Veil Of Midnight, Ashes Of Midnight (Lara Adrian)

Veil Of Midnight

Bound by blood, addicted to danger, they'll enter the darkest—and most erotic—place of all.A warrior trained in bullets and blades, Renata cannot be bested by any man—vampire or mortal. But her most powerful weapon is her extraordinary psychic ability—a gift both rare and deadly. Now a stranger threatens her hard-won independence—a golden-haired vampire who lures her into a realm of darkness…and pleasure beyond imagining.

A combat-loving adrenaline junkie, Nikolai dispenses his own justice to enemies of the Breed—and his latest quarry is a ruthless assassin. One woman stands in his way: the seductive, cool-as-ice bodyguard, Renata.

But Renata’s powers are put to the test when a loved one, a child, is threatened and she’s forced to turn to Niko for help. As the two join forces, as desire fans the flames of a deeper hunger, Renata’s life is under siege by a man who offers the exquisite pleasure of a blood bond—and a passion that could save or doom them both forever.…

Ashes Of Midnight

As night falls, Claire Roth flees, driven from her home by a fiery threat that seems to come from hell itself. Then, from out of the flames and ash, a vampire warrior emerges. He is Andreas Reichen, her onetime lover, now a stranger consumed by vengeance. Caught in the cross fire, Claire cannot escape his savage fury—or the hunger that plunges her into his world of eternal darkness and unending pleasure.

Nothing will stop Andreas from destroying the vampire responsible for slaughtering his Breed brethren . . . even if he must use his former lover as a pawn in his deadly mission. Blood-bonded to his treacherous adversary, Claire can lead Andreas to the enemy he seeks, but it is a journey fraught with danger—and deep, unbidden desires. For Claire is the one woman Andreas should not crave, and the only one he’s ever loved.

A dangerous seduction begins—one that blurs the lines between predator and prey, and stokes the flames of a white-hot passion that may consume all in its path. . . .

I think I'm a glutton for punishment. These stories are not horrible but nor are they great. I am curious as to what happens to "the ancient" they allude to in all the stories. So...I guess I'll keep reading to find out.

Embrace The Night, Curse The Dawn (Karen Chance)

Embrace The Night

Cassie Palmer has finally become Pythia, the supernatural community's all-knowing oracle. She's struggling with her new powers (such as shifting back and forth through time) and is stuck between good and evil factions of the paranormal community. Her main concern, though, is to figure out how to reverse a pesky spell that threatens her independence: the geis, once placed on her for protection, is now trying to bind her to the handsome master vampire, Mircea, with results detrimental to them both. Their only hope is to look through space and time to find the fabled book that has the counterspell in it.
Curse The Dawn
Cassie Palmer may be the world's chief clairvoyant, but that doesn't mean people have stopped trying to kill her. And now, the self-styled god Apollo, the source of Cassie's power, is on the warpath—leaving her no choice but to face down her creator once and for all.

I've really enjoyed all of the Cassie Palmer stories and these are no exception. Lots of action, great characters, funny dialogue, unique fantasy elements, and just a lot of fun. Looking forward to the next one in the series (gonna be a long wait though :( )
There are some steamy scenes.

The Ariana Trilogy (Rachel Ann Nunes)

I am reading the Ariana Trilogy. It is a combination of the 1st 3 books in the Ariana Series. I am posting the 3 books individually below.
Ariana: The Making of a Queen
First novel in the Ariana series
On a rainy Parisian evening, Ariana de Cotte considers her life. It is her wedding night, but Jacques has gone drinking with his friends, and she is left alone with her thoughts and memories . . . memories of a beloved twin brother, lost to her in a terrible accident; of her estranged parents, who had shut her out when Antoine died; of the loneliness and anger that consume her. She is nineteen, and her life seems beyond hope or repair. Thus begins the story of an extraordinary young woman who, as her life spirals downward, struggles to find meaning and hope in the face of unimaginable suffering. Her bitter refusal to listen to the LDS missionaries doesn't help matters as she blames God for her troubles. Until one dark night, when her life hits rock-bottom and the Spirit begins its whisperings to her heart. As you come to know Ariana, you will weep for her tragedy, smile at her small triumphs, rejoice as she embraces the faith that will sustain her, and feel the love of a good man who has the power to change her life forever. Rachel Nunes has created a powerful and moving novel with characters so real that you will let them into your heart and invite them to stay. Having done so, you life will never be the same. You'll find yourself re-living this exceptional story again and again!
This 1st book is mainly just introducing you to the characters and their pasts. A must read to know what is going on it the next books.


Ariana: A Gift Most Precious
Second novel in the Ariana series
Broken promises, broken dreams, broken hearts . . . Ariana Perrault has seen them all in her short lifetime, but now they seem only distant memories. Having climbed the long pathway from sinner to Latter-day Saint, she has felt the arms of a loving Heavenly Father around her, guiding her to a wonderful life with Jean-Marc and their three beautiful children. Her best friend, Paulette, has also repented, embraced the gospel, and started an eternal family of her own. But who could know that one of life's deepest, darkest tragedies is just around the corner? In this powerful sequel to Ariana: The Making of a Queen, these two women and their families come face to face with the life-and-death consequences of past choices. Will their testimonies give them strength enough to withstand the darkest hours of their lives? The answer, born of both adversity and joy, is A Gift Most Precious.
This book was a roller coaster of emotions. Warning you may want your box of tissues.

Ariana: A New Beginning
Third novel in the Ariana series
Life is good for Ariana and Jean-Marc Perrault and their five children. Active in the Church, prosperous in the banking business, and firmly committed to their family, they are happily moving forward with their lives. Then the bottom drops out. How does Ariana cope with imminent financial ruin, the near-fatal injury of one child and the rebellion of another, and a scheming, determined ex-husband who still wants her? Confronted by life's challenges, Ariana discovers that her reliance on the Lord and her love for Jean-Marc and her children can make the dramatic difference between triumph and tragedy. A rare and compelling story about the power of love and the miracle of new beginnings.

I haven't read all of this one yet, but so far it has made me feel for Ariana ... How can one person go through so much and still be strong. I am loving this Series so far. There are 4 more books in this Series: Twice in a Lifetime, Ties that Bind, This Time Forever, A Glimpse of Eternity.

Hearts in Hiding (Betsy Brannon Green)

Devastation, betrayal, self-pity, anger- none of these words do any justice to the tangle of emotions Kate Singleton is experiencing. Married just over a year, with a baby on the way, Kate learns that her husband, and FBI agent, is dead. To top it off, the same people who murdered her husband have a contract on her head.
With the help of the FBI, Kate flees with little more that the clothes on her back. And in no time at all, they provide her with new clothes, a new home, a new name, and. . . a new husband.
But this is only the beginning of Kate's adventure. Before it's through, there will be a kidnapping, true love, and enough suspense to keep any reader turning pages long after bedtime. Hearts in Hiding is an action-packed, romantic first novel by gifted author Betsy Brannon Green.

Midnight Alley & Feast Of Fools (Rachel Caine)

Claire Danvers's college town may be run by vampires but a truce between the living and the dead made things relatively safe. For a while. Now people are turning up dead, a psycho is stalking her, and an ancient bloodsucker has proposed private mentoring. To what end, Claire will find out. And it's giving night school a whole new meaning.

The wait is over. dig into the feast... In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though—especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town’s living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It’s only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he’s set for Morganville.

I like this series. I'm a little frustrated about how the books leave off at somewhat critical moments though.

Claimed By Shadow (Karen Chance)

A recent legacy made Cassandra Palmer heir to the title of Pythia, the world's chief clairvoyant. It's a position that usually comes with years of training, but Cassie's circumstances are a little...unusual. And now she's stuck with a whopping amount of power that every vamp, Fey, and mage in town wants to either monopolize or eradicate -- and that she herself doesn't dare use.
What's more, she's just discovered that a certain arrogant master vampire has put a geis on her -- a magical claim that warns off any would-be suitors, and might also explain the rather...intense attraction between them. But Cassie's had it with being jerked around, and anyone who tries it from now on is going to find out that she makes a very bad enemy...

It drug a bit in places but left me wanting to immediately start the next one in the series.

Mortal Sins (Eileen Wilks)

FBI agent Lily Yu, is in North Carolina with her lover and mate, Rule Turner, Lu Nuncio of the Nokolai werewolf clan. He is there to take custody of his son from the boy's grandmother. It's a purely personal trip until Rule, in wolf form, finds three bodies in a shallow grave. They carry the stench of death magic, which makes the murders a federal crime. Lily takes charge of the investigation and soon realizes that nothing adds up -- not the motives or the main suspect, who is behind bars when death strikes again.
But murder, however bizarre, is an everyday affair for Lily, who was a homicide cop before being recruited into the FBI's Magical Crimes Division. A more personal shock arrives in the form of Rule's son's mother. Why would she now challenge rule's plan to bring his son to live among the Nokolai? But family matters must take a backseat when the violence escalates, and there's no rhyme or reason for the next strike -- by a killer who may not even be of this world...

I really enjoy this author. She knows how to spin a web so that you really cant predict what is coming next.