Shifter

Title: Shifter

Author: Jace Payne

Publisher: Loose Id

Publishers URL: http://www.loose-id.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-62300-580-1

Genre: {M/M}, {M/M/M/M}, Paranormal, Series          

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

After four years, Kayden is heading home.  While he’s looking forward to returning home, nothing can prepare him for the changes he finds, especially those caused by his ex.

Shifter is the first book in the Dark South series by author Jace Payne.  This is an interesting shape-shifter story that will pull you in from the first page.  In some ways, this story takes readers back to the old time shifters we grew up with.  Humans know nothing of the paranormal world that exists around them and a bite from a shifter will turn a victim on the next full moon.  At the same time, this story keeps the intensity level at the height readers have come to expect in their books today. 

Kayden is human and after being attacked by his ex, his world begins to change.  He does not know what’s going on with him and, when he is told what to expect, he’s not too sure he really believes it.  Paul is a feline shifter who has found refuge with Kayden’s parents.  Like Kayden, Paul’s introduction into the shifter world was also the result of a violent attack.  The attraction between these two men is instant.  I loved the way Kayden reacts when he sees Paul for the first time and had to laugh a time or two.  The men move from strangers to lovers in a short period time and the love scenes between them are hot. 

This story has a lot going on, and it would be very easy to unintentionally give too much away.  There are some unexpected turns in Shifter that will surprise readers.  I did not see some of those twists coming and think others will be just as surprised.  There are several secondary characters that help move the story along.  Not all of them are likeable and some of the secondary characters call out for stories of their own. 

Shifter by Jace Payne is a well written paranormal story that is sure to bring the author many new fans.   I am curious to see the direction the author has planned for this series and hope the next book will be out soon.

Burning Bright

Title: Burning Bright

Author: Rachel Wilder, A. Catherine Noon

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Publishers URL: http://www.samhainpublishing.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-60928-526-5

Genre: {M/M}, {M/M/M/M}, Paranormal, BDSM, Series

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

After spending the night at a club with some friends, Sasha is ready to head home.  The problem is that he can’t seem to remember which direction his car is in.  Before he can figure it out, Sasha is accosted by a group of men and is rescued by Neal.

Burning Bright is the first book in the Chicagoland Shifters series.  This story is fast-paced and will pull the readers in from the first page.  While there are a lot of characters in this book, the story centers on Sasha and the men he starts to fall in love with. 

Sasha is a veterinarian, looking for a change and hoping to land a new job in Chicago.  But he’s more than that as Sasha is also an animal empathy and coven guardian.  Only in a world that does not always treat paranormals well, his gifts are something he allows very few to know about.  This is one aspect of the story I wish the authors would have expounded more on.  While it is mentioned a few times that Sasha is a guardian, they really do not go into detail as to just what he did, or how moving so far away would change that, if it did. 

Neal is a retired Marine that now owns and runs the Factory, a local bar/BDSM club.  Like Sasha, Neal and his men also have a secret, one they work hard at keeping others from knowing.  When Neal rescues Sasha, it is easy to see the connection between them.  The two men pair up immediately and, while they are limited as to how far they can go, that does not keep them from heating up the pages.  The men are so different that it is interesting seeing this relationship develop, especially when Sasha starts to have feelings for Steve and Carlos, two of Neal’s men. 

While Sasha struggles to come to terms with the changes in his life, he also finds himself the subject of curiosity by other paranormals in Chicago, thanks to his connection to Neal and the men of the Factory.  Not all the curiosity is good and the authors use this to really throw some twists and turns into the story.  I love all the action that ensues as it really keeps the story hopping. 

Burning Bright is a little different than most of the paranormal stories out there, but if you want a refreshing change then you really need to give this book a shot.  Readers should know that this is a series that will need to be read in order.  

Tiger Tiger

Title: Tiger Tiger

Author: Rachel Wilder, A. Catherine Noon

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Publishers URL: http://www.samhainpublishing.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-61921-535-1

Genre: {M/M/M}, {M/M/M/M}, Paranormal, BDSM, Series

Rating: 4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

Sasha and his men are settling nicely into their new lives.  The scrimmages with the Russian mob, as well as the bear shifters, have been put behind them.  But why is Sasha starting to feel so unsettled and has someone he knows gone rogue?

Tiger Tiger is the second book in the Chicagoland Shifters series.  This new story picks up shortly after the end of the first book.  Sasha, as well as Neal, Steve, Carlos, and the rest of the shifters at the Factory, have settled down and are trying to get their lives back to normal.  Of course, this is just the opening the authors needed to stir things up again and they do so in a way that pulls the readers right back into the world they created.

I like this new story line.  The fact that it is possible that the rogue leaving kills around the Factory could possibly be one of the men that belongs to Neal’s Krug, is very realistic, especially as there are some who have trouble accepting their animal side.  I, for one, seriously thought it would turn out to be TJ and wondered if it did, how the authors would make things right.  The readers will be slightly surprised when the authors start to reveal what is going on and where the fault lies.  The authors also use this situation to introduce many new secondary characters.  I found many of these characters interesting and am curious as to how they will play into future stories.  

Even with all the outside forces spinning around them, Sasha, Neal, Steve and Carlos find the time to be together.  While these four men continue to heat up the pages with their passion, it is easy to see that Sasha is starting to worry about what he has.  Unfortunately, Sasha has a right to worry and I cannot believe how he was treated by one of the men he is involved with.  I wanted to smack this person and was glad the situation was handled the way it was.  

Tiger Tiger is just as well written as the first book.  I liked the way in which the authors continued to pull me into the paranormal world they created.  By expanding the world in the way they have, the series felt fresh and the problems new.  I am curious to see how, and in which direction, the authors plan to take the next book.  Remember this is a series that will have to be read in order.

My Wicked Nanny

Title:  My Wicked Nanny

Author:  Ann Mayburn

Publisher:  Loose Id

Publisher URL:  www.loose-id.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-62300-308-1

Genre: {M/F/F/M}, BDSM, Ménage and More, Series

Rating:  4.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amazon Nymph

Anya starts working at Wicked to get enough money to pay for her studies in Paris.  She’s also working as a nanny for Jesse, not knowing he is actually a Master at Wicked.  Jesse is intrigued by Anya, not knowing she is his nanny that had taken a waitress job at Wicked and she is the first woman to interest him since his wife’s death.

My Wicked Nanny, the second book in the Club Wicked series, tells an interesting story about love, loss and second chances.  There were some interesting nuances at Wicked and I loved the description to some of the different areas within the club.  The author captures the reader’s interest quickly and doesn’t let it go, leaving the reader wanting more. 

At first, I wasn’t too fond of Jesse and the way he seemed to ignore Anya, only to want to monopolize her attention later.  I wanted to slap him with the way he confronted Anya, once he realized it was her at the club.  I liked that he forced Anya to follow her dream to make sure he was what she actually wanted. The chemistry between the two is hot, and the scenes burn the pages

There were a couple of interesting characters that really encouraged Anya and Master Liam is one I hope gets his own story one of these days.  There were a few I wasn’t too fond of either as they really seemed to go out of their way to cause trouble. 

I am looking forward to the next Club Wicked installment and I hope it is either about Master Hawk or Master Liam.  These books can be read as stand-alones, though I encourage readers to read them in order.  This series is one for the bookshelves to be read again.