Book Review: East of Ecstasy (Hearts of the Anemoi #4) by Laura Kaye

East of Ecstasy (Hearts of the Anemoi #4)
by Laura Kaye
ebook, 368 pages
Published April 22nd 2014 by Entangled Publishing, LLC
Annalise Fallston made peace with postponing her big-city dreams to care for her ill father, but lately she’s been filled with a restlessness not even her beloved painting dispels. Worse, the colors don’t speak to her as they always have, and all her efforts produce dark, foreboding images of a dangerous man and a terrifying future.

Devlin Eston, black-souled son of the evil Anemoi Eurus, is the only one who can thwart his father’s plan to overthrow the Supreme God of Wind and Storms. But first, Dev must master the unstable powers he’s been given. Distrusted and shunned by his own divine family, he never expected to find kindness and passion in the arms of a mortal.

But Devlin’s love puts Annalise in the path of a catastrophic storm, and in the final Armageddon showdown between the Anemoi and Eurus, sacrifices will be made, hearts broken, and lives changed forever…or lost.

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This is the last book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, and the first one I’ve read. You can read it as a stand-alone, but all the characters from the previous three were in this one and it was a little confusing till I got them all straight in my head. Then there are the spoilers for the first three books…in spite of all that I absolutely loved East of Ecstasy.

Kaye struck gold with the idea of using the Greek Anemoi gods. Clever, clever girl. She created an interesting twist then added those tortured warrior men we love so much to the mix. And she apparently saved the darkest, guilt-ridden and most self-loathing one, Devlin, for last. Viewed as a villain or at the least untrustworthy throughout the series because his father is the crazy evil god of the East Wind and Autumn. Things go from bad to worse when it appears he betrays the Anemoi to his father and it resulted in a much loved character’s death (this is would be the spoiler if you read EOE first).

Anna is human and an artist. She's been getting visions of a terrible battle with death and destruction and she must paint them or the images in her head will drive her crazy. She also has some secrets in her past that even she doesn’t realize adding an OMG twist to the overall plot.

This book hits all my PNR buttons, and that is pretty hard to do. I was completely sucked in not wanting to put the book down, and at a pivotal scene I got teary-eyed. I loved the chemistry between the main couple and when they finally gave in to their passion it was…this pretty much says it all:

“I have long abstained, Anna. And now, I want you too f***ing bad. If I let myself off this leash, I’m going to come at you like a freight train. I will take you over and over again in ways you can imagine and some you can’t…”

“Choo-Choo” Devlin! Who wouldn’t want to ride that train? Yeah, I went there. If you love PNR then this is a must read. I look forward to reading the first three.

4.5 “choo-choo” sheep

Sharon Stogner

For a limited time only $.99
Catch up on the whole series with the Hearts of the Anemoi box set featuring the first three books: North of Need, West of Want, South of Surrender!

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About the Author:

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Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Book Review: Stop Dragon My Heart Around (Las Vegas Dragons #2) by Susannah Scott + giveaway

Stop Dragon My Heart Around (Las Vegas Dragons #2)
By: Susannah Scott
Kindle Edition, 174 pages

Published April 28th 2014 by Entangled: Covet

Lucky Leprechaun underwear ironed? Check.

Gold plated hearing aids? Check.

Pink doggy booties, times four? Check.

Tee is Vegas's favorite casino hostess, ready to grant her high rollers their every quirky wish. But when her own wish to financially help her Paiute Tribe finally comes true, she decides to double-down with lady luck and go for a hot hook-up with her sexy boss, Leo. Unfortunately, Tees about to find out why their romance is such a long shot—Leo is a shape-shifting dragon.

Leo needs a proper dragon mate to save his waning dragon form, and despite their magnetic sexual attraction, he knows Tee is anything but proper—or a dragon. But when threats arise from Tee's tribe, Leos protective instincts kick in. Can he give up his dragon form for the woman he loves—even if it means shortening his life? Or has Tee finally had enough of having her heart dragged around?

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Stop Dragon My Hear Around opens with Tee, a Native American woman who happens to be a top casino hostess in Vegas with a heart of cold and serious hots for her boss Leo with whom she has shared one earth shattering sizzling kiss. Leo while sharing the same lusty feelings for Tee is a fire dragon in search of his true mate before he fades and eventually dies. He is also the last male heir of his line making this search of vital importance to prevent his line from dying out. 

Leo watches Tee for the mark that would indicate she is his mate and not seeing any evidence of this vows to stay away from her. Sparks fly, conspiracies abound, powers ramp up, and the Paiute Tribe needs saving all resulting in one dandy read. The story was well written with relatable and likeable characters and while it is a lighthearted fun read, it also tackles some currently relevant social issues while drawing in elements of paranormal fantasy and humor. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of paranormal romance reads on the lighter side. I received this book request for my honest review without any compensation whatsoever, other than the joy of reading a new book.

5 Sheep

DeniseZ

About the Author:
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SUSANNAH SCOTT writes hot, paranormal romance with dragon and a whole lot of Vegas Bling! You can see a snippet of her latest book, Luck of the Dragon, here.

Susannah lives with her family in the Southern Missouri Ozarks and loves to hear from readers. She is most active on Facebook (Susannah Scott, Author), but you can also connect with her on Twitter (@Susannah_Scott ), Goodreads, Pinterest, and her author website.

Tour Run Dates: 4/28-5/10

Giveaway Info

Flashy Jewelry &$25 Gift Card (2 winners)

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29 New Releases in Speculative Fiction for April 29

New releases for this week. Got a surprise with Magic City and a lot of smexy covers.

Disclaimer: All these covers are links to our amazon affiliate pages. I Smell Sheep will get a small percentage of all sales through these links as an advertising fee. I Smell Sheep uses the money to pay for sheep s*** and shipping <G>

Book Review ARC: The Guild (Guardians of Destiny #3) by Jean Johnson + giveaway

The Guild (Guardians of Destiny #3)
by Jean Johnson
Paperback, 400 pages
Expected publication: May 6th 2014

by Berkley Trade
Cult’s awareness, it shall rise:
Hidden people, gather now;
Fight the demons, fight your doubt.
Gearman’s strength shall then endow,
When Guild’s defender casts them out.

For centuries, the mages of Mekhana have done their best to hide themselves and their powers from the rapacious needs of their so-called Patron Deity, Mekha. Greatest of their secrets is the Vortex, a Fountain hidden in the heart of the Hydraulics Guild. But even after the dissolution of Mekha and the freeing of his people, Alonnen isn’t ready to reveal his guardianship to outsiders. Particularly when the remnants of Mekha’s priesthood start looking for a new monstrosity to worship.

Rexei has hidden more than her powers for most of her life; she has also hidden her gender, wary of the hungers of the old priesthood. Only in the safety of the Hydraulics Guild’s innermost secrets can she be herself. While the rest of her people struggle to reinvent themselves and find a deity they can trust, Rexei struggles to trust just one man, the Guardian of the Vortex. Events are moving fast, though; the priesthood is desperate for any new source of power, even a demonic one that requires certain sacrifices to access.

Evil priests, a mage eating god, as well as mayhem and treachery at every turn are only part of what makes this steampunk tale great fun. Rexei is a young woman who has hidden her gender and mage abilities for years. Trying to maintain her gender identity as a male, she consequently earns a place in many of the guilds throughout the land as an apprentice; her most recent apprenticeship is with the stewards. She is sent to spy on the priests of Mekah, who have captured mages through the years and feeding the mage magic to their evil god. Through a series of events the power of the god disappears leaving the priesthood in chaos and the peoples of this country seeking a new beginning before the priests have the opportunity to establish an even more evil presence as their god.

There is plenty of intrigue with wonderful world building and all of the fantastical machines that make this genre such fun to read. The characters are colorful and likable and even not having read prior installments in the series, it read very well as a standalone novel inspiring curiosity about what might have transpired prior to this work. There is a bit of humor and even a bit of a romance with some smexy goings on, which is tastefully written, for those who enjoy throwing this in the mix.

I enjoyed the story very much and seriously wish I had my own motor-horse, definitely a recommended read for adult steampunk fans.

5 Sheep

DeniseZ

About the Author:

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Jean Johnson currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, has played in the SCA for 25 years, sings a lot, and argues with her cat about territorial rights to her office chair. She loves hearing from her readers, and has a distinct sense of humor. Right now she's living in a home with zone heating & decent plumbing, but hopes to some day put turrets and ramparts on it so that it looks like a castle.

Giveaway
a print copy of The Guild to one US winner

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Covet's Release Day Blast + 3 giveaways

Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and join the Book Club.

Today I'm happy to be featuring Covet's April releases:

Don't Blackmail the Vampire
by Tiffany Allee
Special $0.99 Introductory Price!
Amazon Buy Link: http://goo.gl/ktXdaU
Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/1lnkw6W
Charles Kane has found the perfect way to trap the man threatening his brother's wife: befriend him, get invited along on the skiing trip, and then search for incriminating evidence. How much better that audacious but adorable Rachel has her own vendetta against the bastard, and is just as eager to nail him to the wall. As far as Charles is concerned, there's nothing wrong with a little blackmail between two consenting adults. Especially when it's time for Rachel to pay up.

Find Out More!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stop Dragon My Heart Around

by Susannah Scott

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Amazon Buy Link: http://goo.gl/i5UI3H

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/1jlha1A
Leo denies his lust for Tee, Vegas’s favorite casino host, because she doesn’t bear his dragon mark and without that true soulmate, he will lose his dragon form. But when Tee's identity is challenged, Leo’s protective instincts kick in. Can he give up his dragon form for the woman he loves—even if it means shortening his life? Or has Tee had enough of having her heart dragged around?

Find Out More!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trusting An Angel
by Missy Jane

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Amazon Buy Link: http://goo.gl/vUNZFo
Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/1pjABQQ
Isadora secretly longs for her boss Zerach’s attention, but her scarred body and his playboy ways keep her from acting on her feelings. When Zerach helps her fend off an unwanted advance, she sees him in a new light and can't help but wonder if he shares her feelings. When a demon starts stalking Isadora, Zerach, an archangel with a mission to protect humans from demons, will stop at nothing to protect her. Now he risks not only losing the woman he loves, but also losing his wings.

Find Out More! 

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Book Review ARC: Slightly Spellbound (Southern Witch #4) by Kimberly Frost

Slightly Spellbound (Southern Witch #4)
by Kimberly Frost
With two kinds of magick at odds inside her and two gorgeous men vying for her attention, Tammy Jo Trask is used to being pulled in opposite directions. But in the latest Southern Witch novel she’ll have to make some serious decisions—like how she intends to stay alive.

Tammy Jo’s romance with the wizard Bryn Lyons is on hold while her ex-husband is in town trying to remind her of the good old days. Choosing between them isn’t easy, and it doesn’t help that a skeletal creature is spying on her, a faery knight is hunting her, and she just made friends with Evangeline Rhodes—a rich witch who thinks her own family is trying to kill her.

When Evangeline disappears under suspicious circumstances, Tammy Jo is determined to find out what happened. As she uncovers a secret more dangerous—and personal—than she could have imagined, she also discovers that, in both love and magic, you can’t stay neutral forever.

Slightly Spellbound is a Fun with a capital F read. Just how much did I love this book? I enjoyed it so much I hopped over and purchased the prior three installments before I even finished reading it. The world building is great and the characters are wonderfully excentric and colorful. Tammy Jo is a local southern gal who has a family history that leaves her part witch and part fey with both magics in one package resulting in uproarious consequences. She has a pure heart, is wonderfully funny, and to top it all off she is a baker of all things awesome in the pastry world.

In this installment she runs afoul of a creepy skeletal creature, the evil step family of a new nutbunny friend, a strange hunky new fey with a bad attitude, gets gnawed on by an alligator, shot, and I don't even know where to begin about her love life. There was never a dull moment and I was glued to my reader gobbling up each tasty page. Slightly Spellbound is definitely a recommended read for those who enjoy murder, mayhem, mystery, and magic with a taste of humor in the mix.

5 Sheep

DeniseZ

About the Author:
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Kimberly Frost is the national bestselling author of the humorous Southern Witch series, which includes Would-Be Witch, Barely Bewitched, and Halfway Hexed. She was the 2010 PEARL award winner for best new paranormal author, and her paranormal romantic suspense "Etherlin" series launched in November 2011 in the multi-author Christmas anthology, Tied With a Bow, followed by the January 2012 release of All That Bleeds (Etherlin Series, Book 1)