Hunger Aroused by Dee Carney

Publisher:  Carina Press
Pages:  184

(Released:  November 8, 2010)

From the Cover:

Jasmine is sick in bed when a sexy stranger breaks in and reveals she's suffering an irreversible case of vampirism. And because her turning wasn't approved by the Council, he must kill her once the transition is complete. In the meantime, the executioner offers to ease her torment with chocolate, hot peppers or sexual release. Fortunately for them both, Jasmine's kitchen is bare...

Corin's honor demands he do his duty, but he cannot execute the lovely woman while any part of her humanity remains. He must also find—and kill—her sire. Jasmine denies ever having contact with a vampire, causing Corin to question the justice of his orders. Sensing his hesitation, the Council dispatches another executioner, forcing the pair to make a run for it.

Every hour they spend together—every sensual encounter they share—finds them growing closer. Now Corin will have to choose: kill the woman he loves, or go against everything he believes to set her free.

Jasmine has been taken ill, so ill she feels like she's going to die.  Little does she know, in a matter of a few short days, her illness may prove to be as deadly as she thinks it is.  Somehow, she become infected with the unimaginable, and there's no cure.

Corin is an executioner, and he's very good at his job, the Council calls him whenever there's a difficult job and someone as broken the rules.  But now he comes to question if maybe the rules haven't become arcane themselves, especially after he meets Jasmine.

Hunger Aroused by Dee Carney is a steamy paranormal romance that really heated up the pages.  As Corin passed Jasmine on the street, he scents the distinctive odor of a newly turned vampire, but no one has asked to turn a female... and the Vampire Council frowns upon having it's rule flouted.  The answer to the problem has always been clear, once the fledgling vampire has finished transition, the Council demands the death of the sire and the fledgling.  But, what if there wasn't any sire, what if it's an accident that should not have happened?  This is where we find Jasmine and Corin, fledgling vampire and vampire executioner.  But will he kill her or will he keep her, all to himself?

Hunger Aroused is an incredibly short read, approximately two hours of reading time.  This little paranormal romance was exactly what I needed for the chill of a winter's day. It was a fast read, a hot romance, and evil vampires ready to kill if necessary, and by the worse possible means. The Council is heartless, unredeeming, set in it's way and refusing to see the possibility of a sireless vampire. It takes Corin's promise to bring death, and away around it, to see the error of their ways. This is the first book I've read by Ms. Carney, but it won't be the last. Nicely told twist of the vampire genre, more than pleasing to my palate. If you'd like more information about Ms. Carney visit her website.


I received this ebook from Net Galley and Carina Press for review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Allegra Fairweather, Paranormal Investigator by Janni Nell

Publisher:  Carina Press
Pages:  209

From the Cover:

Allegra Fairweather here. Paranormal investigator. Got problems with specters? Shapeshifters? I'm the woman to call. Just don't call me a Ghostbuster. The last guy who did that ended up flat on his back with my boot at his throat.

With my 99.5% success rate, solving the mystery of a bleeding rose that has sprung up on the shores of Loch Furness should have been an easy gig. But already I've heard the shriek of the local banshee, discovered two bodies (and then lost two bodies), and had a near-death encounter with a three-hundred-year-old ghost. And perhaps most dangerous of all, the hot pub owner who hired me now wants to show me exactly what's under his kilt.

Luckily, I'm ably assisted by my very own guardian angel. I'm grateful for his help—but he's also drop-dead gorgeous. A bit distracting when I've got a mystery to solve, and the clock is ticking...

Allegra Fairweather is a paranormal investigator with family issues.  Her stepfather is a senator, so, she a little of an embarrassment to the rest of the family.  But, this doesn't stop the wily investigator, or change the attitude she has about her life.  She's a go-getter, not a wallflower, and though she gets a little heat, she doesn't let it bother or slow her down.  Besides, she has Casper to look out for her.

Casper has always watched over Allegra, he's her personal guardian Angel.  He's not allowed to help, but there's always ways to work the system, and since Allegra came into his life, has had to do a little dancing around the truth.  Though, she's grown up now, not the child she once was, he hasn't changed, no aging on Cloud 9, where he lives when not protecting Allegra from herself.


When Douglas MacGregor contacts Allegra, bringing her to Scotland to investigate the bleeding rose, the Dedfield Rose, she finds there's more going on at Loch Furness that meets the eyes.  People are being killed and their bodies suddenly go missing, Lady Justina is rumored to dance in the woods, naked, but everyone who has seen her, ends up as one of the missing, soon to be dead....  And the song of the banshee rings throughout the village, prophesying the deaths to come.  Oh, and there a nasty ghost that would mind ripping out Allegra's heart.

Allegra Fairweather, Paranormal Investigator by Janni Nell is a well told 1st person POV.  Allegra's finds herself in hot water again and again, but Casper, who is redeeming himself for his wanton ways of his past as Allegra's personal guardian angel, helps to keep her safe, most of the time, well, he can't be everywhere all the time, and Allegra seems to ask for trouble.  Scotland finds Allegra investigating the bleeding rose, a rose said to bring chaos and portent death, and along with the song of the banshee, the whole town is on edge.  As Allegra investigates, she discovers what going terribly wrong at the Loch, and maybe it has something to do with the deaths and the bodies that have gone missing.  And although there a ghost of a Scottish warrior who'd like to rip out Allegra's heart, maybe the devious ghost is the answer to all their problems, if she can get him to cooperate.

Allegra Fairweather is a fun little read that I enjoyed.  There is aspects of paranormal romance, without any major romantic scenes, though there is romance bubbling under the surface.  The urban fantasy aspect is in the world building, where paranormal is the norm, and not so much the extraordinary.  There's a legend and lore surrounding the Loch and the people who exist in the village, which certainly adds to the story.  While I was reading this story, it felt more like reading a YA story than one falling outside that category, and since I have a soft spot for YA, it was all that much more enjoyable for me.  I recommend this story to lovers of YA or adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, an enjoyable little read for those genres.  I enjoyed meeting Allegra and her world, and it's another beautiful fantasy cover for Carina Press as well.


I received this ebook from Carina Press and Net Galley for review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Hunters by Michelle Marquis and Lindsey Bayer

Publisher:  Carina Press
Pages:  192

From the Cover:

Kirillian Harmony Knox was one of the most successful bounty hunters in the galaxy—until a brain-eater named Prime became her only failure and escaped, landing her in jail. Now free, she'll stop at nothing to catch him and stop his murderous rampage.

Unfortunately for Harmony, fellow hunter Bart Tanner has the only available transport. Arrogant and ruthless, Tanner is known for killing most of his bounties. Harmony can't stand him—yet she can't deny the deep sexual desire sparking between them. 

Once enslaved as a cage fighter by a cruel Kirillian, Tanner harbors a deep hatred for the alien race—though he's drawn to Harmony's luscious sensuality, and they soon indulge in erotic encounters. 

When Prime puts out a hit on Harmony, things intensify, and Tanner realizes their lust has turned into something deeper—but if he and Harmony aren't careful, more than just their lives will be at stake...


Harmony has spent a year in the hell hole of a prison, all for bringing a blaster with her to bring Prime back to justice.  Prime is a ruthless killer who leaves little of his prey behind, and he'd like nothing better than to have Harmony for desert.  When Harmony is released from prison, Bart is her only ride home.  If she can stand the company.


Bart really doesn't have a problem with Harmony, except for the fact that she's a Kirillian.  Just thinking about the Kirillian slave masters who kept him caged makes his blood boil.  To say he'd like to get even is an understatement.  But, maybe Harmony can soothe his need for revenge.  First, he devices a plan to use her, then he can't stop thinking about her, and the more time he spends with her, the harder is not to want to hold on to her.  His problem is his plan backfires, he was hoping to make her dependent on him, and instead, he's heartbroken when she wants to leave, needing her more than his need for revenge.


Hunters by Michelle Marquis and Lindsey Bayer starts out to be about one man's revenge against a race more powerful, long lived, and arrogant than the human being who thought to ignore them or to be trapped on their planet or within their control wouldn't last in their forced enslaved fights.  Harmony is an obsessed bounty hunter.  She had a perfect record until Prime got away.  Now, she has to get him back.  Bart is Harmony's distraction and ride home from prison.  Almost immediately, she falls into his arms, even knowing he's an irritating, insufferable human male.  As much as she dislikes him (or thinks she does), she also can't help herself.  Bart is a well versed lover.  What starts out as a fling for both of them, turns into something more.  If Harmony can see passed her need to recapture Prime.


Hunters was a fast paced, erotically told tale of bounty hunters on a mission, and it almost costs them both their lives.  It starts out as a happy for now story and works into a happily ever after story.  Though Bart can't stand the Kirillian race, he overcomes his prejudice to see Harmony as a woman, not a race. When given the chance, the Kirillians would like nothing better than to force Bart back into cage fighting slavery, but it's Harmony who rescues him when he suffers once again at their hands.  It takes Bart almost losing his life for Harmony to see that there are more important things in life than hunting down the next bounty.  It's a story of learning to love and healing that engages the reader.  If you find explicit language offensive, pick something else to read.  I recommend this book for those who enjoy dark erotic urban fantasy/scifi reading.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


I received this ebook for review from Carina Press and Net Galley.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Dark and Disorderly, Lillie St. Claire Adventures by Bernita Harris

Publisher:  Carina Press
Pages:  262

(Release Date:  6-28-10)

From the Cover:

"I was standing there naked when my dead husband walked into my bathroom…
Lillie St. Claire is a Talent, one of the rare few who can permanently dispatch the spirits of the dead that walk the earth. Her skills are in demand in a haunted country, where a plague of ghosts is becoming a civic nuisance.

Those skills bring her into conflict with frightened citizens who view Talents as near-demons. Her husband has come to see her as a Freak; so when Nathan dies after a car crash, she is relieved to be free of his increasingly vicious presence. Lillie expects to be haunted by Nathan’s ghost, but not to become Suspect #1 for her husband’s murder and reanimation.

But what’s most surprising of all is the growing attraction between her and psi-crime detective John Thresher. He thinks that Lillie killed Nathan—and Nathan must agree, because his zombie is seeking revenge. Now she and Thresher must work together to solve her husband’s murder—before his corpse kills her…"

Lillie St. Claire is one of the lucky few, one of the new "Freaks", one of the Talents. Some say it was an asteroid passing close to the Earth, some say it's a new natural phenomenon, whatever the reason, the shimmering silver sheen of her hair gives her away. The Talents are the individuals who have some form of psychic ability, Sensitives.... clairvoyance,  ghost exorcists, necromancers... and the walking undead that have become common everyday occurrences.

Lillie has had a rough couple of weeks, first her husband is killed in a suspicious car accident, then someone sends the apparition of her departed husband back to visit, and later his zombie. It doesn't get much worse than a visit from your husband's zombie. She doesn't do zombies, everyone in the department knows this, and yet when is comes down to it, who do you think is going to get blamed?

Johnny Thresher, a psi-crime detective, comes into department when Police Chief Bobby Secord is attacked by a rogue zombie, maybe the same one that Lillie's been having problems with, only who could have risen the dead and lost control of it? He doesn't  know what to think until he experiences an attack himself, at Ms. St. Claire's home.  Maybe there's more going on in this quiet little town than he expected, or maybe Ms. St. Claire isn't what she seems. Regardless, he needs to get to the bottom of the problem before anyone else gets hurt.

Dark and Disorderly by Bernita Harris is a dark, first person point of view paranormal romance/urban fantasy where something has happened, something unexplainable, something paranatural. For some reason, children are being born with pre-cognitive abilities and there's been a large influx of paranormal activity. The Talents as they have become to be known as are the only defense that the "Normals" have. And most of the Normals just want the "Godforsaken" (the apparitions, ghosts) to be swiftly dealt with, exorcised with extreme prejudice, especially the ASP (Against Spirit Pollution), but the SOS (Save Our Spirits) has other ideas and doesn't even want the malevolent spirits eliminated, and Lillie finds herself caught in the middle. Lillie St. Claire is one of the Talents and Johnny Thresher is the only person she can turn to, and she's unsure what he's fishing for. He could be looking for guilt, innocence, or maybe something else altogether. Lillie is presented as a woman used to being on her own, burned by the lie of love, used to the harsher realities of life, but still she's an innocent. Johnny Thresher is massively larger than life, used to getting what he wants, and he's not afraid to kick asses and take names. He's a cop on a mission, but Lillie's not quite sure what that mission is.

Dark and Disorderly is an excellent 1st person POV, plot driven story of the urban fantasy variety. There are romantic elements, but I believe the romance will be developed as Lillie's adventures continue. The reader enters this world where ghosts and sensitives are an everyday occurrence and there are organizations and departments in the local constabulary to specifically deal with the issues and problems cause by the apparitions and those who have the power to control them. It has dark elements, this isn't a typical adventure story. There are elements of Irish mysticism and folklore which as the story develops, allows the reader an additional peek into this evolving world. I can't wait to see where Bernita takes Lillie's adventures. I also have to say, the cover art for Dark and Disorderly was nicely done and compliments the story, Lillie pretty closely resembles the written image down to her bracelets. I also love Lillie's ghost dog, Dumbarton, who can choose to be corporeal or not, too cool for the mysterious guard dog.

This is the first book I've review from this new ebook publisher, Carina Press. I choose Dark and Disorderly to be my first review because the author, Bernita Harris, was one of the participants in The Clarity of Night "Silhouette"contest from last January. We both attained the 40's club and I was happy to see her work published, it's well deserved. I have to give it up to Bernita, YAY Bernita, but I also have to say this novel was excellently rounded, entertaining, and attention grabbing. I enjoyed reading about the world she's created and hope to get to see more of it. I recommend this book to all lovers of dark urban fantasy and Irish folklore, it's definitely a worthy read.

I received this ebook for review from the publisher, Carina Press and Net Galley.  All opinions expressed are my own.