Bloodlines by Jessica Lee

The Pagan & The Pen Book Reviews

Title: Bloodlines

Author: Jessica Lee

Author Site

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Publisher: Breathless Publishing

Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance

Length: 115 pages

Reviewed By: Madeline Smoot

Ratings For:

Cover: 4

Presentation: 4

Editing: 4

Story: 5

Writing Ability: 5

Overall Card Rating: 

                                               

About the Book: 

Evin KinKaid, the only son of the KinKaid pack’s alpha, has a secret. One that will tear his family apart. In two years, Evin is to succeed his father as alpha leader and continue the dominate bloodline of his family. There’s only one problem: Evin is gay. When Evin is pushed into the bed of his intended female mate, he’s forced to reveal the truth. And for an alpha male wolf shifter promised to a female whose goal is to one day be queen…come out has never been more explosive.

Mason Thorne II, heir to Thorn Global Inc., life is a lie. To sustain his father’s love, Mason has agreed to stay in the family business and to one day assume his place as CEO. Instead of reaching for his heart’s desire, he’s settled for a life that’s not his own. But an unexpected auto accident will send both Evin and Mason into each other’s arms and down a path toward a destiny neither man can escape: an eternity sealed in blood.

The Review: 

Evin KinKaid is a man with a mountain of problems; an arranged marriage, being heir to his father’s pack, and being gay is making for an explosive mix. When he attempts to explain to his childhood friend and betrothed about his sexual orientation she immediately betrays him, which earns him banishment from the pack.

Mason Thorne II is the quintessential trust fund baby, complete with overpowering father. While bending to his father’s will when it comes to his education and his profession with the family business, he also mildly rebels by taking a vacation with his guitar. While on the way home from this holiday he crashes his car and finds his saving grace in the form of Evin KinKaid, mechanic/sex-on-a-stick.

This book is an absolute paranormal masterpiece that grabs you at the first word and refuses to let you go until the very end. The struggles that each of the men experience is both realistic and can be universal when it comes to the need to please. The multi-dimensional characters force the reader to fall in love with them and their struggle as they fall in love.

Along with being a moving love story, the sex scenes are deliciously naughty. The author builds each encounter to perfection making sure to include the pure love, lust, and emotions into every caress, culminating in an exquisite explosion. This is definitely a must read and a must re-read.

Pagan Elements: N/A

Black Hawke Down by Serenity Woods

The Pagan & The Pen Book Reviews

Title: Black Hawke Down

Author: Serenity Woods

Author Site

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Publisher: Noble Romance Publishing

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Erotic

Length: 38 pgs.

Reviewed By: Madeline Smoot

Ratings For:

Cover: 5

Presentation: 5

Editing: 4

Story: 4

Writing Ability: 4

Overall Card Rating: 

                                                

About the Book: (Blurb taken from the book)

Nature witch, Captain Imogen Williamson, is on the run, blamed for a murder she didn’t commit, hunted by the Supernatural Unit of the British Army desperate to keep quiet the secret Imogen’s discovered. She knows it won’t be long before she’s found, but doesn’t suspect it will be Major Cameron Hawke—Iron Warlock and ex-lover—who’ll be the first to find her.

Hawke thinks she’s defected to Chaos and knows he’s got to put aside his feelings for her so he can complete his mission, but a moment of weakness makes him falter. Captured and restrained like an animal, he finds himself at Imogen’s mercy. He thinks it’s only his life at stake, but when Imogen tells him getting pregnant is her only way of staying alive—and he’s going to help her whether he likes it or not—he soon realizes that his self respect and dignity might be on the way out to…

The Review:

Imogen Williamson is a captain and nature witch attached to the Supernatural Unit in Britain’s Army. Falsely accused of murder and treason the head officer of her unit sends Major Cameron Hawke to assassinate her before she is able to tell her side of the story.

Major Cameron Hawke is a warlock and the best tracker in the Supernatural Unit; able to conjure and command metal he attempts to make Imogen pay for her supposed crimes and for breaking his heart, but instead finds himself tied to her bed and completely at her mercy.

The book is filled with naughty fun, but the love scenes feel a little rushed. Every moment between Cameron and Imogen is awash in sexual tension reeling the reader into every touch and caress. The emotion and anger felt by Cameron when he finds himself trussed up and forced to endure the erotic torture that Imogen dishes out makes my mouth water and itch to join in the fun. While too short for my liking and some of the scenes feel a bit rushed, this is definitely a book to read and enjoy. This author’s ability is remarkable, but there are a few points in her technique that could be tweaked to make her second to none.  

The cover is beautiful in a harsh sort of way. There is no way I would pass this book without picking it up and sneaking a peak at the story within. The cover grabs the attention and demands that its pages be explored. The harsh and dirty background gives it something extra that nips at the curiosity of the casual browser. The story grabbed me from the very first sentence and refused to let me go 'til the very end.

Pagan Elements: N/A

A Captain’s Order—A Duke’s Command by Tamara Gill

The Pagan & The Pen Book Reviews

Title: A Captain’s Order—A Duke’s Command

Author: Tamara Gill

Author Site

Buy Link

Publisher: Noble Romance Publishing

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 33 pgs

Reviewed By: Madeline Smoot

Ratings For:

Cover: 5

Presentation: 5

Editing: 4 

Story: 4

Writing Ability: 5

Overall Card Rating: 

                                                      

About the Book: (blurb from website)

Lady Eloise Bartholomew’s trip to Australia on the shirttails on her adventurous brother ends in tragedy when he dies from a fever. But with the conventions of English society suspended on the high seas, she finds passion and excitement in the arms of a rugged ship’s captain—only to be dumped back into the ton, still burning from the fire ignited in her and the loss of the only man she could ever love.

More at home on his ship than dallying with the ton, Gabriel Lyons, now the Duke of Dale, intended never to set foot in London again. But when an elder brother dies, and the woman who claimed his heart over his love for the ocean brings him home, he knows he has to face the secrets of his past. He can only pray their love will survive the scandal that sent him away, the lies he has told her, and the duel he must fight for his honor and her hand.

The Review:

Lady Eloise Bartholomew has just returned from Australia where her brother passed away. Unfortunately, she is not only morning the loss of her sibling, but the loss of a delectable sea captain who stole her heart and captured her erstwhile imagination.

Gabriel Lyons is the sea captain that is captivated by the young and adventurous Lady Eloise. He has arrived in London to not only recapture the heart of Lady Bartholomew but to also take his rightful place as Duke of Dales.

The cover is pure perfection. It is exactly what a nautical romance cover should look like. This story is one of the best historical romance novellas I have read this year, and the author’s writing ability is top notch, the details she uses wraps around the reader and sucks them into the world of gentry.

This novella is an absolute delight to get lost in. The storyline allows the reader to sink into the world of gentry in London. No detail was spared to give the reader a true sense of the environment and the characters.

This powerful work could only be made better by expanding it to novel length. The love scenes are both sweet and mouthwatering at the same time. It is hard to imagine this novella receiving anything but rave reviews.

Pagan Elements: none