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Uncaged Review – Never Let Me Fall by Abbie Roads

By
Cyrene Olson
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Never Let Me Fall
Abbie Roads
Psychic Romance/Thriller

Seeing is believing…

Thomas Brown can’t see color, but he can see people’s true souls. His abilities allow him to work with criminal investigators and deliver justice to families of the wronged. And he’s starting to accept that his life will forever be in black and white…

Then he encounters Helena Grayse, and everything changes. She brings vibrant color to his world, and he brings acceptance and belief to hers. But Helena’s past is quickly catching up with her, and Thomas is in the crosshairs.

As an enemy hidden in plain sight threatens their every move, they’ll have to rely on their love to beat the darkness.

Uncaged Review: This is an intense dark romance – with a smidgen of pararnormal. This is a good Psychological Thriller surrounded by this romance, and the twist and turns the book takes may leave you shaking your head and asking “what the hell just happened?” It took a bit longer for me to grow an attachment to the characters, and I did not read the first two books in the series. I think this held up well as a standalone, and the first time reading this author, so that may have played a part. This book will stay with you long after your done reading, and it’s hard to put down once you are reading. When I hit the 50% mark, the storyline went to a new level. A good romance if you’re looking for something with a little more bite. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Claimed by Evangeline Anderson

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Claimed
Evangeline Anderson
SciFi Romance

Olivia Waterhouse has just graduated from nursing school and has her whole life ahead of her—until she gets drafted. Problem is, she isn’t being forced into the Army, she’s been chosen as a Kindred bride. 

The Kindred are huge alien warriors—a race of genetic traders whose population is ninety-five percent male. After saving Earth from the threat of invasion they demand a reward—the right to find brides among the population. The chances of being chosen are about the same as those of winning the lottery—guess it’s just Liv’s lucky day. 

Baird is a Beast Kindred who recently escaped imprisonment and torture at the hands of the malevolent Scourge. Through the torment and pain only one thing kept him sane—the thought of finding and claiming his bride—Olivia. His need to possess her is a burning intensity that threatens to consume them both.

Angry at having her future and her family taken away from her, Liv vows to fight back the only way she can—by resisting. She has one month on the Kindred Mothership with Baird—their claiming period. If she can keep from having bonding sex with him during that time, she can go home and get on with her life on Earth. 

But Baird isn’t going to make it easy for her. Every week he is allowed to touch Liv more and more intimately and according to the contract she signed, she has to let him. She’s determined to resist him but his touch sets her on fire. And just as she thinks she knows what she wants, a twist of fate and an attack by the faceless Scourge AllFather changes everything…

Uncaged Review: The Kindred is an alien race that is mostly male, and have protected the planet from the Scourge – and in return there is a lottery where women are drafted to become brides for the Kindred, and the chances of being chosen is just as slim as winning the lottery – but Liv – gets the call. Liv is resistant and if she can resist the one that will take her as his mate for one month, she will be able to return to Earth.

I liked the originality, some of the SciFi parts weren’t really up to par with others I’ve read, but the story was entertaining and held my interest. Although this is marketed as a SciFi Erotic, it really isn’t that hardcore, at least until the end of the book and even then, it’s no more than any other romance, so if you like SciFi romance, you will probably like this one. I saw a few inconsistencies, the biggest one is that women are supposed to be cherished by the Kindred, and when Liv walks into an area of all unattached Kindred on the ship, she’s in danger of being raped and claimed – seems like the opposite of cherish. Danger, action and romance fits this bill with an engaging supporting cast. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Windy City Dragon by Genevieve Jack

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Windy City Dragon
Genevieve Jack
Paranormal Romance

A dragon prince. A vampire heiress. A kiss that could bring Chicago to its knees.
For decades he’s posed as a human…
It’s been a long time since Tobias spread his wings. The exiled dragon prince has worked hard to blend into the human world and practice his love for healing as a pediatric cardiologist.

She awakens the dragon within…
As a vampire-human hybrid, Sabrina is used to being different from the rest of her community. But all vampires need to feed. The night she chooses Tobias as her next meal, everything changes. He’s far more than he seems, and if she doesn’t protect his secret, it could cost him his life.

Can love remind him of who he truly is?
One kiss thrusts Tobias into the dark underground world of Chicago’s vampires where his dragon nature is his only hope of protecting Sabrina. But Sabrina knows the only way to keep him safe is to push him away.

Uncaged Review: The second book in this series, and I have to say, I think I like this one even better than the first one. Could it be because it’s set in Chicago – and the aptly subscribed frigid winter? Probably not, but it didn’t hurt that it’s set in a city I love and go to whenever I get a chance. In book one, The Dragon of New Orleans, we met Gabriel and Raven. This outing, we are getting to know Gabriel’s brother Tobias, whom we did meet in book one. This dragon world that the author has created, has grown in leaps and bounds in this installment. Tobias has lived his life as a human doctor for centuries, denying his dragon, keeping it under tight control. Until a nurse – the human-vampire hybrid Sabrina – is put in danger and his dragon demands release to protect his “mate.”

Gabriel and Raven are back to help Tobias, and there is so much emotional growth from Tobias – that the reader is glued to the pages as they all become a family and fight for each other. The danger, suspense and romance kept me up late into the night, and makes me wish for a dragon of my own. Can’t wait for the next installment. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Dragons & Demigods by Orlando A. Sanchez

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Dragons & Demigods
Orlando A. Sanchez
Urban Fantasy

Revenge is a dish best served cold…unless dragons are involved. Then make it hot, flaming hot.

George Rott wants revenge. After the death of his daughter, Cassandra, he vowed to find and destroy all the dragons. When he locates one of their hidden enclaves within the city, he enlists the help of an angry and unstable demigod to make them all pay.

If he launches an attack, he risks angering the dragons, plunging the city into an all-out war, and getting the unwanted attention of powerful gods. Now Simon, with Tristan’s help must find and stop George before he turns the city into his personal battlefield, killing them all.

Will Tristan and Simon find George in time? Will they avoid becoming dragon dinner?

Uncaged Review: I’m still not convinced that Mr. Sanchez isn’t a genius that has snuck out of Hogwarts. The author’s imagination for the different magic that is used in these books, and the detail that is explained, is off the charts. Now he’s pulling off terrifying dragons and demigods. Seriously, I’m running out of good things to say about this series. I get so lost in the book, that it takes me a bit to unwind my brain for normal life. This is an action packed series and this book even deals with how someone deals with the death of a loved one, but still doesn’t go into that dark place – does it with realistic emotions and you feel the pain. I wasn’t sure how Monty, Simon and Peaches were going to get out of this one, and I’m not giving anything away. But it’s a great ride, and this series deserves more than 5 stars.
Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Prairie Heat by Tessa Layne

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Prairie Heat
Tessa Layne
Contemporary Western Romance

He Shouldn’t Want Her…
Blake Sinclaire knows he shouldn’t want Maddie Hansen – she’s the daughter of his family’s enemy, and not to be trusted. It doesn’t matter she’s got a mind that won’t quit, curves for days, and a sassy sweet mouth that drives Blake to distraction. Her father stole his family’s land, and Blake will do anything – anything to get it back. 

But one scorching kiss changes everything…
Super-scientist Maddie Hansen vowed never to return to Prairie and the feud that’s hounded her family for generations. When she discovers the sexy cowboy who saved her father’s life is none other than Blake Sinclaire, she’s forced to reconsider everything she thought about her family’s enemy- especially when his kisses keep her awake at night. But Maddie’s determined to hold Blake at bay, because everyone knows cowboys have nothing in common with scientists. Except when it comes to matters of the heart.

Blake’s plan to reclaim his land goes haywire when white-hot kisses turn into something more, but dark secrets stand between Blake and a shot at love. When they come to light, will he lose everything he holds dear, including Maddie? 

Uncaged Review: The Sinclaire’s and the Hansen’s. Two families that have been at odds with each other for so many years, that you instantly think of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s. I went into this book, thinking about all the other western romances I’ve read, but this book really surprised me. The twists and turns this book takes is riveting, and the author doesn’t leave you hanging in the end, it’s wrapped up nicely in an epilogue. The secondary characters are as interesting as the main in this book, and it will be great to see them get their own space in more of this series. Well worth picking up. Just be warned, there is some heat to the book and some language. It didn’t bother me personally and it didn’t affect my rating or pull me out of the story at all, but others may not be OK with it. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Raven Award Winners – 2019

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Last night the winners of the fan-voted Raven Awards were announced LIVE in a Facebook event! We had a ton of fun, some readers found new authors to give a try and had giveaways, and even Uncaged joined in on the fun with a couple giveaways too! So without further ado – here are the winners of the Raven Awards 2019!

Favorite Cover: Kathryn Le Veque – High Warrior
Runner-Up Cover: Nancy Thorne – Victorian Town

Mystery/Suspense Winner: Belle Ami – The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci
Runner-Up: J.R. Ward – Consumed

Contemporary Winner: Susan B. James – Maybe This Time
Runner-Up: Rhonda Frankhouser – Escape from Ruby’s Ranch

Urban Fantasy Winner: R.J. Blain – Blending In
Runner-Up: Orlando A. Sanchez – Tombyards & Butterflies

SciFi/Fantasy Winner: Claire Buss – The Rose Thief
Runner-Up: Violet Abyss – Suzanne M. Sabol

Paranormal Romance Winner: Tamara Hughes – Bewitching the Beast
Runner-Up: Anna Lowe – Desert Moon

Fantasy Romance Winner: Mary Morgan – Trial of a Warrior
Runner-Up: Elizabeth Rose – Lady and the Wolf

Novella Winner: Orlando A. Sanchez – No God is Safe
Runner-Up: Anna Markland – Knightly Dreams

Historical-Scottish/Highlands Winner: Madelyn Hill – Highland Faith
Runner-Up: Elizabeth Rose – Highland Secrets

Historical: Regency/Victorian/Western Winner: Caroline Warfield – The Unexpected Wife
Runner-Up: Lynda J. Cox – Controlled Burn

Horror/Thriller Winner: Isobel Blackthorn – The Legacy of Old Gran Parks
Runner-Up: James Alan Ross – The Haunting of Dylan Klaypool

Young Adult Winner: Scarlett Kol – Wicked Descent
Runner-Up: Abby J. Reed – When Planets Fall

Uncaged Giveaway – Full Size Ad Winners:
Ginny Sterling
Genevieve Jack
Angela Scavone
Rj Frankhouser
Jane Ederlyn

Uncaged Grand Giveaway – Inside Cover Ad Winners
Linda Rae Sande
Beth Carter
Eric Kapitan
Caroline Warfield

Congratulations to all the finalists this year. To learn more about how the Raven Awards work, see this link!

The Raven Awards – LIVE Event on August 19, 6pm-8pm CST

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Join us here!

Winners and Runner-ups will be announced LIVE of the fan voted Raven Awards from Uncaged Book Reviews. Times are CST.

Finalist Authors are encouraged to vote and interact with readers! Don’t miss out!

Uncaged Review – Pirate Bound by Carysa Locke

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Pirate Bound
Carysa Locke
SciFi

A desperate gamble…

Sanah would do anything to protect her little sister, even if it means taking refuge with ruthless pirates. But the psychically Talented pirates terrorizing Commonwealth space are not quite the monsters she has been led to believe. When Sanah’s empathic gift shows her the truth behind the stories, she is no longer certain who the villains are in her world. 

A race on the verge of extinction…

Dem’s only goal is to protect his people, especially since a deadly bio-weapon decimated their population. Only a handful of women survived, and every day is a fight to rebuild. With Sanah’s empathy and her sister’s rare ability to heal, they could be the salvation Dem and his people have been looking for.  

A dangerous secret that could destroy everything…

But how can Sanah trust Dem with her life? Especially when he’d kill her if he knew the truth.

Uncaged Review: SciFi is a genre that is really hit or miss for me. I either really like it, or I’m really bored with it. This one falls directly into the former. Some books can get over technical and the gadgets and scifi wording gets to the point where you feel you need a degree in science to figure it all out, but this book keeps the language smart, the technology is superior as it should be in this genre, but it’s also easy to understand to us less-than-a-technological-wizard readers. Even though this is touted as a novella, it’s really a complete story – and this one revolves around Sanah and Dem. It also gives you a good start to this series, and a good background. One of the cons for this, is you have to pay attention to the beginning of each chapter, as this book does flip point of views on each chapter, and although it can be confusing at times, it gives the reader the advantage of seeing more of the entire picture.

Great book for debut, and looking forward to this series. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Babies at Coconuts by Beth Carter

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Babies at Coconuts
Beth Carter
Contemporary Romantic Comedy

For Fans of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Italian-style!) 

A clash of cultures.
A chaotic wedding. 
A surprise baby.
Just another day at Coconuts.

Coordinating the most joyous day of her son’s life should be easy. After all, Suzy is a wedding planner. But a meddling future mother-in-law wasn’t on the checklist. A wacky rehearsal dinner, a beach wedding, and a baby—not necessarily in that order—ensures bedlam, if not hilarity, among the two head-butting moms. The show must go on, with or without the wedding party.

Hope is adept at counseling students but has given up on dieting and having sleek hair. She has even gotten used to the fact that her adopted father no longer remembers her—until a surprise engagement and a newspaper article leave her in shambles.

Sexy banker Alex conveys totally in control while ignoring the simmering boil of her disastrous relationship. Her marketing rival is her kryptonite, but a disastrous bank event may spell her downfall.

Socialite Cheri Van Buren seems to have the perfect life. The New Yorker deftly juggles celebrity events but is growing concerned about her jet-setting parents’ strained marriage. After competing in a cake-decorating contest, another chef leaves her speechless.

More than a Happy Hour haven, Coconuts is the unknowing guardian of shared secrets, bombshell revelations, a few tears, and joy. Will the best friends ever find happiness? It doesn’t look good.

Uncaged Review: Getting tossed back into the Coconuts gang seems to hit my happy place. The ladies are back, and this time out we have Suzy planning her son’s wedding – but she didn’t count on the mother-in-law from Italy – hi-jinks ensue. And when the very pregnant ex-girlfriend attends….it’s like a time bomb on a fast ticker at the wedding. There are quite a few laugh out loud moments – and some twists that I didn’t see coming and a fun surprise ending. Although these books can read as a standalone, my question is why would you? This is a fantastic series, and get the most you can out of these wonderful characters and read the first two books. Everyone should have friends like these ladies in their lives, the kind that will drop whatever their doing to have your back, and will make you laugh along the way. I can’t wait for the next book to drop, and since I stalk the author on social media, I know she is working hard on the next installment, so I can refrain from chaining her to her computer. 🙂
Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Seductive Secrets by Elizabeth Rose

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Seductive Secrets
Elizabeth Rose
Medieval Historical

The Lady:.Lady Willow Douglas holds the power of persuasion and can charm men with her appearance as well as her words. But when her skill doesn’t work on Sir Conrad Lochwood, he becomes a thorn in her side. The autumn festival is about to start, and all the eligible, rich, single noblemen are arriving. She has decided to find a husband, but unfortunately her father has other plans. He’s hired Sir Conrad to keep her away from all the men until his return.
The Guardian:

When a visiting earl’s prize ruby is stolen, Willow steps in without hesitation to use her skills to figure out which of the guests is the thief. But with Sir Conrad constantly looking over her shoulder and dragging her away from everyone, she finds it difficult to accomplish anything. She is a member of the queen’s secret group of strong women and feels the need to find and return the ruby to help the earl out of a terrible predicament that involves the king.

Can a strong woman who is determined to catch a thief accomplish her task before a dashing knight steals her heart away?

Uncaged Review: For the second book in this series, we are following Willow’s story. Even though these are part of a series, this book does well as a standalone, but there are instances and characters mentioned from the first book that will enhance this story for you, so I really recommend you start at the beginning with Fia’s story to get all the background.

I can honestly say, I couldn’t stand Willow in the beginning of this book – but out of respect for the author, I hung in there and kept reading. She acted like a spoiled brat who thought of no one but herself. But as I read, I saw the transformation take place and watched the growth of Willow. Blessed with the powers of persuasion, in the beginning she only used the ability to get what she wanted – but later on uses it to help catch a thief. There are some good twists and turns that did surprise me, and the author managed to change my feelings about Willow. So even if you don’t like Willow in the beginning, keep reading – it’s worth it in the end. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

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