it takes to fall under their spell.
One touch makes me realize—I never want to escape.

I’ve always known vampires were the enemy. But one night, everything goes terribly wrong and I’m forced to make an impossible choice. Perish, or become one of the immortal creatures I despise. I wake up transformed, starving, at the mercy of two dangerously seductive males—Blake Marten and Riordan Graves.

Blake gives me the most memorable night of my life, then throws me away, leaving me wanting more.
Riordan offers me a deal. Drink, survive, and get my revenge on the creature who stole my sister.

We all crave vengeance, and I’ll have mine, hopefully before I lose my soul—and my heart—to my merciless captors.

Uncaged Review: No one does vampires like L.A. McGinnis. The world building, character development and intricate plots are all here, and I expected nothing less and was not disappointed.

Evie is the daughter of a vampire killing family, the Silverwoods. Years of abuse and training has been her life until her sister is kidnapped when they run from the family. Evie s determined to hunt down the vampires that took her and leaves a trail of dead bodies, until she is almost killed and Riordan and Blake enter the picture and end up having to turn her to keep her alive. That of course, doesn’t go well with Evie at first, but as she learns to navigate her new normal, she finds out where her sister is and makes a deal with Riordan and Blake that will help get her back. Unfortunately, she is with a cruel elder vampire and the only way to get her back is to kill him, but that won’t be easy.

I liked the morally grey characters and I am even interested in Malachai, I want to know more of what he’s up to. Obviously this is setting up to be a reverse harem, so we will see how it goes in the future additions. Overall, this book is jam-packed with action in the last third of the book and was hard to put down. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Mesmerized by Nevaeh Ryn

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Mesmerized
Nevaeh Ryn
Bisexual Fiction

“I came to bury my grandmother.”

20-year-old Kamika Suzanna LeBlanc’s heart broke when her grandmother passed away at age 78. With a funeral looming over them, Kamika and her mother, Amia, leave their Miami home for Gaville, the small, enigmatic Louisiana town where her mama grew up. Once the apple of her grandmother’s eyes, her inability to accept her granddaughter’s bisexuality destroyed their relationship, though it doesn’t dull Kamika’s grief. As she navigates her anguish and reflects on her complex relationship with her grandmother, she reconnects with her first love, Larissa Harris, only to find that Larissa has changed in unforeseen ways.

“I didn’t expect to uncover a world of secrets.”

Her situation grows more complicated when Kamika encounters 24-year-old Delaney, Larissa’s mesmerizing older cousin, and a mysterious man named Beau, whose allure is as undeniable as it is dangerous. As if mourning wasn’t challenging enough, secrets start to unravel, unveiling hidden truths about Gaville and her family that turn her world as she knew it upside down. The hits keep coming from all directions, overwhelming her with bullsh*t.

In this tale of love, loss, and discovery, Kamika must navigate old flames, buried emotions, and new attractions while coming to terms with a legacy kept hidden from her. Her summer is anything but dull, but will the new realizations break her, or will she learn to adjust to her newfound knowledge?

Uncaged Review: Kamika came back to bury her Grandmother while doing this she bumps into her ex who invites her to her cousin’s birthday party. Sparks fly and it’s up to Kamika on how she decides to approach this subject. While also sorting through her Grandmother’s belongings, she finds a few home secrets and a whole more set of shady characters. This is book one in the series I found Kamika a very interesting character she was quirky fun and spoke her mind for only being 20 year’s old. I thought she carried herself with some maturity of an older person. My favorite part of the book was the shout out to twilight being a classic movie that really made me laugh! I’m hoping to continue the series of this with book two. Reviewed by Jen

4 Stars

Death Among the Daffodils by Aviva Orr

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Death Among the Daffodils
Aviva Orr
Historical Mystery

A popular, young poet is found dead among the daffodils with his heart cut out. Who could have committed such a heinous crime?

Spring has arrived in the Lake District, and Bridget De Lacey is feeling renewed. After a tumultuous year, filled with loss, murder, and madness, her ancestral home on the shores of Lake Windermere is thriving as an exclusive inn for the wealthy, and her relationship with its new owner, Nate Squires, is blossoming.

The future looks bright for Bridget. Until, early one morning, she steps outside to admire the new bed of blooming daffodils in her garden and makes a horrific discovery. The desecrated body of a young poet, beloved by all, is lying among the flowers. Bridget is devastated by the brutal murder of her friend, but things only get worse when the wrong man is blamed, and the people of her town turn against one of their own.

Bridget and Nate must work quickly to save an innocent man and catch a savage killer. However, as their investigation unfolds, they uncover a web of lies that raises more questions than answers. In the normally peaceful Lake District, tensions rise, violence ensues, and the situation becomes increasingly dangerous as buried secrets surface.

Uncaged Review: At Villa De Lacey Bridget finds the body of her friend George Otis, a poet who’s been brutally murdered. It’s up too Bridget and her friend Nate to find out why and who done it. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone. What I really liked about this book was it was a classic who-done-it kind of book. You follow Bridget and Nate while they follow the clues of course there’s a few things that happen to send them down the wrong trail. This only leads to the charm of the book. I found Bridget and her detective skills quite the accomplishment to the storyline in general I do hope there’s more to this series as it was a delightful read. Reviewed by Jen

4 Stars#

Uncaged Review – Her Grumpy Protector by Logan Chance

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Her Grumpy Protector
Logan Chance
Alpha Male Romance

Banks Hawthorne doesn’t lose.

Not in boardrooms. Not in backroom deals. And definitely not in Halo City—where money talks, secrets kill, and the underbelly has teeth.

But his brothers’ hunt for their missing father drags Banks straight into a blood-slick maze of power players, dirty cops, and men who smile like friends while they sharpen knives behind their backs.

Then she becomes the target.

She’s the one loose end no one saw coming—too brave, too stubborn, and suddenly standing between Banks and the truth. Protecting her should be simple: lock it down, move her somewhere safe, burn anyone who gets close.

Except she doesn’t want saving… and Banks doesn’t know how to want anyone this much.

Halo City wants her silenced. Banks wants her in his arms.

And the moment he claims her, this stops being business.

Because in a city like this, love is leverage— and Banks Hawthorne is about to turn ruthless.

Uncaged Review: This book is part of a multi-book, multi-author series revolving around Halo City. After reading this one, I’m looking forward mostly to the books that this author puts out as the storyline never really ended with a full arc still running. Since the books in the series don’t continue this storyline, I’m looking forward to this author’s contributions.

Banks is part of a group of ex-military brothers, seven in all, and each having a specific specialty. The main arc that is running, is that their father who seems to have faked his death, there are clues showing up that he’s still alive. And two of the brothers were kidnapped. Banks takes on a security detail job that will get him closer to Halo City and closer to find his brothers and his father. The security job is to protect a whistleblower, Anniston. But Banks finds out Anniston’s digging that has gotten her into trouble, coincides with their own work involving their family. Fighting the developing feelings for her, was not what Banks was counting on.

These brothers are smart and damn good at what they do. Watching it all unfold had me completely absorbed in the book and the story and can’t wait to continue on.
Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

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