'Last Chance' was originally released in the 'Love for All Seasons' charity anthology...which I have to admit I missed out on and if this story is any indication of what it contained I definitely missed out on something good.

It's Luke and Justin's last year of college and granted they're not besties or anything of the sort but they shared a scorching hot kiss during their freshman year that Luke's never forgotten and if you ask Luke...Justin can't seem to remember, however, that's where Luke is about to find out that he's wrong.

'Last Chance' is just that as we quickly discover it's the story of the lengths that Justin is willing to go to in an effort not to loose what he feels is his last chance to have something with Luke...the boy who's never left his mind or his heart.

First off I'm just going to get this off of my chest right from the start...my only real problem here is that this story has the potential to be so freakin' much more. I loved Luke...he's an adorable geekie, ginger and Justin's equally adorable but even more than that I just kept wondering how on earth the captain of the hockey team...the head jock and yes this would be Justin, ended up with a group of the dorkiest, most incredibly goofy and sweet hockey player jocks for his friends. These guys were hilarious and I loved them and seriously dear author...there's a series here. Every one of them needs a story all their own...opportunity's knocking....please answer the door!!! and while your there maybe Luke and Justin's story could be expanded to start with that first kiss rather than just have it be a memory...just a thought :)

Ok, in spite of my greedy little grabby hands need for more overall even though this one has little to no actual on page sex and moderate steam...come on it's only 20ish pages it's still a lot of fun to read... it's a short, sweet, fun, essentially angst free story with a lovely HEA that'll leave you smiling and like me probably wanting more...but in the best possible way.

********************

A copy of 'Last Chance' was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, here we are at the end of book #2 and somethings worked better for me so let's take a look at them...

First off there's the overall story...the mystery/thriller/action all that stuff and this time around this part of the story was on the plus side of things for me. I liked the story premise...a lot! I'm a bit of an art geek so when story is based artworks like this one was it gets brownie points with me from the get go and then there was the whole issue of the race between Knight and Day vs the Russians which definitely had some good moments even...dare I say humorous ones...

like when Day told Knight they couldn't go around messing with the cars of every Russian they meet...ok, if you say so Day but personally I'm cool with it, especially when it seems like every Russian you meet is trying to kill you. I say go for it.

and then we have Knight. I'm still not sure that I can say I like him but I was happy to see a bit of growth with him and I liked the whole side story of him and the kid that he caught robbing his garage...it was sweet, but not overly and that's all I'm saying on that subject. Well that and the fact that this was a nice little side step from everything else that was happening and I liked getting to see Knight interact with someone other than Day or the 'bad guys'. While he still maintained his gruff demeanor, we also got to see a kinder more caring Knight than I had believed was there...I have hope!

As for Knight and Day's relationship well there was a bit of growth there as well. While Knight's still got a long way to go at least this time around we got to see a bit of introspection on his part...although the visit from the dead wife was something I so could have done without...but maybe that's just me.

Day has thankfully stood up for himself form the word go with Knight and I like that this continued in spite of the fact that he's willing to take care of Knight when he's needed, it didn't mean that he wouldn't stand up for himself whenever Knight decided to be a jerk! Day would call him on his douchy behavior, something that Knight desperately needed. But on the other side of this coin I have to admit that I found it hard to buy the attraction between these two because of how often they were at odds with each other...maybe, if this aspect of things could shift a bit so that the conflict between these two eases up a bit I'll find them to be more believable as a couple and maybe that's just me and I'm cool with that too. We all have our own personal preferences as to what does or doesn't work in a relationship and I can honestly think of more than one couple that have had pretty high levels of antagonism going on between them and still as a couple it's worked for me. This is such a subjective aspect and while Knight and Day aren't quite there for me as a couple at least this time around I started to feel like I could see the possibility.

Once again I was treated to the opportunity to enjoy the narrations of Andrew McFerrin and he did not disappoint in any way especially since having the same narrator in the second story as there was in the first one made it that much easier to become invested in the story.

Even more important than whether or not a narrator sounds how I think a character should sound is having the consistency of that character sounding the same from story to story. Something that adds believability and realism to the story for me as a listener.

So far there's one more book listed for this series, 'Dawn and Dusk' and I have to admit while I doubt I'll read the e-book if it gets released on audio and  Andrew McFerrin's the narrator I may just give it a try. 

*************************

An audio book of 'Sun and Shadow' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Today is a special stop for Chloe Neill’s Wild Hunger. We will have info about the book and author, an Interview with Chloe,my review of Wild Hunger and two awesome giveaways. Make sure to check everything out and enter the giveaways.

Happy Reading :) 

As the only vampire child ever born, some believed Elisa Sullivan had all the luck. But the magic that helped bring her into the world left her with a dark secret. Shifter Connor Keene, the only son of North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, is the only one she trusts with it. But she’s a vampire and the daughter of a Master and a Sentinel, and he’s prince of the Pack and its future king.

When the assassination of an ambassador brings old feuds to the fore again, Elisa and Connor must choose between love and family, between honor and obligation, before Chicago disappears forever.

Buy Links 

Available TODAY 

Amazon ***  B&N *** Kobo 

Thank you Chloe for taking the time to answer some questions :) 

When came the idea to have a spin off series?

 As soon as I started writing Chicagoland Vampires (in about 2005), I knew Elisa had her own story to tell.

When you first had the idea for the spin off, was it always the characters we have now Elisa and Connor, or did you have someone else in mind first?

 It was always Elisa. Connor was a bit of a surprise; I figured him out a little later on.

How different was it for you to write Merit and Ethan out of someone else point of view? Both are pretty strong and forward characters, was it difficult to keep them in the background?

Not really. Elisa is very much her own person, as are the supporting characters in WILD HUNGER. But I definitely enjoyed seeing Ethan and Merit again. They are old friends.

What excited you the most about coming back or staying in the Chicagoland world?

 Probably the fact that I get to delve more deeply into the shifters and Packs. I haven't had nearly enough of an opportunity to explore that world.

Are there any other projects you working on and can tell us about?

Sure! I'm currently working on the fourth Devil's Isle novel, my post-urban fantasy series set in New Orleans. This is the finale, so there's a lot of action and excitement in the book!

*I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!*

4 ½ ★

I have read and loved The Chicagoland Vampires Series, (mostly) so when I saw this will be released I was really psyched to get my hands on it. I should say that it also can be easily read if you have not read the first series, everything that is important will be mentioned and explained. So if you have not read it and don’t plan on it you still can read this book and not be lost. After reading it I can say that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was a perfect mix of old and new , the old Chicagoland we know and love and the new with fresh new people to love just as much if not a bit more . Familiar faces and storyline being brought over to the new faces and new problems with Chicago. We still get to see Merit and Ethan but out if the eyes of their Daughter Elisa which I not only liked but it was different. But obviously this being Elisa’s story they stay pretty much in the background but still poke their head in sometimes. Which was nicely done. I really enjoyed Elisa, she was strong, unique funny and really working on distancing herself from her parent’s legacy and wants to stay on her own two feet. But what nobody knows is that she fights an internal battle with a monster inside her since she was pretty much born. A possible side effect if the way she was made and or born?! Only one person knows a little about it and that is Connor Keene. Speaking of Connor I really enjoyed him, sexy strong alpha male with a sense of humor. I really loved them together and their banter, it had many laugh out loud moments. But there was also a tender and really honest site to them that I loved. Overall I just really liked them. The few awkward moments between them made it just so much more realistic and fun read. I also enjoyed Theo, thought his role in the Ombidubus office was great, I just hope we will not see a love triangle here. I also enjoyed Lulu, the daughter of Malory and Catcher who decided to ban Magic in her life, but I think that will change and we will see some kind of conflict with herself. Of course we also see the faeries again and of course they up to no good. We learn more about their magic and history but also more about Magic in general that also involves the vampires and wolves. The seen prophecy we heard about before is hinted at but we still don’t know what it is or what was seen……but I think it will be a major part of the series. Overall, I really enjoyed it was fresh and funny, the writing was smooth and it was easy to fall in love with the characters. The final battle I thought was a bit anti climatic but overall it was great first book and I ‘m looking forward to reading the next one already.

I rate it 4 ½ ★

Photo by Dana Damewood.

Chloe Neill is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Devil’s Isle, Chicagoland Vampires, and Dark Elite series. She was born and raised in the South, but now makes her home in the Midwest.  When not writing, she bakes, knits, Pins, and scours the Internet for good recipes and great graphic design. Chloe also maintains her sanity by spending time with her boys–her favorite landscape photographer/husband and their dogs, Baxter and Scout. (Both she and the photographer understand the dogs are in charge.)

Chloe is represented by Lucienne Diver of The Knight Agency. Chloe is a member of the Romance Writers of America. 

Links

Twitter *** Facebook *** Pinterest *** Website *** Instagram 

There will be two giveaways to this tour, one over on Chloe's site,which will include

A Wild Hunger tote bag and bookmark A Stuffed “Connor Keene” Wolf Keychain A gorgeous box of Ladurée French Macarons (You’ll find out why in WILD HUNGER!) Amazon Kindle $50 Amazon gift card Bookmarks and swag

you will be able to find that here.

And one giveaway right here, which will run from today until August 18th.  Prizes include 

A Wild Hunger tote bag and bookmark A Stuffed “Connor Keene” Wolf Keychain A signed Chloe Neill book Assorted Chicagoland and Devil’s Isle bookmarks and swag

This second giveaway will only open to the USA( sorry) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Week One

Monday, August 6 – The Consummate Reader Tuesday, August 7 – Moonlight Rendezvous | Books of My Heart Wednesday, August 8 – Book Dragons 24/7 Thursday, August 9 – MeliH Friday, August 10 – A Book Fanatic Obsession | Silence is Read

Week Two

Monday, August 13 – Loves Great Reads Tuesday, August 14 (Release Day) – Snoopydoo’s Book Review Wednesday, August 15 – A Great Read | Book Nook Nuts Thursday, August 16 – Urban Fantasy Investigations | Goldilocks and the Three Weres Friday, August 17 – Dawn’s Reading Nook | Besties & Books

I've been wanting and waiting for Austen's story since he first graced the pages of the  THIRDS series. 

Austen was that dark mysterious character who shows up when you least expect him and is enigmatic and somewhere along the line you discover that they play a much bigger role in things than it seems and yet somehow they seem to be a bit of an underdog...and you want them to get some of the happiness.

Austen's been keeping an eye on THIRDS Defense agent Osmond Zachary ('Zach') and his family for a while now.  He doesn't feel like he deserves to be happy but that's not how he feels about Zach. In Austen's opinion Zach is everything he wants but doesn't deserve but if nothing else he can keep Zach safe and if that allows him to be near the man well who is he to complain.

Zach doesn't share Austen's feelings. He's sure that he could make Austen happy and they could be good together if only Austen would give them a chance.

As the youngest in large....I mean large as in 10 children, Therian bear shifters, so we're talking large in more ways than one, Zach has never had to question whether or not he's loved because if anything he's more than likely to end up being loved to death by his overly protective family.  Austen's totally the opposite. He's an only child and his parents were...well, let's not waste a lot of time on what's really a waste of oxygen and space to begin with. Austen unfortunately wasn't blessed with either decent parents or any siblings to be loving and supportive. 

As much as Austen's determined to keep his distance from the man he wants more than anything when he gets a call telling him that Zach was hurt when foiling an assassination attempt, Austen doesn't hesitate to go to him determined to make sure that the man who owns his heart is ok. It doesn't take long for it to become obvious that somehow events have put Zach on the assassin's radar and the threat to both Zach and his family is both real and growing. 

I loved that the action part of this story took a very definite backseat to the relationship development between Zach and Austen. Getting to see Zach as he patiently showed Austen the patience and love that he had for him. Never pushing and always putting his care and concern for Austen out there for him to see and feel. I think one of my favorite parts in this story was when Zach and Austen were playing in the snow in their shifted forms it was so sweet and such a nice fun moment for them as a couple. 

I loved Zach's family and how they were with both Zach and Austen. This is a family that's filled with love and they have so much to share, that it overflowed to Austen so easily and naturally just seemed inevitable.

The closest thing that Austen has to family other than Sloane and Dex is his fellow SSA agent/TIN agent Brayden who happens to be a Snow Leopard...ok, folks I have a soft spot for Snow Leopards so you can assume right from the start that I like Brayden already and yes, oh please yes can we have a story for Brayden because he just sounds adorable!!! And if it involves more Austen and Zach...well, who am I to complain or maybe well get a story about Sloane and Dex and their new handler...oh, I bet that'd be an entertaining adventure.

THIRDS is a series that for me is a must have and sure I've enjoyed some stories more than others but still I've happily read them all and I have every intention of continuing this practice. So for all of you THIRDS nerds out there waiting for this one, it's coming soon and I hope it's as worth the wait for you as it was for me. Enjoy!

*************************

An ARC of 'Love and Payne' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot about this story that set it apart from the first story but what didn't change was how much I enjoyed the interactions between Malcolm Khalaji and Seong-Jae Yoon.  Both their personal and professional interactions. While there's a definitely relationship developing between these two men it's slow...I mean seriously slow. Two books in and there's only been one kiss between them and that happened in the first book and according to both men...they felt nothing...that and a quarter will almost get them a phone call...just sayin'.  I have to admit I'd usually be a bit impatient with this but somehow with these two men it's working and I'm not having a problem with how things are progressing on a personal level.

Neither of these men are simple or uncomplicated...not in their personality or in their personal history and as we follow the story and Malcolm and Seong-Jae work together to solve their latest case we see things from both perspectives and are shown the frustration each man feels as they are subjected to actions that they don't always understand and that they often don't get an explanation for.

I'm just going to mention that while the relationship between these two men is a slow...seriously...ultra-slow burn that doesn't mean that there's not sexy times in this story...just that it's not necessarily between the MCs. So be warned if this is a deal breaker for you, it's here and each person needs to make their own decision  as to how they feel about it.  I know for some people sex other than between the MCs isn't something that they want in their stories so without going into details be warned it happens and it's in this story and that's all the detail that I'm giving about this.

So far this series dark and there are so many questions surrounding both Malcolm but Seong-Jae's past things that seem to be a part of a bigger overlying story line that is being revealed slowly and seems to be tied to Seong-Jae's past for sure and time will tell if there's a connection to Malcolm or not.

As much as I've been enjoying Malcolm and Seong-Jae there's so much more to this series and in this installment we were given more about Sade who offers cyber support to the team among other skills. I was curious about them in the first book when we saw enough of Sade to have our interest piqued along with Malcolm and Seong-Jae's Captain Anjulie Zarate y Salazar, whom we got a bit of an interesting peek at on a personal level as well this time around.

Cole McCade has a writing style that for me is unique to that of so many other authors that I read and the ease with which this author draws me into the story and weaves events together has kept me reading late into the night with both of these stories and I have to admit even though it's only been a couple of days since I finished the second story I am so looking forward to the next episode.  I've always loved crime dramas both as television shows and in my reading selections so I guess it's really kind of inevitable that I would be drawn to as series like this one. 

Anyone who's a fan of crime dramas, police procedurals or mysteries and doesn't mind a touch of sexual tension between their MCs should check this one out. I can't imagine that you'll be disappointed.

According to the Q & A at the end of this book the author has rough plans for 5, 13 episode seasons for this series...think of it as a television series in book format and just sign me up because if 'The Cardigans' and 'Junk Shop Blues' are any indication of what's to come this one's an Emmy winner and I am so there for each and every episode.

*************************

A copy of 'Junk Shop Blues' was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.