What a train wreck! I'm sure it was meant to be comical, but everything bordered on such extreme ridiculousness that after 70% I gave up. And I generally don't give up on books so easily. I just didn't feel like going back to this one again. Reminded me of some of those Lynsay Sands historicals I stopped reading for the exact same reason; everything ridiculously over the top, which makes the story absolutely not funny.

I can see I'm in the minority here (from the reviews on goodreads and on amazon) so read at your own risk.

I spent some of my grow up life on a small farm. I had the required evil Shetland pony, a lovely Welsh pony, a fun Appolossa named JR, and a couple other horses now and then. I had to share them with my siblings, of course, but in my mind they were MINE. I was little. 

 

I like horses despite the Shetland who plotted my murder. I like magical horses even better. 

 

Here are some wonderful Romances with Magical Horses-- Talking Horses, Unicorns, Peguses, Demon Horses, Horse Shifters, Kelpie (water horse), Hippocampus, The Nuckelavee, Winged Unicorn, Wind Horse, Wihwin, Uchchaihshravas, Horse Familar, Horse from a Tattoo. You know, the usual...

 

My lists are never in any particular order. Enjoy! 

 

1. Protector Of The Flight by Robin D. Owens 

 

If horses could fly...

Then Calli Torcher might ride again. But a devastating accident left her in such pain, she thought the chimes and chanting in her ears were a hallucination... until she found herself transported to another world, meeting the Lladranans who had Summoned her.

Lladrana was a parallel, magical earth filled with exotic creatures, noble humans and magic all threatened by an encroaching evil.

And when the mighty volarans stopped obeying the Chevaliers, the flying horses' unexpected rebellion had thrown Lladrana into an uproar. In desperation, the sorcerers had sought help from afar and gotten Calli. If she could fulfill this mission, perhaps she would also finally find all she had longed for a mate, a home, a family. But against this great darkness, she had no battle experience, no strategy plans. She had only a bond with horses

 

2. Unicorn Valley (Box Set) by Lena Austin

 

Lionel, one of the last Unicorn Valley Gryphons, is forced to choose his mate from among other shifters. What he doesn’t count on is falling in love with the Werebitch Teema, who has a few needs and demands of her own. Lionel’s foster brother Brolly falls for a shape -- and gender -- shifting Immortal, and Shadow, the future Unicorn Herd Stallion, loves an Elf. As if things couldn’t get any stranger, their mercenary Unicorn uncle Jamir is falling in love with both Moontyger and the Dragon Li Chin -- at the same time. 

Not everyone loves everybody in Unicorn Valley, but they try.

 

3. Lord's Fall by Thea Harrison

 

Before she met Dragos, half-human/half-Wyr Pia Giovanni was alone and on the run. Now she’s mated, pregnant and heading south to repair the Wyrs’ frayed relationship with the Elves. Being separated from Dragos is painful, but for the good of the Wyr demesne they need to figure out how to be partners—in more places than just the bedroom.

 

In New York to preside over the Sentinel Games, Dragos is worried about his mate, but knows that finding two replacement sentinels is essential to show the rest of the Elder Races just how strong and brutal the Wyr demesne can be. But as the Games heat up, Pia’s negotiations with the Elves take a turn for the dangerous, straining her bond with Dragos and threatening everything they hold dear…

 

4. Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

 

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, ReganCooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted-a family.

 

5. Light My Fire by G.A. Aiken

 

The trouble with humans is that they're far too sensitive. Forget you put a woman in the local jail for a few months--and she takes it so personally! And yet she is the one trying to assassinate the queen. And now I'm trapped with Elina Shestakova of the Black Bear Riders of the Midnight. . .gods! That endless name! 

But what am I to do? I am Celyn the Charming with direct orders from my queen to protect this unforgiving female. 

Even more shocking, this unforgiving female is completely unimpressed by me. How is that even possible? But I know what I want and, for the moment, I want her. And I'm sure that she, like all females, will learn to adore me. How could she not when I am just so damn charming? 

 

6. Apparition by C. L. Scholey

 

Half Castian and half Tonan, Doss is considered nothing more than a Tonian hybrid. A being to be feared with the power to kill by penetrating what is supposed to be impenetrable. Loathed by many feared by more, Doss has spent the last seven hundred years alone, shunned by the Tonans on his planet. He preferred it that way until a nude female rider on a huge black stallion fleeing for her life catches his eye. If left alone both beast and human would be killed by their pursuant, an enraged Tonan warrior. When the scent of the female invades his nostrils Doss is captivated. He must have the female human and will go to great lengths to secure her safety.

Zoe hates both Castians and Tonans. The promise of salvation from dying Earth, on planet Ulsy, had been nothing more than a lie. Human males were slaughtered and human women were captured to lure secrets of the Castian planets, Bagron and co-planet Dargon, from enslaved warriors with the promise of sex. When met with the six foot six hybrid warrior who moved like an apparition in battle to save her and her beloved stallion, Caveat, Zoe is unsure what to do. She has no idea of his intentions, but from the shiver that runs down her spine she is certain she’s about to find out.

 

7. Lord of Legends by Susan Krinard

 

He is Arion, King of the Unicorns. Powerful, seductive, he could possess any female he desired--until now. He is condemned to live as a man, and it is only the enchanting Lady Mariah Donnington's innocence that can release him from his curse.

Abandoned on her wedding night, frightened of her hidden, otherworldly heritage, Mariah is instinctively drawn to the mysterious stranger she discovers imprisoned on her husband's estate. But as the secret of Arion's magical identity unfolds, their friendship burns into a passion that cannot, must not, be consummated. For to do so would destroy them both....

 

8. The Soft Edge of Midnight by Stella Price

 

Karsten Morris is different. As a member of The Agency he’s one of their 
most successful operatives, always claming its luck that brings him through. 
It’s true enough, as a stallion unicorn in full control of his powers, luck is 
the least of what he’s got going for himself. An old race from The Glimmer, 
he’s been cut off from his realm and has lost all hope of ever going home, 
or finding a mate, an elusive and possibly extinct mare unicorn. 

Illori Swain is starting a new life. After a horrific ordeal in Africa, being the 
personal good luck charm for a rogue Fallen Angel, she’s determined to 
put the past behind her and start over, even forget about her own nature 
if needed. As the last female unicorn left in the worlds, shes resigned 
herself to the fate her sisters choose. Until one fateful day in Glasgow. 

Karsten recognizes the mate he thought he’d never find and Illori hopes 
for a future with foals and love. But nothing is ever cut and dry. 

Sammael, a Fallen Angel and hunter for Lucifer, is charged with finding 
and dispensing with the Mare unicorn. Lucifer isn’t so forgiving these days, 
and Sammael is already on thin ice, but when the hunter finds out there’s 
some competition coming from the bowels of hell, his plans have to 
change. 

Nybras, Devil of the Maze and Keeper of the Pleasures of Hell is 
unsatisfied with his role in the mess of things below. When he hears 
of the new mission Sam is charged with, he takes action. 

When Nybras gets his hands on Illori, Karsten and Sammael have to 
create an uneasy partnership in order to save the girl and neutralize the 
threat to their respective ways of life. It won’t be easy, but when is 
anything ever worth it easy?

 

9. A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang

 

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

 

10. Running Free by Jorrie Spencer

 

A year and a half ago, if someone had told Zach that he’d be guardian to the creature he distrusts most—a wolf shifter—he’d have laughed. A half-broken horse shifter as father figure? No way. 

 

Now, he’d kill to protect the pup he found lost in the woods—and he has. Which, unfortunately, has attracted the attention of Wolf Town’s alpha. 

Sally prefers to keep a low profile among her fellow shifters in Wolf Town. Yet when she’s asked to investigate a pup living outside the safety of the pack, she can’t bring herself to refuse. 

 

From the moment Zach meets the new piano teacher, his world tilts. Her scent gets under his skin. Her touch retrieves missing pieces of his memory. But even as their blazing attraction flares out of control, trust is the hardest to give, and the one thing they both need if they’re to save the boy from another attack.

 

I would love more! Let me know if you have any.  Vote on my Goodreads list: Magical Horses in Romance Novels

Who says you have to be dark and brooding? You can be blonde and brooding!

 

Sexy Blonde Heroes of Paranormal, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Romance! My lists are never in any particular order.

 

1. What a Dragon Should Know by G. A. Aiken $4.99 5 Star Read

 

Only for those I love would I traipse into the merciless Northlands to risk life, limb, and my exquisite beauty. But do they appreciate it? Do they say, 'Gwenvael the Handsome, you are the best among us - the most loved of all dragons?' No! For centuries my family has refused to acknowledge my magnificence as well as my innate humility. Yet for them, and because I am so chivalrous, I will brave the worst this land has to offer. So here I stand, waiting to broker an alliance with the one the Northlanders call The Beast. A being so fearful, the greatest warriors will only whisper its name. Yet I, Gwenvael, will courageously face down this terrifying...woman? It turns out the Beast, a.k.a. Dagmar Reinholdt, is a woman - one with steel-gray eyes and a shocking disregard for my good looks. Beneath her plain robes and prim spectacles lies a sensual creature waiting to be unleashed. Who better than a dragon to thaw out that icy demeanor? And who better than a beast to finally tame a mighty dragon's heart?

 

 

2. Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon

 

Dear Reader,

 

Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power? That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minutes of it.

 

Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmare: a conservative woman in a button-down shirt. Or in Amanda's case, one buttoned all the way up to her chin. She's smart, sexy, witty, and wants nothing to do with the paranormal--in other words, me.

 

My attraction to Amanda Devereaux goes against everything I stand for. Not to mention the last time I fell in love it cost me not only my human life, but also my very soul. Yet every time I look at her, I find myself wanting to try again. Wanting to believe that love and loyalty do exist.

 

Even more disturbing, I find myself wondering if there's any way a woman like Amanda can love a man whose battle scars run deep, and whose heart was damaged by a betrayal so savage that he's not sure it will ever beat again.

Kyrian of Thrace

 

3. Lothaire by Kresley Cole

 

ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience. 

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past…or risk everything for a future with her?

 

4. Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

 

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He’s the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover—for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

 

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships, is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage’s protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. Her faith in miracles was lost years ago. But when Rhage’s intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves…

 

5. Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh

 

Separated from her son and forced to create a neural implant that will mean the effective enslavement of her psychically gifted race, Ashaya Aleine is the perfect Psy - cool, calm, emotionless...at least on the surface. Inside, she's fighting a desperate battle to save her son and escape the vicious cold of the PsyNet. Yet when escape comes, it leads not to safety, but to the lethal danger of a sniper's embrace.

DarkRiver sniper Dorian Christensen lost his sister to a Psy killer. Though he lacks the changeling ability to shift into animal form, his leopard lives within. And that leopard's rage at the brutal loss is a clawing darkness that hungers for vengeance. Falling for a Psy has never been on Dorian's agenda. But charged with protecting Ashaya and her son, he discovers that passion has a way of changing the rules...

 

6. Duncan by D. B. Reynolds

 

Washington, D.C. … capital of an empire. Powerful. Exhilarating. Corrupt. And in the shadows … vampires far older than the nation itself.  

A power unto himself, Duncan has served at Raphael’s side for a hundred and fifty years. But long laid plans have finally borne fruit, and the time has come for Duncan to leave Raphael and tackle the greatest challenge of his life. He will face treacherous vampires and murderous humans. He will rock the halls of human power if necessary. But Washington, D.C. will be his. 

Emma Duquet cares nothing for vampire politics. She just wants to find her missing roommate and best friend, Lacey. But Lacey’s been playing with vampires of a particularly dangerous kind, and Emma will have to deal with the new vampire in town if she’s going to find her friend.  

Battling powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets, Duncan and Emma will dig beneath the corruption and depravity that is Washington, D.C. and uncover the most heinous conspiracy of all…

 

7. Seduced by Magic by Cheyenne McCray

 

Copper Ashcroft is an accomplished D'Anu witch, but the magic she wields is a potent force--strong enough to hurl her into a mysterious Otherworld when a spell backfires. Before Copper can escape, another being is pulled into her realm--Tiernan, a powerfully virile Tuatha D'Danann warrior. Blond, blue-eyed, and shamelessly seductive, Tiernan could be Copper's savior…and his touch sets her body on fire.

 

Like others of his kind, Tiernan stands alongside the D'Anu witches to battle the demons of the Underworld. Obligation to his cause and his people cautions against any entanglement with Copper, yet each second spent with this beautiful, uninhibited woman stirs an insatiable hunger. Desire explodes into carnal bliss, but the visions that haunt Copper's dreams are growing stronger, and they foretell a terrifying evil waiting to be unleashed…

 

Saving the city will take more than brute strength…more than witchcraft. Only together can Copper and Tiernan find a way to overcome the dark forces--and seize a passion that has bewitched them both.

 

8. Dark Gold by Christine Feehan

 

Alexandria Houton will sacrifice anything—even her life—to protect her orphaned little brother. But when both encounter unspeakable evil in the swirling San Francisco mists, Alex can only cry to heaven for their deliverance . . . 

 

And out of the darkness swoops Aidan Savage, a golden being more powerful and more mysterious than any other creature of the night. The ageless Carpathian male snatches them from a hideous fate. But is Aidan a miracle . . . or a monster? Is he Alex's salvation . . . or her sin? 

 

If she surrenders to Aidan's savage, unearthly seduction and gives him the color, the light, the family he craves, will Alex truly save her brother . . . or sacrifice more than her life?

 

9. Apparition by C. L. Scholey $2.99

 

Half Castian and half Tonan, Doss is considered nothing more than a Tonian hybrid. A being to be feared with the power to kill by penetrating what is supposed to be impenetrable. Loathed by many feared by more, Doss has spent the last seven hundred years alone, shunned by the Tonans on his planet. He preferred it that way until a nude female rider on a huge black stallion fleeing for her life catches his eye. If left alone both beast and human would be killed by their pursuant, an enraged Tonan warrior. When the scent of the female invades his nostrils Doss is captivated. He must have the female human and will go to great lengths to secure her safety.

Zoe hates both Castians and Tonans. The promise of salvation from dying Earth, on planet Ulsy, had been nothing more than a lie. Human males were slaughtered and human women were captured to lure secrets of the Castian planets, Bagron and co-planet Dargon, from enslaved warriors with the promise of sex. When met with the six foot six hybrid warrior who moved like an apparition in battle to save her and her beloved stallion, Caveat, Zoe is unsure what to do. She has no idea of his intentions, but from the shiver that runs down her spine she is certain she’s about to find out.

 

10. Serpent's Kiss by Thea Harrison

 

Recently, Vampire Queen Carling's power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee. Wyr sentinel Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help find a cure for the serpent's kiss-the vampyric disease that's killing her. With their desire for each other escalating they will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent's kiss...

 

Let me know your favorite Blonde Hero in Paranormal Romance. Vote! Blondie: Sexy Blonde Heroes of Paranormal Romance

Mistaken this for gay erotica. God damnit! If only this is gay erotica!

This is going to sound weird, but stick with me. The story isn't anything special, but at the same time... it's totally unique. And it's not unique in a bad way. But it's kinda ridiculous, so it's not exactly unique in a good way, either. Let me try to explain a little bit.

Earth is basically kaput and our MC, Bay, escaped for the safe haven of another planet. That planet wasn't so much a safe haven as it was a battlefield and poor Bay is kidnapped - because of... reasons... - and hauled off to be beaten, starved, and then sold at a slave market as a pet. Enter Blu, a Zargonian (or something, I've already closed the file), who's like "I should buy my brother a pet to replace his recently deceased one and this little bald thing will do nicely. SOLD!" Blu takes Bay back to his home planet - after a humiliating chapter of her being treated like a pet with a nose-bops for bad behavior and everything - and dumps her off on his brother Zane's doorstep. Zane has a son, who Bay now... belongs to.

But what is this? Zane's getting turned on by the family pet! That just won't do. Bay finally reveals that she's not a pet, but an intelligent human and bam - let's fuck. Oookay.

*nods* The set up is outrageous. But at the same time, it's entirely plausible. I would not at all be surprised to find out that some aliens keep humans as pets and have no idea we're intelligent beings. And that's what kept me reading. It's like Zane was a human that had found a stray dog... but had never seen a dog before, I guess.

The world that C.L. Scholey created here is weird, but also plausible. The warring sexes and the reasons behind their behavior, though strange and alien, were understandable. Scholey's odd society was interesting, regardless of the fact that most humans would hate it.

The sex scenes, though numerous, were uninspired. Zane actually talks about how sex with another woman felt as he was climaxing inside Bay. *blank stare* Yeah. YEAH. But their relationship was believable and kinda cute. Zane's total bafflement at being around a female was highly entertaining and watching a hardened warrior turn into a vulnerable boy was amusing.

It's a fairly short story, but it ends with the Zargonians searching for more humans to save from various threats and hopefully mate with. So I'm assuming the story continues, probably focusing on one of the other warriors finding his twue wuv.