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Title: Warlord's Destiny

Author: Delilah Devlin

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Buy Link: Buy Warlord's Destiny Here!

Rating: You Need to Read

Reviewed by: Mickey

Blurb:

Mora has no illusions she's anything other than the sacrificial lamb to ensure peace between her peace-loving planet and the warlike world that demands a royal union with one of their own. However, when she meets the rugged warlord who will be her husband, Mora decides in that moment to win his heart-she'll settle for nothing less.

When Lord Tetrik suspects his wife harbors tender feelings, he wonders if he can be the husband she desires. After all, love for a woman is a frivolous thing-and not a warlord's destiny.

Review:

There were many aspects of Warlord's Destiny that I found quite enjoyable: particularly watching the developing romance between Tetrik and Mora. There is nothing quite as much fun to read as a little conflict in an historical novel, one in which the heroine is forced into a situation she is powerless to control, and decides to shape her own future. While Mora makes the most of her circumstances in Warlord's Destiny, she is absolutely determined to have a husband who is going to love her at the end. And luckily for us, we get to read a detailed account of how Mora convinces Tetrik that a barbarian can truly fall in love with his wife and live happily ever after. Simple.

While Mora and Tetrik struggle to find common ground in their new relationship, they also explore the sensual aspects of the marriage bed with great abandon. Ms. Devlin has a lively imagination, and she uses it to give us a number of interesting scenarios for Mora, Tetrik and occasionally their friends as they play and explore the boundaries of what is allowed in their marriage. Watching these two grow is both amusing and touching: they learn quite a bit about each other and themselves and so does the reader as the book progresses. I found Warlord's Destiny to be a very well-written novel, and ultimately a very entertaining story to read.

Title: Never As It Seems

Author: Shiloh Walker

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Buy Link: Buy Never As It Seems Here!

Rating: You Gotta Read

Reviewed by: Mickey

Blurb:

Three years after he walked away and broke her heart, Leo is back in Chloe's life and that's the last place she wants him. Not that she has any choice in the matter. She's in big trouble. She needs somebody to watch her back, and he's the "somebody".

Three years ago, Chloe dumped a bombshell in Leo's lap. I'm psychic, she told him. As if he was supposed to believe that. His world is black and white, and he doesn't buy into that mumbo-jumbo. Walking away from her damn near killed him, but he couldn't be with somebody he couldn't trust.

His new job? Keep Chloe safe. That's it. He's not supposed to touch her. He's not supposed to make love to her. He's not supposed to want her…need her…love her. But he can't stop thinking about her, can't stop dreaming about her. Now that she's back in his life, he can't keep his hands off her either.

Review:

Second chances are always wonderful, especially when offering the opportunity to correct a past mistake, which is what we find in Never As It Seems. Chloe Perkins and Leo Gray have a past, a relationship that failed due to misconceptions. The pair now have the opportunity to try again if Leo will have an open mind, and if Chloe will give him that second chance. Ms. Walker's writing shows an unbelievable emotional range as she takes her readers from incredible highs to equally extreme lows. While Never As It Seems is categorized as erotica, it is so much more emotionally invested than the average novel.

The intricate plot, fascinating characters and complex storyline all seemed like a bonus to this reader, but one I gladly accepted while reading this novel. What is there not to appreciate in the witty dialogue between two people trying to re-establish a relationship, setting off sparks the entire time? Especially as the book still manages to contain a number of vivid and sensual love scenes to keep things steamy. Happily, Ms. Walker manages to keep the tension high, and her readers guessing at the outcome until the very end, eagerly turning each page in anticipation. I thoroughly enjoyed Never As It Seems, this is a charming story, well worth reading.

Title: Icarus

Author: Sherry L. King

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Buy Link: Buy Icarus Here!

Rating: You Need to Read

Reviewed by: Mickey

Blurb:

He comes to her in dreams, when she is most vulnerable to his stirring touches and burning kisses. He drinks her blood and binds her to him in ways no mortal lover ever could…but Morrigan doesn't want to believe that her water-dwelling blood drinker is anything more than a figment of her deprived imagination. Morrigan wants to be free of her addiction to the highly sexual creature she knows only as Az. But Az has other plans…and soon he hopes Morrigan will be too deeply under his spell to care that he wants to take her back to his homeworld…to be his mate for all eternity.

Review:

I love reading stories that can send chills down my spine as well as shivers over my body. Icarus is just such a novel, and Az is certainly that type of hero: dark and mysterious, definitely dangerous and otherworldly. The relationship between Morrigan and Az begins as a dream and progresses to a fantasy taking the reader into their soft and magical world. Ms. King does a compelling job of juxtaposing the fantasy with reality to keep us tied to her characters, somehow making her story even more sensual and mesmerizing.

I must admit some familiarity and fondness for Sherri King's books and her Horde Wars characters, making me eager to read Icarus. Did this sway me in favor of the story, not necessarily. If anything I believe my expectations were slightly higher due to that familiarity. I am just happy my expectations were not only met, they were surpassed by this novella. Once again, Ms. King continues to provide her readers with sensual and dreamy love scene that manage to retain a hard-edged level of eroticism keeping them from being to bland or "vanilla." As a bonus, she also added a villain to the story to add a little spice to the plot, which only makes it better rather than more confused or muddied. All in all, this is a very good story, one well worth reading.