Review: A Kiss of Brimstone (Out of the Shadows #2) by Morgan Elektra

Sparked in the shadows, their passion burns brighter than any fire in Hell.

Formed at the dawn of civilization and risen through the ranks of demonkind to command legions, Andras has never cared for anything so much as his duty to humanity and the Creator.

There is nothing on Earth that could hold a candle to his sense of purpose.

Ben travels the world alone, intent on destroying rogue vampires, feral werewolves, and corrupt witches. For him, hunting is more than a job, it's his life's calling.

But there is more in Heaven and Earth than he ever imagined, and the revelation sets his shadowed world ablaze.

From the moment their eyes meet, the desire in Andras' blood gives him a new mission: possess the rugged hunter. Will Ben resist the primal pull between them, or will he let the fire of the demon lord's lust consume him?

I love that the author is continuing with the Out of the Shadows series and the “good in bed with evil” theme she has going. I had a blast with Will and Reese in A Single Heartbeat and when I saw we were getting another hunter with a demon in this, I knew I wanted it and held out hope that we would get a possible glimpse of Will and Reese.

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.

Andras is a demon, but not the ones we’re used to seeing. Yes, physically he has the traits we would assume would belong to him; the horns, the dark wings and the forked tongue, but Andras is a Soul Reaver, a special demon who along his angel brothers and sisters does the work for the Creator. As a demon he ferries souls to their rest in Kimah and oversaw the keeping of the Silent City (aka Heaven and Hell) while the angels carry new souls into the world, and watched over them on Earth. Andras has come to Earth to retrieve a soul that has escaped Kimah and taken possession over a human who retains the same darkness. When Andras meets the dark souls in an alley before to stop them before they hurt an innocent, he is confronted with a hunter…

Ben Carpenter is a hunter, born from hunters, who is out to make contact with a man who could possible help him track down a vampire. Given the name of this man by a vampire priestess, Ben is on his way to a club for the meeting when he senses a supernatural being in an alley and goes in for the rescue of an innocent man. What Ben sees as he faces the dark soul changes him forever in more ways than he thought possible.

I dug the “meet cute” with Ben and Andras because it really shows who both men are. Ben is fearless in what he does as a hunter though he’s never seen anything like Andras. Andras is old and thought he was passed the wanting of carnal pleasures and heart until faced with Ben and quite literally cannot let the feeling go. Though they part ways, the small wait we get is more than worth it.

I loved that the hunter Ben is going to meet is Will and that the meeting was at Sang. I was waiting for Reese to make an appearance and when he did I was stupidly happy. It was great to see them again and know that what they shared, what I read as one night truly did turn into more and that they are still all over one another. The fact that Reese, a centuries old vampire, is fascinated that Ben has seen a Soul Reaver in the flesh and that both the hunters and most of the supernatural creatures they encounter aren’t sure if demons and angels actually exist added another new level to this world we are in.

…demons worked for God, the same as angels. They did not corrupt souls, but fought the corruption. If Reese’s Sire was to be believed, demons literally fought wars to save souls.

Once both Ben and Andras are done with their respective duties, the men find their way to one another and things heat up.

I have to say Andras in his human or other form was extremely attractive, but I am on the same page with Ben and preferred him in his demon form. Being in both POV’s it was great to know what that meant to Andras, for Ben to prefer him with literally horns and all but those wings are freaking orgasmic regardless of how they are presented and how they are presented in the human form was sexy as heck. Speaking of sexy… you don’t get a hunter and a demon in bed and not have it be hot because OMG was it ever hot. Let me just say, a long forked demon tongue can do many things and slide into many places. *grunts* Hot, it was so freaking hot.

Oh but there was romance in this and it was amazing. Knowing that Andras works with the Creator and that Ben could possibly be his Reliquum, or true soul mate, was über romantic and that end gave me feels and hope far beyond the HFN that was presented.

A Kiss of Brimstone was another sexy read from this author and I love how the title applies and also plays with the story. I can’t wait to see if the author continues with the series and if she will visit the mysterious figure in the doorway the angel came to watch over. I hope so because he stuck in my head and I would love to know more about him.

Review: Unzipping 7D (Unzipped Shorts #2) by J.C. Long

Jordan Price is used to the boring wait in airports, given that he practically lives on business trips. He's all set for this to be more of the same, until he meets a self-described power bottom on Unzipped—a guy who happens to be in the same airport. It seems like a perfectly good way to kill time until his flight, but soon Jordan realizes that Heath, his newfound friend on Unzipped, will be taking the same flight, and the wheels in his head get spinning. Jordan is determined to test Heath's bottoming skills himself, and if he has his way, the flight will be anything but boring.

Another hot more porn than plot Unzipped Short from this author and I am not complaining one bit. Actually, these shorts remind me of the Letters to Penthouse books I used to sneak read as a young girl… did I just out my pervy side? As if that was ever closeted. *grins*

When Jordan Price is waiting to board a connecting flight for business, he gets bored of the mundane social media and decides to check his neglected Unzipped account. Unzipped is basically Grindr for this series so you get why it could be fun, eh? Anyway, as he scrolls through who is close he lands on a slim hipster with a nice cock from his nude shot and starts up a chat. When Jordan laments about his flight and where he is going, Mr. Hung Hipster informs him they are on the same flight and he’s seated in 7D… hence the title.

It was fun to get the flirty conversation via the Unzipped app and then get Mr. Hung Hipster aka Heath being a bit flustered by Jordan’s whispered compliment as they boarded as well as his audacity to ask the man in 7E to switch seats. It’s not that Heath wasn’t turned on but it’s one thing to chat on an app, even one such as Unzipped when you know nothing is going to happen and then have the dude who sent you a dick pic, seated next to you for a three hour tour, I mean flight.

“What exactly do you think we’re going to be able to do here? We’re on an airplane, for Christ’s sake. I don’t think we can have all that much fun.”

“You’d be surprised,”

“We’ll get caught,”

“Isn’t that part of the fun?”

What Heath and Jordan get up to on the plane was hot and fueled my exhibitionist needs. What they decide to get up to when they get off the plane and at the hotel was even hotter and that end? Well it left it wide open, like gaping for the possibility that these two could be something more than sex. Or at least that’s what my romantic heart hoped for because you know…

This series is fuckhot and I like that it is. I like my romance and I like my porn and when you mix those and toss in possibility, I get a nice buzz. Yup. This was a good one.

Find on Goodreads!

Review: Revolutionary Temptation by Silvia Violet

1777 New York City

The American colonists are fighting for their independence, but the battlefield is not the only place to wage war. When General Washington’s head of intelligence asks Captain Jack West to spy on the British in New York, Jack agrees, despite reservations about this ungentlemanly pursuit.

Jack’s contact in the city recruits bookshop owner Elias Ashfield, an impeccably dressed sensualist who flaunts his desire for both men and women and seeks a place in high society. Jack longs for a simple life guided by clear principles. Eli is a risk-taker who knows how to get what he wants. And he wants Jack in his bed.

Events in Jack’s past have made him fearful of acting on his secret craving for a man’s touch, but Eli intrigues Jack as much as he infuriates him. As Jack and Eli search for the information the rebel army needs, they realize there’s more between them than mere lust. But finding a way to be together may prove more difficult than defeating the British Empire.

Alright, let's do this thing!

There are a couple things that will be dealbreakers for some, so let's just get those out of the way so I can squeal, k?

Eli is bisexual. He makes no secret of enjoying both genders and he is a bit of a libertine. There is no MF on page sex but there are MF interactions. Readers who are sticklers for their MCs only sexing up the other MC will probably balk. I'm in the "they were on a break" camp in this Ross/Rachel debate or Eli/Jack, as it were, but there you have it. 

Also, there is a considerable amount of push/pull between Jack and Eli which annoys me in contemporary reads, but when actual hanging is likely for one's sexual proclivities, I give latitude.

If I haven't lost you then let's get this party started!

This was my first experience with Silvia Violet and I am hooked! I've no idea if historicals are her usual fare, but this was SO GOOD and I tend to be persnickety when it comes to historicals. I get fussy if the verbiage and details get too lax. My goal is to immerse myself in the time period, in this case the American Revolutionary War and I did. If you're a fan of TURN, you should pick this up.

Eli is a dandy who owns a bookshop that also serves as a front for his smuggling business. Do not mistake him as superficial. There's more to him than meets the eye. He's an outgoing, genial, an opportunist, exceedingly observant and approaches life with gusto. Yes, he's a bit devil may care at times and once recruited as a rebel spy he plays the game fast and loose, but he's just so damn charming! It's hard to hold it against him. He's got any number of people willing to share his bed but relationships he shies away from. Until he meets Jack.

Jack is his opposite. Jack is honorable. He's honest to his core and the most basic, fundamental thing about himself he's forced to perpetually lie about, so he'd rather keep busy and to himself. He's harder to warm up to but his characterization was subtle, compelling and I ended up loving him and Eli equally. He's suffered a fairly severe leg injury which precludes him from the battlefield where he'd much rather be and puts him in New York under Constance Sullivan as a spy.

You catch the gender of that name? Yerp, Constance is at the top of the spy game food chain. She's sharp, canny and has a panache about her that draws people in-all the hallmarks of a master spy. Can I just say how much I love when women aren't portrayed as the catty/bitchy friend/ex/sibling/parent and/or shallow and vapid? Cuz I do. A lot. 

Anywhat. Constance trains Jack who's a quick study and eventually they recruit Eli. The references to Washington, Hamilton, the rampant smuggling and how information was conveyed to the military were but part of why I loved this so much. I've said before how much I love thrillers but espionage and the inherent guessing game that brings gets my blood pumping and keeps me engaged. Marry that to historical accuracy, likeable characters and smart writing and I was glued to the kindle.

The character development was above reproach. They aren't infallible and that's what I like in my characters, makes them more relateable than the plastic people. The story is also nicely paced with a balanced division between the romance and espionage plot lines.

Lastly, THE SEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I want you to hold me down while you drive into me. I want you to wreck me."

*squeaks*

Eli and Jack like it rough. They also have dirty mouthes and are a little kinky. The frantic need they have for each other was something I found extremely sexy. Seriously, I'm glad I was not in public when I read this because the gasping, grunting, squealing and pancake eyes surely would've landed me in the ER by some benevolent soul had I been.

The conflict and resolution were both believable and irresistible. Even Constance got an HFN! The entire narrative was like butter and the next thing I knew it was over. I am holding out hope that there will be a sequel because this was so gorgeous and also because I want to know who was in those woods. Either way I can envision rereading this in the future.

Recommend to historical and espionage fans.

A review copy was provided.

Find out more on Goodreads.

Tag Team Review: Chosen Pride (L'Ange #3) by Mary Calmes

Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L’Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn’t have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.
Then the wolves make an official visit to L’Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin’s pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king’s champion. Though Kelvin’s training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it’s no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.
But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château. It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L’Ange’s family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay—and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.

We're back with another Best Buddy Read Ever!  In this episode, we explore the world of the shifters of L'ange.  So much growly action we could barely contain ourselves!

JL:  Are you ready for some more Calmes Crack????????

Red:  I'M READY!! Do you realize with this series and Warders we will technically read 9 Calmes books in less than a month?!?!  Ack!

JL:  That's not nearly enough.  I think we can fit in a few more. whatcha think?

Red:  Well I still need to read the last Miro and Ian book and I really wanna read Mine...

Red’s Review:

Gah! The title of this, Chosen Pride. I get giddy when I GET the title of a book and this seems simple on the surface but it oh so much more and it makes me smile so big thinking of it.

So…*whistles and twiddles thumbs*

Where to begin, where to begin.

Hey, I’ll start from the beginning, how about that?

From the beginning, I mean Old Loyalty New Love when we first meet Jon Slade as the guy who was hired to seduce Roman and failed because we know Roman is the mate of Quade. But Jon, he was interesting but not really a likeable character in that book but then again, he couldn’t compete with Quade but he was someone to remember. In Fighting Instinct, we get more of Jon as he now works at L’Ange and we get to know him and what kind of shifter he is. Jon begins to form into this tangible and loyal man to both Quade and Roman as well as Arman. But it’s the end of this book that makes you take notice to this king of the jungle and it’s what breaks your heart. I fell hard for Jon at the end of Fighting Instinct and knowing he would indeed get his story told made me happy.

BUT… this is Mary Calmes and while she kicks ass with fated mates, she still implements TMCSS in this but thankfully it’s 99.5% off page. Don’t misunderstand that it doesn’t gut you just because it’s off page because it totally hurts but as per the norm, the reunion is worth it.

Now, this was different for me in the beginning and I have to be honest, if it weren’t for my girl Jenni Lea buddy reading it with me I might have stopped. You see, I am used to the separation and the longing but Mary, she did this different thing and had me caring about someone else deep and fast and I didn’t want to see them hurt. I should have known better and know that Mary would never hurt someone she made me care about but the way she goes about it? Pure brilliance I tell you.

Red:  I'm so confused and really sad.  I don't know what to do.  I want Jon to be happy but I want [SPOILER] to be happy too and they are sweet together.  Ugh.

Linus and Sheridan ribbing Jon for not noticing the other shifters is adorable. The king of the jungle kinda has his head up his ass. 

Okay, I'm stopping where [SPOILER].  I have to clean up dinner and get ready for bed so I can read. 

But my heart... I am so lost and the angst hurts.  I'm wondering what she put in this to give the no spoiler directions????

Red:  Okay.  I'm crying just thinking about [ANOTHER SPOILER].  I don't know if I can take this JL.  This book... What is going on?

JL:  I dunno, but I'm really excited to find out!  Trust in the Calmes.  You know she won't lead us astray.

This book is really hard to review without spoiling. I mean, you know from the blurb and if you have read the series – which I highly recommend you do – that Jon has met his mate in Kelvin MacCurdy but Kelvin turns him away and breaks Jon’s heart. When Jon learns that Kelvin is coming to L’Ange it gets interesting and then it gets exciting, a bit violent and bloody but the whole book is really this cinematic story telling that gives this series an amazing story line.

JL:  YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  All is right in the world again!  You can breathe easy.  I knew Mary would make this right. Keep reading, good things are about to happen!

Red:  I hope you're right because I kinda don't wanna read anymore tonight...I don't want [BIG, FAT SPOILERY SPOILER]. Ugh.

JL:  just keep reading…

Jon, you were this bit of a slimy character when we first meet you but seeing you change, shift for the first time *swoon*, mourn the chance to be with your mate and then just step up in every way imaginable was beautiful. The way you want to stand up for Kelvin and smother him with love, affection and family was adorable and the way you fold into your pack was just stunning.

Red:  My heart!

"I carried the kernel of hope with me, my mother’s promise, my father’s, that my mate was out there and he would find me. It was too bad that when he did, he didn’t want me."

JL:  I know!  That was when I teared up

Red:  Linus is so mean right now! Jon is heart broken and he keeps drilling in the fact that Kelvin doesn't want him.  Ugh.

JL:  I know, right?  What happened to my sweet, loveable Linus?

Kelvin, my Scottish ginger brother how can I not fall at your feet and roll over for a belly rub? Seriously! When we learn of your life, of what it means to be the Fenrir I wanted to stuff you in my pocket because you need a mother’s care but I know I would have a fight on my hands with Jon if I touched you so I will just pretend. But really, seeing you again as you make it known who and what you want, all your declarations to Jon and what you give to him made me fall so much in love with you it was a bit painful. 

JL:  Don't mind me, I'm just over here about to die from all the swooning...

Can you imagine what this will sound like on audio???

Red:  Just hit the break in Chapter 5, Gah  I love  this. The Gaelic and my heart business . .swoon

I said it in my review for Fighting Instinct that Mary Calmes does not get enough credit for these worlds she creates with her shifter characters and I am saying it again. We don’t just get one breed of shifter here, we have so many and each one has their own set of laws that don’t get confusing or run the risk of being carbon copies of the others. This new world with fated/true mates of different shifters is stunning in its complexity but Ms. Calmes makes it so easy to follow and just be amazed by all of it. The new twists to the story, things we learn about those who champion L’Ange for what it was meant to be sat me down hard. I wasn’t quite ready for it but I loved it and that end, the whole deal with… yeah. It was beautifully brutal and again, truly cinematic in the way I saw it all happening as I read.

JL:  you know,  Mary has a brilliant gift for tactics and strategy.  oh, how the tables have turned!

Red:  “I understand now, Ard-Righ. You didn’t come just to hold your ceremonies on my land.” “No, alpha, I did not,” Cahill answered, his voice thick with meaning. “What is it you hoped to find?”  [THE SPOILERIEST OF ALL SPOILERS TO HAVE EVER SPOILED]

Wait . .what  and Ack!!!

JL:  Just wait! There's so much more! And then Quade's idea is awesome.

Red:  [YEAH, NO]...all this coming out right now and I am floored!

JL:  I know, right??? I didn't even have an inkling of this!  Gah, Mary is so good with the plot twists.

Red:  [SO.MANY.SPOILERS!]

JL:  I loved this part so much.  Just wait until you read Quade's response and his idea.  It's epic!

We get more of everyone in this book, Quade/Roman, Linus/Arman as well as family and new shifters that show up and even learn more about who really works at L’Ange. It was a pure joy to read and to feel the romance between Jon and Kelvin as they learn to give in to being mates and move forward to bigger and better things. 

While the story ends nicely and wrapped up, I am not ready to be done with it yet. But that’s pretty much me after finishing every book by the author.

JL’s Review:

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved this book.  The romance, the intrigue, the dialogue, it was everything I could have ever wanted out of a Mary Calmes book.  I had a fellow reader ask me about this book on GR which led to me basically writing my review in the comments section.  I would like to now share it with you:

Fellow Reader:  For some reason I'm skeptical about this series. How does it compare to Change of Heart?"

Well, that's hard to say. Change of Heart was the very first book of hers I read so it will always hold a special place for me in my heart. Objectively, it is a bit different from the CoH series, the main difference in that each book is about a different couple rather than following the same one throughout. They are classic Mary Calmes though. She doesn't veer too far off her normal path. I'd say that in this series she eases you into the world, the world building a bit more organic than CoH. For instance, you don't get nearly as much rules and regulations as CoH and you won't need a glossary for it. The world building gradually increases with each book so you're not thrown in all at once.

The main underlying theme seems (to me) to be about differences, about opposites attracting and not judging a book by its cover so to speak. Also about overcoming obstacles in the sheer face of adversity. One of the things I loved most about them is that each MC actually has a unique voice. They're not all the same, recycled character. This book in particular, the main protagonist Jon is laugh out loud funny. He is the epitome of what kind of animal he shifts into. It was very refreshing to read.

JL:  OK, I think Jon will most likely be moving into my pocket.  He's such a little shit!  He's goading Linus to make him mad because he thinks he looks pretty when he's angry.  And what a smartass!  I've already fallen in love with him.

Red:  I can't wait to start.  I loved him at the end when he walked straight up to Arman and touched him but when you find out [SPOILER FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOK] I knew I needed him to be loved and mated.

JL:  He is so very heartbroken right now.  It made tears come to my eyes already

JL:  Oh. My. God.  She did NOT just go there!  TELL ME WHEN YOU GET TO 8%.  I MUST DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU!!!!!  She just added gasoline to the fire.  HOLY CRAP I'M PISSED!!!  Not at Mary, of course, she's a goddess who can do no wrong.

Red:  I'm just in the prologue... I have about 9 or so pages to go.

JL:  Lemme know when you get to the part where it's October

She also does something in this book that she has never done before in any of her previous books but I can't say what it is without spoiling.

JL:  Wow, Mary has never done THIS in her books before.  Never has she had [KINDA, MAYBE A BIG SPOILER?], it was only mentioned in past tense, we never saw it.

She also revealed to me what a mastermind she is. If you read these back to back you can actually see the progression in her writing skills. This book really blew me away.

JL:  Damn, this story is giving me whiplash with all the twists and turns.  I just got to where [POSSIBLY ANOTHER SPOILER].  It's making my head spin...

Red:  This is cinematic right here! [HOLY CRAP, WHAT A HUGE SPOILER!] OMG! She is amazing. How are we going to review this???

JL:  I have no freaking idea. there's so many spoilers.

I highly recommend this series. I know a lot of people gave lower ratings to the first book and I think that, even though they might not have said so in their reviews, the reason for this IS because it was slightly different from her norm. People expect her books to be a certain way and this series veers off that path a little. This is just my (biased) opinion, of course . I'd say give it a chance.

Another Fellow Reader:  "I haven't read the second book. Do I need to read that one before this?"

Yes, these are not standalones. The characters from the first book are still part of the second one and both couples from the first two are an integral part of this book. They all three have an overall story arc.

Yet Another Fellow Reader:  "You hit the nail on the head with your explanation. I struggled with CoH because of the initial world building and strange words... I never had that problem with this series."

You see a bit more of it in this book because the wolves have a detailed, rich hierarchy but it is easier to follow along with since you've already got an idea of how this world works from the first two books.

I loved this book so much I honestly didn’t want it to end.  I was legitimately sad when I got to the last page.  I could feel a sense of finality to the series as I read the ending. 

Red:  You think there is more in the series???? That was so good and I loved Kelvin's accent! Swoon.

JL:  I dunno.  it kind of had a sense of finality to it, don't you think?  I hope she's not done with this world yet.

Red:  it did but I want more. I loved this. It was so good and it was not just the romance/fated mates between Kelvin and Jon, it was the whole FAMILY that they have become.

I had such a HUGE hangover after reading this that the only thing I could do was to read another Mary Calmes book.  Thankfully, Mary has plenty more gems out there like this one.  Mary, what would I have to do to get you to write more in this series?  I don’t want to let them go yet!

---

   Dreamspinner
   Goodreads