inferno

Rocky by Bianca D’Arc

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Rocky (Tales Of The Were, #3)
Grade-D
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Tales of the Were #3
Genre-Paranormal
Reviewed by Kate
158 pages

Maggie is pregnant and has been on the run from an all powerful demon mage since he killed her husband Tony months ago. She heads to childhood friend Rocky’s house because she promised Tony she would go there when she was ready to deliver her babies. Rocky, like Tony, is a were-bear shifter, and will be able to provide the leadership that Maggie’s cubs will need. Rocky is more than happy to take on the role of alpha for Maggie and Tony’s cubs, but he wants the role of Maggie’s husband as well.
 
I’m trying to cut Maggie some slack because she’s obviously emotional and hormonal throughout the entire book-despite being magically healed after her labor by her magical cubs. But I got really tired, really fast of her waffling between Tony and Rocky. It starts off right away with her comparing everything Rocky is with what Tony was. Then suddenly, she becomes certain that Rocky is the one that she’s always been supposed to be with, her true soul mate. Next thing you know, she’s always loved them both, and Tony (in spirit form) is approving of her relationship with Rocky.
 
But it was the all powerful evil demon mage that was the final straw for me. This demon mage has been hunting Maggie and her super magical, über-rare, twin were-bear cubs (who always sleep when the story calls for it) since he killed her husband. Seriously. Tony was a strong mage himself, so this demon mage must be extra powerful. There’s a lot of suspense built up around this evil demon mage. So in my mind, I’m picturing some kind of cross between Darth Vader and Hannibal Lector. But when the mage finally appears (in the very final pages of the books), Rocky is able to quickly defeat him and only walks away with bloodied knuckles. Such a let down. And makes me question how strong a mage Tony really was if he was defeated by evil demon mage, King of the Wusses.
 
I need to be up front and admit that this is the first of the Tales of the Were series that I read. And I can’t help but wonder if I would have liked the book more, had I had the world building knowledge that has to be present in the first two books. As it was, I just couldn’t connect with the world that Rocky was a part of. It was just fill with a lot of WTF moments for me.
So, what was your last total fail of a book?

Colters’ Gift by Maya Banks

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne
Colters' Gift (Colters' Legacy, #5)

Grade-B-
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Mild Kink
Series-Colters’ Legacy #5
Genre-Contemporary Menage
Reviewed by Kate
368 pages

I read the first book in the series (Colters’ Woman) for the first time a few years ago. I remember emailing my sister and telling her “yes, the apostrophe is in the right place!” You see Colters’ Woman was my introduction to menage and to this day, it remains one of my favorites. I enjoyed the second book just as much. The 3rd and 4th book, eh-not so much. The 3rd because it strayed from the menage aspect and because Max was an ass. The 4th because there wasn’t really a central couple, it was more of a family update. So I was cautiously anticipating the release of Colters’ Gift because it was going back to the menage aspect and also gave us a romance revolving around a new set of characters.
 
In Colters’ Gift we get to follow Lauren, who is recovering from an abusive relationship, on her journey with Liam and Noah. Lauren’s brother hired Liam and Noah to protect Lauren, so of course, they fall for her instead. Well, actually, they both protect and fall for her. They are, after all, manly men who don’t shirk their duties. There is a fair deal of suspense in this one as well. Suspense is not my cup of tea, so I had to stay up late to finish this one so I could sleep.
 
I appreciate the fact that Lauren’s first time with Liam and Noah wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t filled with magic sparkles and fairy dust. It ended badly, and the characters dealt with it.
 
I quickly got tired of how involved in the story the other Colters (from books 1, 2, and 3) were in this book. While I liked the characters in their own books, suddenly there were 10 extra main characters surrounding Lauren and her men. I found myself having to stop and do a roll call. Is Adam here? Yep. Ethan? Yep? Michael? Nope. He’s home with Lily. As this is the last book in the Colters’ Legacy series, I understand why they were all present and accounted for, but it was a lot to keep track of and pulled me away from Liam, Noah, and Lauren.
 
One last note. While the heat level for this book is high, I didn’t feel it had as high a heat level as the first 3 books.
 
If you have enjoyed Maya Banks’s Colters’ Legacy series, you are sure to enjoy this one as well. If you haven’t read the Colters’ Legacy series, I would suggest starting with the first book, Colters’ Woman.
 
Have you read the Colters’ Legacy series? Do you have another menage seriees to recommend?

Crash and Burn by Anne Marsh

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Crash and Burn (The Men of Crash, Fire and Rescue #1)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-The Men of Crash, Fire & Rescue #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
34 pages

I don’t even think you could call this a novella. It was a very short story.

Dane and Laura Jo went to high school together. He was the football hero and she was the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. They slept together and the Laura Jo left town for different life. She became a pilot with the Armed Forces and Dane is a rescue worker. He rescues Laura Jo from a crash and the two reconnect.

This story was okay for a start to a series. I wished there was more to it but it is what it is. Cute premise, a hot sex scene and a great cover. I may read more to the series.