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Uncaged Review – Vampire Island of Nightfall by Jade Christy

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Vampire Island of Nightfall
Jade Christy
Paranormal Romance

A luxury yacht. A violent storm. A forbidden island that should not exist.

Mia Kennedy takes a one-month job on a billionaire’s yacht to escape her broken life, thanks to her best friend and chef, Axel. A burned-out ER nurse, she wants some down time and a change of scenery.

She never expected to shipwreck on a vampire island that shouldn’t exist.
Or fall for the vampire sworn to never love a human.
Or awaken a sleeping power on the island.

As forbidden desire ignites and buried secrets surface, Mia discovers that the island itself may be alive — and far more dangerous than the vampires who live there.

Will Mia escape Nightfall Island… or become part of its dark destiny?

Uncaged Review: The book starts off with some very unfortunate treasure hunters after a treacherous storm lands them on supposedly an uninhabited island. The treasure hunters soon learn very quickly that the island is inhabited by some vampires who are hungry for blood. Mia Kennedy, a burnt-out ER nurse. She just can’t do this anymore and save lives. Also, Mia doesn’t have a job anymore either, so when her best friend, Axel, offers her a job with him to work on a yacht with him as medical personnel. Mia decides it can’t hurt and takes the job. When the yacht becomes wrecked on an island after a storm, Mia finds out that the island is filled with vampires and one vampire in particular, Jude, is not only fascinated by Mia but strongly desires her. As Mia gets to know Jude, she can’t stop the strong attraction to him, but the island also calls to her. Will Mia be able to save the island, Axel and herself from doom before it’s too late?

I don’t know what really intrigues me most about vampires. Maybe vampires with a moral code and some who are just plain evil? Me, being a mood reader, I brought several books that have such lovely covers. Sometimes I read the synopsis, and sometimes I don’t, which, luckily, for me, I do know how to pick good books based on just the covers alone. Yes, the story was interesting and there was not only magic because the evil vampires are almost sirens creating storms, but there is also the other humane island with our hero Jude, who becomes protector of Mia Kennedy, a burnt-out ER nurse, me being a health care professional, I already liked her. Even the island had its own agenda, having its own personality which I thought wasn’t all that gracious and also wanted Mia dead as well. Yes, unfortunately, it ends on a cliffhanger, so you have to read the next one, but it is well worth it.
Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Hunter by Libby J

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Hunter
Libby J
Contemporary Romance

Romantic, liberating and totally addictive.
This will obsess you, leave you wanting more.

Hunter Fairmont is a self-made billionaire, the ever-gorgeous alpha bachelor.
McKenna Rayne is a self-made recluse who loves her invisibility more than anything.
He needs a personal assistant, and she needs a job. But things aren’t what they seem.

Secrets are hidden, skeletons are in closets, and both their worlds collide.
He will stop at nothing to make her his, and she’s not ready to fall.

Fate has her own plan.

Suddenly, the game changes for both of them, and every step becomes more deadly and lethal than the next. Someone else has Hunter in their sights and will stop at nothing to have him.
With no promise of a tomorrow, will they both survive what’s to come?

Uncaged Review: Hunter needs a personal assistant immediately! His previous assistant went on maternity leave and Hunter is desperate. Luckily, his dear friend Sarah did promise that she would send her godchild, McKenna “Kenny” or Mack Rayne, to be his temporary assistant until he could find another. As soon as McKenna enters Hunter’s office, he does scream at her, but she doesn’t back down. Hunter has to apologize to her, especially since she saved him from another devious woman who wants him. As Hunter learns, McKenna is a strong, resourceful woman who isn’t scared of anything but does have some pretty scary personal demons. As Hunter falls for McKenna and she for him, they have to fight not just the other woman who wants him but everyone or die trying!

This book intrigued me not only with the amazing storyline and beautiful cover! Sure, half-naked men are a dime a dozen, but this one was mysterious, and seemed bashful, like the model had a secret he wanted to tell you but wasn’t going to until you picked up the book. There are a lot of billionaire romances, but this one was quite a tale and did have an intriguing plot! Hunter Fairmont at first was a cold, cruel billionaire who was just a beast of a man who liked to yell until he met his match in McKenna Rayne, who wouldn’t back down, but she also hid a world of secrets which I would just like to meet this girl and be her friend, but she would probably beat me up too, so there is that. Was the story worth reading? Yes, despite some spelling errors, and it was written well, of course. Do I look forward to the next book also another resounding yes! In fact, I want everyone’s story so that I will just have to reread this book again! Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Furious Angels by L.D. Rose

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Furious Angels
L.D. Rose
Paranormal Romance

Love was their salvation. Now it may be their downfall.

Kasen Knight believed he could save the world. Now he’s barely surviving.

The vampire war rages on, but the hybrids in New York City are rapidly losing ground. As the Senary’s healer, Kasen is drowning in death and bloodshed. The only thing driving him to carry on is his beloved mate and their unborn child. When the man responsible for his tortured past discovers Kasen has a baby on the way, the threat to all he holds dear has him grappling to keep his beast in check. Kasen is supposed to be a hero, not a villain, but he’ll do anything to protect his family—even if it costs him his soul.

Dr. Veronica Kerr should be ecstatic; she’s pregnant and deeply in love with her soulmate. Yet, between caring for patients by day and assisting Kasen with the battle-wounded by night, she hardly has the energy to prepare for motherhood. When terrifying cravings and disturbing nightmares of blood and darkness begin to haunt her, she quickly discovers that becoming a mom might be the greatest danger she’s ever faced.

Surrounded by monsters, both human and vampire alike, Kasen and Veronica will have to break their halos and carve them into horns.

Uncaged Review: It’s been a minute (2020 original release) since the last book of this series came out, but it all came back to me as I started reading this one, and just like the rest of this series, it’s bloody good. This book follows Veronica and Kasen’s story, but all the Knights are back and between the war with the vampires, the government officials that want to capture them for study to produce the perfect soldier, Rome’s illness and Veronica’s pregnancy, there isn’t much downtime in all of this. Kasen is gifted with healing abilities, and they will be in full use in this book.

There is so much going on, it was hard to put this down once I started reading. I fell in love with all the characters all over again, and this is one of the rare series that I will get physical copies for my shelves and probably reread. This book has perfect action scenes, a perfect balance of emotional turmoil and satisfying moments. A lot of things come to light in this book, and even though the main arc is still evolving in this series, this book made me want to stay in this world a bit longer. I see Shaul’s book will come next, and after that, I’m hoping for Rome. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Blood Claimed by L.A. McGinnis

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Blood Claimed
L.A. McGinnis
Paranormal Romance

Seven years ago, Aisling ran away from her fate,
the enemies who wanted her dead,
and her fated mate, Rowan Forge.

Leaving him at the altar was the only way to save him from execution for her crimes.

Now the High Council of Vampires has dragged her back to face the mate she rejected, his brother who despises her, and her best friend, who no longer trusts her. Once, they were her entire world, but now she has lost them forever.

With her enemies closing in, she is walking a razor’s edge, compelled to marry Rowan to mend a deadly blood feud and play the dutiful wife while she outwits the council. War is brewing, Ash is trapped in the middle, and her deepest secret is about to be revealed—a secret that could destroy Rowan.

But Ash doesn’t care about councils or power. The world can burn.

All she wants is Rowan, Finn, and Darrow back, and she is willing to do anything to make that happen.

Uncaged Review: As always with books from this author, this is a very intricate plot with a lot going on with suspense, romance, mortal danger and plenty of action. Aisling is a vampire, who escaped the clan and has been living among humans for seven years until she is caught by an elder and brought back to the clan, to be mated to Rowan, the new King and someone who she had been betrothed to from before she was even born, to settle differences between two high powered families. But there is a lot more to the reasons she left and the three men that were her best friends, including Rowan will slowly find out more about her past, her lineage and the powers she has that have been tamped down by magic and wards. Aisling will be hunted by not only Council members, but also the Elders.

This book is a great start to this series, and there are four books in this set and they are already out, so the slight cliffhanger on the end doesn’t bother me all that much. I don’t like that one of the elders are messing with Rowan and Aisling, but this is setting up to be a reverse harem. Aisling has Finn and Rowan on her side, but her true mate Rowan has been threatened, so it will be a slow burn for that relationship.
A great start to this series, and book two is already on my Kindle. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Soul of Smoke by Caitlyn McFarland

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Soul of Smoke
Caitlyn McFarland
Fantasy Romance

Kai Monahan never believed in dragons—until one nearly died in her arms. Now she’s bound by fire to a warrior who could destroy her…or ignite something far more dangerous.

Kai thought she’d lost everything—her future in law school, her family’s trust, her carefully planned life. Now she chases adrenaline on the cliffs of the Rockies, where the only person she can endanger is herself.

Until the night she stumbles into a battle between dragons. And saves one.

Dragged into a hidden world where dragons wear sinfully gorgeous human forms, Kai finds herself tied to Rhys: a burdened, battle-scarred warrior with starfire eyes. A single brush of skin seals them in a bond that sears him with fire whenever she strays too far—a bond neither of them wanted.

The only way to stop the agony is surrender.

But Kai refuses to give up her freedom, and Rhys refuses to chain her against her will—though every heated glance, every accidental touch, every night spent too close makes resistance harder to cling to. And the longer they fight the pull, the more dangerous their bond becomes.

Because if desire doesn’t consume them both…the fire will.

Uncaged Review: This is the first book of four for a series, and in this series, Kai and Juliet are on a trip when they spot a young woman who had fallen down the cliffs and was unconscious. Being a rock climber, Kai scales down to help her while Juliet runs back to find help. But the woman awakens and starts to get up to find her family and Kai feels obligated to go with her to help her on an injured leg. But when they cross into the hidden world of dragons and a battle ensues with Kai barely surviving, but by saving Rhys in the meantime.

Dragons mate for life, and to find out if they are heartsworn, all it takes is a touch, but to complete the bond, it’s a kiss that seals it forever. When Rhys touches Kai, Rhys is heartsworn to her and since Kai isn’t from this world, she rebels and just wants to leave, but it could kill Rhys…

The world building is decent, and I liked most of the side characters, but I think Kai was a little rash in some decisions and instead of getting mad, should have asked more questions and found out more about a bond and the dragons, instead she came off as a little self-absorbed and selfish, even when she started to like some of them. Near the end of the book, she did better, and I was invested in this relationship, but a few things didn’t add up in the end, although I won’t give it away. All four books are out now, so anyone can read straight through, but don’t skip, these need to be read in order.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Court of Blood and Bindings
Lisette Marshall
Fantasy Romance

He’s the queen’s deadliest weapon. She might be his only weakness.

Living in a quiet human village, Emelin knows better than to use forbidden magic – but one mistake lands her in the hands of the legendary fae assassin known as the Silent Death. He’s beautiful. Brutal. Voiceless. And instead of killing her, he offers her a dangerous bargain.

To survive, she must join him at the Crimson Court, the glittering heart of fae power and cruelty – to play the part of his lover in a realm where humans are nothing but prey.

But Creon is not the monster she expected. He’s worse.

He always seems to know what she’s thinking. He shields her like it’s instinct. And when his burning gaze lingers on her lips, she forgets what side she’s supposed to be on.

As rebellion stirs beneath the court’s jewelled surface, Emelin finds herself drawn into a game of lies and secrets where every alliance is a risk and every touch could be her ruin. Creon may need her magic to bring down the queen … but if she lets herself trust him, it won’t be just her life on the line.

It will be her heart.

Uncaged Review: I really like the premise of the book, but it ran a little slow for me. The world building is good for what’s here, but there are a lot of holes that need filling. The characters are very nicely developed, and you can’t help but to fall for Creon. Emelin, it took me awhile to really like her, but by the end, she finally showed up to be a strong and compassionate person who I could root for. The author has turned this fantasy world into her own, and any magic that the fae have is through color, and it started to get into the blending of the colors for certain magics to happen, and even though it’s an original take on the magic, it wasn’t my personal favorite.

Although I really enjoyed the story, specially near the last quarter of the book, it ended on a major cliffhanger, which is a huge red flag for me, but since the whole series of four books is already out, it’s not as bad, just glad I waited to read this series now.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Kiss of the Vampire by Miranda Thorn

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Kiss of the Vampire
Miranda Thorn
Paranormal Romance

A vampire hunter with failing magic. A thousand-year-old vampire stalking her library. One forbidden obsession neither will survive.

I want out. Away from the blood, the fear, and the pain of being a vampire hunter. That’s why I’m in college. I want a normal life. I’m three weeks from finishing my summer semester when a vampire walks into my life and ruins everything.

Liam is ancient, lethal, and researching demonology in my library. If whatever he’s summoning gets loose, the body count will be remembered for decades. I can’t scare him off—he’s too old and too strong—which means I’m stuck keeping tabs on him while he brings me gourmet donuts and props his bare feet on my chair like we’re friends. When he pins me against the shelves and the lights explode overhead, I realize two things: my magic isn’t as dead as I thought, and neither is whatever’s burning between us.

But Liam isn’t just any vampire. He’s one of three brothers my ancestors tried to massacre—and failed. His family has a vendetta. Mine has a kill order. And the witch hunters circling my city don’t care that I’m falling for the enemy; they just want us both dead.

With dark forces rising, my mother’s betrayals unraveling, and an ancient conspiracy dragging us into the crossfire, Liam offers me something I’ve never had: a way out. All it costs is everything I was raised to believe.

Uncaged Review: This is a prequel to the main series and it’s a longer novella, bringing the reader into this world. Grace is a witch and college student and comes from a long line of vampire hunters, although she herself didn’t get as much magic in her blood as her sisters and really just wants a normal life away from the family business. When she sees Liam in the library, she knows she must kill him, but she expected Liam to save her life from witch hunters. Her world and everything she’s been taught her whole life about vampires will be turned upside down.

Liam is a 700 yr old vampire, along with his brothers, are a group that has been wrongfully blamed for deaths they didn’t commit, and Grace’s ancestors couldn’t bring them down.

Overall, I like the story, but it’s definitely lacking in the character development and I realize this is a prequel, but Grace’s emotions were a bit too surreal in her quick attachment to Liam. This pairing could easily have been a full novel. Even having read this one, and been a bit underwhelmed with it, I do have the first main book on my Kindle and am planning on going forward, as I like the premise of it and want to see how the story unfolds with Liam’s brothers.
Reviewed by Cyrene

3 Stars

Uncaged Review – Rescued by the Seal by Logan Chance

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Rescued by the Seal
Logan Chance
Romantic Suspense

Sinclair “Sin” Hawthorne doesn’t do feelings.
He does missions, muscle, and making sure the people under his protection live long enough to annoy him tomorrow.

After one too many close calls overseas, Sin takes a “quiet” stateside assignment with the Maddox BRAVO team: protect a high-profile woman who’s become a walking magnet for trouble. The plan is simple—keep her safe, keep it professional, keep his heart out of it.

Then he meets her.

She’s sunshine with a smart mouth, chaotic competence, and a talent for turning Sin’s perfectly controlled life into a romcom disaster with great hair. She’s also not thrilled about having a six-foot-something human shield following her around like a grumpy shadow.

When an escalating threat forces them into a secluded safe house, Sin goes into full lockdown mode. One location. One security detail. Too many stolen glances. And way too much chemistry for a man who thinks “emotional vulnerability” is a tactical error.

But the closer danger creeps, the harder it becomes for Sin to pretend this is just a job.

Because protecting her body is easy.

Protecting his heart?
That might be the mission that takes him out.

Uncaged Review: This is the first time reading this author, and I’ve found a new favorite. This book starts the Tidehaven Seal series about a group of brothers, who while searching for their missing father start undigging all types of corruption. Each brother has their own talent, but this one centers on Sinclair and his new mission, a journalist, Rowan, whose life is being threatened for a story she dug a bit too deep on. Taking on this mission helps their mission of finding their father, as Rowan’s mother Elena has deep connections and resources to help them. So Sin takes the job, only to find that Rowan’s story may intertwine with their father. And she’s getting harder to resist, even for the man who doesn’t do emotions.

This is an action packed book, with humor – a lot of great banter between the brothers – romance, hot sex scenes and a very intricate suspense storyline. The overall arc that seems to be what will run within these books is still going on, but this book takes out a chunk of the mystery with Sin and Rowan. There is a cliffhanger on this, which is never something I like. This book is in a series of Tidehaven Seals book series with several authors penning different stories within this world and I may read some others, but I’m committed to reading about this author’s group in the future. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Third Rock from the Cowboy by Lexi Post

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Third Rock from the Cowboy
Lexi Post
Western Contemporary

Anthropologist Dr. Silver Collins is used to laughter, derision, or fanaticism when she tells someone she’s an ancient astronaut theorist. So when she receives none of those reactions from cowboy Layne Dawson, she’s intrigued. What also intrigues her is that the man has lived in the same town all his life, is amazingly confident, and is absolutely content with his life. His main goal appears to be to keep everything just the way it is.

Layne, a confirmed bachelor, has never met a woman like Silver, and it’s not just because her hair is completely white at the age of thirty-four. She’s traveled the world, quenching her thirst for knowledge about ancient cultures, determined to make a discovery that will help mankind understand its past. Her sacrifice and drive to reach that goal is something he’s never known and he finds it, and her, riveting.

The more Silver learns about Layne, the more she appreciates him. When it looks like his help could be instrumental in reaching her life-long goal, her respect and gratefulness turn to something more. But when it becomes clear that her life is as alien to him as his is to her, she has to admit they truly are worlds apart. The chances they can bridge the gap are about as low as the chances aliens visited Earth in the past…or did they?

Uncaged Review: With the fourth book in the series, Silver, Amber and Jade are scientists on a dig and staying at Rocky Road before the guest season begins and tasked with finding out more about the drawings on the rocks and the only access to the site is through the ranch. Layne, our confirmed bachelor head ranch hand is tasked with taking them to the site and keeping them safe during their month on the dig. The chemistry between Layne and Silver is noticeable immediately and their romance takes off, each believing neither wants anything long term. But one discovery leads to another and things take a turn…

This is my favorite so far of the series. I loved the banter between the family, George was a cool addition and when things start to go belly up for the scientists after a major discovery, the Dunn’s will show Silver what family and community is all about. This story was fun and original, and it was a lot of fun watching how their blossoming love changed both of them. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Rock-a-Bye Cowboy by Lexi Post

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Rock-a-Bye Cowboy
Lexi Post
Western Contemporary

He’s done with everything changing on him. But what if she was the change he needed?
Jackson Dunn is not happy to be honorably discharged from the Army, handed a daughter he didn’t know he had, and sent home to Rocky Road Ranch where everything has changed while he was deployed. Then again, so has he, and he has no patience for a guest who won’t stay with the others. But when she catches him in a flashback to the war, he realizes she’s easier to talk to than his own family. The question is: can he talk to her because he knows she’s leaving or for another reason?

Just her luck, she discovers too late that Mr. Wrong could well be Mr. Right.
The last place Danielle “Dani” Hubbard wants to be on her vacation is a dude ranch owned by the Dunn brothers, but when she recognizes one of the Dunn brothers is as unhappy as she is, she decides to make her vacation more interesting by bothering him. He’s a complete Mr. Wrong, according to her now defunct Mr. Right Character List, so she has no worries about getting too close. But as she leaves for home, she has to wonder, is Mr. Wrong actually Mr. Right?

Uncaged Review: In the third book, we get Jackson’s story. Jackson is the ex-military man of the family, who came home to the ranch with PTSD and an infant daughter he didn’t know about until her military mother was killed on duty. Dani, is on vacation at the Dude Ranch with her friends and is the last place she wants to be. Meeting all the Dunn family, she is especially drawn to Jackson and it doesn’t take her long to connect with another lost soul who still has flashbacks and is trying so hard to be a good father to his infant daughter, Tabitha.

Even though this book sits on a bit darker of a theme, it’s still an easy read with likeable characters. Having the family as a great supporting cast didn’t hurt either. The romance that blooms between Jackson and Dani comes from a healing place and you can’t help but fall in love with the family all over again in this book. I liked the growth I saw in both Jackson and Dani, and as they were drawn to each other, I was cheering them on. And Shotgun is a great touch.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

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