LIFE, ROMANCE AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS

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Saturday, 7 April 2012

REVIEW: Dead after Dark Anthologies by Sherrilyn Kenyon & JR Ward

Dead After Dark by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dead After Dark is anthology of novellas written by 4 different authors. I am not a fan of short stories but purchased this book solely for my ultimate all time favorite paranormal romance authors, JR WARD and SHERRILYN KENYON’s names on the cover.  
Of course I read their novellas first and struggled through the other two – not crazy about historical/futuristic books so I skimmed over quite a lot of pages, so it would be unfair for me to give a true review on those as I did not get totally into them.

The Story of Son by J.R Ward – my favorite
Blurb: Claire Stroughton is a beautiful lawyer who would rather spend the night with a legal brief than the man of her dreams. Then a routine client meeting turns dangerous—and deeply sensual—when she is held captive by a gorgeous man with an unworldly hunger…

I loved the story of Claire, the workaholic, career-orientated lawyer , who does not need a man in her life to define who she is and not for her the marriage, children thing, though she has nothing against that but just not for her.
Visiting one of her elderly clients who lives in a creepy Gothic mansion just outside Caldwell, NY (aha…BlackDaggerBrothehood I thought…but no, no link to those vampire males!!!), she is drugged and wakes up to find herself in a dark room with the most gorgeous male who tells her that his mother (her client, Mrs Leeds) has brought her to him so he can feed…yikes…a vampire!!! But hey, Claire is not your usual damsel in distress, believe me!!!!!  She will spend 3 days with him and then she will be let go not remembering anything about the incident.
Yet, as Claire learns about the cruelty and pain he has endured since he was 12 years old, when he was imprisoned by his wicked mother and her evil butler and discovering his tenderness, innocence and goodness and of course an unexplainable attraction she feels towards him, makes a decision that she will rescue Michael (the name she has given him as he reminds her of Archangel Michael) and get him away from the prison that has caused him such heartache and pain.

I was so touched by Michael…this kind, honorable, confused and tender person who never wants to hurt or cause pain to others despite the cruelty he has endured for the last 56 years …totally isolated from everything. He has never felt warmth and love until he meets Claire. A true virgin, romantic, tender hero who slowly learns that he is not the monster he has been led to believe.
The sex scenes (they do it a lot of times!!!!!) are so poignant, tender, sweet and so so HOT HOT….I knew they were meant to be together..real soul mates and could understand Claire’s determination to rescue Michael so that they could be together for eternity…whatever obstacles lay ahead, she never gives up.

Wished that this could have been a full length novel. There was so much more that I wanted to know about their lives but I was so so happy to see how Michael and Claire found their happiness together in the end. Talk about pulling my heartstrings!!!!!!
Romance

J.R Ward has created a vampire world, including the beyond popular BDB Series that is compelling, addictive, drawing you into this place of incredibly gorgeous, strong males and females like no other author has in the paranormal romance genre. Her writing is vivid, believable, so now!!!!   Whilst this story is not part of that series, I could easily see Michael and Claire with the brothers. Who knows…maybe one day!!!! I think they would fit in very nicely.

There is one thing that really bothered me though…..JR Ward  is amazing in creating the ultimate alpha-male…but I find her woman characters are a bit off-putting at times….I mean, Claire has felt like a “man in a woman’s body” when having sex with men until she meets Michael!!!!!  What, because she’s career-orientated!!!!!  The women in the BDB Series fare no better…they either doormats who stay in the shadows of their alpha-males or like Xhex, who is a warrior, is described as having a muscled body like a male with short, crew cut!!!!! Are there any in-between kinds of females who can be strong without thinking or looking like a man!!!! But this little gripe did not stop me from engaging with Claire.

I loved this touching and romantic story…a great plot, interesting and endearing characters.

Blurb: Shadow of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Angelia has fought her entire life to make herself strong. Now, with her patria under fire, she has to protect her people from Fury and his werewolf clan. Vowing to bring him to justice, Angelia sets out alone…until the hunter becomes the hunted, and the only way for her to survive is to trust the very wolf she’s sworn to kill. 

I love Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series and have read most of most of the books. I was glad that I finally found Fury’s book….he’s part of the Kattalakis pack and I have always wanted to know more about him.
I would have preferred to read a full length book on him but half way through the story I changed my mind. Why???
The beginning is really great. I liked meeting up again at Sanctuary with Dev, Vane (Fury’s brother? And his wife Bride and son………they are such an awesome couple… but after meeting Angelia, a human-wolf who hates wolf-humans even though she and Fury had been such close friends when they were younger. I hated her!!!!! How could she allow Fury to be tortured the way he was by members of her team????
I thought Fury was a great male/wolf….he experienced rejection, cruelty, pain not only from the Arcadians but he was despised and rejected by his own mother. I couldn’t believe how he could have gone through when he had been attacked and left for dead by Angelia, that he could still forgive her and protect her from danger!!!! A true loyal friend who has always loved her!!!!!
She infuriated me even more as she blew hot and cold towards Fury….I hate you, I love you, I want you, I don’t want you!!!!!!! Make up your mind girl!!!!! Maybe if it had been a longer story and I discovered more things about her, I might have been more inclined to like and think her as being Fury’s true mate

Despite this moan, I did enjoy the story and if you are a fan of the series you should read it.

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