Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Nalini Singh dives into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind-and none of the heart.

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation" - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was...

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

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This book lays the foundations of a world that we'll see more of in other books. A world that is an alternate version of our Earth populated by three main species: humans, changelings, and psy. The changelings are shapeshifting beings, usually called were or shifters in other books, and it's somewhat puzzling why the author chose to call the changelings, a term more commonly associated with faeries and such to my knowledge. The psy are basically just humans that have psychic powers that set them apart to the extent that by the late 21st century when this book takes place, they have evolved into a separate species from humans. They are also set apart by their conscious and deliberate shunning of all emotion, a "protocol" that they have termed Silence, and while their intent in adopting Silence was well-intentioned, it was not particularly well-thought out, even by these highly cerebral beings. As is seen during the course of the book, many of the side effects of the policy have had very grim consequences, and it can easily be seen that it has done far more harm than good. It's doubtful the psy themselves will manage to figure that out, however, unless things change drastically in future volumes.

Spirit Bound by Christine Feehan

Lethal undercover agent Stefan Prakenskii knew a thousand ways to kills a man—and twice as many ways to pleasure a woman. That’s what made him look forward to his new mission: arrive in the coastal town of Sea Haven and insinuate himself in the life of an elusive beauty who had mysterious ties to his past, and a link to a dangerously seductive, and equally elusive master criminal who wanted only one thing: to possess her.

Judith Henderson was an artist on the rise—an ethereal, and haunted woman whose own picture-perfect beauty stirred the souls of two men who have made her their obsession. For years she has been waiting for someone to come and unlock the passion and fire within her—waiting for the right man to surrender it to. But only one man can survive her secrets, and the shadow she has cast over both their lives.



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This one started out kind of slow for me, and for most of the first half of it I was growing increasingly disappointed with it. While it certainly had it's intriguing points, and was promising to wrap up a few ragged loose ends left over from the first book in the series, it also seemed to just be plugging along on the same espionage mega-plot story arc that was started back in the Drake Sisters series, and I personally have gotten a bit weary of it. It was starting to spawn so many interconnections between people, families, and places that the "coincidences" were starting to seriously stretch the bounds of credibility, because, c'mon, what're the odds really that all of these disparate individuals would have all been drawn together to the same little sleepy village on the California coast, and that they'd all end up caught up in the same web of international intrigue in one way or another? But just when I was really beginning to wonder why the author had to thread this plot through all of the books instead of just letting them be nice little romances involving people with psychic or mystical powers, she suddenly drew back a cover to reveal another layer of the Big Picture story in a way that so deftly starts to weave all the disparate threads together that I can't help but admire how she's doing it. And the Big Picture that's being revealed in more of its entirety is a far more interesting one than a simple and somewhat dull story of espionage and state secrets being endangered by wealthy and powerful criminals. It promises to be far more personal, and holds out the hope of some great wrongs eventually being made right, with people who have had their lives shattered in one way or another finally finding a more empowering happily ever after. And it definitely has me hooked on this series now.

"Perceptions" by Angela Verdenius

Perceptions by Angela Verdenius
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A cute little "ugly duckling" type short story about a plus size (?) woman and her "Hunk-o-Spunk" neighbor. I question the plus size designation here, because I can't help but think from the description given of her that Tess exaggerates how "fat" she is by comparing herself to the near-anorexic exercise over-achievers like the skinny little "Miss Stride-it-Out" that does her power walking past Tess's house quite frequently. Perhaps I'm misreading it, however, and the author intended her to be larger than it sounds.

As the title indicates, this story is largely about the assumptions people make about themselves and others simply based on looks. A handsome man couldn't possibly be interested in a not-skinny woman according to the infamous "they", and Tess isn't immune to falling into that stereotypical-thinking trap. There's not much heat here aside from a few serious lip-locks, but I think the story is more realistic for that. Normal people rarely jump each others' bones at the drop of a hat just cause circumstances threw them together (literally in this case). It's easy to see this story playing out in real life (including the escape artist cat), something which can't always be said of romance stories, and that adds to it's charm.

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Water Bound by Christine Feehan

The last thing Lev Prakenskii remembered was being lost in the swirling currents of the ocean and getting sucked deeper into the nothingness of a freezing black eddy off the coastal town of Sea Haven. Just as quickly, just a miraculously, he was saved—pulled ashore by a beautiful stranger. But Lev has no memory of who he is—or why he seems to possess the violent instincts of a trained killer. All he knows is that he fears for his life, and for the life of his unexpected savior.

Her name is Rikki, a sea~urchin diver in Sea Haven. She has always felt an affinity for the ocean, and for the seductive pull of the tides. And now she feels drawn in the same way to the enigmatic man she rescued. But soon they will be bound by something even stronger, and their tantalizing secrets will engulf them both in a whirlpool of dizzying passion and inescapable danger.



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I'm not really sure what to say about this book, for I find myself somewhat conflicted regarding how I feel about it. On the one hand, I loved it, hence my 5 star rating, on the other, there were several things that annoyed me to a greater or lesser extent in it. Overall my reaction is definitely positive, though that might have changed had the book been very much longer. One thing I will note is that I think you'll get a lot more out of this book, or at least some things will make a lot more sense, if you've read the Drake Sisters series first, as this one picks up pretty much right where Hidden Currents, the last book in that series, leaves off, actually overlapping the end of that book a bit to show some of what happened "elsewhere" during the climactic scene at the end. Certainly this book can be understood on its own, since enough is explained of prior happenings and people, but the reading experience will definitely be a lot richer I think if you have the full background of the other books going into this one.

Fantasy Fix by Christine Warren

Friends fix you up with blind dates. Real friends fix you up with your fantasies...

Regina just ended an awful relationship. The last thing she needs is her friends' help in finding a new one. When they pressure her into sharing her fantasies, she makes up one she thinks could never come true. After all, vampires don't even exist. Right?

Wrong. And Dmitri Vidame is the proof. He sees Regina's thoughts and knows her darkest fantasies. What Regina needs is someone who bring handcuffs as well as roses and who sees the possibilities offered by her sensual and giving nature.

With all the electricity sparking between them, and some sneaky mental eavesdropping, Dmitri knows she wants him, too. He just doesn't know if she'll feel the same once she finds out about his nocturnal habits and his liquid diet...

Note: This story has been expanded into the novel One Bite With A Stranger.

**Warning - this review contains spoilers**

I first read this one years ago, probably around the time it first came out in 2003, and it's always been one of my favorites. And this review relates to that original version, which I still have in PDF form.

The author creates a wonderful intensity of attraction and emotion between Regina and Dimitri that sizzles off the screen. The pacing of the story is good, with things between them progressing slowly but steadily, until suddenly on their third "date" he tells her what he is, and instead of freaking out like most women would she just...accepts it. And immediately wants him to turn her too. Because she's madly in love with him already and wants to celebrate their 500th anniversary together. After not having known him for even a week, and only having spent two nights with him then not hearing anything from him for days. Everything gets wrapped up incredibly quickly in the last chapter or two, detracting a bit from the work as a whole. Still, a wonderful book, and one I would highly recommend to anyone that's into paranormal romances that include a whole lot of sex.

• Fantasy Fix on Goodreads
• Christine Warren's website

In the Service of the King by Laura Kaye

Kael, Warrior King of the Vampires, loathes the Night of the Proffering. He needs the blood of either his mate or a human virgin to maintain his strength, but hasn't enjoyed the ritual since he lost his mate centuries ago. Kael doesn't want a new companion, yet his resolve is tested when he lays eyes on his new offering, Shayla McKinnon. He is drawn to Shayla's beauty and poise...and the submission she offers. She is eager to give him anything he wishes, including her innocence, to please him. Will Kael give in to their overwhelming desire—even if it means risking Shayla's life?








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**Warning - this review contains mild to moderate spoilers**

To call this book steamy is a bit of an understatement, though to my mind at least, it stops short of being full out erotica. This is primarily because while there is some very hot sex in here, the heat comes as much or more from the force of Shayla and Kael's attraction to one another. The sexual tension between them ignites practically from their first glimpse of one another, and only continues to grow, with the eventual consummation of their passion only stoking the flames into an inferno.

Flip That Haunted House by Rose Pressey

Alabama Hargrove has a new, sure-fire, money-making scheme up her sleeve: house flipper. So what if she knows zilch about renovating homes--how hard can it be?

Tougher than she thought when she discovers ghosts inhabiting the run-down mansion and the corpse of the previous owner. Oh yeah, and now the local sheriff thinks Alabama is the killer.

Holy house rehab, what's next? Reed O'Hara, the sexy know-it-all next door neighbor that's what. Alabama is hell-bent on proving she can handle the fixer-upper. Plus, unravel the mystery and find the killer. But if she's not careful, she may end up in the house forever…




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This book starts off with an interesting premise, namely, a gal buying an old haunted house that she intends to flip as one of her latest money-making schemes. Add in a hunky next-door neighbor that practically has her fanning herself in true Southern Belle fashion after just one look, and those two things alone could have made for a cute and interesting story. A short ways into it, however, Alabama becomes an almost-witness to a murder, and the whole thing becomes more of a murder mystery from then on. With this addition, the whole thing becomes slightly confused with various happenings related to the murder and the stalker that Alabama seems to have acquired interspersed with bits about the house and her odd relationship, if you can call it that, with Reed (the hunky next-door neighbor).