Carol's Mate

Title: Carol's Mate
Author: Zena Wynn
Publisher: Loose Id
Publisher URL: http://www.loose-id.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60737-906-5
Genre: {M/F} African American, Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Rating: 5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Scandalous Minx

Carol Scott has a dream and the determination to see it fulfilled. Attending college is the first step to ensuring her pack, The Ravens, have the proper medical facility and treatment needed for their existence. Dating has no place in the plans and neither does love. Carol believed a mate should come later down the road, but Mark didn’t get the memo.

Mark Johnson grew up in a tough part of Philly. Between his former career and living in his old stomping grounds, he has street and book smarts. The handsome man never had a woman turn down his advances until he met Carol.

The two are instantaneously attracted to one another, but there is one huge obstacle standing in Carol’s way. Mark is human. Mark is going to prove that he’s man enough to tame the wolf and claim his mate.

After reading about Carol and Mark in previous stories, I assumed their love affair would be quick and easy. Was I ever wrong! The two have complications from the offset, but Mark is too focused on the prize to give up easily.

Carol’s apprehension was understandable. Sometimes others can make us lose focus of our dreams and aspirations. Her desire for the future didn’t just impact her life but that of her pack. That one act showed her selflessness and that she deserved a loving commitment. I don’t know if I could have walked away from Mark and not sniffed him out, but she did a great job of trying to stick to her guns.

Mark is a man after my heart. Intelligent, handsome, loving and devoted, he’s the type of man every woman wishes to be blessed with as a mate. What I loved about him the most was how he cared about Carol’s dreams enough to help keep them both on track. Sometimes people we encounter never see how important our dreams are and sabotage them, but Mark refused to allow anything to stand in Carol’s way.

I’m so happy that Zena Wynn brought us their story in Carol's Mate. The erotic scenes were spectacular and kept the pages blazing. Those who’ve enjoyed the True Mates series will be begging for more.

Decadent

Title: Decadent
Author: Valarie Prince
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Publisher URL: http://www.extasybooks.com/
ISBN: 978-1-55487-536-8
Genre: {M/F} African-American, Contemporary, Suspense
Rating: 4.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Goddess Minx

Pamela James is fretting over accepting a promotion at her current job at a restaurant. She was an exclusive call girl with the skills that kept men coming back to her and she was smart enough to invest her monies wisely in order to retire early. Pamela has earned three college degrees and she’s enjoying her busy life now more than she thought she would. Unfortunately, her past has returned to haunt her and now she will have to tell those closest to her what she has kept secret. In walks Joshua, who is the first hottest man she has thought of as someone she wants to love.

Joshua Bouviaye, a much sought after chef and undercover FBI agent during the day, has the hots for Pamela, but she’s off limits because of a case he’s working on. He is on the trail of a killer that is connected to her past and he’s having a hard time keeping his feelings for her separate from his work. Joshua is one of the best agents the agency has and he’s decided to make some changes in his life. The changes include Pamela, if she will have him.

While Decadent is a deceptive title, it was also a fantastic story that I enjoyed. There is so much going on in the lives of all the characters and Pamela is at the center of all of them. She turned out to be a very strong woman with all that she’s gone through from the tender age of fourteen, without a mother to nurture her. Her determination to survive, no matter the cost to her soul, was just that and it left her wanting more than just a john for the night. Let me tell you that Joshua was a surprise for me. Despite knowing more of Pamela’s past than her friends, he was still able to look past it to the future. He held on to her like there was no tomorrow, and I thought more of him because he showed me a real man.

Ms. Prince did a wonderful job of telling a very realistic story about what could happen to a person who knew too much about important people. It made this story more believable because of the descriptive way the killer carried on throughout the book. The way that Joshua and Pamela reacted to each other sexually was very explosive; although they continued to strive for the goal of starting a new life together and being free of the villain’s persistence. This is my first time reading a book by Ms. Prince and I must say she did a great job with her story. Read and enjoy.