Jan 26 2013
Daily Deals: Vampires, cats, and a woodsman
Hearts At Stake by Alyxandra Harvey. $ 1.99
From the Jacket Copy:
On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.
Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.
Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters—vampire or otherwise.
AmazonBNSonyKoboBook DepositoryAREApple
Catalyst by Charlene Teglia. $ 2.99 and under
From the Jacket Copy:
If Veronica Jones’ prince is coming, he’s lost her address. Resigned to the single life, she buys a house and settles down with her man-hating cat. But single doesn’t have to mean celibate, especially with her sexy new neighbor on the scene. Determined to get a life that includes an affair to remember, she had no idea what she was getting into.
Scott Davis has a plan. Seduce his new neighbor into commitment and prove to her that he’s as right for her as she is for him. As Veronica’s knight with a shining coffee pot who rescued her from caffeine withdrawal, Scott is off to a good start. He just has to convince her that they have what it takes for the long term. And then he has to convince the cat.
Note: Catalyst was previously self-published in 2005. Word count: 50,304
AmazonBNSonyKoboBook DepositoryAREApple
King of Darkness by Elisabeth Staab. $ 1.99
From the Jacket Copy:
ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA…
Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human—although drifting through the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons’ blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the sexy, arrogant king of the vampires, this party-girl’s life turns dark and dangerous.
BUT TIME’S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF THE VAMPIRES…
Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate had gotten it seriously wrong…
PW says “Though the vampire society is somewhat shallowly depicted and its centuries-old denizens’ dialogue jarringly modern, Thad’s struggle to protect his remaining subjects and his awkward courtship of independent Isabel are engaging. ”
I picked this book up because I tried to read the ARC of the Prince of Power but was hopelessly lost.
AmazonBNSonyKoboBook DepositoryAREApple
Call Me Wild by Robin Kaye. $ 1.99.
From the Jacket Copy:
“Robin Kaye’s characters are fun and her writing is light and steamy in just the right spots.”—The Good, the Bad and the Unread
She doesn’t know a single thing about relationships…
Unemployed sportswriter Jessie James plans to make a killing writing a bestselling romance novel. She’s never read one, but really, how hard can it be? Moving cross–country to a borrowed house in Idaho, Jessie starts her research with the first gorgeous guy she runs into…
Luckily, he knows everything…
Sports doctor Fisher Kincaid notices Jessie right away—the transplanted Easterner sticks out like a sore thumb in the small town. When he discovers she’s researching attraction and romance, he graciously offers himself as a test subject. That’s when everything starts to go wrong, and they both find out how much they need a few good lessons in love…
AmazonBNSonyKoboBook DepositoryAREApple
Send to Kindle
Jan 26, 2013 @ 13:20:44
I got King of Darkness during the Sourcebook sale over Xmas and liked it enough to immediately pick up Prince of Power. Much to my surprise, I discovered the hero in Prince of Power was that most elusive of heroes – a virgin, and a true beta who got all starry eyed when the heroine got all strong and dominant. He wasn’t weak or a pushover, but he totally admired her just the way she was. Quite an enjoyable and unexpected surprise for a PNR. I can definitely see how you’d be pretty lost, though, if you picked up the second book without reading the first. Book 2 really feels like the second half of book 1, not like a standalone.
As for the worldbuilding, it’s pretty vague, and rather derivative of the BDB, but the characters and their interactions are very different. For example, King of Darkness features a vampire king, but he’s young and unsure of himself and although he’s a fighter, he’s not a great warrior like Wrath in Dark Lover. He’s more of an alpha than Anton, the hero in book 2, but he doubts himself and frequently admits that he’s unsure of how to handle a situation. I found that very refreshing. I would recommend both books, but not if you are looking for a completely take charge, sure of himself, bordering on alpha-hole, hero.
Jan 26, 2013 @ 19:36:59
JenM – You convinced me to pick up both books – Thanks
Feb 07, 2013 @ 09:12:14
Me, too. I’ve started King of Darkness already and I’m enjoying it a great, enough to feel I should come back and thank JenM for her comment!