The Devil's Heart by Cathy Maxwell

 

On the Cover: They call her the Unattainable. Lady Margaret Chattan spurned every suitor for her hand, vowing never to marry. The only way to break the curse plaguing her family for two centuries is this ultimate sacrifice. But now her brothers' lives are in danger. Determined to save them, she risks her very soul by traveling into the heart of the highlands to battle a force that has transcended time.

Heath Macnachtan is not superstitious. Laird of the most independent, nonconforming, madly infuriating clan ever to grace Scotland, he believes he has his hands full. And then, a woman lauded as one of the most beautiful in England, arrives on his doorstep with wild accusations and a mystical quest . . . one that just might help him discover who murdered his own brother.

But the real danger for Heath and Margaret is not a supernatural foe, but a very real love that could destroy them both.

*****

"Love well, love fully, love completely. Because in life, love is all that truly matters."

Exciting, thrilling, passionate, and romantic, this final book is a brilliant, fitting end to Cathy Maxwell’s The Chattan Curse trilogy!

I’m not normally a fan of fantasy novels, but this trilogy really worked for me. The writing is excellent, the characters compelling, the world complex… it’s everything I could ask for, and more.

If you’ve been following these books then all you need to know about this installment, other than what we're given in the book blurb, is that Margaret and Heath are the last hope of breaking the curse that was cast upon Charles Chattan and his descendants almost 200 years earlier. And if you haven’t been following this story but are interested in doing so, I strongly urge you to start at the beginning and read in order. The world building and character development is critical early on, and to miss those books would be to miss watching two beautiful love stories unfold. These happily ever afters are just too good to pass up.

The bottom line: The Devil’s Heart is a truly well told story with a great cast of characters and plenty of twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how they could possibly succeed in time. Until this trilogy I hadn't read anything by Cathy Maxwell, but you can bet I'll be reading more by this very gifted writer.

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of The Devil's Heart in exchange for an honest review. It's been a pleasure!

To purchase the books in this series:

The Scottish Witch by Cathy Maxwell

This second book in Cathy Maxwell’s The Chattan Curse series – or is it a trilogy? – is more than just a romance novel, it's a wonderful love story that, once I started, I couldn't put down.

From the Cover:

Every woman has her dreams

Portia Maclean believes she is beyond love and marriage. Then one moonlit night, while attempting a daring masquerade in a desperate bid to protect her family, she finds herself swept off her feet by a powerful stranger. His very touch makes her long for much more. But what will he do once he discovers she has betrayed him?

Every man has his demons

Harry Chattan is fighting for his family-their honor and their lives. For two hundred years the Chattan men have been destroyed by love and now he's come to Scotland on the hunt for a witch who can break the legend's curse. Instead he finds himself bewitched by the tantalizing Portia. Determined to right legendary wrongs, Harry has vowed to fight the demons that torture him.

But will that battle destroy her as well?

Oh, how I loved this book! Given what we learned of Harry in Lyon’s Bride, I was pretty sure his story would be amazing, and I was right! That said, I had also worried that it would be dark – darker than I like to read – but thankfully, it wasn’t! Harry overcame most of his demons early on, and then resolved the things that were within his power to resolve, and left the rest in Fate's hands.

My favorite thing about these books is the profound message of love being the most important thing, for without it, nothing else matters. One by one this generation of Chattans are failing victim to the Chattan Curse, but refuse to give up, refuse to turn their backs on true love, no matter the cost. And. I. LOVE. That!!!!!

Up next is Margaret’s story. She’s Neal and Harry’s sister, and will not stand by while a bitter old witch destroys her family. She’s the Chattan’s last hope to break the curse, and I can’t wait to read all about how she does it in The Devil's Heart!!

The bottom line: The Scottish Witch is such a feel good story. Filled with hope, inspiration, romance and steamy goodness, it was everything I had hoped for, and more! Harry and Portia are amazing together, perfect for one another, and I love their happily ever after!

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

To purchase the books in this series:

Lyon's Bride by Cathy Maxwell

Lyon’s Bride is the first book in Cathy Maxwell’s historical romance series, The Chattan Curse. These books center around a curse cast upon Charles Chattan in 1632 when he broke the handfast to Scottish lass, Rose Macnachtan, to return to England and marry a Sassenach. Rose was so in love with Charles that she believed he’d return to her, and even kept watch for him on his wedding day. When Charlie didn’t return, so great was her grief that Rose ended her life. And thus, so great was her mother’s grief, that she placed a curse on all Chattan males:

Watchers of the threshold, Watchers of the gate,
open hell and seal Chattan’s Fate.
When a Chattan male falls in love,
strike his heart with fire from Above.
Crush his heart, destroy his line;
Only then will justice be mine.”

The curse has held true through the generations, and death has, without fail, found each male of the line who falls in love. The curse is well known within the family, and no matter what they've tried, it has not been broken. This brings us now to London, 1814, and the story of Neal Chattan and Thea Martin.

They call him Lord Lyon, proud, determined-- and cursed. He is in need of a bride, but if he falls in love, he dies. His fervent hope is that by marrying-- and having a son--without love, perhaps he can break the curse's chains forever.

Enter beautiful Thea Martin--a duke's headstrong, errant daughter and society's most brilliant matchmaker. Years ago, she and Lyon were inseparable, until he disappeared from her life without a word. Now she is charged with finding Lyon's bride--a woman he cannot love for a man Thea could love too well.

This is my first taste of Cathy Maxwell's writing, and I quite enjoyed it! This world she's created is definitely intriguing, and Lyon's Bride is sweet, it's poignant, it's sexy, and nicely sets the stage for the stories to come!

Up next is Harry's story. He'll travel to Scotland in hopes that the witch who cursed his family so long ago is still alive and willing to set his family free. After meeting him in this first book, I have to say, I'm thrilled that I have his story in my hot little hands and can dive right in!

3.5 stars

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

To purchase the books in this series:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

 

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos.

 

**********

 

Okay, well, that blurb isn’t the best and while it gives the readers somewhat of an idea of what to expect, the book is actually much, much better than it suggests.

 

A Discovery of Witches is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy, and Deborah Harkness's debut novel. It’s a unique story that subtly brings together and addresses many of today’s cultural and societal issues, as they pertain to the All Souls Trilogy world, without beating the reader about the head with messages of political correctness. In fact, the story is so fun, so well written and meaningful that by the time I was through I was left wishing I had the next book right here in my hot little hands!

 

I’m going to give you a heads up here… this story is slow to start, but it’s only due to the very necessary amount of world building and backstory that we readers need in order to understand the complex society these beings exist in. My point is, Do. Not. Give. Up! At about the twenty some percent mark it really picks up and once it does, it doesn’t let go. The romance is slow to build, too, but it's there and it’s sweet. The sexuality is mild with most scenes taking place behind closed doors, but I loved the sexual tension and passion between Diana and Matthew.

In my opinion, the true excitement of this story lies in the quest to unravel the mystery of vampire, witch and daemon origins and, depending on who existed first, deciding which species is most entitled to the fullness and truth of that knowledge.

The bottom line: Loved it. What an incredible, exciting, thought provoking, fun debut novel! Deborah Harkness is well on her way to making quite a name for herself in the PNR/UF genres and I am so looking forward to watching it happen, each story and every step of the way!

Many thanks to my Goodreads friend, Nomad, for suggesting this book as a buddy read. I'm afraid I would have put it off indefinitely had it not been for her suggestion. Also, for those who took part in the DHASG buddy read - Pat, Tammy, Heather, Teresa, Megan and Cindi - I enjoyed discussing this book and sharing thoughts with you all!          

 

The Unforgiven by Joy Nash

I’m just going to say this right up front – I loved this story! But before I go into all the reason why, I want to give you a little background about me and my obsession with the Nephilim –

For as long as I can remember, since the first time I heard the word Nephilim, I wanted to know more about this race of beings. Were they truly the offspring of “fallen angels” and human women? Were they really cursed for the sins of their fathers? Giants or heroes, wicked or valiant, there are so few biblical references to them that we really don’t know much about them at all, and maybe that’s why I find them so compelling! In Genesis 6 they were called the heroes of old, men of renown, and yet they were also spoken of as some of the beings who were so wicked that God sent the flood to cleanse the Earth of them. The Book of Jubilees and The Book of Enoch have a lot more to say about the Nephilim, also known as Watchers, and their history, including the names of their chiefs, some of which are mentioned in The Unforgiven.

Now on to the important stuff – what you really want to know!

The Unforgiven is one of the best “fallen angel” stories I’ve ever read, and an excellent start to the The Watchers series. It’s exciting, compelling, and action packed with the perfect blend of PNR and Fantasy. Curses, spells, magic and alchemy all play a big part in this story, along with demons, revenge, rivalry and a heavy sense of good vs. evil. I’m very impressed with Ms. Nash’s vision of this race and their history, and I have to say she’s done a fantastic job of sticking close to what few things we actually know about them, and creating an incredible story in which to bring them to life.

“You keep talking about a crisis,” she snapped. “If you think that’s going to scare me, forget it. I’ve got terminal brain cancer, remember? All the fear’s been leached out of me.”

Madeline Durant is about to find out that being diagnosed with terminal cancer is a walk in the park compared to what’s about to happen to her. She is a Watcher dormant, a pre-transitioned Nephilim, and not just any Nephilim. Maddie is a descendant of one of the most powerful and dangerous clans known, and her magic, once she comes into it, could save the Clan Samyaza from the Clan Azazel who wants to see Samyaza totally annihilated.

A car approached, motoring in the opposite direction. Cade stepped on the gas and flew past it. “You’re wrong about that. Believe me, Maddie, there’s going to be plenty of room for fear when you confront your demon nature.”

To help her through her transition, and to gain control of her powers for his Clan, Cade Leucetius, a Watcher adept, is sent to anchor Maddie during her transition, and if anyone can make sure she survives the ordeal, Cade can. It was only a year or so ago that he himself went through it, so he knows firsthand how painful, frightening, and deadly it can be.

I can’t tell you how badly I want to give The Unforgiven 5 stars, and if I were rating the Nephilim storyline alone, I would have. I really loved both Cade and Maddie as individuals. I felt their frustration, their anger, their passion, and felt that there was definitely potential for an amazing relationship, but unfortunately, it never quite reached it. I still enjoyed their page time together and they had incredible sexual chemistry, but it somehow just didn’t develop into a romance that left me breathless or cheering for them. I’m hoping that we’ll see more of Cade and Maddie in the next book so I can be assured of their happily ever after.

Overall, The Unforgiven is a great read. The storyline is well written and executed, and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. Despite Maddie and Cade's relationship not being as developed as I would have liked, it was still steamy and emotional. The secondary characters are complex and compelling beings who will have amazing stories of their own and I’m definitely looking forward to continuing this series!

This book was provided to me by netgalley.com in behalf of Dorchester publishing, and my review, in no way, was influenced by this.

Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter

Warning! This book contains sex… wow. Hot, crazy, vampire sex! And lots of it.

Lord of the Vampires is the first book in the new Royal House of Shadows series, and my first read of Gena Showalter’s writing. I’ve heard her name mentioned time and time again as friends encouraged me to read her Lords of the Underworld series, but when I saw Lord of the Vampires listed on netgalley, I just couldn’t pass it up!

The first thing that really stood out, and I enjoyed very much, was just how edgy and vicious Nicolai is. Hell bent on a revenge he had to have but didn’t quite understand, he’s bloodthirsty and brutal in getting what he wants. Calling Nicolai “alpha” is like calling a tornado a gentle breeze. Caveman, Neanderthal, heathen… seriously, he’s the most over the top brute of any book I’ve read in a long time! And. I. Loved it! Every time Nicolai growled, “Mine” or “Want you…” I got all tingly inside!

Then there's Jane, our heroine, who is summoned to rescue Nicolai.

Speaking of Nicolai – Have I mentioned how much I love him? A hot, sexy vampire, cursed, memory stolen, he can summon me any day!

I’d say the first half of the book was a solid 5 star rating for me. I was impressed with the world building, the unique storyline and interesting characters – especially Nicolai. Rawr! Then somewhere into the second half we suddenly started getting a lot of repetition of thoughts... internal rehashing of things that had already been hashed to death. That would have been fine had I been reading only a chapter or two every few days and needing reminders of things I’d previously read, but that wasn’t the case, so I found myself skipping over things, and being annoyed at having to do so! I wanted more Nicolai time, not time spent listening to Jane whine about being attacked by witches and nearly raped by Ogres. Whatever, Jane! Grow a set and get over it! Anyway, the second half of the book gets about 3 stars from me, so I’m giving it an overall rating of 4 stars.

Some of my favorite quotes from the story all come from Nicolai -

“Mine,” Nicolai snapped. “No touching.”


Behind her, she heard Nicolai jerking against his chains. “Mine!”


And her resistance…gods, he’d wanted to quash it. Still did.
Wanted her to know his bite, his kiss.
His possession.
Perhaps she was merely a challenge he had to triumph above. He didn’t care. Quite simply, she was his. That was not in question. Mine, his cells continued to scream. All mine.


“Mine,” he said more forcefully, perhaps sensing her doubts.
“What do you mean by that? Explain.”
“Want you. No secret of that. You want me, too.”
God, those short, abrupt sentences were sexy as hell.
As if his mind was locked on one thought—pleasure—and nothing could penetrate his determination to have it. With her and only her.

And my favorite of all -

"Want. You."

Be still my heart! So romantic, so hot, sooo... caveman!

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Lord of Rage which will be written by Jill Monroe.