Review: Out of The Ashes by Ari McKay

Out Of The Ashes (Asheville Arcana, #1) ( Dreamspun Beyond, #1) by Ari McKay
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 220pgs

3.5 Pants Off

Blurb: Asheville Arcana

In their differences, they’ll find strength—and love.

Alpha werewolf Eli Hammond returns from a fishing trip to discover a nasty surprise—five members of his pack murdered and the rest missing. He needs help locating and rescuing his pack mates, but the supernatural council in Asheville, North Carolina, turns him away.

Except for one man.

As they work together, Eli is stunned—and not especially thrilled—to discover half-elf Arden Gilmarin is his destined mate. But as Arden and his friends struggle to help Eli in his quest, Eli surrenders to the demands of his body—and his heart. They’ll need to bond together, because the forces opposing them are stronger and more sinister than anyone predicted. The evil has its sights set on Arden, and if Eli wants to save his mate and the people he is entrusted with protecting, he’s in for the fight of his life.

Review

 OUT OF THE FRYING PAN & INTO THE FIRE

I’ve now moved on to the Dreamspun Beyond series and I am really looking forward to what this entire imprint has to offer. Out of the Ashes was a cute read, and I am looking forward to reading the other books.  

Alpha Werewolf Eli Hammond has come back home only to find some of his pack mates dead and all the others missing. He can’t quite explain as to why it happened but he does know the neighbouring pack had something to do with the deaths and his missing friends. Instead of rushing in and trying to avenge and rescue,  Eli realizes he will need the help of the supernatural council. When his concern falls on deaf ears, Elie realizes he’s going have to get things done on his own, until the beautiful half elf Arden offers up his help and expertise. What Eli never anticipated was finding his mate through all the hardship and while at anytime it would be something to celebrate, Eli knows a mate has no place in his life especially one that isn’t a wolf. 

Arden is unusually drawn to the Alpha Wolf Eli and before he knows it he’s offering his help an getting caught up into something that is more sinister than pack rivalry. When Arden finds out that Eli is his mate he’s hurt that the man doesn’t seem to want to honour a bond that is as old as time. While he’s willing to to put in his all, Eli keeps him at arms length but Arden realizes he’s willing do anything to keep his very reluctant mate safe. Because demons are on the horizon and they are out to destroy some things. 

First, I really liked the world building. I love all things fantasy and with a bit of fairytale element and this book had it. Think of any lore creature, and this book had it in drones. It was just so fantastical and I really enjoyed the world.  

Secondly, Eli and Arden worked for me. While there was nothing so amazing about them, they have presence and their story kept me entertained. They were fun and with their friends it offered up a great eclectic mix of characters that could be a delight for many readers. 

Thirdly, the weakest part of the story, is the overall plot. Demons should strike fear and all that but if anything all of it was very comical made even more so by the dismissal by the supernatural council of something so dire. Like demons were out there possessing people and shit and everyone was just out there coasting. From what I’m gathering this will be a series within the Dreamspun Beyond series, and I am really looking forward to how it will progress. This world has got me hook, line, and sinker.  

Overall, an entertaining read and a great start to DP line. Looking forward to finding out more about these demons because right now they skills is surely lacking. So ready to revisit the world Ari McKay created. 

Review: Until Forever Comes by Cardeno C.

Until Forever Comes (Mates #2) by Cardeno C.
Novel: 60,702
Amazon, ARe

4 Pants Off

Blurb

A sensitive wolf shifter and a vicious vampire challenge history, greed, and the very fabric of their beings in order to stay together until forever comes.  

 Plagued by pain and weakness all his life, Ethan Abbatt is a wolf shifter who can’t shift. Hoping to find an honorable death by joining his pack mates in a vampire attack, Ethan instead learns two things: draining his blood releases his pain and his wolf, and he has a true mate—a vampire named Miguel.   

Over four centuries old, strong, powerful, and vicious, Miguel Rodriguez walks through life as a shadow, without happiness or affection. When a young shifter tells Miguel they're true mates, destined to be together, Miguel sends him away. But Ethan is persistent and being with him comes so naturally that Miguel can't resist for long. Their challenge is staying alive so they can be together until forever comes. 

 

Review

The second book in the Mates Series and I was all types of excited to read this. Who doesn't love a Vampire/Shifter pairing? Wasn't as angst-ridden as I was hoping but it was an enjoyable read overall.  

Ethan is a shifter that can't shift. He is ostracized from his pack and just really wants to fit in and be accepted. His body is always in pain waiting for a shift that will never happen, leaving Ethan longing to be a wolf, to becoming a man. He has his family, but he knows that will never be enough, and some way; somehow he has to finally shift. When the opportunity to finally do something with his pack mates finally arrives, Ethan jumps at the chance to be a part of it. Without questioning the dangerous position he will be in, Ethan goes after vampires with his pack mates knowing he most likely will die but the opportunity to prove himself as a man and wolf strong.   

The encounter with the vamps is a bust. They get their ass handed to them, and Etan is about to die. With blood dripping from his neck, his legs weak and his breath shallow Ethan realizes this was a damn bad idea. When it looks like their leader is about to put him out of his misery, Ethan's reaction is one of shock; he finds himself aroused to black haired vamp they call Miguel. Like he's full dick hard turned on, and the Vamp is giving him feels. Not the ones he should have for a bloodsucker but the kind where he wants to crawl into his skin and just live. There was never a sweeter way to die. And before Ethan can question his feeling there's nothing but sweet release and then blackness.  

 From what you already know; the vampire is Ethan's Mate. Which is crazy right, cuz he's a vampire and a dude. Ethan deals with all this quite easily along with shifting for the very first time. The crazy unusual comes with Ethan and his blood and the fact that he seems to produce too much of it (that's all you're getting from me). He has no reservations about leaving his pack and who can blame him he was treated as an outcast. He’s finally found his home with Miguel, and though the vampire is hardly thinking of forever Ethan knows that the mate bond cannot be denied.   

Throw in a little bit of plot with Miguel’s “coven” and it keeps the book from being a fluff fest. While I would have given anything to get a little POV from Miguel, I feel like I know the kind of man he is. Ethan is young, naïve, and sweet. He had this stereotypical small town boy mindset that was sometimes annoying, but it worked for his character. Together they're a little sweet and sometimes sexy. I feel like I liked this one only because it was vamp/shifter story. There were too many things that were glossed over, and the ending was very anticlimactic.   

Overall, a sweet read with some sexy points. I felt like this could have been a great story, but too much about it felt very safe.  


Review: Book #1 Wake Me Up Inside 

Blood, Sex, Vampires, Wolves And Everything In-Between

Bound by Blood (Soul Mates 1) by Jourdan Lane
Torquere Press

Paranormal Roamnce/Vampire

Novel

4 out of 5

Blurb:
Houston nightclub Rave is famous for nearly-naked male dancers and beautiful bartenders, like Peter, a young man with a strict rule about one-night stands. He breaks that rule for Lucien, the owner of The Den, a rival gay nightclub where there are no boundaries, no taboos. Anything goes at The Den, including vampires.

When Peter finds out about Lucien's vampire nature, he figures he should have stuck to his rule, because Lucien pulls him into a dark world of vampires, werewolves and feuding in-laws. No one approves of the human vampire match, and Peter and Lucien have to struggle to stay together. Can they beat the forces that will try to tear them apart forever?

Review:
Warning: This book contains multiple partners, the best uses of blood. Some awesome human/vamp loving mixed in with a wolf. Nipple piercings, a Prince Albert, and leather.
 
This book was a trip, never expected it to be this awesmazing; but it was. Over 300 pages of vamp sex goodness and all that is in-between. It was action packed, sweet, and incredibly take your pants off sexy. The epidemy of what is vampire, the blood, the sultriness. Just a freaking enjoyable read that I had to gobble it up.

We meet Peter a bartender at a club. Has a best friend by the name of Jack who he occasionally gets naked with, but the friendship is strong people, cus sex between them is just sex. It seems that vampires exist in Peter’s world and he is terrified of them, due to an incident at a club he once visited. Therefore, he is very wary of them. There is man who comes dancing at the club that he works at, and he cant take his eyes off him. To say he’s attracted is an understatement, but life has ways of fucking with you, and the guy Peter wants like nobody’s business is a vampire.

Lucien is a master vampire, with his own coven to run, but he see’s and wants Peter. Peter is scared of vampires, and Lucien is unable to change who he is. The attraction is mutual but there can be no relationship until Peter lets go and accepts that they aren’t the monsters he thinks they are, he just happened to witness that one bad thing. Lucien pursues him, and with a series of lows, he finally lands Peter.

Peter is thrown into a world of vampires, wolves, and sex. As Lucien’s chosen mate, he is instantly upped on the status bar.  Seems that when you are up, something is always trying to pull you down. Peter has to prove he is able to stand by Lucien and all that his power entails. Also means he has to have sex with everyone who lives in Lucien’s home, and I aint complaining not one damn bit.

This book is sex with a plot, or should I say porn (nope), that offers up great little twist and turns. And Lucien and Peter are quite entertaining with all their bed partners, and the way they constantly bicker at each other. Lucien is the uber scary but sweet master vampire, and Peter is his feisty little bonded mate. Together they just fit and it makes the book work. It’s the perfect gay vampire novel.

The use of sex and blood was just done perfectly, and never felt like too much. It’s like a throw back to what vampires use to be about, sex, lust and violence. It reminds me of Interview With the Vampire, if Lestat had bent that other guy over and all his other vamp friends (the dreams). I really enjoyed it and look forward to the rest in the series. Something about all that blood (used in sexy ways) and sex, I am just really feeling right now. Enjoyed every page, and every man that was in Peter and Lucien’s bed and I was kinda hoping the author would have added a few more, there was teasing but it wasn’t delivered. Book 2 will hopefully create the awesome five, Peter, Lucien, Caleb, Xander, Christopher awe bloody hell I could go on all day.

4 Pants Off

 Go Ahead Take Those Pants Off