King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Losing Beauty

author: Johanna Garth

genre: paranormal romance

published: 2011

pages: 315

first line: "I've been to hell and back."

rated: 4 out of 5 stars

Her beauty was the lure and what lay beneath was the trap. She wished she could warn them, tell them to run from her before it was too late, but she couldn't. That was the other part of the deal. She got to be beautiful but she never, ever got to tell the truth.

p.3

About:

When Haden Sarantos arrives in the small town of Iowa claiming he is the new librarian, something is very different about him. He knows when people will die and I wondered if he was the grim reaper.



The beautiful Persephone Campbell is well known in her small home town.
She was raised by a single mom, her father having died in a car crash before she was born.


After meeting Persey, the one thing Haden notices right away is that as the ruler of death, he cannot 'see' how she will die.
Haden knows every 'humans end', how and when they will die, yet Persey is a mystery to him.






Persey herself is not like others, people are compelled to confide their deepest secrets to her, secrets she sometimes wishes she didn't know. The darker the secret, the stronger the urge for people to unburden it on her.





As the years pass, Persey goes on bewitching everyone she meets. Aaron Strait, a high school football player, falls in love with her. The two eventually marry and Persey goes to work at a law firm in NYC. Aaron goes on to become a Wall Street investment banker.



All the while, Haden is in her life in some form or another, waiting to make her his own. He has been obsessed with Persey since he first laid eyes on her.

A lawyer named Daniel Hartnett works with Persey and is hopelessly in love with her as well, even though she is married. Soon enough Daniel realizes there is something different about Persey, and he figures out her special talent of inspiring people to confess themselves to her.




Persey comes in contact with Haden again in NYC when he is instructing her Yoga class. Little does she know, Haden has plans to make Persey his own and will stop at nothing to claim her. He wants to make her his immortal queen.

The heat of his body threatened to suffocate her with its intensity. It was more than heat. It was devastation, sorrow, musty odors from rooms where people sobbed lonely tears. His secrets were inside of her, consuming her. She could feel their darkness and the horror. Each one was more devastating than the next, and yet, something in her called to them. They were part of her, their pain and suffering belonged to her.

p.145

My thoughts:


I have to say I didn't know what Losing Beauty was about when I first began reading it.

I have been pleasantly surprised! It reminded me a bit of the film Meet Joe Black as far as Haden's character was concered.




Author Johanna Garth does an excellent job at weaving a unique and interesting story here. In the beginning I couldn't figure out whether Haden was a villain or not. And when I did see that he wasn't one of the good guys, I still liked him. He's one of those bad boys you love to hate. Haden became my favorite character in the story. I now have a new literary crush.


The interactions between Haden and Persey gave me the chills.

The first time Persey came to the library, he felt her. Her presence was a dark space—a hole where knowledge should be. She entered the room and filled it up with nothingness. He found her sitting on the carpeted floor, between the stacks of older children's books. She looked up as though she was expecting him. He crouched down in front of her and she inched away from him.

"Hello, Persey," he said, smiling at her.

"You know my name." She said it without wonder or surprise. It was as though his knowledge of her name was just another thing she expected.

p. 11

I liked Persey's character. I wondered who she was, where she got this special power from. Imagine people having to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets to you? I think that's a sad fate.


I liked that Persey married Aaron, and yet, I liked Daniel too and could see her being happy with him as well. Daniel himself was a sweet guy with a good heart. I rooted for him throughout the story and I enjoyed the interactions between Persey and him.




The paranormal and romance elements in this book were right up my alley and I enjoyed reading Losing Beauty very much.
I liked the mythology of the story as well.

Kronos—ruler of both the world and immortals—lived on Mount Titanus. From his mountain-top palace, he pulled the strings of time which governed all human life. His palace was carpeted with the ever-changing map of time. He walked over it as he observed and guided the timing of all events in accordance with the dictates of natural law.

p.197

The book took some unexpected twists and turns and I never really knew what would happen next, my interest was held throughout. I also like how the events in the story were wrapped up together towards the end, to create an exciting conclusion. In my opinion, the ending leaves the story wide open for a sequel.





Special thanks to author Johanna Garth for providing me a copy of her debut novel for review! I recommend Losing Beauty to fans of romance and paranormals, or for anyone looking for a good story to get caught up in.





On a final note, I'll also mention, I'm old-fashioned and still have yet to purchase an e-reader. I don't tend to read full length books online, mainly because I just prefer to be holding a paperback. I did make the exception for Johanna's book and am glad I did.




About the author:

Johanna Garth is a writer of urban fantasy and mythic fiction for adults who resides with her husband and two children in Portland, Oregon.

This is her debut novel.

title: Immortal Obsession

author: Denise K. Rago

pages: 267

genre: paranormal romance

published: 2010

source: sent for review by author

first line: Thick, billowing smoke filled the Louise XVI apartment as flames climbed the brocade drapes, spreading from the valance to the ceiling.

rated:

4 out of 5 stars

Christian Du Mauré impulsively follows his best friend into the complex, warring underworld of Parisian vampires. Against the fiery backdrop of the French Revolution, Christian's life is changed forever following an affair with a mortal artistocrat—for when he promises to watch over her daughter, she reveals the child is his.

More than 200 years later, in modern-day Manhattan, only two descendants of the star-crossed union remain. After one of them witnesses a savage murder in Central Park, she becomes determined to find the ethereal stranger who saved her life.



When their worlds inevitably collide, Christian finds he cannot prevent Amanda, his unwitting descendant, from becoming a pawn in a centuries-old struggle for power.


As a confrontation between ancient enemies comes to a head, Christian must finally face an unspeakable betrayal from his past—for himself, and the woman he loves.

When author Denise K. Rago contacted me about a possible book review I happily accepted. I enjoy both romance and vampires and was curious to read this book especially since it has both Paris and New York as settings within the plot.

The vampire Christian Du Mauré loses his married mortal artistocrat lover Josette during the French Revolution. Before she dies, she reveals to Christian that her daughter, Solange, is really his child and makes him swear to care for her always.







Fast forward two centuries later, in modern day New York, where Christian lives with his best friend Michel. When they were mortals, Christian and Michel were inseparable. When Michel was turned vampire by his lover, he bit Christian soon after.


The two vampires now own a club in the city called the Grey Wolf. Christian gave Solange up as a child to be raised in London. She has always resented him for that and felt he abandoned her. This resentment has fueled a rage inside her. She too was turned vampire.


Siblings Amanda Perretti and her brother Ryan are descendants of Solange's line.
Ryan is a drug addict that sells his blood to vampires in return for money to buy his next fix. Word has it that his blood is special, the vampire who drinks it will be able to walk in broad daylight.


Amanda has always been fascinated by the French Revolution, and works in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When she witnesses her brother killed before her very eyes, she also sees Christian for the first time when he steps in and saves her life from the vampire that killed her brother. Though heartbroken and mortified, she cannot get the image of Christian out of her mind. When she runs into him six months later, she is drawn to him.

In a strange way, her brother's murder had taken control of her life. It was as horrific as it was beguiling, and now she had met one of the cast of characters: Christian. Although he seemed staid and polite, he was dark and alluring as well. She felt drawn to him like a magnet.
p.94

Christian knows Amanda is a descendant of Solange's, and he feels he must protect her. However, when he begins to put pieces of the puzzle together, he wonders whether his mortal lover Josette was hiding something from him all those years ago.
He finds himself unable to resist Amanda. Since her blood is so unique, her life is now in danger.




As soon as I began reading Immortal Obsession I was easily swept into the storyline.
I really liked the modern day New York setting, this being one of my favorite places I could easily visualize the sights and sounds of the city.





I like Denise K. Rago's vampires, they remind me of Anne Rice's immortals, with their beauty and seductiveness. The love story within the book was interesting and I kept wondering when and if Christian and Amanda would get together. I liked Christian and how he still kept a shred of humanity within himself.
There is also a very strong bond between Christian and Michel, and the two are like soulmates.

Amanda painfully reminded him of being young and vulnerable. She seemed angry at the world, which he understood, and constantly denied her need for people. She reminded him that human suffering was timeless, something that hundreds of years and immortal powers could not abate. The feeling of an eternal emptiness, of knowing he was only temporarily sating a need that could never be satisfied by sex or blood alone. The instincts of being immortal ruled him, but a nameless, faceless emptiness filled him up and twisted his stomach into knots.
p.178

If you're in the mood for a good romance with paranormal aspects, I recommend Immortal Obsession. This is Denise K. Rago's debut novel, and I hope to read more of her work someday. She leaves the ending wide open for a sequel.



Special thanks to Denise for sending me a copy of her book, she's a really sweet lady. She did a guest post at my blog this past February where she discussed the Subtle Art of Romance Writing.


Visit her website here: http://www.denisekrago.com/



*photo credit*

the picture above is taken from the authors website.

title: Twilight

author: Stephenie Meyer

pages: 498

published: 2005

genre: young adult paranormal romance

first line: I'd never given much thought to how I would die-though I'd had reason enough in the last few months-but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

rated: 4 out of 5






Ahhhhhh....Twilight. There's a little of everything I enjoy in this story. Vampires, romance, rainy days.


I thought it was about time for a re-read of one of my favorite books.



17 year old Bella Swan moves to a small town called Forks in Washington to live with her father Charlie. Bella is socially awkward, sometimes moody and unsure of herself.
When she meets the mysterious and achingly beautiful Edward Cullen, she is instantly taken by him.




As usual when I re-read a favorite book, I pick up on little details that may have escaped my attention the first time around. For instance, I never liked Bella in the series but she didn't start to annoy me until the second book. Upon re-reading Twilight, she annoyed me right away. She's very defensive, childish and way too clingy with Edward.

So why do I love this book, though I dislike one of the central characters? Edward Cullen.

He's gorgeous, rich and aloof. I like how Edward has that dangerous edge to him as well.



For me Twilight is a fun, romantic read, not too be taken to seriously or analyzed too deeply, but definitely enjoyed. It's pretty much one of my guilty pleasures. I am a Twilight fan and I will openly admit it. I like vampires who sparkle in the sunlight and have honey colored eyes dammit.

And for the record, Robert Pattinson does not look anything like the Edward I envision while reading the book. The Edward I envision is divine.




I enjoy reading Bella describe Edwards beauty page after page. Here's just a few ways she describes him:

I was in danger of being distracted by his livid glorious face. It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel.

-pp. 65

or how about:

He was too perfect, I realized with a piercing stab of despair. There was no way this godlike creature could be meant for me.

-pp.256

ok, this had me giggling like a teenager with a schoolgirl crush:

"The blush on your cheeks is lovely," he murmured. He gently freed his other hand. My hands fell limply into my lap. Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands.


"Be very still," he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen.

-pp. 275

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Edward takes Bella hiking in the woods on a rare sunny day and reveals that he glistens in the sunlight.

Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn't get used to it, though I'd been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday's hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn't sleep.


-pp. 260

So there you have it. Twilight remains one of my favorite reads. I like the romance between Edward and Bella. I also like the Edward's vampire family as well as the idea that they don't harm humans. Meyer touches on some of their backgrounds and how they came to be vampires and I always found that to be an interesting part of the series.




I'm glad I re-read it and probably will again someday. I should also say that I enjoyed the first three books in the series, but was dissapointed by the fourth and final installment.

title: The Darkest Pleasure Book 3 in the Lords of the Underworld Series

author: Gena Showalter

genre: paranormal romance

published: 2008

pages: 374

first line: Reyes stood on the roof of his Budapest fortress, five stories up, his feet balanced precariously on the highest ledge.


rated: 3 1/2 out of 5

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.


Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can't forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.…

The Darkest Pleasure is book 3 in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld Series. In this series, after opening Pandora's Box, a group of immortal men have been cursed to house demons for eternity. They live in a remote castle in Budapest.


Just to name a few, Maddox is the Keeper of Violence, Paris is the Keeper of Promiscuity, Reyes the Keeper of Pain and Lucien is the Keeper of Death.




Each one of these immortals keeps these demons inside himself, the demon always part of his thinking and awareness, almost like an inner voice. These demons make life for these men nearly unbearable and love almost impossible.
Each book in the series involves all of the immortals, but centers on one in particular and adds a heroine to the mix.



Book three centers on the immortal Reyes, the Keeper of Pain. I've actually been interested in reading Reyes story since I read the first book in the series.
Reyes houses the Demon of Pain which will not rest until Reyes injures himself, badly. *see the first line quoted above* His demon craves agony and Reyes finds himself craving it as well. It's almost like an addiction. He'll injure himself, heal quickly, only to have to do it again and again, for all eternity. Small injuries don't please his demon. Reyes jumps off buildings, shatters bones, has his spleen removed, stabs himself...stuff like that. If he doesn't injure himself on a regular basis, Reyes will have to injure others.




Reyes falls for Danika Ford the first time he sees her, in book 1. Danika and her family are on the run after being held captive by the Lords themselves.



One of the Lords, Aeron, has been ordered by the Titans to kill Danika and her family. Aeron however, does not want to kill the family, but his demon is craving it. He begs Reyes to trap him deep underground, near Hades, where he won't be able to do harm. This is where the storyline with Danika and Reyes begins in book 3.


Danika also finds herself unable to forget the beautiful and haunted Reyes since she first sees him. She is confused however as to whether the Lords are friends or enemies.





While on the run and in disguise, Danika is captured by Hunters, humans who dedicate their lives to finding and capturing the Lords of the Underworld. However, these Hunters use extreme measures and aren't in their right minds themselves.


When Reyes finds out Danika has been captured, he goes to save her.
Danika and Reyes are instantly drawn to each other when they reunite but Reyes wonders if Danika is secretly working with Hunters to bring the Lords down.
He also wonders if his 'angel', which is what he calls her, can truly love him despite his demon constantly craving physical pain.



As the story unfolds the Lords discover that Danika has a special power of her own.

He was right and wrong wrapped in the same sensual package, with a kiss and flavor that transported her at once to the heights of heaven and the depths of hell.




He had sprung from her nightmares, yet he had become her fantasy, weaving gossamer wings of desire through her every cell. He was the only thing she wanted and everything she shouldn't have.

I like how Gena Showalter gives her heroes heart and soul and makes her heroines smart and sassy. These reads are fun. Plus I'm a sucker for Alpha males. Funny enough I don't read many paranormals, but this author has become a favorite.






I read and really enjoyed the first book in this series, The Darkest Night. I stumbled upon it at the bookstore one day and am very glad I did. The second book is called The Darkest Kiss, and was so-so for me mostly because of the influx of different characters and a plot that was a bit too busy for me. I didn't want to give up on this series and have been meaning to get back into it. I am glad I finally did.



I liked reading about Danika and Reyes and I wondered how these two would work it out. The love scenes were well written, thankfully they weren't 'over the top', considering Reyes loves pain. The author found a way for these two characters to be together despite the violent demon Reyes houses.


I liked how Reyes was torn between his love for Danika and just leaving her be. He's a great hero, tormented and sensitive. He didn't want to corrupt Danika, he considers her an angel.

The storyline was fun, the writing was fast paced and I do look forward to the next book in the series. I also liked how the author weaved in other characters to the plot, new and old. It wasn't overwhelming. One thing I disliked was the length of the book, I felt like it could have been 50 pages or so shorter. Other than that, this was a good read.




If you enjoy paranormal romance, Alpha males and lots of action, you might like this series. I recommend reading them in order though.


Next in the series is The Darkest Whisper, which centers on Sabin who houses the Demon of Doubt.










R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge

title: The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2)

author: Gena Showalter


genre: paranormal romance

published: 2008

pages: 384

first line: He was known as the Dark One.


rated: 3 out of 5

He is Death, destined to be her executioner.



Ordered by the gods to escort the tempestuous Anya’s soul to hell, Lucien is an immortal warrior torn between duty and desire. For Anya sparks the flames of passion inside him as no one else ever has.


She is Anarchy, as beautiful as she is deadly.



There is nothing Anya wants more than to be Lucien’s lover. His half-hearted attempts to kill her are exhilarating. His kisses – electrifying.



They should have been enemies but they become allies, traveling the world to find and destroy an ancient relic of the gods before it can be used against him -- separating them for eternity.

After reading The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, Book 1), I knew I wanted to continue reading Gena Showalter's Darkest Night Series.

The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2) takes right off where The Darkest Night left off. In the
Lords of the Underworld series, a group of immortal men live have been cursed to house demons for eternity. They opened Pandora's Box and now have to live with demons inside themselves. In The Darkest Kiss, Lucien, is the Keeper of Death:

Because he was the one to open the box, he had been given the demon of Death. A fair exchange, he supposed, for his action had nearly caused the demise of the world.

Now he was charged with the responsibility of collecting human souls and escorting them to their final resting place. Even if they opposed.

As soon as Anya, goddess of Anarchy, finds the Lords of the Underworld, she falls in love with Lucien. She keeps herself hidden, and basically begins to stalk Lucien, following his every move. When she makes herself known to him, Lucien is weary of her. Hunters are always on the lookout for the immortals, wanting to kill them, especially the Lords of the Underworld. But once Lucien realizes Anya is not a hunter, he still wonders why she wants him. He is badly scarred and all the brothers consider him to be 'the ugly one'. But Anya won't give up that easy, she knows she wants Lucien and sets out to seduce him.



Lucien has been ordered by the gods to kill Anya, but he can't bring himself to do it. As the Lords of the Underworld travel distant locations in search of an ancient relic, Anya and Lucien pair up. Anya does everything she can to seduce him.



I enjoyed The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2) . Lucien and Anya are great characters and the chemistry between the two is hot. I liked that Anya is a strong woman, she doesn't take 'no' for an answer and can take care of herself. Lucien is a great hero.



This is a fun series. I'll be reading book three. If you like paranormal romance, Alpha males and a fun and sexy plot, you may want to give this series a try. The love scenes were done really well.

Lucien's tongue thrust against hers in a white-hot kiss that would haunt her waking and sleeping for thousands of years to come. Dead or alive. It was bliss and it was agony. It was heaven and it was hell. Having his flavor drown her so perfectly, his strength and heat at the ready, craving more.

The one thing I didn't like about this book was that towards the end, there was too much involved. The plot kept jumping from Anya and Lucien to a few of the other Lords. I felt like that made the book longer than it needed to be. But all in all, this was an enjoyable read.











The Lords of the Underworld have thier own website: http://www.lordsoftheunderworld.net/









About the author:

Gena Showalter sold her first book at the age of 27 and now, four years later, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen books, with eleven more on the way in a thrilling blend of genres: breathtaking paranormal and contemporary romances, cutting edge young adult novels, and stunning urban fantasy.


Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, MTV, Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated in French, Italian and Korean. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.

visit her blog: http://genashowalter.blogspot.com/

Hear Gena talk about her books:

Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1)


author: Charlaine Harris

genre: paranormal romance

pages: 292

published:2001

first line: I'd been waiting for the vampire for years when he walked into the bar.

rated: 4 out of 5





I finally picked up a copy of Dead Until Dark , I was beginning to feel like the only blogger left who hadn't read this one.

Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in a small town in Louisiana. She has a special ability, she can read minds. In Sookie's world, vampires are commonplace. So when one gorgeous vampire named Bill walks into the restaurant where she works, she takes notice of him right away. After he gets into a bit of a bind, Sookie saves his life and the two become attached then and there. As the story progresses there's murder and mystery involved.



I found myself laughing out loud while reading quite a few times. I think my favorite term in the book is 'fang banger', which are vampire groupies basically. I liked the love scenes and found this book had just the right dose of romance, humor and mystery. I like Sookie's character and found her to be smart, funny and sassy. I like Bill too, and wanted the two to get together right from the start.

His kiss deepened, and I parted my lips. I'd never been kissed like this. It went on and on until I thought the whole world was involved in this kiss in the vampire's mouth on mine.

My one problem with this book was that I liked but didn't love Bill. I don't think his character was that strong, I like my heroes to be memorable. When I think about favorite literary vampires, Bill will not be on my top favs. I would consider reading the second installment in this series though.



also reviewed by mariel




True Blood has been made into a series. Have you seen it?

title: Midnight Bayou

author: Nora Roberts

genre: paranormal romance

pages: 368

published: 2004

first line: The baby was crying.

rated: 4 out of 5





Midnight Bayou is set in New Orleans. Boston lawyer, Declan Fitzgerald, buys and moves into dilapidated Manet Hall, which is said to be haunted. Declan wants to restore the mansion himself.
He meets beautiful Lena Simone, and the two are attracted to each other right away.
As Declan begins to restore the mansion, he sees and hears odd things, such as a baby crying. He also hears Abigail Manet, the baby's mother. Little by little Declan learns of Abigail's story, which is set in the 1900's, and he finds out that his own life is entwined with hers. As the story unfold's Declan learns how Lena is also a part of Abigail's sad story.

I liked the paranormal part of this story, how the mansion is haunted and how Declan and Lena are both a big part of the mansions past. The story was well written, the characters are likeable and the plot was interesting.



Midnight Bayou is my favorite Nora Robert's book, it was also the first one I read by her. I read it a few years back and after seeing a few of her books made into tv movies, I had hoped Midnight Bayou would make it to the tv screen too. And guess what, it has! I watched it this past weekend. It's part of the 2009 Nora Roberts Collection on the Lifetime Network.

(I don't like the photo below, Jerry O'Connell looks like he's naked, what's up with that?)



I think the movie was perfectly cast, Jerry O'Connell plays Declan, and aside from being a bit corny at parts, they translated it well onto the screen.









So, if you're a Nora Roberts fan, or just plain enjoy a good paranormal romance, pick up a copy of Midnight Bayou and watch the movie version, they are both very good.

title: Immortal Warrior

author: Lisa Hendrix

release date: November 4, 2008

genre: paranormal romance/historical

pages: 338

rated: 4 out of 5






This is book 1 in the Immortal Brotherhood series.

Ivar Graycloak is a brave warrior, a man known for his strength and integrity. He is also a man with a terrible secret. Long ago he was part of a Viking crew cursed by an evil sorceress to live for eternity as were-creatures. An eagle by day and a man by night, Ivar has lived a solitary existence for over two centuries. Then the king orders him to marry.



Lady Alaida is everything a man could want in a bride—intelligent, spirited, and beautiful--and their wedding night is a balm to Ivar's lonely spirit. Then a seer brings him word of a dark vision, one that makes Ivar vow to stay away from his lovely wife forever. But now that Ivar has sampled Alaida’s passion, her humor and warmth, he is enthralled. His traitorous body—his very heart—longs for that which he can never possess.



Lady Alaida may surprise him yet, though, for she has a power of her own—a power that will either destroy everything they hold dear or ultimately set them free…

Viking warrior Ivar Graycloak has been cursed, he is to turn into an eagle each morning. Brand, one of his men, killed the son of the witch Cwen, and her revenge was to curse them. Each of the Viking men that were part of the crew are cursed to turn into animals each day. They live with this secret for many years with no hope of breaking the curse.


King William wants to award Ivar for his loyalty with a home and a bride. He gives Ivar the land of Alnwick and Lady Alaida's hand in marriage.

When Ivar first sees Alaida, there is instant attraction. He has hope of finally living a normal life with a wife and a home.

Alaida, however, is not too happy with finding herself being married off and her land being given over to her husband. However, Ivar begins to win her over little by little.





After they are married, Alaida notices her husband leaving every morning before she wakes up and not returning till the sun sets. He tells her he is out hunting, but Alaida senses there is something wrong. Then Ivar learns that his curse might be passed onto his children, so he decides not to sleep with Alaida anymore. Which leaves her feeling horrible and wondering if her husband is cheating on her.

She wanted him to kiss her and carry her upstairs and release this desperate ache that rose up in her every time he came near, and in the same thought she wanted to beat her fists against his chest in frustration and rail at him never to touch her again.

I enjoyed Immortal Warrior. I found it interesting and the plot was well written. The story did keep me hooked until the end. I like the way the author wraps up Ivar and Alaida's story in the end, yet keeps it open for the rest of the cursed Vikings.



I liked Alaida's character. I found her to be strong and smart. I'm not sure if I liked Ivar that much, he was ok. I almost felt like he was selfish, like he didn't care about Alaida's feelings too much. Instead of confiding the truth to her, he lies about the real reason he leaves each morning and doesn't return till sunset. And then once he thinks that if he gets her pregnant, the child will be cursed like he is, he chooses not to sleep with Alaida. Instead of just telling her the truth, he makes her suffer.





I did enjoy the tension between the two and the love scenes were well done.

In one swift motion she slipped over the edge of the tub and onto his lap, straddling him there, trapping him with her body. His hardness called to the rising wildness within her. She moved and he groaned.

"Take me." A whispered command.

I also like the supporting characters in the story. Like Brand, Ivar's friend, who is cursed as well. Brand ends up meeting the village healer, Mereywn, and falls for her. I'm interested in seeing what becomes Brand. I actually like these supporting characters better than the main ones in this story.







I have an interview scheduled with author Lisa Hendrix on Monday November 10th. So stay tuned for that.



I have received this book as part of http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/



special thanks to Tracee!