Darkness Entwined

Title: Darkness Entwined

Author: Nikki McCoy

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Publisher URL: pride-publishing.com

ISBN: 978-1-78430-722-6

Genre: {M/M} Paranormal Series

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx 

Unwanted and unpredictable but a useful tool for some, Keenan survives by hiding his powers until he is rescued by Rowan, King of the Vam’kir.

Darkness Entwined is the second book in the Of Blood and Spirit series. The plot’s theme is interracial wars. For centuries, there were two separate pure races. Vampires and shifters are both spiritual children of the light. The vampires considered themselves superior to the shifters. However, Rowan is a blend of both vampire and shifter, which is a source of contention for the vampire counsel.   Keenan is a mix of dark as well as light; he is not approved of by anyone. A proposal to form a treaty between the vampires and shifters meets with opposition from both sides. Nevertheless, the vampires and shifters must join forces to eradicate Roh Se Kahn, who is bent on destroying all creatures of the light.

Darkness Entwined is set in the current world with modern day weapons. The paranormal characters live amongst the humans, who are unaware of their existence. The difference between the species is the life spans and the ability of the paranormal’s speedy healing. Also magic plays an important part in the life of the paranormals.

Nikki McCoy has created an exciting, emotional as well as very enjoyable saga.  In the beginning Rowan and Keenan seem to be unlikely mates but as the story evolved, the reader can see how much of an asset each man is to the other. Together Rowan and Keenan form an unstoppable bond. Although Keenan has finally gained some respect, it is bittersweet because of the loss of his trusted friend. I look forward to the next book for answers regarding several unsolved dilemmas featured. 

Storm Warning

Title:  Storm Warning

Author:  Monette Michaels

Publisher:  Self Published

Publisher URL:  http://monettemichaels.com

ISBN/BIN:  9780986273056

Genre:  {M/F}, Contemporary, Suspense, Series

Rating:  4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph

DJ Poe has a new job, but needs to rescue her mother before she starts.  Friends she did a mission with in Afghanistan help her.  When she starts her new job, she runs into the one brother of her friends she hasn’t met.  Tweeter decides DJ is his.

Storm Warning is the fourth book in the Security Specialists International series, also known as SSI. DJ happens to be the first woman agent hired by SSI because of her background.  Her background, along with Tweeter’s sister Keely’s habit of attracting trouble, puts her talents to the test.

I loved DJ as she is a strong woman.  Readers need to be aware that when she shares some of what happened to her at the hands of her father and his cronies, it could be the cause of some triggers.  DJ is a survivor, and with Tweeter’s help, starts to heal.  I also enjoyed Tweeter’s stealth courting, as he called it.  He goes out of his way to show DJ that he wants a relationship with her for the long term.  I was so happy when they finally got together.

DJ’s mom has to heal, as well.  The women of SSI go a long way to help both heal and I loved the way they were so kick ass when the situation called for it, as readers of the series already know. 

The bad guys are interesting even though a few are predictable, but DJ and Tweeter have lots of help from their fellow agents, and some from other agencies, as they finish their missions.  There were a few twists and turns, though one main situation was one that could be seen coming. 

While readers don’t need to read the series in order to enjoy it, I recommend that the stories be read in order to get the most out of them.  Storm Warning is a great addition to the series and I am looking forward to reading more about Security Specialists International.

In From the Cold

Title:  In From the Cold

Author:  Meg Adams

Publisher:   Samhain Publishing

Publisher URL:  https://www.samhainpublishing.com

ISBN/BIN:   978-1-61922-871-9

Genre:  {M/F} Contemporary, Christmas

Rating:  4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amethyst Nymph

Change wasn’t only blowing in the wind, it had created a tornado for Claire Iverson.  She was tired of hiding in bed and reliving the past.  Claire needed this new job to get her life back on track.  What she didn’t need was the run-in on this dirty flying bus with a rude father who was neglecting his adorable daughter.  Her heart sank when Claire realized the little girl was her new job.

Balancing work and his daughter Suzie is harder than Drake Driscoll expected.  He was counting on the hired nanny to take care of the best thing in his world.  What he hadn’t counted on was the instant attraction to the curvy woman who obviously thought he was the worst father in the world. 

Claire connects with Suzie and Drake so effortlessly but she’s uncertain about what comes next.  Baggage from the past still haunts Claire and it isn’t so easy to share that with Drake, no matter how understanding he is.  Drake has problems of his own, which surface on this business trip and changes things forever.  Claire is overwhelmed by it all, and this could be enough to send her back to cutting herself off from the world.

I loved this reality romance, In From the Cold!  It was a clever mesh with the feel of a day time soap opera and the average person’s life.  Meg Adams painted a picture for me that I wanted to keep staring at.  I was right there on that plane with Claire and the mother in me jumped into life.  I am so glad she wasn’t shy with her opinions.  Drake deserved the little gifts his daughter gave him and I couldn’t help but laugh at the entire thing.  Those moments were when I started warming up to him and a few of my favorite scenes.  He made me relate to being a single parent from the dad’s point of view.  The issues with his best friend and his ex-wife brought me to my knees.  I would never have guessed he was dealing with so much because he appeared so well put together.  They say bad things happen for a reason and this story is a good example of that.  Claire and Drake weren’t the only people who got the new beginning they deserved.  I don’t want to give away the too much, but I know readers will be drawn in by other characters and love this story as much as I did.  It’s like an onion, because it has so many layers that might bring up tears.  

The Forsaken

Title:  The Forsaken

Author:  Shiloh Walker

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing

Publisher URL:  www.samhainpublishing.com

ISBN/BIN:  978-1-61923-248-8

Genre: {M/F}, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Series

Rating:  4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph

The Unwanted          4 Nymphs

Both Destin’s and Caleb’s psychic powers meshed too well, according Caleb.  He left Destin because she wouldn’t open up to him, but he kept getting distracted by the feedback when she connected with a rapist.  Now they have to work together to track down another rapist.

The lack of communication between Destin and Caleb was a little disturbing, and when they have to work together again after five years, they still avoided the issue for a while.  Even as they worked together to solve the case, Destin realizes things aren’t always what they seem

The Innocent     4.5 Nymphs

Jay is tracking Linc down because he abruptly dumped her, even as it seemed they were getting close.  Jay’s boss sends her to Hell for a different reason.  Immediately, Jay causes Linc problems. 

The suspense in this story will keep readers guessing until the end.  There were quite a few twists in this story, including one very big surprise that throws several characters into roles they didn’t plan on.

The Forsaken is part of The FBI Psychics series about an organization called the Oswald Group that employs psychics with various talents.  The group also trains them with shielding and how to live with their talents in the real world. 

I enjoyed this book and thought that the two stories were intense.  All the characters were very realistic, even those with seemingly strange abilities.  The author showcased a few issues Destin and Jay had when they used their abilities.  I liked that Jay had someone that she could touch without repercussion in Linc. 

Both couples had trust issues to overcome, due to their individual circumstances.  Please be aware that both stories dealt with rape and a few other issues that can trigger some readers.  Each story ended with interesting and realistic solutions. 

I am looking forward to reading more in this series.  Each story can be read by itself and The Forsaken combines two novellas of The FBI Psychics series into the FBI Psychics Collection 1.

On Bryson

Title: On Bryson

Author: D. J. Manly

Publisher: Amber Allure

Publisher URL: www.amberquill.com

ISBN: 978-1-68175-068-2

Genre: {M/M} Contemporary

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Chocolate Minx

NYPD Sergeant Bryson Accurso is determined to find out who shot his cousin. All evidence points to the Gambini mob boss. Soren is more of a hostage of the Gambini family; Soren’s survival depends on following the boss’s orders and the boss has ordered Soren to seduce Bryson.

On Bryson is a wonderfully entertaining romance. The theme is cops in the never ending battle against organized crime. The plot illustrates the illusion of respectable society, criminal cover-ups and a big shootout scene.  The characters are credible.

Soren comes from a conventional religious family; he was banned from the family for being gay. Fortunately his rich clandestine lover’s family welcomed Soren as another son rather than admit both young men were gay. The longer Soren lived with the Gambini family, the more he realized that leaving alive would never be an option. Nevertheless, Soren used his time to gather information on the mob’s various money making operations.

Bryson is openly gay to his family, although Bryson’s father continues to hope to have a daughter-in-law sometime in the future. Bryson has a daring personality; he is almost fearless in his investigations to solve a crime. Bryson is attracted to Soren; however Bryson is reluctant to have a personal relationship with a possible criminal.

D. J. Manly has created a fascinating saga. I especially enjoyed the amusing interaction between the characters and the surprises revealed.  

What’s Your Poison?

Title: What’s Your Poison?

Author: SA Welsh

Publisher: eXtasy Books

Publisher URL: www.extasybooks.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-4874-0476-5

Genre: {M/M} Paranormal Series

Rating: 3 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Jackal shifter Jake has been spending long hours in his lab trying to find an antidote to the toxic solution Trevor used against the Blood Moon Pack. When he finds an answer against the blood poisoning and drugging smoke that affects so many, Jake calls the mated pairs and vampire elders to take the first available doses.  It’s exciting to know that he’s able to help the couples complete their mate bond, but Jake’s farther away from being happy than ever before. Doesn’t he deserve a mate too?

What’s Your Poison? is release five in the Blood Moon Pack Alliance by SA Welsh. 

I’ve liked Jake since his introduction. I appreciate how his personality has been developed so far and his dedication to his work—it’s importance to the plot line and the characters in his world. I’ve been waiting for him to be the focus of his own book—to get his mate and his happily-ever-after, but with this release I’ve been sorely disappointed. It’s short and really more of a filler than a full-fledged release in it’s on right. Poor Jake gets pages at the beginning filled with vital details but then the focus shifts to the previous couples. Then it’s all about them and lots of sex. There’s nothing more about Jake until the unsatisfying and confusing epilogue. I certainly hope things become clearer with the publication of the next release. This one left me feeling unhappy.