*Book source ~ Free on Amazon

 

Stephanie has no idea when she buys a beautiful porcelain doll at a sidewalk sale that she’s going to have her eyes opened wide about what a dirty girl she really is.

 

This is all female monster porn, but the monster part is a cheat since the haunted doll turns into a human. Disappointing. Another disappointment is that it starts at 20% and ends at 87%. And finally, it needs more editing, for grammar and content. But if you can overlook all of that then this is a hot steaming pile of female on female on female with double penetration by strap ons. I wonder if the doll comes to life every night or if it only happened because it was Halloween. Hmmm…

Ravaged focuses on Ari's story.  Ari was a Guardian 50 years ago, but when he lost his soul mate he went a bit nuts.  He faked his death so his son would move on and leave him alone with his grief. During those 50 years he has hunted sirens, the ones he blamed for his mate's death. Now, Zeus and Athena send in a novice Siren to seduce and kill Ari, but when Daphne arrives, what she has been told by Zeus and Athena does not mesh with the warrior who comes to her aid.  Through their story she comes to care for him and he for her and along the way they fight a secret sect of Sirens, find out he is cursed, is not in fact crazy, and he is reunited with his son and fellow Guardians.  It was a fun, short read and I enjoyed seeing Ari find a happy ending after the loss of his soul mate.

Ravaged River - Lindsay Cross,Elle James I would like to thank Romance Beckons for a chance to read this book. Also for NetGalley for making it possible.

This was a book that centers on PTSD victims. Hoyt, was tortured and nearly died because on what happen on the previous book. The story took place right after the events of Reckless River. The way his thoughts ran was so dark that i wanted to be there and hold him. But, I can't.

This was so wonderfully made. The lines. the thoughts, the actions and even the approach on how this was written was inspiring. I find myself shouting for joy when Hayden had the reaction she was hopping for. The combination of an active member of the team suffering PTSD and a soon-to-be psychologist was so good that, during the story, she was practicing her skill, to asses how to approach Hoyt. You can read how hard it was for her. And I admire her courage.

I cannot say how much i enjoyed reading this book without crying, The reality of the situation is so rare, that it would take a person with considerable strength to fight his/her own demons. And the way Hoyt fought his own, was the best part of it. He may not fully recover, but he is surrounded by the people who cares for him.

Ms. Cross made a book that would give hope to those who are aware of PTSD, If Hoyt was able over come it, so could the res of the people suffering from it. All it takes is a person's resolved, determination and the strength of the people around them.

Good Work!

Ravaged River - Lindsay Cross,Elle James A tortured and broken Hoyt is forced to protect Hayden after months of avoiding her. The reason: the enemy is closer than they realized. Suddenly the people that Hayden has known and worked with for years are the prime suspects and no one can be trusted anymore. No matter how much Hoyt wants to keep her away from him, he has no choice in the matter. He is the only one who can keep her safe.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Ari -- Once an Eternal Guardian, now he's nothing but a rogue mercenary with one singular focus: revenge. His guardian brothers all think he’s dead, but he is very much alive in the human realm, chipping away at Zeus’s Sirens everychance he can, reveling in his brutality and anonymity. Until, that is, he abducts the wrong female and his identity is finally exposed. It will take more than the Eternal Guardians, more even than the gods to rein Ari in after everything he’s done. It may just take the courage of one woman willing to stand up to a warrior who’s become a savage.

Review 5*

This novella is an excellent addition to the Eternal Guardians Series. I loved it!

Aristokles (Ari to his friends) is a fascinating character. He was briefly introduced to the reader in Twisted and came across as a thrill seeker, although dangerous and a little unstable. I was glad to get the opportunity to get to know him better. He has faked his death and is living outside of Argolean society, so that he can attack Zeus's Sirens with no interference. When he meets Daphne, sparks fly.

Daphne is a wonderful character. She is a nymph and a Siren-in-training. I really liked her. She is feisty, stubborn and determined. She is sent on an assignment by Zeus, but can she complete it without losing her heart?

When I heard that this novella was available, I quickly bought my copy as I have fallen in love with this series. You could call this Eternal Guardians 7.5, but it is a stand-alone story in it's own right, with a slight sidestep from the original story arc. However, this story brought a new twist to the tale. I fell in love with these characters, even Sappheire, who replaced Skyla as Athena's second-in-command of the Sirens. She came across as being jealous of Skyla in Enraptured, and was quite witchy (substitute the w for a b) at times. However, in this story, she is more accessible and likable. I also liked meeting Silas, a Misos, who is Ari's friend. He has a sense of humour and it made me grin.

This story is full of twists and turns, and to say that it's only a novella, it was just as detailed as if it was a full blown novel. There are several shocking twists that caught me unawares and one big one that I never saw coming and it left me in tears. I do hope that the situation gets resolved in the next book of the series, because I felt like I had been hit with a tidal wave of disbelief and grief. How dare the author do that to me! Grrrr! *Smile*

As I have previously said in my other reviews about this series, I love the world building. It has a wonderful mixture of fantasy combined with myth and reality. The characters' are extremely lifelike and they feel like my friends. The story ends on another cliffhanger and I can't wait to read/listen to the next book as soon as possible.

Elisabeth Naughton has written an exciting paranormal romance series. I love her fast paced writing style and the flow is wonderful. She has definitely found a fan in me!

Due to scenes of a sexual nature that are on the explicit side, I do not recommend this book for younger readers. However, I highly recommend this book if you love erotic paranormal romances with sexy heroes and strong female characters. Although this book can be read as a stand-alone, I do recommend you read the other books in the series first before reading this one. - Lynn Worton