@SignalBoostPR, @AJacobs_fiction, #M_M, #Paranormal, #Romance, 4 out of 5 (very good)

 

Wounded Soul involves a human unaware of vampires, and a vampire smitten with insta-lust for said human. Of course, if it was left like that, it would be too easy, so throw into the a mix a psychotic vampire, a best friend working for the human/vampire police, another best friend terrified of the thought of vampires, and a coven leader you respect and don't want to insult. Sounding good yet?

This book a really good read, from the first steamy hot meeting, to the intensity of the psychotic, to the nerve-jangling will he/won't he live (and that's not the 'he' you're thinking of!) Annabelle Jacobs is one of my favourite paranormal romance writers, if only for the fact they are not automatically based in America. I loved her Regent's Park series, and I loved this one just as much. I would love to read more about the characters mentioned in this story, but I have no idea if there is a sequel or series planned.

Either way, this was really well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. The pacing was good, and the connection between the characters was intense. And don't forget the bad guy you love to hate. Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

Bitten by Fate is the sixth and final book in the Regent's Park Pack series, and we see how Cam is still trying to bring together both sides of his new pack. Calling in the big guns, he sends two units, plus two betas to 'oversee', off to a couple of weeks "bonding session", held by the Alpha Council. Daryl and Jason are the two betas there as support. Their time together has some unexpected side-affects for both of them.

 

I am so sad to see this series come to an end, but I am supremely happy with how it was done. Daryl and Jason are complete opposites in nearly every way, but this is what makes them so perfect for each other. Their characters are written so well that even when one of them acts like a d*ck, you can understand the whys of it! With laughs at the bonding activities and tension (both sexual and otherwise), there is something here for everyone.

 

Exceedingly well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, I am sad to leave this Regent's Park Pack. Their world is clear and concise, with strong characters, both main and supporting. I would love to hear more about how they are getting on further down the line, but I will just have to read this author's other books in the meantime.

Old Acquaintance is a semi-seasonal story about two men who reunite after many years apart. Their separation was caused by life, and jobs, and the fact they never got on when they were at school, for reasons only known to one of them.

The story takes place on the build up to Christmas (hence the semi-seasonal), but it doesn't focus on the season! Instead, quite rightly, it focuses on Sam and Charlie. You stay with them as they work through their attraction, and communication issues, and even bring up history from the past.

There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. This is a lovely book, with a real feel-good vibe to it. Funny in places, and low-angst in others, this was the getaway-from-everything book I needed. Most definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was received by me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

Bitten by the Alpha - Annabelle Jacobs This is book four in a series. While you might be able to read it alone or out of order, missing the Pack politics and backstory would leave you a little adrift and certainly not as invested in the characters so I wouldn't recommend it. This story is for Gareth and Cam, the Beta and Alpha of the pack. Cam's wife/mate died in the Pack Wars and he has hardened his heart to feeling that type of love again. We got hints in previous books about Gareth's feelings for Cam, but all the danger, uncertainity with the packs merging, and a new visitor named Rachel to the pack brings all of Gareth's feelings to the surface so he can no longer hide his love for Cam.

The author is good at making us feel the heartbreak and longing Gareth and Rachel feel in their respective situations. Cam struggles with guilt for feeling something for someone else other than his late wife--add to that all of the pressures of governing a large group of people and businesses while still dealing with old enemies and Cam's stress level is pretty high. Much of the book deals with the characters trying to act against their own instincts and happiness because of their obligations to others, which makes for tense and frustrated reading. Some bad decision making and judgement is shown in several situations that, while understandable due to the circumstances in some ways, still seems like just a way to have conflict in the books at the expense of the maturity and experience of the characters. When Cam and Gareth finally get together (not really a spoiler since this is a romance, duh), I couldn't help feeling that Gareth was always going to come in second to everyone else in the pack and that there was always going to be a unfavorable power dynamic in play.

Even with all the intrigue in book three, there were a lot of sex scenes--almost too many although they were hot, hot, hot. On the one hand it was nice to dial it down a notch in this fourth book; on the other hand this books suffers by comparison in some ways.

Little things annoy me like we're told over and over in the series that only the bedrooms and bathrooms are soundproof in side the buildings although the whole buildings are soundproof from the outside...yet, especially by book three and four they keep having private conversations where other shifters can hear about "pack business." There are some plot points that could go somewhere, logically, but just don't.

I got sucked into this series more than I expected to and would recommend you read them all in order to experience the same thing. This book hints at a future possiblity, but I think this book was a natural conclusion to the series.

Not Just For Christmas - Annabelle Jacob... I loved this story... while it was a bit of slow burn as far as the relationship goes I think it was appropriate since this was a friends to lovers story and also had an 11 year age difference. I thought the issues raised by these two things were dealt with in a very realistic and believable way. And in the end the payoff was worth the wait. Both Ben and Jason are adorable, but if I had to choose Jason is my favorite by a nose. Overall, this book was a very enjoyable read and lots of fun!