Deadly Captive by Bianca Sommerland

Deadly Captive by Bianca Sommerland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A grim and sometimes confusing read. Not quite as dark and twisted as some things I've read, but it's up there. Characterizations change somewhat throughout the book, and it's hard to know at times whether to feel sympathy for the main characters or be somewhat repulsed by them. No one is entirely innocent in the final accounting, and frequently it's hard to know who, if anyone, you should be rooting for to come out on top in the end.

Lydia begins as a sympathetic character, but as the book goes along she seems to lose her way. At best, it could probably be argued that the things she's made to endure drive her more than a little insane. Then again, maybe she was heavily conflicted to begin with whether or not it was ever obvious before. She goes along with things a little too easily at times, and then at others, she'll suddenly balk and throw a bit of a temper tantrum over the slightest thing, and/or over something you'd think she'd have no objection to.

Joe seems to be a fairly softhearted guy at first. An iron will, and willing to do reprehensible things in the name of saving or protecting Lydia at times, but seemingly a pretty easygoing nice guy underneath. There are flashes of a darker side to his personality at times, and this side comes to the fore more later on making him a much less sympathetic character by the end than he is at the beginning. By the end you're left wondering if Lydia's really better off with him or if she's just traded one captor for another.

Not an easy read by any means, anyone with a weak stomach or who's easily upset by things such as graphic rape, torture, and other violence should steer clear of this one. Even if such things don't bother you overmuch in a book, this one will likely make you uncomfortable at best, and will probably leave an uneasy feeling in its wake once read.

In the end, I'm not entirely sure what to think about this one exactly - I'm not entirely sure I really liked it, and yet it held a definite morbid fascination for me and I found it hard to stop reading once I'd started. Kind of like watching a train wreck I suppose; you want to look away from the horror of it, but you can't quite seem to tear your eyes away. Approach this one with caution if you choose to read it.

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Alexandra's Legacy by N.J. Walters

The truth will set her free...or get her killed.

Alexandra Riley's day starts out like any other in her normal, predictable world. Then a tall, dark stranger bursts into her father's garage and shatters the illusion. In one shocking moment, she discovers why she's been feeling hot, restless--she's the half-breed daughter of a legendary werewolf and is a much-sought-after prize.

Joshua Striker, enforcer in charge of protecting the alphas of the Wolf Creek pack, has come to take Alex home. Nothing more, nothing less. From the first moment he sees her, she becomes the one thing he can't afford--a distraction from his duty. A weakness he doesn't want--but can't resist needing.

If only keeping her safe was as simple as fending off males on the hunt for a mate. Through city streets to the mountains of North Carolina, Alex and Joshua have to evade those who don't want their pure bloodlines tainted with human DNA, as well as bounty hunters who think the only good werewolf is a dead one.

What Joshua and Alex can't outrun is the passion that flares between them--or the choice Alex must eventually face. Whether to claim her inner wolf, or forfeit her chance to claim Joshua as her own.

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For the most part, this book is just what you'd expect from a sexy werewolf coming-of-age, claim your mate, run from the bad guys, and face down or kill anyone who stands in your way type of story. Still, though the majority of the plot is fairly predictable, and new hurdles to be overcome show up just about when you'd expect them too, still the author manages to throw in a few surprises along the way. The problems aren't always what they expect they'll be, and some thing that they expect to be problems turn out not to be.

All Hallows Heartbreaker by Delilah Devlin

Love bites! Emmaline Harris meets the perfect man at a Halloween party. After he rescues her from the unwanted attentions of another partygoer, she succumbs to his kisses and spends an evening engaged in wicked-sexy lovemaking. Sure she's just a one-night stand, she tries to exit gracefully, but soon find she needs Dylan's special skills when her world is turned upside down by a blood-drinking killer and his gang who target her for their next meal.

Dylan O'Hara only wants a night of passion to slake his sexual needs, but finds Emmy is a full-bodied, red-blooded siren whose innocence and humor draws this Master vampire like a moth to a red-hot flame. When Emmy attracts the attention of a serial-killing vampire, Dylan vows to protect her, but he fears he'll lose Emmy once she discovers her "Dracula" has real fangs!

A bit of a disappointing read. I hadn't expected stunning literature, but I had thought it would be fairly decent given that I've read other works by Ms. Devlin and have greatly enjoyed them. Silent Knight, which is a least loosely related to this series I believe, is one of my favorite shorts, and I'd hoped this would be much like it. Instead I found myself shaking my head and rolling my eyes a lot at the often stilted dialog, and situations that resolve themselves far too easily, usually by the main characters getting turned on and having sex yet again.

Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair

When Rebecca's boyfriend talks her into vacationing at a mountain lodge with his swing club, she quickly learns she's not cut out for playing musical beds. Now she has nowhere to sleep. Logan, the lodge owner, finds her freezing on the porch. After hauling her inside, he warms her in his own bed, and there the experienced Dom discovers that Rebecca might not be a swinger...but she is definitely a submissive.

Rebecca knows that no one can love her plump, scarred body. To her shock, lodge owner Logan not only disagrees, but ties her up and shows her just how much he enjoys her curves. Under his skilled hands, Rebecca not only loses her inhibitions, but also her heart.

Damaged from the war, Logan considers himself too dangerous to be around the enticing little sub. He sends her away for her own safety, not realizing she believes she has once again been rejected because of her size. As Logan's mountains echo with her voice long after she's gone, he realizes she's taken his heart with her. But when he arrives in the city to reclaim her, Rebecca's phone has been disconnected and her apartment is empty...

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An engaging read that will have you swooning and panting right along with the heroine. Ms. Sinclair does a wonderful job of writing the emotions of her characters that pulls you right in and has you feeling everything right along with them. A well rounded narrative with characters that come alive and get you truly caring about them to the point that the sizzling sex is just a bonus rather than the main course.

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden - waves her hand to tame the most violent weather. Now she races against accusations of corruption and murder. Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Because he stole three bottles of Djinn, he is now the most wanted criminal on earth. Can she find him before the bad weather closes in?

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To say this book keeps you on the edge of your seat would be a slight exaggeration maybe, but it does suck you into its action and suspense right away and keeps you reading to find out what will happen. Then, just when you think you might have figured out where it's going, the plot swerves in an unexpected direction and you're left scrambling to figure out what's truth and what's lie the same that Joanne is. Sometimes you might end up guessing right, others you end up guessing wrong.

Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless-and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions, at any cost...until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.

Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation-or her ultimate damnation?







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This story has a lot of potential on the surface, but never quite delivers in many ways. While the beginning and ending are strong, much of the middle part of it suffers from writing that is just a bit shallow, in my opinion, including actions, dialogue, and plot points that are rather too cliched and predictable to the point it all verges on being a bit too cheesy.

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love.

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A fun read that will have you laughing and cringing at turns. Surprisingly modern in many ways, the characters are still bound by the morals and social restrictions of their time which both adds to the hilarity and makes you feel sympathy for the characters at times for the social bonds they have to live with.