Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Home Blog Page 53

Uncaged Review – Silver Tongue by Shayne Silvers

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

Silver Tongue
Shayne Silvers
Urban Fantasy

Fairy Tales are very literal survival guides. Ignore them at your peril…

Nate Temple has gotten away with a lot in recent years: cow-tipping the Minotaur, decimating a gang of weredragons, sucker-punching Angels, and eating pancakes with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He’s kidnapped one of the most powerful wizards on the planet and slaughtered the Brothers Grimm. Lady Luck has been very good to Nate Temple…

Until now.

Nate’s good fortune has turned, catching the attention of a recruiter—the kind of person who offers jobs that can’t be refused…

The kind of job that comes with perks like selling your soul to your new employer. That’s when a wizard tastes real fear—when he learns that all the biggest, baddest monsters actually work for the same guy—and they do so against their will.

Silver Tongue…The nightmare everyone both knows, and doesn’t know…

Lady Luck better have one more good toss of the dice for Nate, or this will be the last game he ever plays. Unless…he can find a way to cheat the House.

Uncaged Review: This time out in Nate Temple’s world, it seems like a whole lot of bad-ass people are looking for the same thing, and they think Nate has it. If Nate thinks that his life is going to slow down and give him a breather, I think he’d better rethink those plans.

This is a non-stop action urban fantasy that is smart, roller coaster ride with great characters and witty dialog. Mr. Silvers brings the mix of the supernatural and all the old fairy tales to life within the pages, but don’t be thinking of the Disney versions. I once said in another review, that these would make a perfect TV series or movies – but I’m not sure that they can get it right – but I’d be first to watch if they did. I’m going to hang out in Nate Temple’s world as long as Mr. Silvers keeps writing them. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Phaze by S.C. Mitchell

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

Phaze
S.C. Mitchell
SciFi

When Kayla Armstrong is attacked in her lab, she falls into a chemical stew. Now she’s walking through walls and falling through floors.

As the leader of Xi Force, Joel Weisberg is always looking for new superheroes for his team. What he wasn’t looking for was sexy Kayla Armstrong falling through the ceiling of his apartment right into his bed. Still he isn’t complaining when the event finds him a new Xi Force member and a new love. Now she just needs some training and some time.

But when an old enemy comes back with new powers and captures Joel, it’s up to Kayla to lead the Xi Force against her. But can they rescue Joel before he’s murdered . . . again?

Uncaged Review: The XI Force team are back with a vengeance with Joel being their new leader this time. But an old threat is starting trouble again. Someone Joel thought was out of his life for good. Just as he thought he was happy with lab worker Kayla, things go boom. This book can be read as a standalone book or as part of the series. Filled to the brim with SciFi gadgets and cool costumes this book packs a punch. Great action and there are wolves. What more could you ask for? This series is becoming increasingly more exciting to read. Reviewed by Jennifer

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Raking the Ashes by Kait Gamble

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

Raking the Ashes
Kait Gamble
Contemporary Romance

Tamara Roberts only wanted to live her life and write her novels. After living hard and fast in her youth, life now happens almost exclusively on the page for Tamara. Her carefully constructed life is torn apart when her long estranged husband makes an appearance on her doorstep looking too sexy for comfort.

Peter Worthington has one request before they part ways for good—that Tamara comes to make peace with his dying father. But the simple request comes with a huge tangle of complications. He never expected devastating revelations to be uncovered or for the chemistry between them to still be explosive.

But will the truth bring them back together or tear them apart?

Uncaged Review: This is one of those books that drew me in, and that is normally not what I do with contemporary romances, but I really enjoyed this book. Tamara is an author with a past…a past that includes a husband she is still married to but hasn’t seen in years. When he walks back into her life, all the old feelings of hurt threaten to pull her down. And almost as soon as I read that, I decided I was not putting down this book until I found out what happened. When the truth does come out, will it matter, or has too much time passed to make it right?

The author kept a good pace without bogging down the story. I liked the fact that she let the characters play out naturally and didn’t force them too quickly or hurry any of the story. Definitely an entertaining read that will quench your romance urges. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Pearls of Fire by Meara Platt

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

Pearls of Fire
Meara Platt
Historical Victorian/Regency

Do the mysterious pearls with the red-gold color of the burning sun hold the key to love… or to a curse?

Emma Langdon’s life was changed by a kiss that never happened. Hugh Le Brecque, the handsome viscount meant to do the kissing never showed up, and Emma has been trying to forget him ever since. But when thieves break into her elegant home to steal a family heirloom known as the Pearls of Fire, a necklace she believes is cursed, Emma knows she must turn to Hugh for help. Her father, driven mad with grief, has run off after the thieves and Emma fears his life is now in danger. Can she trust Hugh to find her father? Or will he betray her for those mysterious pearls that shine with the brilliance of a red-gold flame and seem to hold a dark power over men?

Hugh Le Brecque, once a respected privateer in service of the Crown and English peer known as Viscount Brixham, is now a convicted pirate with no intention of hanging for a crime he did not commit. He has already made plans to seek revenge on the men who framed him when Emma Langdon storms back into his life, entering his cell and offering a bargain he cannot refuse – take her to the East Indies to help her find her father, and she will use her powerful connections to see his conviction overturned. A two hundred year old journal written by Emma’s ancestor who first acquired the Pearls of Fire is the only clue to her father’s whereabouts. 

Will Hugh fall under the spell of these mysterious pearls? Or is Emma’s enchanting innocence the greater danger to his heart?

Uncaged Review: I love a good pirate book and love a good high seas adventure. Emma’s father has gone missing after her mother was murdered over a family treasure – the Pearls of Fire. Hugh, is a convicted pirate, convicted of crimes he didn’t commit, but languishing in a prison. With her money, she goes to Hugh to strike a deal. Help her find her father, and she’ll get him out of prison and get his ship out of impoundment. Hugh, once a respected man and former Viscount and heir to an earldom wants to prove his innocence – and he finds that Emma may be the one to help him. But it may not be as easy as he thinks to keep her at arms length, Emma being the woman he fell in love with, before he was a convicted criminal.
Emma is strong, stubborn and perfectly suited to take on Hugh.
The villians are truly despicable and the cast of supporting characters are worth remembering. A story with danger, secrets, laughter and intrigue, all in a well-paced story that will keep the reader turning the pages. A great addition to the Pirates of Britannia shared world. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Ian by Lily Baldwin

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

Ian
Lily Baldwin
Historical Romance/Highlands

To escape imminent danger, Scottish lady Jocelyn Ferguson, flees her home and the comforts of her station to live as an English commoner. She knows not who hunts her or why, only that she must trust no one.

Ian MacVie belongs to a network of secret rebels, and is on a mission for Scotland when he encounters a peasant girl, Jo, traveling alone. She refuses his offer of escort, but Scotland’s ‘gentle giant’ cannot allow a woman to traverse war-torn lands alone. He vows to protect her…even from herself.

What neither of them realize is that Jo may be the key to ridding Scotland of English tyranny once and for all.

Uncaged Review: In this 6th book of the series, our hero for this story for this Highland Outlaw is Ian, the youngest of the MacVie brothers. Belonging to a secret group of Scottish rebels, Ian is the last of his brothers whose identity has not be revealed. Lady Josselyn and her mother flee their home as their home comes under attack, making their way to England to scrape out lives as weavers, knowing they can’t return home.
With an accidental meeting with Ian, her whole world will change.

Danger, action, treachery, loyalty and love are steadfast in this story. The author does a brilliant job with some grand twists that actually caught me by surprise. I loved Jo, she is strong, smart and brave – even when she doesn’t think so. She may be one of my favorite heroines in a long time. This is a book that I’ll be thinking of for quite a while, and the epilogue is full of wonderful moments, and if you haven’t read the other books in the series, this does well as a standalone, but the epilogue will be that much better if you have. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Stella of Akrotiri: Deminon by Linda Rae Sande

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

Stella of Akrotiri: Deminon
Linda Rae Sande
Historical Fantasy/Greek & Roman

Love can last a thousand lifetimes when you’re an Immortal… or so they thought.


What’s become of the Immortal Darius? His wife, Stella, worries about his fate as she rules over their city-state of Deminon, especially when she learns he’s been the victim of treachery. She’ll do anything to get him back. 

Enslaved as a traitor to Rome, Darius is forced to fight gladiators as part of the funeral rites of powerful Romans. His years of experience on the battlefield serve him well in the arena—until he’s forced to fight Marcus—a younger, stronger gladiator who is unaware of his own immortality. 

Sure he’s about to suffer a defeat by the hand of Marcus, Darius is forced to make a decision that will change his future and Stella’s—preserve his essence by allowing his body to die so that he can live on in Marcus. His two-thousand years of memories and life experiences should be powerful enough to overcome the essence of the untested Immortal. Allow him to return to Stella and resume their life together, even if she won’t immediately recognize him.

But Marcus isn’t giving up so easily. Especially when he meets Stella. 

Will Marcus help Darius take revenge on the one whose deceit led to his arrest on charges of treason? Or will Darius’ essence slowly be subsumed, the memories of his nearly two-thousand-year lifespan—and of Stella—fading away in the mind of Marcus? 

These Immortals once had all the time in the world. Now it’s suddenly of the essence.

Uncaged Review: This is a slow burner – as I read along, I never even realized that the book ensnared me and when I looked up at the clock, I was surprised so much time had passed, I was that engrossed in the story. I’ve read books from this author before, but this is a totally different style. The world was described so well, that I was able to picture the story as I read along.

Stella and Darius are immortals, along with a handful of others, meaning they really can’t die. Stella and Darius have been together for hundreds of years, but when Darius is set up to be named a traitor, he is sent off to be a gladiator. When he allows his body to die, his essence is transferred into a younger immortal – who he fought in the ring, Marcus. But will the two minds become one and he be able to return to Stella, or will Marcus prevail and Darius be lost to Stella forever?

There are a few really good twists in this that I didn’t see coming, and it was a world that I would happily go back to. There is a lot of sex and some violence that is true to the time period, but there is also friendship, love, honor and loyalty. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Scandalous Inheritance by Nancy Smith Gibson

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

The Scandalous Inheritance
Nancy Smith Gibson
Historical Romance/20th Century

It’s 1919 and the Great War is over. Soldiers are returning home and want their jobs back. When Alise is replaced by a returning soldier, the letter from an attorney in Texas comes at an opportune time. She is sole heir to her aunt’s estate: a house, business, and money.

Hoping the house is suitable to open a bakery, Alise takes the next train to claim her inheritance, but it isn’t at all what she expected.

Returning home from the war, Owen’s wounds aren’t just physical. His brusque attitude causes him to rebuff Alise on the train to Texas, and he offends her at every turn once they’ve arrived in Rock Springs.

Secrets and misunderstandings stand between them, until passion pulls them together. Can forgiveness allow them to forge a future together?

Uncaged Review: Miss Alise Rose Taylor loses her job in St. Louis at the end of WWI when the soldiers return from the war. She is careful to hide her real last name of Scheider which is German for tailor. There was much prejudice against the Germans due to the war regardless of how long they had been in the country or if they came here because they disagreed with the policies in Germany.
Miss Taylor ends up inheriting a house of ill repute from her Aunt Rose Alise Threadgill. The story revolves around how she handles the inheritance (she doesn’t keep the house) and the man Owen Gomance who she meets on the train to Rock Springs Texas to get her inheritance. She ends up getting involved with Owen, but there is much that happens before then.
This tale was well told, kept to historical facts and was quite believable. It kept you turning the pages to see what would happen next with Alise, how was this woman you want to root for and Owen who you know has to change from being the surly rude man you first see on the train. The cast of characters become like your friends as you learn more about each one, which to me, the best a book can be. It is a tale which holds a lot of truths for today about prejudices, differences, kindness, caring and love.
I gave this book 5 stars for the wonderful characters you meet in it and the lessons we all can learn through a well-written book which pulls you into the story with a good ending. Reviewed by Barbara

5 Stars

Uncaged Promotional Swap Group for Authors

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

If you are an author or an assistant looking for contest/giveaway swaps, Facebook party time slots or newsletter swaps, this group may be what you are looking for. No advertising in this group, but you may post newsletter swaps, giveaway/contest swaps or even if you are needing authors to fill in a time slot for a Facebook party. Join today! No cost!

Uncaged Review – Scottish Devil by Tammy Andresen

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

Scottish Devil
Tammy Andresen
Historical Regency/Scottish

He was the one man she shouldn’t want…

Known as the devil, Stone Sinclair, Earl of Alban, is carved of rock, hard and uncompromising. He bends for no man. A fiery lass with golden hair and a will as strong as his own? Surrender has never sounded sweeter.

Eliza McLaren detests all lairds. They are selfish, self-serving, arrogant men who only care for themselves and build their fortunes on the backs of their people. And Lord Stone Alban is the worst of the lot. When her father attempts to make a match between them, Eliza pledges to never give herself to a man like Stone, no matter how tempting his lips or how strong his arms. He isn’t the only one carved of stone.

But as passion ignites between them, how long can she deny that fire and brimstone are forever burned together?

This is book one in the Brethren of Stone series:

One family united by loss, driven to find love…

After the death of their parents, six siblings unite around their eldest brother, Stone. They consider blood a binding oath and vow to protect one another. They all must face their own demons as they find love and their places in the world. 

Uncaged Review: A great book for the lesson of don’t judge people by rumors and hearsay. Stone and his family lost their parents in a mine collapse. Stone has inherited the Earl-ship as the oldest, and because of his fierce features, he’s known as the “devil.”
Eliza’s father who has been the solicitor for the Sinclair family, comes on an extended stay to help transition Stone into his new role. He brings along his daughter, since his wife had passed on a month ago. Eliza is filled with anger as in her province, the laird is a greedy man, who doesn’t care for his people – and in her time of need for her mother, there was no help to be found. With this as her only experience, she believes the rumors of Stone and is unhappy to have to travel to his lands.
But when she does arrive, every action she sees Stone take, she starts to question the rumors.
A nice story, with a good character development and secondary characters are fun and interesting. It kept a nice pace and I’m really looking forward to reading about the next Sinclair. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Blood is Thicker by Orlando A. Sanchez

By
Cyrene Olson
-
0

Blood is Thicker
Orlando A. Sanchez
Urban Fantasy

A Broken Pact. An Ancient Enemy. A Bitter Betrayal.

What does a vampire fear more than sunlight? The Cazadoras Sangrientas-Blood Hunters.

Michiko Nakatomi has led the Dark Council for over a century, maintaining the uneasy truce between humanity and the supernatural. But when an ancient enemy returns the delicate balance is shattered and vampires start dying. 
Now, Michiko must fight for her life and the survival of the Council. She has no one to trust. Her inner circle is destroyed, the Council is on the verge of collapse, and her only hope lies with Simon and Tristan.
Join the Montague and Strong Detective Agency as they face off against the Blood Hunters to prevent them from destroying the Dark Council and plunging humanity to its doom.

Uncaged Review: You would think, that as you get further into a series, storylines will start overlapping, things won’t be fresh and exciting, but that’s not the case of this series. If anything, it just gets better and better. The brilliant action scenes, some of the best dialog I’ve read in any urban fantasy and great plotlines. I don’t what goes on in this author’s mind, but I’ll bet that it’s a riot.
Blood Hunters out to destroy all vampires are spreading Bloodrum as a drug in the streets. Their aim is to take out all vampires – but at a cost to both vampires and human casualties. When they also kidnap Michiko – the target is now on the Dark Council. And on top of it all, Tristan has a price on his head from the Golden Circle. We also meet Dex, Tristan’s uncle, and a powerful mage with connections to Morrigan…yes THAT Morrigan.
This is a full-fledged urban fantasy series that will keep you pulled in to the pages and won’t let go. This one ended on a cliffhanger – but this series is 7 books strong, so it didn’t bother me too much and the first chapter of the 4th book is included in the back. If you love urban fantasy, you won’t get much better than these. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

1...525354...117Page 53 of 117

© 2016 - 2024 Uncaged Book Reviews, All Rights Reserved