Friday, November 15, 2024
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Uncaged Review – The Pirate Duchess by Rue Allyn

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The Pirate Duchess
Rue Allyn
Scottish Historical

The fate of two strangers collides in a midnight brawl.

Esmeralda Crobbin inherits her ship and her letters of marque from her adoptive father, an infamous privateer. She plans to leave the sea on a quest to find her birth family when she encounters a man who haunts her dreams.

Brandon Gilroy will inherit a duchy but would prefer to remain a captain in the royal navy.
Then he meets a sunset haired woman more alluring than the endless changes of the ocean. He expects he will never see the her again, yet she fills his every fantasy.

Fate tosses Esmeralda and Brandon into destiny’s path more than once. Will secrets and betrayal force the pair into a gut-wrenching choice between love and death.


Uncaged Review: Whenever it comes to a good
pirate story, I’m all in. And this one was definitely
different than most, with Esmeralda the pirate and
Brandon Gilroy out to arrest her and bring her after
her crew defeated his ship and she left him and his
crew stranded on an island. During his time on the
island, Brandon plans his revenge on “Irish Red” as
Esme is known. Esme can’t seem to forget about the
man she left behind on the island.

A chance storm has Esme and Brandon stranded at
the same Inn, and even though Esme has concealed
herself by dying her hair and wearing dowdy gowns,
Brandon knows her immediately.

This is a good, well-paced read that did have a few
slower parts, but all-in-all, it was enjoyable and kept
my interest and the enemies to lovers trope works
pretty well here. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – A Lady’s Addiction by Angelina Jameson

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A Lady’s Addiction
Angelina Jameson
Historical Regency

*** A very steamy romance. ***

A Foreign Office linguist returning to England from self-imposed exile. A recent widow who wants a family above all else. Can these two very different people find happiness together?

Anna, a widow battling alcohol addiction is convinced she is worthless unless she bears a child. She hires a lover to prove she is not frigid and may marry again and have children.

Devlyn, believing he is sterile from an accident, has returned from an assignment for the Foreign Office and inadvertently becomes Anna’s lover.

Anna and Devlyn join forces to protect an innocent child from a blackmailer. Can they come to terms with their feelings for each other, and is love enough?


Uncaged Review: This is a good story, but it took
me a bit of time to get into it. Anna, who is battling
addiction to alcohol, wants to prove she’s not a frigid
lover as she’s been told by her dead husband. Anna
hires a man to find her passion and with a series of
mistakes, she gets Devlyn to her room instead of the
greasy man that was hired. Devlyn, being the gentleman
that he is, waits until Anna is sober before he
becomes her lover.

After the initial meeting, the book gets going a bit
better. The mystery and suspense kept me turning the
pages to see what happens. Although I didn’t really
get too attached to Anna in this book, Devlyn was a
character that was easy to like. This is a good story
with a few twists you don’t always read about in the
historical genre. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

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Kiss of Midnight
Lara Adrian
Paranormal Romance

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night–or this man–is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed–a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind–and the unwitting humans existing alongside them–from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.

Here, in the arms of the Breed’s formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . . .

About the Midnight Breed series

Part human, part otherworldly, the Breed has lived among humankind for thousands of years, maintaining a tentative peace built on secrecy, power, and the dark justice carried out by the formidable warriors of the Order.

But now, a blood war within the race is set to ignite. Vampires are going Rogue in startling numbers, feeding without discretion, killing humans in the streets. It is up to the Order to stop the spreading threat of Rogue domination–and in so doing, each of the warriors will be forced to confront private demons, darkest secrets, deepest fears. Some will know triumph, some will know loss, but each warrior can count on one thing: Love, when it finds him, will often come at the worst possible moment, with the least likely woman . . . and it will bring each of these powerful males to his knees.


Uncaged Review: I read some of this series many
years ago, but I had forgotten a lot of it, but I
did remember how much I loved Ms. Adrian’s
writing. I never reviewed back in those days.
This book opens up the Midnight Breed series
of warriors that protect humans from the rogues.
If you like the Black Dagger Brotherhood from
J.R. Ward, you will like this series too. There are
some similarities as to the extent that the warrior
class live together in a large compound while the
vampires that are not under the warrior class are
protected in the Dark Havens. In this series, the
original vampires were aliens, that came to Earth
and adapted to live by drinking blood. Some of
these vampires have gone Rogue with bloodlust,
and use human minions to work during the day
for them. The warriors do their best to keep them
in check. There is a larger arc running through
this series, but this book concentrates on the
leader Lucan and Gabrielle. The Breed can’t procreate
without a special woman, one is designated
as a Breedmate with a small tattoo somewhere
on their body as a drop of blood inside a crescent
moon. Most of the Breedmates have no idea what
any of it means until they are faced with the truth
and their destined mate.

This is great start to this series, Gabrielle won’t
take any gruff from Lucan, and with Lucan being
the leader, there are a lot of road blocks in the
way of him claiming Gabrielle. This is an invocative
read, with hard hitting but tasteful sex scenes,
and great battle scenes. The warriors you meet
you will like immediately, and I can’t wait to get
into the rest of them. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Brother’s Curse by Christine M. Germain

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The Brother’s Curse
Christine M. Germain
Horror

A year after the brutal death of her parents, Crystal Francois moves back home to the eerie small town of Lakeview Falls. When one of her neighbors goes away abruptly leaving his home to be watched by a young man named Jason Warwick, Crystal finds herself falling for him instantly because of his charming ways and dashing good looks.Two weeks before her 25th birthday, she receives a rare antique purple amethyst stone necklace that is left for her by her late mother; A necklace with a deadly past and horrible consequences when being worn. She finds out that wearing the necklace causes her and her friends to be the target for two sadistic tyrannical evil 18th-century old Shapeshifter brothers who will not stop till they find her and retrieve the chariot stone necklace that holds their father and 24 demonic Shapeshifters captive. When young men from town go missing, and bodies showing up eaten or skinned alive. Lakeview Falls is on high alert. It doesn’t take long for Crystal to discover that the new guy in town isn’t who he claims to be or if he is even human.


Uncaged Review: This is an engaging read that
the author balances the horror with a bit of romance
and some humor to level out the horror.
And this is a horror book and it can be a bit scary
at times but the dark humor balances it out. There
are a lot of characters to keep track of, and the
author does a great job keeping them all separate
with unique personalities. I, as a reader, had a bit
of a challenge keeping up with them.

There are some great twists and turns in this book,
and the world building is well done. I didn’t find
many slow spots and it grabbed my attention right
away. This is a series that horror and dark fantasy
fans will enjoy. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars


Uncaged Review – Given by Amy Pennza

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Given
Amy Pennza
Paranormal Erotica

The day I rode to the Rift with my brother the king, I never expected him to deliver me into the hands of our enemies. Desperate to stop the Deepnight from covering his kingdom in shadow, he’s pledged me as a blood slave to King Laurent, ruler of the vampire kingdom of Nor Doru.

Survival means giving Laurent my vein and my body. And when his cruel and arrogant general, Varick, demands the same, I must obey.

But all is not as it seems in the vampire court. King Laurent has secrets, not the least of which is how much he enjoys his general’s company. Almost from the moment I enter the twilight world of the Deepnight, I learn my journey across the Rift was so much more than a barter. And it’s not just Laurent and Varick I need to be wary of. There are rumors of darkness stirring—of long-forgotten danger rising in the old elven lands.

Something is stirring in me, too. As I unravel the secrets of the vampire court and discover my own hidden abilities, I must choose between love and survival. Trapped between two powerful men, will I become a pawn in the battle for power, or will I take control of my own fate?

Author’s note: The Bitten and Bound Series must be read in order. Mind the cliff.


Uncaged Review: The author warns us to “Mind the
cliff.” As in, the major cliffhanger at the end of this
book. And it’s a doozy. One thing going for it is that
the 2nd & 3rd books are out now, so you can continue
on immediately. This is a hard hitting paranormal,
with MM, MF and MFM. If that’s not your style, then
this isn’t for you. If that doesn’t bother you, you will
find a book that twists and turns and a well thought
out story and world. This can be a bit confusing at
first, when you are trying to keep the worlds separated
but it will fall into place as you keep reading.

Given is a half human/half vampire, and the growth
and strength we see in her as the book goes along is
noticeable and terrific. When you get to that ending,
don’t toss the Kindle or cuss out the author. Just go
get the second book. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – A Pool of Crimson by Suzanne M. Sabol

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A Pool of Crimson
Suzanne M. Sabol
Dark Fantasy

Killing vampires is easy. Trusting one will be the hardest thing Dahlia Sabin has ever done.

Dahlia has lived a lonely existence as a killer of the undead. Known as The Blushing Death to those that fear her, Dahlia uncovers a plot by Columbus’s Master Vampire, Ethan. He intends to raise a demon from the depths of hell to destroy the city, cement his power, and take control.

In her pursuit to stop a demon from manifesting, Dahlia sinks deeper into the city’s supernatural underworld and discovers that vampires are not only deadly; one in particular could be dangerous to her very soul and her heart. Patrick, the Master vampire’s second-in-command with dark penetrating eyes and a cool, deadly sophistication, can’t stay away and Dahlia can’t tell him no. There’s something that neither of them knows, Ethan wants Dahlia’s unleashed power for himself and is willing to do anything to get it.

Dahlia is in a race against time to send the demon back to hell, at war with her better judgment, trusting a dark and intriguing vampire with his own agenda, while struggling to save her own neck. As the portal to hell opens, Dahlia has only herself to rely on in order to survive, if she can …


Uncaged Review: I really enjoyed this first book in
this series. Dahlia is a vampire hunter, but when she
has to work with one to stop the top vampire in the
city from raising a demon, she’ll face the fight of her
life. This book doesn’t slow much, Dahlia is in over
her head throughout the book, but she’s pretty bad
ass and the fight scenes are terrific and gory. This is
a good start, and I am definitely looking forward to
the next book in the series. Dahlia is a strong character
and gets herself in more trouble with her snarky
comebacks, but it’s very entertaining. This is a hot
urban fantasy which is sounding like it will become
a reverse harem in the future books, which is always
fun. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Third Man on the Left by Roni Hall

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Third Man on the Left
Roni Hall
Romantic Suspense

Tragic stories are common in the ER but nurse Dani takes the blame for a toddler patient’s death personally, confirming her abusive father’s belief that she is inept. To prove her competency and free herself from overwhelming guilt, she volunteers for a humanitarian mission trip to Tanzania where she can focus on doing good.

Prior to leaving, she meets the love of her life, Noah, who says he will wait for her. However, her mission partner/physician, Carter, is a surfer poster boy who has a thing for Dani. Noah’s gut tells him something about the picture perfect doctor is off but the expedition goes on.

Weeks into her trip the mission is savagely attacked by rebels and Dani is a microsecond too late to prevent her coworker from a devastating injury but saves him from certain death…for now. More rebels are on their way and Dani escapes into the jungle with four lives who are now solely dependent on her for their very survival. The ultimate test of her competency has begun.

Was the strike on the mission random, or was she an unsuspecting dupe in a smuggling deal gone bad?


Uncaged Review: I don’t normally read a lot of
romantic suspense, it’s not a genre that I gravitate
to. But the author did a great job pulling me
into this story, with danger, suspense, romance
and some really good plot twists that I didn’t see
coming. Some of the villians in this story don’t
present themselves as bad guys right away, but
slowly you will peel the layers and find the different
characters and their true colors. This book
drew me in, and I had a hard time putting it down.
The end of the book will have the reader glued
and waiting to find out what happens, reading
swiftly to get through it.

Great read, and a high recommendation for the
suspense lovers, and maybe the “not so suspense
readers” also. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Wings of Passion by Kelly Nicolson

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Wings of Passion
Kelly Nicolson
Shifter Romance

Sienna falls out of the sky and into Adam’s life…

She’s a shifter with the ability to turn into a golden eagle and she’s fleeing danger, but with an injured wing, she crashes onto the balcony of Adam, a man who likes to be in control.

Adam’s orderly world is turned upside down with the arrival of the golden eagle, and now that he has her, it’s clear that control is over-rated. If it means keeping Sienna, then he’ll embrace the wildness.

Once they commit, Sienna and Adam will do whatever it takes to keep each other safe, and with the hunters determined to capture Sienna, that might not be easy. To stay together, they’ll have to learn to rely on each other and embrace the bond growing between them.


Uncaged Review: When I first started this book,
I was afraid it wasn’t going to be something that
really appealed to me because I’m not really into
the instant lusting that happened here very quickly.
But once I got past the first couple of chapters,
it turned into a really good suspenseful romance.
Sienna is flying away from a shifter hunter, with
a damaged wing. She’s an eagle shifter, and she
flies until she crash lands on Adam’s balcony.
Adam rescues her and brings her into his apartment,
and hopes to help her heal. After the first
couple chapters, this book picks up speed and you
meet the rest of the characters in the book.

This is a good start to this shifter series, and a nice
original take on this genre. I’m looking forward to
the rest of the series. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Death’s Intern by D.C. Gomez

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Death’s Intern
D.C. Gomez
Humorous Fantasy

A talking cat, a boy genius, missing people, and an untrained Intern for Death. What could possibly go wrong?
Did that really happen?

There’s no way Death offered me a job. I’m a musician that makes her living as a waitress, with absolutely no training in the supernatural world. This is all a very bad dream.

But Bob has been kidnapped, and I can’t possibly lose the only friend I have.

Bob, you’d better be alive. Because if I just gave my soul to Death for nothing, I will personally kill you. Not to mention, it seems Death’s Interns have fairly short life expectancies.

God, don’t let me die.


Uncaged Review: I really enjoyed this book as the
start of a series. The premise is very original, and I
actually found myself smiling and laughing a couple
times. The best I can explain, is that Isis, who is on
her own, scraping to get by, by being a waitress at a
Mexican restaurant. When a homeless veteran friend
named Bob goes missing, she’s compelled to find out
why, being a vet herself. When Death offers Isis a job
as her/his intern – she finds out about a supernatural
world right under her feet.

I can’t get into everything, but the main plot is a
group of witches that are kidnapping people that no
one will miss, like the homeless in order to take their
souls to keep them immortal and young. There is a
cast of characters that are very originally thought
through and Isis soon finds a family that she’s never
had before. This is a fast paced urban fantasy that
jumps out of the gate at a sprint and keeps on going.
Looking forward to continuing with this series.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 1/2 Stars

Uncaged Review – Rebel Dragon by Anna Lowe

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Rebel Dragon
Anna Lowe
Fantasy Romance

Can this rebel dragon learn to play by the rules when his destined mate’s life is on the line?

Off to Maui for a relaxing vacation? Hardly. Surfer Jenna Monroe is on the run from a stalker who lusts after her blood. Instead of combing the beach for lost treasures, she’s forced to venture deep into the terrifying world of shapeshifters. There, even the good guys are hard to trust — all except for the hot-blooded rebel she can’t get out of her head.

Connor Hoving and his band of Special Forces shifters were planning to leave trouble behind by moving to Maui, but destiny has other ideas. His whole future — and that of his brothers — depends on acing his new job as head of security at an exclusive seaside estate. But Connor can barely get his inner dragon to focus with alluring, off-limits Jenna around. Can this rebel dragon learn to play by the rules when his fated mate’s life is on the line?

The closer Connor and Jenna become, the higher forbidden passions blaze. The more they give in to simmering desire, the more impossible love seems. And the more secrets they uncover, the closer their enemies creep. Vampires and ruthless dragons lurk in the shadows, and it’s impossible to tell whose side fate will take. Only one thing is certain: great heroes don’t get to pick their destinies — only the choices they make.


Uncaged Review: This is a great start to a new
series. This series spins off from the Aloha Shifters,
Jewels of the Heart series and if you’ve read
that series, you’ll love the idea of seeing your
old faves come back into these books. This time
out, Connor, an ex-Special Forces expert and his
brothers are hired by Sila’s team to be security
for a large estate. Meanwhile the woman he met
on the plane, Jenna, is staying at the same estate.
Jenna is running from a stalker they believe is a
vampire in L.A. and is new to the world of shifters.
Imagine their surprise when they bump into
each other on Maui. Sparks fly, even literally,
when these two are near each other.

This is a book full of action, romance, hot sex
scenes and even some nostalgia as you see old
favorites. The book will twist and turn and you
won’t guess the outcome easily with this one.
Jenna has some surprises up her sleeve, and to see
her come into her own is amazing. Connor will
grab your heart as he turns from the rebel he once
was to the leader he was meant to be. You don’t
have to read the other Aloha Shifters series first to
read this one, but if you haven’t, you are missing
out. Highly recommended for fantasy romance
lovers. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars