Author Archives: Nikyta

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I'm pretty boring but shhh don't tell anyone!

Sleuth Week Review: Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Deadly Descendant
Author: Jenna Black
Series: Nikki Glass #2
Heroine: Nikki & Jamaal
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Available at: Pocket, Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: An ancient evil is unleashed in the modern world— unless one fearless P.I. can hunt it down. . . . Nikki Glass, Immortal Huntress, returns in this new novel in the acclaimed series by Jenna Black.

As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the Descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington, D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap. The Olympians believe the “dogs” are really jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis. Whatever. . . . If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she’s got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly—even for an immortal like Nikki. “Dog” spelled backward may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead. Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2012, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sleuth Week Review: Threshold by Jordan L. Hawk

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Threshold
Author: Jordan L. Hawk
Series: Whyborne & Griffin #2
Heroes: Percival Endicott Whyborne & Griffin Flaherty
Genre: M/M Paranormal Historical
Length: 67,510 words
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: June 3, 2013
Available at: Smashwords, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Introverted scholar Percival Endicott Whyborne wants nothing more than to live quietly with his lover, ex-Pinkerton detective Griffin Flaherty. Unfortunately, Whyborne’s railroad tycoon father has other ideas, namely hiring Griffin to investigate mysterious events at a coal mine.

Whyborne, Griffin, and their friend Christine travel to Threshold Mountain, a place of dark legend even before the mine burrowed into its heart. A contingent of Pinkertons—including Griffin’s ex-lover Elliot—already guard the mine. But Griffin knows better than anyone just how unprepared the detectives are to face the otherworldly forces threatening them.

Soon, Whyborne and Griffin are on the trail of mysterious disappearances, deadly accidents, and whispered secrets. Is Elliot an ally, or does he only want to rekindle his relationship with Griffin? And if so, how can Whyborne possibly hope to compete with the stunningly handsome Pinkerton—especially when Griffin is hiding secrets about his past?

For in a town where friends become enemies and horror lurks behind a human mask, Whyborne can’t afford to trust anything—including his own heart. Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sleuth Week Review: Dark Descendant by Jenna Black

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Dark Descendant
Author: Jenna Black
Series: Nikki Glass #1
Heroine: Nikki Glass & a Secret Love Interest
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Available at: Pocket, Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . .

Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy.

But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . . . Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2011, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Clean Sweep
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #1
Heroes/Heroine: Dina, Sean & Arland
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 60,000 words
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: December 2, 2013
Available at: Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is…different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, “normal” is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night….Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.  Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Lightning Moon by Sylvia A. Winters

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: The Lightning Moon
Author: Sylvia A. Winters
Heroes: Arrow & Quinn
Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance
Length: 31k words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: January 8, 2014
Available at: Less Than Three Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Arrow enjoys his job—more or less. It pays well, lets him travel freely, and puts his rather unique skill set to good use. But when he finds a letter addressed to the most recent man he’s been hired to track down, he begins to wonder if what he’s got is what he really wants.

Quinn has mostly resigned himself to a lonely life and instead puts his focus on assisting the unusual clientele of the Crystal Moon Emporium, a shop catering exclusively to witches. It’s a life, if not much of one, and he’s getting by. Then a handsome stranger walks through the door, and Quinn starts to feel that maybe just ‘getting by’ is no longer enough. Continue reading

Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: From Johann To Tannenbaum by Ashlyn Forge

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: From Johann To Tannenbaum
Author: Ashlyn Forge
Series: Toys and Soldiers #4 (but can be read as a standalone)
Heroes: Johann & Tanner
Genre: M/M Sci-fi/Fantasy
Length: 345 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Available at: Amazon & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Johann Andreas IV is a rich loser who has a raw deal in life. He is handsome, yet with a poor self-image, clever, but still uneducated, and despite being the heir apparent in his grandfather’s will, he’s about to be thrown out with nothing.

In the underground colony of his birth, two things matter the most to its denizens: a name, which will guarantee his wealth and status, and a designated branding tattoo, the only thing allowing Colony-Dwellers to live safely underground. Johann has one year to secure both.

His grandfather’s unexpected passing has propelled Johann to the foreground of his family. He must learn the family business within the year. He’s up to the challenge but one thing stands in his way; his mother has plans of her own…and they don’t include him. Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: The Fall by Kate Sherwood

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: The Fall
Author: Kate Sherwood
Series: The Fall #1
Heroes: Scott Mackenzie & Joe Sutton
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: 214 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 16, 2013
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: Every relationship leaves something behind. Dumped by his sugar daddy, part-time model Scott Mackenzie somehow ends up owning an abandoned church in rural Ontario. He dreams of using it for gay weddings, even if he’ll never have one of his own.

Joe Sutton is trying to keep his family together after his parents’ deaths. Between the family ranch, his brother’s construction company, and commitments around town, he doesn’t have time for a relationship. But Mackenzie is hard to ignore.

As both men fight their growing attraction, challenges to Mackenzie’s business threaten their relationship. If he can’t make it work, he’ll have to crawl back to the city in defeat. But the only solution involves risking the ranch Joe loves, and each man has to decide how much he’ll sacrifice for the other. Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mary Calmes Week Review: Old Loyalty, New Love

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Old Loyalty, New Love
Author: Mary Calmes
Heroes: Quade Danas & Roman Howell
Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance
Length:  246 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 13, 2013
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: When jackal shifter Quade Danas was banished from his pack for being gay, he spent years in the military escaping his father’s prejudice before returning to civilian life as a bodyguard for Roman Howell, the teenage son of a very rich man. After Roman is in an accident that leaves him physically scarred and emotionally distant, Quade is the only one who can get through to him. As Roman becomes a man, he realizes what he wants—his bodyguard by his side and in his bed. Unfortunately, Quade can’t seem to see past the kid Roman once was to the man he has become, certain Roman’s feelings are merely misplaced gratitude. But Roman knows a lot more than Quade realizes, and he’s used to persevering, no matter how many impediments life throws his way. He wants the chance to prove to Quade that he’s strong enough for a jackal alpha to call mate.

Despite the decades Quade has been away, and the heartache of his father’s rejection, his inborn loyalty to the pack remains, and his abrupt departure left the jackal shifters without an alpha heir. As a psychopath shifter staking claim as alpha draws Quade back home, and Quade feels compelled to heed the call, he may be forced to make a choice he never anticipated. But doing so means he must leave Roman behind… unless somehow they find a way to make loyalty and love work together. Continue reading

Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Author Week, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

How Mary Beat My Funk…

Timing by Mary Calmes eBookHave you ever gotten into such a book funk that every time you try a new story, you can barely make it more than five pages in before you move on to another novel? Yes? No? Well, I have. MANY times. In fact, just about eight months of last year I was in such a bad book funk that it took more than a week to finish a 200 page novel and even days to finish a 50 page story.

After the Sunset by Mary Calmes eBookWell, my solution to these funks? Re-reads. I’ve read my fair share of books in the last few years but only a few of them are good enough for re-reads. In fact, when I re-read, it’s pretty much the same books over and over. What books might those be, you ask? Well, Mary Calmes books, of course. As I’ve said (and you’re probably sick of hearing) Mary Calmes is one of my favorite authors. I just love her books (and she’s a pretty awesome person, too!) and no matter how many times I re-read them (at least a few times a year), they never get old. She’s gotten me out of more funks than I can count over the years.

One of my all time favorite re-reads of hers is the Change of Heart series:

Change of Heart by Mary Calmes eBook Trusted Bond by Mary Calmes eBook Honored Vow by Mary Calmes eBook Crucible of Fate by Mary Calmes eBook

I ❤ Jin and Logan!

In December, I went on a ‘Mary Spree’ as I like to call it and read 8 of her books. A mix of re-reads and ones I hadn’t read yet. I ended up reading Timing again then finally read After the Sunset. This was right before Old Loyalty, New Love came out and I was jonesing for that book but obviously, I couldn’t get it just yet so I had to settle for her other stories.

I re-read Acrobat (a classic for me) and finally read Heart of the Race, which made me wonder why I had waited so long to read it!

Acrobat by Mary Calmes eBookAfter I came down from my Mary Spree, I was quite content not to read anything for a while but then I went on a M/F Spree (which I totally put the blame on Ami for but that’s a story for another time).

There’s just something about re-reading a Mary Calmes book, where I know the characters almost by heart, know what they’re going to do and know that, in the end, I’ll be satisfied with how they got there and how they ended up. It restarts my brain and allows me to get out of my funk. Thus is how Mary saved me from my funk 😛

Heart of the Race by Mary Calmes eBookIf you haven’t read Mary Calmes yet, I only have one question for you: Why the hell not?!

And for those of you who just now discovered her (looking at you Jen), well, all I have to say to you is get your ass in gear and read another book by her already! Hehe

And don’t forget! The giveaway for Old Loyalty, New Love will only be open for a few more days so make sure you enter before it closes! I absolutely adored that story and you’ll be able to see all my gushing about it on Saturday. For now, we hope you enjoy the rest of Mary Calmes Week! We have a little special something posting tomorrow so stick around 🙂

-Nikyta

Categories: Author Week, Random Posts | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Book Review: Battle of Will by Sasha L. Miller

Reviewed by Nikyta

Title: Battle of Will
Author: Sasha L. Miller
Heroes: Ackley & Ealdwin
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 132,000 words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: January 1, 2014
Available at: Less Than Three Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes

Blurb: At a memorial service meant to honor the dead and mark the beginning of a truce between Skirfall and Morcia, Ackley spies a figure who does not belong—a mage interrogator whose presence will only cause harm should the Morcians realize who he is and all the people he has tortured. But the problem rapidly grows much worse than that when Ackley realizes his true purpose is assassination of the Morcian crown prince—an assassination Ackley prevents, but at great cost.

Banished from his own country, bound magically to the crown prince of his enemies, Ackley is certain of just one thing: whether he can figure out how to break the spell or not, his death is assured. Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment