Accidentally in Love with A God? by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

 

Twenty-two-year-old Emma Keane has a secret friend. He’s powerful, mysterious, and devastatingly handsome. In her dreams, anyway.

In real life, he’s an enigma. Maybe just a teensie jealous. Definitely overbearing. He’s also a voice only she can hear.

So who or what is he? He won’t say. But if she wants to be free, to be normal, Emma will have to trek to the jungles once ruled by the Mayans and find the forgotten ruin holding the answers.

However, the ruthless deity she’s about to unknowingly unleash on the modern world might not be so easily extracted from her life. Bottom line, he’s got enemies, and now, so does she.

***** 

 
Accidentally in Love with…A God? is the first book in Mimi Jean Pamfiloff’s Accidentally Yours series. It’s a light read with a fun mix of fantasy and paranormal romance, infused with gods, goddesses, curses, plans for world domination and, most importantly, hot, sexy men! 

This is such an entertaining story! It’s got a great plot, a hot, hunky hero, a sassy heroine, lots of humor and some steam, and there’s a great supporting cast. All those things are a must for me to enjoy a story, but most importantly - and especially so with a series introduction - is that the story easy to follow! That might not be a big deal to everyone, but given the complexity of the world Ms. Pamfiloff has created, it could have been disastrous, but she pulled it off with flying colors.

I did have a problem with the H/h pairing. As I said, they’re great, but only as long as they’re apart. When together? They were constantly at odds. Arguing, bickering, snarking at one another, and that took away from the good-times.

The bottom line: Accidentally in Love with…A God? is a fun, fast paced story, perfect for a day at the beach or anytime you want something easy to read!

3.5 stars

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgally for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nightfall by Norah Wilson

 

Nightfall is the second installment of Norah Wilson’s A Vampire Romance series, and the war against the rogue vampires who are preying on the less fortunate among us, continues. The homeless, the drug addicts, the prostitutes… anyone who won’t be missed if they don’t come home at night are especially vulnerable, but in this book we’re introduced to another unique player in the battle, Samantha Shea, whose ability promises to make a big dent in the rogue vampire population.

Our hot, sexy hunter is Aiden Afflack--

“Sorry, you said Affleck? Like Ben Affleck?”

“No, not like Ben. It’s Afflack with an A, like the duck says.”

Yeah, and he was cute and harmless as that duck. Right.

**clears throat** – as I was saying, Aiden Afflack is a vampire hunter and one of the best there is, but there’s something about him that, when he’s near Sam Shea, kicks her ability into overdrive and turns them into an unstoppable team. From the start there's an attraction between them that can't be denied, and fortunately for Aiden and Sam - and us - they don't bother trying.

The bottom line - Nightfall is not only exciting and romantic, but burn up the pages hot. Aiden is one of the sexiest vampires I've read in a long time, and he made the story for me. If Sam ever decides she doesn't want him anymore... oh, baby... six ways to Sunday... just sayin'...

A few minor editing issues kept this from being a solid 5 stars, but I'm giving it 4.5/5 stars because I fell so hard for Aiden.

I'm so happy the author offered these books to me for review, and can't wait to read more in this series. Eli's story. Or RJ's... are you listening Ms. Wilson?

The Merzetti Effect by Norah Wilson

After being attacked and infected with the vampire virus 170 years ago, Dr. Delano Bowen is still searching for a cure so that those who, like himself, wish to go back to being human, can do so. He has every reason to be angry and bitter, but instead of losing himself to those useless emotions and turning rogue himself, he’s focusing his efforts on helping others. Aware that he can’t do it alone, he arranges to meet with Ainsley Crawford who, according to legend, has the Merzetti bloodline that he believes will turn the tide of this war in his favor.

Unemployed and in dire need of money, former Level 1 Trauma Center nurse, Ainsley Crawford, jumps at the chance to interview for a job with Dr. Bowen, but before she’s able to meet with him, she’s brutally attacked by a vampire and nearly killed. Before the vamp can finish her off, and before she succumbs to the darkness, Ainsley is rescued by a good Samaritan who turns out to be none other than Delano Bowen, himself. Before she even knows what hit her, Ainsley finds herself caught in a world where there’s a fine line between good and bad, and there’s a lot riding on her willingness to be a part of it all.

As with all first books in a series there is the necessary world building that, because of the medical backdrop, was a tad confusing to me. However, that aside, I really enjoyed this story because in addition to finding a cure that would make vampirism a choice, not a curse, Dr. Bowen also wants to make sure that these rogue vampires, like the one that turned him, can’t continue preying on society’s weak or less fortunate. To do so, he’s working on a... deterrent, if you will, something akin to being scared straight, and without saying more about it than that, I have to tell you, it’s one of my favorite parts of the story.

The characters, their trials and triumphs… these are people and beings I became invested in and care about. I loved Delano and his dedication to protecting not only the vampire race, but the human race as well, and finding a way for both to exist peacefully. And Ainsley is a great heroine... smart, determined, caring, compassionate… exactly the kind of woman Delano needs by his side. The supporting cast of characters introduced us to some people definitely deserving of their own stories, and I really hope they get them!

The bottom line – In a genre saturated with vampires of every shape, size, color and tormented disposition, it’s always refreshing to find an author who provides a unique take on these beings… their world, their humanity – or their lack thereof, and with The Merzetti Effect this author has given us something a little different, and definitely hot!! I am hoping, hoping, hoping that there will be many more books in Norah Wilson’s Vampire Romance series to come!

My thanks to the author, Norah Wilson, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Shrouded in Darkness by H.D. Thomson

Margot Davenport’s life has been turned upside down. She divorced her husband two years ago and lost her corporate attorney job soon after, but none of that compares to the heartbreak she’s dealing with now – the death of her brother, Johnny, who she adored.

Jake Preston doesn’t have long to live, thanks to an experiment gone wrong. He needs to get his hands on the antidote, but the last known person to have it is his friend and co-worker, Johnny Davenport. Unaware of Johnny’s death, Jake shows up at Margot’s front door looking for him, and a place to stay. When he learns about Johnny’s car accident, which he’s pretty sure wasn’t an accident at all, he’s even more convinced that the cure he’s looking for can be found somewhere in Margot’s house.

Maybe it was the way-too-much alcohol she’d been drinking to deaden the emotional pain of her brother’s death, or the fact that Jake is a living, breathing connection to her beloved Johnny, whatever the reason, Margot reluctantly agrees to rent Jake a room for the couple of weeks he'll be in town. Odd things start happening around the house, things she can’t explain and when she starts to think that maybe Johnny’s ghost has come to visit, she realizes she’s really losing it. But when Malcolm, her ex-husband, shows up desperate to find some file Johnny had been working on, Margot is certain there’s much more going on than meets the eye, and that Jake isn’t who, or what, he claims to be.

Shrouded in Darkness is book one of the The Shrouded Series, and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read it. Jake Preston is the kind of hero I can love – tormented, honorable and strong, yet vulnerable and desperate, but I had a tough time connecting with Margot or sympathizing with her over the things she was going through. The story was good and kept me guessing, wondering who the bad guys were and what they were hiding. I don't want to spoil the story for you, so I can't go into a lot of detail, but I do want to mention that, in my opinion, Shrouded in Darkness felt more sci-fi than paranormal, though not futuristic or techy.

The bottom line - If you enjoy mysteries with a twist you might want to check this one out. The writing isn't without flaws, but Shrouded in Darkness is an entertaining read, and left me wanting to know more about the dark world Jake Preston and Johnny Davenport had found themselves caught up in.

My thanks to the author, H.D. Thomson, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.25/5 stars

Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Unique, exciting, poignant, thrilling, sexy, funny, romantic… these are the words I’d use to describe Firelight, and yet, it’s so much more! I can’t really compare it to anything else I’ve read and it can’t be lumped into a single genre because in this first installment of the Darkest London series, author Kristen Callihan gives us the beauty of historical romance along with the dark, edginess of paranormal and the magic of fantasy. All of these elements combined have made this one of the best series’ premiers I’ve read in a very long time, maybe ever.

'She walks in beauty like the night; shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?'

Miranda Ellis is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, and she is no ordinary woman. Since birth she’s possessed a very powerful gift, one she’d managed to keep hidden, but it only took one slip, one moment’s loss of control and her life, and the lives of her family, were forever changed. She is lovely, and certainly far better than he deserves, but Archer can't help it, he's drawn to her like a moth to the flame and he has to make her his.

‘I might call him a thing divine, for nothing natural I ever saw so noble.’

Lord Benjamin Aldo Fitzwilliam Wallace Archer, Fifth Baron Archer of Umberslade is no ordinary man, but what makes him different is not a gift he was born with. In fact, it’s not a gift at all, rather the horrific consequence that comes when man thinks to play God. He's bitter, boorish, demanding, pushy... but Miranda can't seem to fight the attraction she feels for him. Despite the mask he wears to hide his scars and his secrets, despite everything about him, she wants him like she's wanted no one else.

Miranda and Archer are fabulous characters, both suffering from their own brand of torment, each one trying to save the other. Archer, so strong, so dangerously powerful and yet with a vulnerability born of foolish arrogance that makes me want to take him in my arms and love him forever. And Miranda... vulnerable not because of her gift but in spite of it. Apart they are lost, but together they are the perfect match, giving each other what they need to overcome the obstacles keeping them apart. And the sexual tension between Archer and Miri sizzled throughout the book and when they finally came together... well, it burned up the pages!

There were many wonderful quotes, but I'm going to share my favorite two. This first one is truly, truly romantic:

Wonderful, beautiful, blissful, gorgeous, lovely. Adjectives floated around in Archer’s head like cherry blossoms falling in late spring. He wanted to laugh, shout, and run amok singing at the top of his voice. Snatches of romantic poetry learned in his salad days came to mind. She walks in beauty like the night; shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? He smiled then, looking up at the ceiling above his bed. He certainly did not possess the talent to fit into words what he felt. Too bad Byron was dead. He’d have hunted him down and introduced him to Miri. The master poet would have found words to do her justice.

And then this one... so poignant, as Archer lays his heart bare:

He spread his arms wide in entreaty before letting them fall. “I lied. I lied when I said your beauty does not affect me. I look at you, and I’m breathless, dizzy from it. I want to kneel at your feet and worship you. While the baser part of me wants to fling up your skirts and stick my cock in you until we forget our names.” His nostrils flared as he glared at her, accusation and pain mingling within his eyes.

“But none of that matters,” he said, trembling before her, “because every day that I am with you, I am more convinced that God made you just for me. For in ninety years on this earth, no one has made me feel the way you do, as if every day is an adventure. You make me laugh. And I never laugh. I go around smiling like a witless fool. So yes, I kept it from you, because I am so desperately in love with you that the knowledge that you might love me too was irresistible. And I was afraid it would turn to dust should I take off that mask.”

The bottom line - This is truly a great story. I started it not knowing what to expect, but was WOW'd from the first page to the last. The secondary characters stand out, demanding their own stories be told, and that makes me very happy because I can't wait to return to the world of Darkest London!

This book was provided by netgalley.com in behalf of Forever, an Imprint of Grand Central Publishing.