The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt~~DIK READING CHALLENGE

WHEN THE DEVIL MEETS AN ANGEL
 
Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man—a naked unconscious an—and loses her innocence forever.

HE CAN TAKE HER TO HEAVEN

Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he’s hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities—even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both.

OR TO HELL

Charmed by Simon’s sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has—her love…

My Thoughts:
I started reading this trilogy about two years ago. I was really impressed with EH's The Raven Prince and honestly couldn't wait to read the remaining two books. Things definitely did not go as I had planned. I did not immediately grab up book two, The Leopard Prince, or the third The Serpent Prince...other books just seemed to fall into my lap or these titles didn't fit into the challenge that I was doing. I sincerely regret this. I do believe that The Serpent Prince is my favorite.

Lucy is a country mouse set to wait out her time until the Vicar finally gets up the nerve to propose to her. She does her duty to her town and her father and life is just the same old thing until she stumbles across a man that she presumes dead lying face down along the roadside. When Lord Simon Iddesleigh moans she knows she is mistakened. Lucy does what any caring person would do, she has him carried home with her.

In the week or so that Simon spends in the Craddock-Hayes home he is bowled over by Lucy's beauty, strength, honesty, and her brow. His Angel sees through him right to his very soul, and a black soul it is. He has already sold his soul to the Devil to get revenge on the men who murdered his brother. Loving his Angel the only thing he can do is set her free to live her merry life with the Vicar, this is the only way to keep her safe from the would be assassins and his own devilish needs.

I almost instantly fell in love with the characters in this book. Lucy's father is a blowhard with a foul temper, but you have to laugh at his conversations. Poor Lucy doesn't know how to subdue either man when in each others presence and the banter is comical at times. Edward de Raaf shows himself a few times throughout...I don't remember him being so humorous in his book The Raven Prince.

This is my favorite part of the book. The hopeless romantic was rearing its ugly little head while reading apparently.

"You won't speak, won't tell me,' he said huskily. 'Are you taunting me? You taunt me in my dreams sometimes, sweet angel, when I'm not dreaming of...' He sank to his knees before her. 'You don't know me, don't know what I am. Save yourself. Throw me from your house. Now, While you still can, because I've lost my determination, my will, my very honor--what little of it I had left. I cannot remove myself from your presence." p.152

Simon is pouring his heart out into Lucy's lap after leaving and spending a week in London. He is looking ragged and not all together healed from his last ordeal that landed him on Lucy's doorstep to begin with.  My heart definitely did the pitter patter while reading this particular part of the book. Elizabeth Hoyt did a wonderful job with the hero and heroine and their story and at the same time she weaved the Serpent Prince's fairytale into the plot of the book with an expertise that I have grown to love. The Serpent Prince definitely earns high ratings!!

5 stars

Pleasure Unbound by Larisa Ione~~DIK Reading Challenge

Demonica Book 1
Grand Central Publishing
July 2008
ISBN-10: 044640103X
ISBN-13: 978-0446401036
Order At Amazon
Order at Barnes & Noble
Order at Borders
Order at Books A Million
Find at Indiebound
 
In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life…
She’s a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure—but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.
Two lovers will dare to risk all.
Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his desire to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable—and let Tayla possess him, body and soul…

My Thoughts:

I have seen this series floating around blog land and Shelfari for quite some time now, and always say to myself that I will get to it some time. DIK Reading Challenge was just the kick in the butt that I needed to finally get Pleasure Unbound off my TBR list and onto my reading list. I don't guess I need to tell you that Pleasure Unbound was the first book I read by Larissa Ione.

Eidolon has built a hospital, Underworld General, that caters to the needs of various demons. Only a select few are denied care in his hospital, and unfortunately he never foresaw the need to include the Aegis on that list. He has a passion for helping and healing others and as part of his genetic makeup he follows the rules, so when Skulk brings in Tayla Mancuso he feels duty bound to treat her wounds, regardless of the desires that are voiced by several others including his brothers to take her out of the hospital and destroy her.

He is battling some very dark demons of his own. Eidolon's maturation is coming and unless he can find a woman that he is willing to bond with, and who is willing to bond with him, then his darker side is going to come to the surface and he will be forever changed...

Tayla is deep in enemy territory. Her body is betraying her on several levels and now she is faced with a hot doctor who is turning her into putty. She needs to figure out a way to escape the hospital, get back to headquarters and convince the regent that she is not compromised.

Larissa Ione has created a world of dark humor, explosive sexual tensions, and bone breaking battles all centered around Eidolon and Tayla. There are plenty of sub characters to enrich the plot and ensure that this story remains a page turner. I am definitely hooked on this dark underworld.

Rating: 4 stars

Tied Up Tied Down by Lorelei James

...The strongest bonds are the ones unseen.


Businesswoman Skylar Ellison is firmly in control of her life. So getting tangled up with a sexy Wyoming cowboy—and conceiving a baby in the parking lot of a honky-tonk—wasn’t in her plan. Since it appears the daddy has taken off for greener pastures, the only thing to do is pull up her bootstraps and carry on alone.

Cattle rancher Kade McKay returns home after a year on the range, and is knocked for a loop when he learns he’s the father of a three-month-old baby girl. When Skylar refuses to marry him, Kade grits his teeth, moves in and plays house by her rules to prove he’s a man in for the long haul.
Despite Skylar’s insistence they are to remain strictly parenting partners, their old passions flare hot as a brush fire, spurring Kade to demand absolute sexual surrender from the headstrong woman. Skylar willingly submits her body to the hot-blooded cowboy but she’s leery of handing Kade the reins to her heart.

Can Kade convince Skylar the wicked sex games aren’t a temporary distraction? Or will he have to bust out the ropes to show her he wants to be tied to her…forever?

Warning: this book contains: no holes barred kinky sex scenes, wicked rope play, blunt language, and yowza! lots of hot cowboy nekkidness.

My Thoughts:

This book was so much more than I was expecting. It was sweet with the added erotic scenes. You are faced with a couple that is trying to learn how to come to terms with their feelings for each other while learning how to be parents. Skylar is a head strong woman who loves to be in control of all aspects of her life. When she is faced with a surprise pregnancy she is delighted. She decides to keep the paternity a secret thinking the father has a right to know before everyone else in town does and he is nowhere to be found. Once her secret is out she is faced with the whole McKay/West family and questions as to why she never said anything while being excepted into their family wholeheartedly. Kade is the ideal man and faced with the knowledge that he is a father he steps up to the plate and hits a home run. I loved his reaction when he first sees his little girl Eliza.

My Shelfari friend Janon highly recommended this one after reading it not too long ago. I have to admit that the title threw me for a loop. I seriously didn't want to buy this book because I thought it would have a major kink factor going on. I finally read the blurb the other day and being nostalgic over my own relationship with my husband I thought I would give it a try. Upon turning the first page I see Ms. James' Dedication, which reads:

To those of us who've realized a surprise pregnancy isn't the end of the world...but can be the start of something magical.

I can so relate to this dedication. Many of you may have read my story on CJ's blog the day that Cecile was visiting, for those of you who didn't here is the long and the short of it...My husband and I were practically a blind date. I wasn't looking to get involved or even date after moving to Iowa with my sister. I had just gone through a break up of a three year relationship. This didn't stop my sister and her new husband from meddling and throwing  a dinner party. Ron, my husband, stuck around after everyone left to hang out with us a little longer and some how we started playing Phase 10. In my family, especially if the kids are not around, this turns into a drinking game. After that night we were practically  inseparable. And not too long into it I realized I was pregnant. I have always said that my relationship with my husband started out much like the movie Fools Rush in starring Selma Hyak and Matthew Perry. We didn't instantly get married... I was having none of that. We did finally get married when our son was five months old. The road hasn't always been smooth, but what is life without those bumps and pot holes, but we do love each other very much and all three of our children have brought something special to our lives. My daughter is the only granddaughter my husband's mother has...hell she is the only granddaughter for three sets of grandparents. His son gave me a dose of what to expect from teenagers before my daughter was out of elementary school and has continued to add an extra spice to our lives...I just pray that he doesn't make me a grandmother anytime soon. And the baby, 7 years now, is showing me what raising a boy is really like. 

So with all that being said, Tied Up and Tied Down is going to hold a special place in my heart. 

Rating 4 stars

The Wasteland Series/Anthology

"Picnik Show"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

The Wanderer-by Crystal Jordan
This story opens up the reader’s eyes to a whole new world. Kadira and Ezra’s chemistry burn up the pages, not to mention what happens when they bring more people into their bed. The Wasteland comes alive in a wild post apocalyptic way that reveals a tribal community with technological know how and a lot of…um…interesting customs.
Buy Here

The Whore-by Lilli Feisty
You may think the title says it all. And its true, no one does in your face gritty like our Feisty, but there is a lot of vulnerability, humor, and yes, man on man while a woman is watching love as well. Feisty takes us to the edges of city life. The darker edges. Shows us that there is more to this Wasteland than meets the eye. And she shows us pirates…I mean…pirates for heaven’s sake.
Buy Here

The Breeder-by Eden Bradley
Nitara brings us into the heart of Kroy Wen, the sacred Temple. She shows us civilization-the fragile, barely hidden barbarity of it. And she shows us that when love is involved, acts of great courage are still possible, even in the Wasteland. (And yes, you heathens, she also shows us dirty nookie and threesomes and man on man love.)
Buy Here

The Priestess-by RG Alexander
The final book gets to touch base with each of the worlds. Most closely intertwined with Eden Bradley’s Breeder, it starts in the Temple. But Xian, The High Priestess, comes into contact with pirates, thieves, and Wanderers. Hel, her Sun Guard, has a past with them as well. When Xian goes off to discover the truth about the world shes living in, why she doesn’t have all the answers as High Priestess, she takes Hel along and they discover the addictive taste of freedom.
Buy Here

I finally got all four books and took the time to sit down and read each one back to back!! I have to say having only read two of the four authors I was pleasantly surprised to have loved all four stories. Yes you must read all four of them, I don't think that it is a  must to read them in order except for The Breeder and The Priestess...these two definitely play off of each other and you really need to read The Breeder before reading The Priestess. The words Steam Punk completely throw me for a loop and I have to say that I normally turn my nose up and walk away from a book with that label. And I almost did it with The Wasteland. But after spending so much time with these authors in their Yahoo Group and reading several excerpts I just couldn't pass  up on the opportunity to try something new.  This just goes to show that you really shouldn't judge a book by its labels! 

These four ladies did an awesome job of putting together a world where the caste systems...or a should say who falls into which caste...are determined by one woman, the High Priestess. Lets see how best to tell you about The Wasteland ...

***You definitely need to read all of the warnings on these books... OMG were they HOT (think the hottest pepper and multiply it by 10)***

Outside of the city living in the deserts and caves you have The Wanderers. Within this group you have several smaller groups or clans who battle each other, trade with each other, and twice a year put all differences aside to celebrate in the Spring and Fall Rites.

Kadira and Ezra heat the pages from the very start. The sexual tension electrifies you as soon as you start reading. These two have watched each other at all the Rites from afar for several years, this year however Ezra has his mind made up he will have Kadira no matter what the cost. Kadira is a shaman which means that she must remain untouched for several weeks during the Rites to perform the coming of age and bonding ceremonies. She is also a warrior who pushes herself to be better than everyone else. Her past demands it of her and she will not allow this chieftain to distract her from her duties. 

I was so wrapped up in this book I burned dinner... does that tell you something !! I loved how Kadira and Ezra allowed their past to dictate their lives until they came together and could no longer stick to their guns of never falling in love. Ezra's possessiveness or should we say protectiveness of Kadira was endearing and it made it even sweeter when he realized that he could share her without doing bodily harm to someone. Yes this story is jam packed with several sexual scenarios but the love story that builds and culminates was awesome!


Inside the city the women do not come and go as freely as they would with the clans. Women are revered and protected. They are not allowed to walk the streets of the city...it is not safe for them. There are three classes of women in the city... The Rose or the Whore, The Breeders and The Priestesses. 

In The Whore we meet Bryn, a Rose or a prostitute. She is unusual in that she does not enjoy her work. In the evenings she sneaks out in boys clothing to run to the docks. One night she is not so successful in going unnoticed and runs into three thugs that want her earbob. The only problem with just handing it over is that it is part of her disguise and hides the rose tattoo that symbolizes her station. If anyone finds out that she has left the safety of the house her punishment will be harsh. There won't be any debilitating isolation for such a defiance. Thankfully two extremely hot men come to her rescue. Bryn knows immediately that they are pirates and follows them listening to their conversation. Without thinking she gives herself a way out of prostitution but could possibly have created a much bigger problem for herself. 


The Breeder Nitara is having doubts about her upcoming sacrifice. She is dreaming about him instead of the babies that she will bring into the world to help repopulate the Earth, gifts for the Goddess. Akaash is not like other Wanderers that have been captured and brought to the Temple to be the Virgin Sacrifice. He is not as susceptible to the drugs used to keep the warriors immobilized in a constant state of arousal. Nitara and Akaash use her Taming Moon to become better acquainted, each becoming aware that the other is more than they seem. 


In The Priestess we see how the escape of a sacrifice and a Breeder effect the High Priestess. Her doubts about her world are only intensified after the escape. Needing to find answers she has her Sun Guard Hel accompany her on a journey that breaks every rule/law of the Temple.

All I can say is WoW!! This world is explicit and passion is expected. It is believed that the passions shared is a must in order to keep Man subdued. I loved this series and highly recommend it to any one and everyone that has no qualms about reading very sexually explicit stories. I am really building a love hate relationship with novellas right now. I thoroughly enjoyed these novellas. All four ladies did a wonderful job keeping the flow of the world and the stories intertwined in a way that stayed connected. ---Does that make sense?--- You can tell that they put in many painstaking hours in creating their own stories while staying true to the overall theme of the story. This is how it should be done!!! The Wasteland definitely earns a 5 star rating!!!

The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe

Rue has several disguises up her sleeve, but none will protect her from Lord Langford (Kit). Kit is the Alpha for the Drakon tribe that Rue has spent the last nine years trying to avoid. Her nightly exploits, however, have brought her to thier attention. Now her freedom is at risk, she must find the other runner and Herte to save her life.
This was the first title that I have read by Shana Abe, and I was not dissappointed. The Smoke Thief was a great read. It took a liitle while for me to really get into the book, but once I did I didn't want to put it down. I can't wait to read the next two in the series!

The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh

This was the first book that I have read by Mary Balogh and it won't be my last! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Secret Pearl has a little mystery, a little heartache, and lots of romance. I rate this book a definite 5... a must read!