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Uncaged Review – The Dragon Berserker’s Mate by Harlow Blaze

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Dragon Berserker’s Mate
Harlow Blaze
Paranormal Romance


For a woman with nothing, protection comes at a price.

Hazel

After losing her home and everything she knows, Hazel has one way out. A deal with the local dragon shifters.

As a rare human able to have shifter children, she’s treasured among the male dragons. And like anything precious, she needs to be protected.

The live-in bodyguard is a little much, though.

Her new roommate, tattooed, grumpy Jay, is immune to her upbeat attitude. And his blackout rages whenever men touch her mean that she’s behaving herself whether she likes it or not.

When she goes into heat, all she wants is him. But no matter how badly she craves his touch, their electric connection is forbidden.

The dragons have another fate planned for her. A different mate.

Because treasure can be traded.

Jay

Forging an alliance with a rival gang costs more than silver and gold.

They want Hazel.

Jay has committed a lot of sins to defend his makeshift family. Handing his chirpy charge to the worst dragons alive should be easy.

But the longer Hazel is in his apartment, the harder she is to let go. Everything from her sweet scent to her gentle nature calls to his berserk inner beast—a monster who’d burn the world to the ground to protect her.

When a mysterious attack puts Hazel in danger, the dragon she’s meant for is the prime suspect.

But it’s much too late to back out of the deal. Stealing from a dragon means war.

To save her, he’ll pay the ultimate price.

Unleashing the monster inside him and letting the rage take over.

Uncaged Review: The third book in this series (if
you count the prequel) and the series is still coming
up with surprises. Jay has locked his dragon away,
and won’t shift because of all the carnage he fears
from his beast. Because of this, his sanity is on the
line. Hazel is escaping an abusive stepfather, with the
help of her witch friend. When it’s found out that she
is dragon marked, she agrees on an arranged marriage
with leader of a different eyrie, in exchange of
her providing dragon heirs, she would be given a safe
home and her debts paid off. But she doesn’t count on
Jay….

This book has some good action, a few good twists
and of course, romance. Seeing if Hazel and Jay can
find their way to each other is a fun ride, especially
after Jay is assigned as her guardian. For the dragon
shifter lovers out there, this is a good series and never
loses its momentum. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Perfect Secret by Molly McLain

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Perfect Secret
Molly McLain
Western Contemporary Romance

She’ll never touch another cowboy again. Even if he does look good in nothing but a towel.

Alana Faulkner swore off cowboys four years ago when her then-boyfriend let his rodeo fame go to his head.

Holden McMurray’s life has been turned upside down by a scandal. Though he’s innocent of any wrongdoing, his boss and his agent have not only sidelined him, but they’ve sent him to the middle of nowhere, Montana, until the dust settles.

Worse, his new neighbor is a spitfire brunette with a bigger grudge than the last bull he rode. But she’s as pretty as she is sassy, and damn if he can’t leave well enough alone.

It’s a bad idea on every count, but mostly because…

She has no idea who he really is.

Uncaged Review: This is a series that is running that
has different authors joining in and is about 30 books
at the time of this review. This one is the 12th in the
series, but I had no problems following along, so they
read well as standalones. This story is about Alana,
who has sworn off of cowboys since she was hurt
by a bull rider. She buries herself in work and taking
classes online to finish her degree. She lives above
the store she manages, in a small one bedroom apartment.

Holden comes to town to work on a friend’s ranch
to let some drama blow over, because the cabins on
his friend’s land are being renovated, he gets to stay
in the small room across the hall from Alana’s apartment.
Watch out when they have to share a bathroom.

This is a slow burn romance, and a wonderful light
read. Holden is a sexy cowboy and Alana is a spunky,
sassy woman that keeps him in his place. With great
secondary characters, this book was a fun read that
was easily read in one sitting. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Blood After Dawn by Brenna Harlow

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Blood After Dawn
Brenna Harlow
Paranormal Romance

The maddened aren’t the only ones hiding in the shadows…

JEZEBEL

When the new vampire arrives at the base, he makes it clear I’m his new obsession.

But I’m not like the other women. I won’t cave to Brone’s charisma.

Except that now one of my friends has gone missing, and the only logical explanation for her disappearance is an unseen enemy…

Something so dangerous, no one is safe.

Brone promises to protect me, and maybe, just maybe, I want to believe him.

BRONE

My mate is less forthcoming than I’d hoped, but I won’t throw in the towel just yet.

Especially after she kisses me.

When a human from inside the base goes missing, I’m even more eager to bind us together.

She is stubborn, but I’ll show her what it means to want.

I’ll show her what it means to hunger.

Uncaged Review: This book is actually the second
book in the series, the first was the prequel
was first to give you a heads up into this world.
Each book is going to center on one couple, and
then there is an overall arc running throughout.
This time it’s about Jezebel and Brone, one of the
last of the women you could see falling for one
of the vampires is Jezebel, and she doesn’t make
it easy on Brone, but he won’t give up. There is a
new threat outside the compound, and it’s not the
mad dhampirs that are the biggest threat anymore
to the human women.

This is shorter read, and I finished it in one sitting,
and there is plenty of action, and romance. I
think this book steps up even better than the first
one, and I’m definitely looking forward to book
three. This is a good original take on the vampire
genre and the world building is well thought out.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars


Uncaged Review – When a Duke Desires a Lass by Collette Cameron

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

When a Duke Desires a Lass
Collette Cameron
Historical Regency

The only thing these opposites have in common is a desire to not marry…

Tobias Forsyth, Duke of Heatherston, owes his niece a proper Come Out. But as a confirmed bachelor, he has no idea how to fulfill his commitment. Fortunately, to his astonishment and intense pleasure, the gorgeous widow he’s admired from afar for so long is willing to help. Now, if only he could convince the reluctant object of his affection to give him a chance…

Emily Grenville is bored. But that doesn’t mean she ever intends to marry again. Not with the ugly secret her husband saddled her with before his death. So, she’ll have to continue rebuffing the advances of every interested man—even the ruggedly handsome Scot who has somehow managed to occupy her every waking thought…

It’s not long before their time spent in forced proximity leads to much deeper feelings and desires. But when Emily’s secret is divulged, can the fragile romance she’s only started to enjoy with Tobias survive?

Uncaged Review: A nice sweet romance and a great addition to this series and it’s a great change as our main characters are a bit older and past the “coming out” stage. Tobias has kept himself single, putting it off as long as possible. But after taking guardianship over his orphaned niece, Avery, he had promised that he would make sure Avery got a proper coming out and season when she came of age. Unfortunately, Avery is a bit wild and Tobias is a bit clueless on how to proceed.

Emily is a widow, but with a past that could ruin her and her family, a secret she holds close. A chance run in with Tobias and his niece during a morning walk, has her offering to help get Avery ready. With her sister a Duchess, and recently wed, Emily sees it as a chance to be useful. Tobias accepts her help. As they spend more time together, you see the walls around Emily’s heart begin to crack.

This is a sweet romance that I read in one sitting, and was a proper feel good story that had a great pace, one I have grown to expect with this author. This is the 15th book in the this series, but each can easily be read as standalones. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Lost Kingdom by L.A. McGinnis

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Lost Kingdom
L.A. McGinnis
Paranormal Romance

I might be a queen,

but this isn’t a fairytale.

A ruthless king dragged me into the vampire world kicking and screaming, intending to kill me, like he had so many before. Then I took everything away from him.

His throne is mine.

His kingdom is mine.

I wear the crown of the vampire queen, and to some, it seems all my dreams came true. But victory came at a terrible cost. My mate is far beyond my reach, and trying to save him would risk a bloody battle and the lives too many innocents.

But when an ancient evil rises, the only way to survive is with Deston by my side, which means I’ll fight to get him back.

If war is coming, it might as well be on my terms.

Uncaged Review: Everything is coming at Seraphina from all sides, from the threat of losing the palace to fighting to get Deston back. Many secrets are revealed in this installment, and many I never saw coming. The main series arc continues to run, but this does not really end on a cliffhanger and all 4 books in the series is out now.

There are some major twists in this book that will put a whole new slant on the series, and it was quite the shock at the end. There are some heavy sex scenes, so if that’s not your cup of tea, this is a warning. It’s hard to describe the book without giving too much away, but this is a good vampire series that stands out in the genre and for readers that enjoy the vampires, this series is a must read. I would recommend that readers start at the beginning, as they don’t read that well as standalones. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Wrapped up in You by Claire Marti

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Wrapped Up in You
Claire Marti
Holiday Contemporary Romance

When cocky financial genius Rafael Cruz is forced to partner with his snarky office rival
Phoebe Hollingsworth to land a prestigious new client, nothing goes as planned.

At work, they ignore each other, but at the Jingle Ball, their unexpected chemistry changes the game.

Will their secret holiday hook-up ruin the deal or is it the start of a deeper connection?

One click this enemies to lovers office rivals holiday romance today!

Uncaged Review: This holiday novella is a quick read easily accomplished in one sitting. The chemistry between the main characters is sizzling, and the book really takes off at the Jingle Ball. As office rivals, Phoebe and Rafael are forced to work together to secure a new client, the sparks will fly. This is a fun, sexy read for the holiday season with a lot of fun banter.

I have not read any of the rest of this series, and I had no problems so this reads well as a standalone, but it does encourage me to go back and read the rest of the series. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Throwing Shade by Deborah Wilde

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Throwing Shade
Deborah Wilde
Humorous Fantasy

Middle-aged. Divorced. Hormonally imbalanced. Then she got magic.
Underestimate her. That’ll be fun.

It’s official. Miriam Feldman is killing it in the midlife crisis department. She’s mastered boredom, aced invisibility, and graduated Summa Cum Laude in smiling and playing nice in her post-divorce life.

Then her best friend gets tangled up with some vamps and goes missing. If that’s not scary enough, Miri snaps, and in a cold dark rage, unleashes a rare and powerful shadow magic.

Now, with only a mouthy golem and a grumpy-yet-sexy French wolf shifter to help her navigate this world of hidden magic, she’s in a race against time to rescue her friend and keep her loved ones safe from the skeletons in her past.

Sure, she’s caught in a spiderweb of supernatural power plays, but she’s a librarian, she’s over forty, and she’s definitely done with being sidelined in her own life.

She’s turning her invisibility into strength; they’ll never see her coming.

Uncaged Review: This is a book written as I expect from this author, having read the Nava Katz series, so I was completely prepared for the sense of humor and quite a few grinning moments in this one as well. I did not get as deeply involved with the book as quickly as I did the prior series, but by a bit after the midway point, it was beginning to be a really fun read and hard to put down. I personally like a bit more romance, but I guess it is steering that way, sort of.

Since Miri is just beginning to understand her powers, and is still learning, I’m sure that this series is going to take off in the future installments and I wished I’d started them sooner. But luck will have it, the series is complete, so I won’t have to wait between books. A lot of action, a lot of originality, and some good supporting characters, and a main character who is not in her 20s. Win win. Reviewed by Cyrene


4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Oranges for Miranda by Annette Bower

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Oranges for Miranda
Annette Bower
Contemporary Romance

Miranda Porter, an award-winning businesswoman, leaves home to transition into retirement. Always in control, this is her time to have fun without plans and responsibilities. Enter Renato Monteiro, a considerate Portuguese tour guide with secrets. Miranda isn’t looking for a long-term relationship. Could her senses be finding love in this unlikely place? Can a vacation romance survive the distance?

Renato Monteiro has decisions to make. Stay in his birth country where his female relatives want him to marry a young woman who can give him children. Or does he return to his second home, where he has a purpose and has built a life without children? The day Miranda and he bumped heads changes his perspective and his pursuit. Now he must decide which is most important: the family he was born into or the family he chooses.

Uncaged Review: This is a story that starts a bit slowly, the author pulls the reader in slowly and before long, it becomes a book that has the reader’s full attention without realizing when it happened. I like the idea that both of our main characters are not in their 20s, but a middle aged couple that have to navigate both a cultural difference and their families. Miranda handing over the reins of the business to her very capable adult kids and vacationing in Portugal brings more than Miranda ever hoped for.

This isn’t the first book I’ve read from this author, and she’s able to describe the places and people so well, that you feel like you’re actually there. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day someone talked about Portugal and I would know what they were talking about! I have a habit of looking at images from different countries and areas described in books that I’m reading for better being able to picture it as I go along, and with this author, it was spot on. A nice, sweet romance that will warm your soul and the title is perfect, except I’m not telling. Reviewed by Cyrene


5 Stars

Uncaged Review: Unbranded by Linda Bradley

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Unbranded
Linda Bradley
Western Romance

Threatened by the unexpected, a devoted rancher refuses to compromise her ambition or her legacy.

CHLOE MCINTYRE is determined to become the co-CEO of her grandfather’s Montana ranch, but her father isn’t ready to become partners—yet.

Jaded memories of her parents’ shotgun wedding gone wrong cloud her attraction for best friend Matt Cooper when she discovers she’s pregnant—with his baby. Chloe believes raising a child isn’t in her genes, and she doesn’t expect a marriage proposal. She keeps her condition a secret to hold her position on the ranch and continue what she does best: wrangling strays and working alongside hired hands.

After her father announces his first choice for co-CEO, a wild ride jeopardizes the pregnancy, and Chloe questions life choices. Will the cowgirl grit she has inherited from her grandmother be enough to rein in her disappointment, or will she walk away from everything that could flourish into love?

Uncaged Review: This book is the start of a spinoff
series from the Montana Bound series and picks
up with Chloe now an adult and an integral part of
the ranch working as ranch hand right alongside the
wranglers. The first chapter throws a curve ball right
away when Chloe finds out she’s pregnant. Trying to
keep it a secret long enough to get the coveted role of
co-CEO to her father for the ranch.

There were a lot of times that I didn’t like Chloe
much. She was a bit overly independent and wants
a say in everything, is quite bossy and at times a bit
rude. She was very immature and stubborn, and not
always in a good way. I did see growth from her by
the end, and she finally was someone I enjoyed reading
about. As a lifetime horse owner and rider, there
was one thing that was a bit off for me, like being in
a saddle and wrapping her hand in the mane before
going faster, something that I have never done unless
riding bareback and even then very seldom. Riding a
horse is primarily moving with balance and legs.

This ended on a good note, but I can also tell it’s not
the end of Chloe’s story, and it will be fun to read
more of her journey. You can start out reading this
book without reading the previous series, but if you
want to get the full experience of these characters,
start with Maggie’s Way. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review: Her Undercover Cowboy by Kathleen Lawless

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Her Undercover Cowboy
Kathleen Lawless
Western Romance

Mixing business and pleasure never felt so good.

As long as Montana doesn’t find out why Steele is really at her ranch, and who hired him to be there, he can make himself indispensable to the beautiful widow and her expansion plans. 

Montana’s ambitions for her property don’t include letting her new know-it-all foreman, Steele, take the reins, even though he looks mighty capable of showing her how blissful it can be to surrender control—in and out of the bedroom. 

When her investment is threatened, Montana stands to lose everything she’s worked for, leading to the truth about why Steele is really there.  

How can he convince her he’s truly on her side and that the heat between them is more than a diversion?

Uncaged Review: This western romance jumps
pretty quickly into some steamy sex scenes, and I
know that is not in the blurb, so be warned if that’s
not your thing.

Montana is ambitious, in that she wants to get her
Black Creek Resort and Spa to be up and running
alongside the Black Creek Ranch. Montana’s ex
mother-in-law fires the latest ranch manager, and
hires Steele Hardt, unknown to Montana, he is working
undercover for the investors as Montana is already
over budget on her extravagant spa. But the
two’s chemistry is off the charts and they will have to
navigate all the hidden truths to make anything work
between them and get the resort up and running.

I thought this was a good read, with enough intrigue
to keep it moving along and I definitely would enjoy
more from this author. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

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