Delta James knows how to quickly draw readers into a novel. Defiant Mate is the first book in the Mystic River Shifters series. This paranormal roDelta James knows how to quickly draw readers into a novel. Defiant Mate is the first book in the Mystic River Shifters series. This paranormal romantic suspense novel features Nicole Sullivan and Asher Wells. Since Nicole’s husband left her for a younger woman, she’s worked hard to be an independent, successful woman who isn’t dependent on a man. Climbing Pyramid Mountain on Kodiak Island in Alaska is on her bucket list. Despite Asher, a forest ranger telling her she isn’t ready for the mountain conditions, she feels drawn to him and is still determined to make her climb.
Asher, an alpha wolf-shifter, knows he’s found his fated mate. When Nicole goes ahead with her first solo technical climb, he’s grateful she accepted an emergency beacon. Unfortunately, Nicole activates it. What has gone wrong?
Nicole is strong, hardworking, independent, and loves outdoor activities. She is an event planner. Asher is the head of the U.S. Forest Rangers in Alaska. He’s hardworking, respected by the community, dominant, a loner, with only a few close friends, and he has a complicated and volatile relationship with his father. Both Nicole and Asher are likeable characters who have depth and complexity. While both experience growth during the novel, Nicole exhibits the most change as events unfold.
Delta James knows how to bring suspense, romance, and action to a story. Exciting scenes, a deeply involved plot, an incredible setting, and wonderful characters kept me turning the pages. With twists and turns, as well as some humor, romance, and a lot of suspense, the story builds to an astonishing conclusion. My main quibble is around the length of the book. It is short which means there is instant love versus a slow build-up as the characters get to know each other. Additionally, I wanted another chapter or two that focused on tying up some of the loose ends. Perhaps readers will see some of these threads closed in future books. Themes include infidelity, love, family relationships, friendship, greed, and much more. There are a few steamy scenes.
Overall, this book is entertaining with great characters in an incredible setting. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Delta James provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via BookSirens. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was January 13, 2023. ------------------------------------------ My 4.02 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon....more
Melinda Woodhall knows how to bring suspense and action to a police procedural in the third book in her Detective Nessa Ainsley series. The novella, Melinda Woodhall knows how to bring suspense and action to a police procedural in the third book in her Detective Nessa Ainsley series. The novella, Make Her Pay, features Nessa who takes a missing persons case when a private investigator disappears after meeting an anonymous source. She soon learns that her partner’s ex-wife, Lara Hawke, may have been the original target. The fictional small town of Rosewood, Georgia provides several suspects and Nessa needs to quickly find the culprit.
Nessa is a dynamic character that changes and grows as the story unfolds. I did not expect as much depth and transformation in a novella. The other characters were less well developed, but their motivations became clear over time. The chemistry between the characters added additional depth to the story. Whether it was co-workers, friends, or family members, the author was able to provide insight into relationships that I didn’t expect in a short novella. This added to my enjoyment of it.
Exciting scenes and a twisty and absorbing plot kept me captivated from the first page to the surprising conclusion. The suspense and a strong female protagonist kept me turning the pages. The plot is multi-layered and has more depth to it than many will expect. With multiple believable suspects with realistic motives, will you guess the culprit?
Overall, this book is a tense and exiting thriller that grips the reader from the beginning. Additionally, the novel tackled some deeper issues. I believe reading the series in order would provide an even better understanding of the characters, their backgrounds, and the events that have occurred. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Creative Magnolia and Melinda Woodhall provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via BookSirens. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was August 29, 2021. --------------------------------------------- My 4.05 rounded to 4 stars review will be coming soon....more
Humor, suspense, and a strong female protagonist kept me turning the pages of Elle Wren Burke’s new paranormal cozy mystery, The Tell-Fang Heart. Humor, suspense, and a strong female protagonist kept me turning the pages of Elle Wren Burke’s new paranormal cozy mystery, The Tell-Fang Heart. This is the second book in the Vampire Pet Boutique Mystery series. While it’s the first one that I’ve read, it worked as a standalone. It’s set in Arteria Falls, Colorado.
Josie Wixx is a unique protagonist. She’s a vampire with an inherited connective tissue disorder and uses a wheelchair as well as a cane or crutch for short distances. She has a private investigator’s license from when she worked with her grandfather. However, she now owns and operates a pet boutique while doing some sleuthing on the side. With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, she barely notices the hearts showing up on doors and windshields until the attacks begin. The victims have one thing in common. They all have bright, blue eyes just like her and her cousin and co-worker Dawk. When they get the hearts as well, Josie goes into her investigative mode.
The characterization is great in this novel. Josie is funny, caring, organized, and high-spirited. She loves pets, including her own Scottish terrier, Matilda. The secondary characters (including pets) have varying degrees of depth, but there were clues about their personalities through their words, actions, reactions, and mannerisms.
The plot is multi-layered and has more depth to it than many will expect. There are some twists, some exciting scenes, and some laugh-out-loud moments. The diverse characterization was accompanied by great world-building details. This is not your typical vampire story. While the main plot is brought to a satisfactory conclusion, there are threads for future books in the series that are still open. Overall, this book was entertaining, funny, and it had a solid mystery.
Additionally, the novel tackled some deeper issues. I believe reading the series in order would provide an even better understanding of the characters, their backgrounds, and the events that have occurred. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Elle Wren Burke provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via BookSirens. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be February 6, 2023. ...more
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