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Uncaged Review – Liefdom: A Tale from Perilisc by Jesse Teller

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Liefdom: A Tale from Perilisc
Jesse Teller
Dark Fantasy

A zealous guardian in a peaceful city, Gentry Mandrake is a fairy unlike any other. Cast out and hated for his differences, his violent nature makes him wonder at the purity of his soul. He hunts for belonging while fighting to protect the human child bound to him. Explore the mythical realm of The Veil, the grating torture of the Sulfur Fields, and the biting tension between power and purpose in this wondrous struggle against a demonic wizard and his denizens. Can Mandrake overcome such terrible foes to defend those he loves?

Uncaged Review: We enter the mythical realm of the veil, where a fairy guardian called Gentry Mandrake is fighting to help save Thomas, a human child bound to him. Gentry must do battle with a powerful wizard and company.

I found this book quite hard to get into from a new reader to Jesse Teller work. Although the storyline was impressive, the lack of knowledge of the characters in this book was a letdown for me. It did have plenty of gore and violence. If you are used to reading Jesse Teller’s other books and know of the background of the characters that would make up the mythical realm of the veil, you will love this book.
I did like the sound of the wizard in this book and if there was a book all about this character i would certainly read it. Reviewed by Jennifer

3 Stars

Uncaged Review – Survive at Midnight by Kayla Krantz

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Survive at Midnight
Kayla Krantz
Thriller/Horror

Death doesn’t always bring peace. With memories of her dead family and friends haunting her, Luna Ketz tries to untangle her life from the hold Chance has had on her over the past four years, but it’s harder than she thought. In death his secrets are revealed, plunging Luna into the mind of the man who ruined her life. Thoughts of her soon-to-be-born baby only bring to mind its monstrous father. Haunted by a new set of dreams, Luna fears her baby will grow up to be a carbon copy of him.
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She battles to keep hold of her sanity as she loses a grip on the world around her. The dead begin to speak, and she can’t possibly ignore them. With Chance whispering evil deeds in her ear, she treads a trail she never thought she would venture and must rely on her worst enemy to help her conquer her biggest trial yet—herself.

Uncaged Review: Luna fears Chance again in this new journey they have together. Only this time it’s not just herself she has to worry about it’s her baby’s. Luna is made pregnant by Chance after the night he attacked her in her bedroom. Chance suddenly grows a change of heart by Lunas sudden outburst that she’s pregnant only it’s too late he commits suicide. Leaving a note for Luna and even having the nerve to leave her some stuff in a will. Luna begins to lose grip on reality by hearing and seeing Chance’s ghost. Making her a little bit crazy as Chance was. Will she turn out to become just like him?

I really liked this story and it was interesting to read. All about Chance’s reasons for being the way he was. Also a little background of his family was a nice touch. I enjoyed the fact the writer choose to make Luna a little insane and darkly twisted the further you got in the story. The only issue I had with this book was the conversations that Luna had with Chance while her mother was around. Why didn’t Rose, Lunas mother, ever comment on this? The fact that Luna was talking to herself. Luna had done this a lot throughout the book and was happy to see that another character in the book picks up on this and asks Luna what’s she doing and who is she talking too?

Despite the book having the one annoying flaw. It is a very good read. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the story. Reviewed by Jennifer

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – A Perfect Plan by Alyssa Drake

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

A Perfect Plan
Alyssa Drake
Historical Romance

Samantha Hastings lived a quiet, peaceful life on her family’s country estate. With no man to order her around and no stifling society rules to follow, she considered herself blessed. However, when her brother’s ship sinks during a short trip to France, Samantha receives a request from her sister-in-law to return to town and manage the late Earl’s finances. Suddenly thrust into society, Samantha faces an unfamiliar world and a pair of very familiar green eyes.
Lord Benjamin Westwood never intended on following through with his rash promise to his best friend. Now, with Edward’s death, Benjamin becomes the unwilling guardian to Edward’s bratty little sister, who has grown up considerably since the last time they met. His intention to marry her off to the first available suitor is thwarted when he finds himself falling for Samantha’s unique demeanor. He lights upon the perfect plan; a marriage of convenience, giving him the opportunity to romance Samantha without distraction.

Uncaged Review: Samantha Hastings lives with her sister in law after the tragic death of her brother. After a certain amount of time has passed Samantha and her sister in law are hoping to find themselves each a husband. She meets Lord Benjamin Westwood, one out of a set of brothers who are both twins. Real ladies man Benjamin is to advise Samantha of any promising marriage suitors, of course without falling for her himself but that won’t happen as he isn’t the type to settle down. There’s some major plot twists that happen in this book a marriage proposal, the dead come back to life, and more.

I do love a good period drama story. But when there’s a hint of murder to go along with the romance and social dances, it makes it even more interesting to read.

Can’t wait to read more to see what happens next with Miss Hastings and company. Reviewed by Jennifer

4 Stars

Uncaged Reviews – Forever Yours Trilogy, Books 1 & 2 by Anna James

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

To read an interview with Anna, and an excerpt from Keeping Her Guilty Secret, please see the issue.

Keeping Her Guilty Secret
Anna James
Contemporary Romance

Passion ignites between Nicole Bradford and Max Paradis the moment they lay eyes on each other, but despite the sizzling attraction and Max’s to-die-for kisses, Nicole is reluctant to get involved. She’s been burned by love before.

Carlo had been her ideal mate but the dream became a nightmare when his drug-smuggling past was revealed.

Now all Nicole wants is to get on with her life and keep the secret she’s been hiding for the last six years.

Still, how can she resist the handsome and sexy Max when he’s everything she’s ever wanted in a man? And what will she do when Carlo returns and threatens to expose her ugly past?

Nicole will have to trust Max with the truth if she wants to win his love and get Carlo out of her life for good. If she doesn’t, Carlo could destroy everything that matters most to her.

Uncaged Review: 

When you don’t have the time, or you just want to pick up a nice shorter read to break up your day, this book will satisfy that urge. A sweet romance, with a bit of mystery to it and not overly long, easily read in a couple hours in an afternoon. Nicole has been taking care of her two younger sisters since their parents died. Working two jobs and selling off items of her parents to pay for their education and putting herself last has been her normal for six years. One of her sisters, Ashley, is set to be married to the man that Nicole works for, and when Nicole meets her boss’ brother Max, sparks fly. But there will some highs and lows, and some secrets that will need to be told and taken care. And nope, you aren’t getting them from me.

It’s a nice story, I was easily attached to the characters, even though it could have used more descriptions and there were a couple points that seem to jump a bit in the time frame, but the rest of the story was seamless and enjoyable.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

A Love Worth Saving
Anna James
Contemporary Romance

Reed McNamara doesn’t love his wife, Ashley. Why invest emotionally when love doesn’t last? Theirs had been a mutually agreed upon fun and games while it lasted affair . . . until Ashley got pregnant. But tragedy strikes when Ashley miscarries and the sole reason for their marriage is lost.

Reed must conquer past hurts and learn to believe in love again. If he doesn’t, he’ll lose Ashley, and miss out on a love worth saving.

Uncaged Review: 

Book two of this trilogy, brings back our characters from book one, and we learn more about Reed and Ashley, whose engagement helped spur on the romance of Max and Nicole in the previous installment. But the romance between Reed and Ashley was not as it appeared on the surface, and if they can finally admit that they love each other and can save their marriage, well, that may be a hard sell.

Another shorter story, and it was great to get to know both Ashley and Reed, and great to see characters come back from the last book. Both of the books in this series will satisfy the romantic in the reader, and give a nice afternoon break from reality. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

 

Uncaged Review – Vexed by Wren Michaels

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

A March Top Read

Vexed
Wren Michaels
Romantic Fantasy/Adult

Vodou stole her life. A gay ghost stole her boots. And the man who stole her heart stole her memories. Kena plans to get it all back.
Ex-cop Kena’s life is filled with regret, beer, and Cheetos. That is, until her ghostly roomie sends her dumpster diving, leading her to a sexy stranger named Luc and a fate she’d rather not remember. As Kena’s memories resurface, so do her feelings for Luc, the man she’s secretly been in love with for the last thousand years. And he needs her for more than a stroll down memory lane.

Uncaged Review: This was totally not what I was expecting when I started reading – it surprised me, and by the half-way point, I could not put this book down. It took a while for me to wrap my head around this, but when it all started clicking into place, it is an amazing story. This story’s base is in the Voodoo spirits of Loa, and once you can let that all click into place, the story will surprise you.
Kena is the Loa spirit of love, trapped in a human body, with lost memories of her past, and her roommate is AJ, a gay ghost who was married to her human brother who died. When a stranger enters the scene, Luc, Kena is drawn to him, but really doesn’t know why. But Luc is a healer Loa, and he needs to bring Kena back her memories, to save his brother, Feray, from an evil possession. Dark vs. Light. And the gray in between it all. And still this book is so much more. Humor, an action-packed storyline, a forbidden love and mystery and intrigue, with a kick-ass heroine and heroes. The world building is amazing, the sights and smells of New Orleans just leap off the pages and the characters are hard to forget. This is a book I’ll remember for a long time, and it’s going on my “to be read again” pile. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

5 Stars

Uncaged Reviews – The Diesel Wars Series, Books 1 & 2 by Mikea Howard

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

To read an interview with Mikea Howard and an excerpt from The Seer’s Secret, please see the March issue of Uncaged Book Reviews. And don’t miss the giveaway on page 60!

The Mechanic’s Mate
(Book One in The Diesel War Series)
Mikea Howard
Dieselpunk/Paranormal

Abused and on the run, Sadie flees through the woods. For the first time in her life, she craves the blissful silence of nature. Her sire and mate is a monster who hid his inner evil all too well. Her skills as a mechanic now useless, intolerant to the noise and pollution of the city’s diesel engines thanks to her new werewolf status, Sadie’s only hope is the ex-pack of the monster she escaped. But will they accept the dieselhead mate of a rogue?

Domek, the Blue Wolf alpha, has caught the scent of the rogue he’s sworn to hunt down. But he’s shocked to find it attached to a frail, damaged city girl, the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. The desire to take care of her is fierce . . . unexplainable.

How can he protect a woman who has tied the fate of her mortality to the life of a rogue he must destroy?

Uncaged Review: A very clever world, mixing steampunk and shifters. After the Diesel Wars, a treaty is agreed upon, and the shifters and humans are for the most part separated by boundaries, the humans in the cities with their mechanical creations and the shifters living outside in their own communities where the noise of the cities won’t bother them, as it can turn them mad. This story is about Sadie, who is wooed by a shifter that does live in the city. Sadie finds out after their mating, that Eridon is a cruel master, and continually beats and rapes her – and on top of it, he bites her to turn her into a wolf. Sadie escapes, and runs into the woods, having no idea where to go. Domek, the alpha wolf of the Blue Wolf pack finds Sadie, and takes her back to his pack, taking her into the pack and helping her through her first change. But one day soon, they are going to have to deal with Eridon, her brutal mate, even though the link is weak, but to kill Eridon means that Sadie could die…

This is a good story, Sadie is a submissive wolf, but I felt Domek was loving at times, and at other times he took advantage of her. For her to accept him so quickly, alpha or not, after the brutal life she came from, was a little unrealistic. And for Domek to call to her as his mate really shouldn’t have happened unless the bond was completely broken with Eridon. But I did enjoy the originality of this world and the likable characters.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

The Seer’s Secret
(Book Two in The Diesel Wars Series)
Mikea Howard
Dieselpunk/Paranormal

Born with a special gift, Molly could help others but existed between two worlds–undetectable by one and not fully part of the other. Usually choosing not to interfere in other folks lives, she never employed her abilities to their greatest potential. When the leader of the Animal Gang learns the truth of her skills, Molly’s simple life as a baker in her family’s shop is threatened. Could the Blue Wolf enforcer she’d been pining over help her escape and embrace her gifts . . . or is she just putting his life in danger?

Edo’s entire life had been one exception after another, never the norm on any path his life leads him. Using an ability he sees as mundane, he meets the beautiful baker while on a mission for his alpha. As she is hunted by the rogue gang she entrusts her secrets and her heart to him. But can he protect her in the diesel city and still serve his alpha and pack?

Uncaged Review: In the second installment in the series, brings you Molly – an owl shifter that doesn’t shift, also a baker in Eureka, and Edo, a wolf shifter from the Blue Wolf pack that acts as a patrol. Since the city noise and fumes don’t bother Edo like many of the shifters, he gets to patrol closer to the city. Having met Molly at Sadie and Domek’s wedding, he is drawn to her and has a hard time staying away from her.

For me, this book was much faster paced than the first, and it brings back all the characters you met in book one. It took me a bit to get in the swing of things with the diesel speak, but after a few chapters, it was actually kind of fun. Molly is a fun and feisty character and holds her own with Edo, and truly is the bee’s knees. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Eye of the Pharaoh by Nancy Fraser

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Eye of the Pharaoh
Nancy Fraser
Contemporary/Time Travel

Publicist Teri Hunter has her hands full promoting Professor Joshua Cain and his new non-fiction book, The Pharaoh’s Mummy. She’s not even sure it’s possible to turn this absent-minded, modern-day, Indiana Jones into a best-selling author.

Dr. Cain’s PhDs in archaeology and art history have prepared him for almost anything on the lecture circuit and among ancient ruins. He’s just not sure about a book tour…or the sexy publicist sent to monitor his every professional move.

When an odd request falls into their laps while in New Orleans, Josh and Teri find themselves transported to 1920’s Egypt where they must resolve an ancient curse in order to be sent home. Will the dangers facing them hinder their success and threaten their very lives? Or will help from an ancient guardian keep them on-track and safe?

Uncaged Review: The story starts you out in modern day, where publicist Teri Hunter is working with Joshua Cain, an archaeologist and professor with his new book tour. When they hit New Orleans on the tour, an old friend and colleague’s wife has a request about the history of a stone. After a storm hits in New Orleans, a violent lightning bolt shakes the home they are staying in, and Joshua and Teri are transported to Egypt, circa 1920’s.

This book will teach you a bit about Egyptian history which is intriguing in itself and then add a suspenseful storyline laden heavily with romance and humor and you have nicely written, original story that holds your interest. Whether Josh and Teri can break the curse and get back home safely holds your interest and has you cheering them on. There isn’t a slow or boring paragraph in the book. Personally, I was wondering why the two weren’t more freaked out when they landed in Egypt, they may been committing me to a mental ward. Well worth the fun. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Reviews – The Paranormal Detective Series, 1 & 2 by Lily Luchesi

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

To read an interview, and an excerpt from Right to Silence, book 4 in The Paranormal Detective Series, please see the March issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.

The first two books of this series are reviewed.

Stake Out
Lily Luchesi
Paranormal/Horror

In a city overrun with the undead, an ex-cop is given a chance to get revenge…

Danny Mancini is on a case, following a murder suspect. When he catches him, he finds out that the perp isn’t even human: he’s a 200 year old rogue vampire!
The department doesn’t believe him, and puts him on early retirement, despite his many years of service to the Chicago Police Department, which sends him into a downward spiral.
Two years later, Danny gets an invitation from the beautiful, young and very attractive Detective Angelica Cross to join a secret branch of the FBI to help her track down Vincent, the wayward vamp.
But renegade werewolves, meddling immortal witches and Danny’s strange visions of a life lived a century ago with Angelica make things more difficult than it should be.

Uncaged Review: This is a shorter, novella length story, so it was a breeze to read. Set in Chicago, this series has Danny, a detective forced to retire by the department after he sees a monster killing a victim, and sets his life into a drunken state. Enter Angelica, who invites Danny to help them bring down the killer, a vampire. Finding out he wasn’t going insane, and wanting to get back to work, he joins her as a temporary agent with the Paranormal Detective Agency, an unknown part of the FBI to find and take down the killer that he saw.

Now this may sound run-of-the-mill, and yes, part of this has been told over many times, but the author has a few nice twists that give it the originality and surprise. I did guess early on some of it, but when Danny finds out his dreams and nightmares are actually visions, the story takes on a whole new feeling. A nice start to a paranormal series, and a great start for a debut from the author. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Miranda’s Rights
Lily Luchesi
Paranormal/Horror

The dead don’t always rest easy…
Retired detective, Danny Mancini, is haunted by nightmares after he found out that paranormal creatures exist. All he wants is to forget them…especially a certain half-vampire. When cursed werewolves show up trying to kill him, he is forced to go back to the Paranormal Investigative Division for help against a powerful old enemy. What he was not expecting was a dead ex showing back up after twenty-six years.

Uncaged Review:  The second book in this series sees Danny returning to the PID for a case of half-turned werewolves that seem out to kill him. And returning into his life is an ex-fiance, Miranda, who was turned into a vampire over twenty years ago and had been living in Europe, working for PID without his knowledge. When Miranda sees him again, she thinks that they will take up where they left off, and it turns into an obsession, especially when Danny rejects her. But they have a much bigger problem, the witch Fiona is wielding dark magic and it will Angelica and Danny all they have to take her down.

This book is a fast paced, shorter length but jammed pack. And the ending is a surprise, and although not a true cliffhanger, it does set up well for the next one. The romance between Danny and Angelica is back on, but the story is clean and the sex is behind closed doors. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – I Don’t Want to be Married by Sonja Gunter

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

I Don’t Want to be Married
Sonja Gunter
Contemporary Western Romance

Can a modern-day marriage of convenience find love and happiness to last a lifetime?

Twenty-five-year-old barrel racer Rosalind Dunne’s number-one passion is to fulfill her deceased mother’s dream of opening a horse sanctuary. To do it, she needs her inheritance to purchase the necessary land. But there’s one problem: she has to marry, or wait until her thirtieth birthday, per her grandfather’s will. The horses can’t wait; they need her now.

Allan Smith, owner of a New York brokerage firm, is in the midst of attending a friend’s wedding in Las Vegas when he wakes one morning with a wedding band on his finger. Convinced it’s all a prank, he ignores the obvious until he realizes his carefree bachelor days are over. He’s married to one Rosalind Dunne, Rodeo Queen.

Rosalind’s plan to marry, get her inheritance, then divorce, comes full circle and she sends the necessary papers to Allan. They’ll both be free from an unwanted marriage. But the old saying ‘payback is worse than hell’ comes into play with Allan’s refusal to sign the papers.

Rosalind and Allan never wanted to fall in love for different reasons, but will this Rodeo Queen turn this City Boy into a cowboy and find love?

Uncaged Review: To receive her full inheritance, Rosalind must marry, or wait until she’s 30 years old. And her reasons for wanting the inheritance are unselfish, to be able to buy the land next to her own property, to be able to have a horse sanctuary for unwanted or sick horses. While she’s in Vegas at a rodeo, she runs into Allan, and while he’s seemingly drunk, marries him out of convenience. But when Allan comes knocking on her door, she’ll find he’s not so easy to be rid of.

This is a fun story, a bit predictable, but an easy read and enjoyable. The romance and chemistry between Rosalind and Allan is fun to watch. Don’t be put off by the title, this is a nice read. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Reviews – 3 Books by Paul Moore

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

All Top Reads for March.

Cat Got Your Tongue
Paul Moore
Young Adult/Crime

When Estate agent Lucy Edwards doesn’t turn up for work on Monday it’s very out of character; shes a workaholic but her colleagues assume she is ill as she lives alone. When she doesn’t answer her phone red flags soon go up and the Police get involved.
It’s soon a murder investigation; but just who would want to kill a hard working beautiful woman with a heart of gold?
Can a six year old girls ‘dreams’ help solve the case?
Some of the Police team that investigate her disappearance wanted to play professional football and all had trials with Queens Park Rangers, but for some reason it just didn’t happen.
Can the likes of DCI Sinton, DC Bardsley and PC Alan McDonald solve the baffling case or is someone going to get away with murder………

Uncaged Review: An estate agent named Lucy Edwards is missing from work for a few days. So a work friend, Mark Cooper reports her missing to the police. Just being a friend right nothing more to it? Then we meet Phoebe a little girl who is having strange visions that scare her. Will she be able to help out the police with their case?

This story had a lot of interesting characters and for a short book a lot happens. There are people getting beat up and thrown in a cell left right and center. I really like how the author of the book choose a young girl as a medium, or is turning out to become one. A very interesting story twist.

This is a work of crime fiction you won’t want to miss out on reading Reviewed by Jennifer

5 Stars

Killing Time
Paul Moore
Young Adult Mystery

At first it looked like a tragic accident but soon turned to murder. Who would want to kill a sixty eight year old grandmother? Her family are disjointed and arguments are as regular as meal times. A brother and sister that rarely see eye to eye and a father and son barely on speaking terms.
The Police have a secret weapon with an amateur psychic; but she isn’t always right.
Will the Hunter family fall apart or will it pull them together or are they just Killing Time ……

Uncaged Review: What turns out to be a normal trip to grandmother’s house in London, turns out to have deadly findings for the visitors. As the grandchild Clare finds her grandmother in an awkward position at the bottom of the stairs. Shelia and her brother Michael think their mother’s death was just a tragic accident, until their told by the police it’s murder.

Paul Moore has a talent in his storytelling as he brings out the characters in a way that shows you the good and bad side to them. So you think one thing is happening in the book then it turns out to be completely different.

I really liked this book as even the poor murder victim had her own secrets hidden to the unexpected family. As did everyone so it wasn’t just a black and white picture it had a lot of hidden grey in between. A killer of a read. Reviewed by Jennifer

5 Stars

Don’t Clown Around on Halloween
Paul Moore
Young Adult/Ghosts

Grant Taylor is at his wits end, he’s convinced he seeing a clown in his house but his girlfriend isn’t, she thinks he’s losing the plot! When their son draws a picture of the clown she starts to change her mind and a story from an elderly neighbour leaves everyone in danger.

 

Uncaged Review: Grant thinks his house might be haunted. He has been seeing a weird ghostly shape in the shape of a clown. Is he having a breakdown? Possibly imagining all this. Until one day he bumps into a neighbor Mr. Abbott and he tells Grant and company all about the strange happenings of the house they live in. Grant does some digging on the ‘net himself to find more about where the house was built.

For such a short story this is a very creepy tale. Differently one to be read with the lights on. There’s also a good twist at the end of the story. Suitable for any age young or old. Reviewed by Jennifer

5 Stars

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