Audiobook Review: King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander

Author: Liv Zander

Narrator: Auri Alden, Gregory Salinas

Title: King of Flesh and Bone

Series: The Pale Court Duet #1

Genre: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Paranormal

Format: Audiobook

Published:  April 21, 2022

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Worse than a ruthless king... is a king obsessed.

Isolation, darkness, and rotting flesh,

Surrounds me, suffocates me,

But I am the vile ruler who controls it all.

I long for warmth,

Yet, all that I touch,

Is cold.

Then, she stumbles in to my domain,

Lost and frightened,

Alone and confused.

And I terrify her even more.

She calls me the devil,

So I show her pleasure,

Like only the devil can.

I am the heat that stirs her flesh,

The longing that trembles her bone.

She begs her body to refuse,

To escape my embrace,

But I am her master,

The puppeteer of passion.

I am the King of Flesh and Bone.

Welcome to my court, little one.

King of Flesh and Bone is a full-length dark fantasy novel, and book one in The Pale Court duet. The two-part story features a ruthless man, the woman who can't escape his love, and a HEA. This world contains dark themes, violence, loss, and elements of horror some may find disturbing. What this book doesn't contain is a hero - because villains do it better.

Review:

A friend of mine recommended this to me. She said it was messed up but something I should read. So why not?

The story follows the Enosh and Ada.  Ada is a mortal. She is nothing special by all accounts. She is a midwife who is now a widow and childless in a terrible world. People think she is cursed since she could never have a baby. Enosh is not just a King, but a god. His life was destroyed by the mortals he swore to protect. His job, as god, is to help the bodies of those who passed rot and become one with the Earth again. After what the mortals did to him, he won't do it anymore. Those dead are now still roaming the Earth as soulless beasts.

This was certainly dark. Lots of triggers for people so for sure be aware before reading this book.

I.....actually didn't mind this book. I'm not one for overly dark romances or Eroticas but.......I ended up liking it and put book 2 on my TBR list. Yes, some scenes bugged me a bit but...I kept on reading.

Enosh is an asshat for sure. Yes, what the mortals did to him and his family was terrible (grrr dumb humans), but man what a terrible punishment. The world is littered with (essentially) zombies. Super, duper dark for sure. 

Poor, sweet Ada. I felt so bad for her especially at the end. Now I HAVE to read book two SIGHS. I need to know how things are going to get fixed. I won't spoil anything but I will say again....................................dumb humans. 

The plot was limited but I feel the world was crazy detailed. I want to understand more about the other gods. We got to meet two others, I hope we learn more about the "balance" and the role of more gods in the next book. 

One big issue I had was the use of modern phrases. A slip up or two doesn't bug me normally, but there were a LOT of modern phrases especially during the smex scenes. Mmm. It annoyed me. This is supposed to be a fantasy medieval world so it just didn't fit with the vibe.

The narrators did fine. I liked the girls voice. I felt like the male voice had little to do. Why even bother having him? I think he read only a few pages overall. I would've liked to hear the male voice do the male voices or something. Maybe a back and forth narration. Or more Enosh internal monologues would've been nice. 

All-in-all, I'm shocked I liked this as much as I did. I couldn't stop reading! LOTS of triggers so be aware of that. Very dark, lots of smex, lots of zombies, lots of dumb humans, lots of trauma. I'll give this 3 stars. 

- Favorite Character(s): Ada?

- Least Favorite Character(s): Too many to list. Humans are dumb.  

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #11

- Library love #6

- Romance Reading #9 (Fantasy/SciFi)

Audiobook Review: Snake by Lilly Atlas

Author: Lilly Atlas

Narrator: Noah Michael Levine, Erin deWard

Title: Snake

Series: No Prisoners MC #5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Erotica

Format: Audiobook

Published:  October 31, 2017

Where I got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

Grimm Brothers MC president, Snake, battled his way to his position by any and all means necessary. He was powerful, respected, commanding; but most importantly, he was feared. Then, at the height of power, one ruthless misstep crumbled his kingdom in an instant. Beaten within inches of his life by a member of a rival MC, betrayed and left for dead by his own club, Snake has only two things left to focus on: healing and revenge.

As a physical therapist working in the trauma unit, Amanda thought she had seen it all. That is until she met a patient known to her as Nick, a broken man who had sustained the most severe beating she’d ever encountered. Surly, brooding, and angry, he should be a nightmare patient. But under the rough exterior, Amanda couldn’t help but be drawn to his determination to heal. Not to mention he was ridiculously attractive, to the point that she found herself giving him some extra attention.

Women like Amanda—kind, sweet, intelligent, independent, respectable—don’t exist in Snake’s world. When she offers him a place to live after his hospital stay, he can’t figure her out. The more time they spend together, the more torn he becomes between two realities: a gruesome MC world full of lies, betrayal, and hatred, or a life with Amanda that promises healing and peace.

As Snake helps Amanda through some troubling times, passion flares. For the first time in his life, he actually cares about a woman. It’s enough to make him question everything. But after leading a life as a dedicated outlaw, is it too late to turn around? And if not, is he willing to leave his vendetta behind?

Review:

Been delaying reading this because I hated Snake. This is the last of series, but I finally decided to use my Audible credit to finally say I did it and finished the series. 

Snake was beaten to an inch of his life and was tossed in a ditch and left for dead. He is saved and wakes up in a hospital. He worked his way to the top of the Grimm Brothers and was a nasty piece of work; he was powerful, respected, commanding, and feared. But now he is in a hospital bed and tossed to the side from the only world he ever knew. Enter in Amanda who is a physical therapist. Nick, aka Snake, seems like he would be a nightmare patient but the two work well together to get him back on his feet. For some reason, she offers him a place on her property....help her fix up some of her cabins she inherited so she can rent them out. Not only that, but Snake in turn helps Amanda through some troubling times. Passion flares and for the first time ever, he grows to care about a woman and question everything. Will he leave that world behind and stay as Nick?

In the past books, I hated Snake with every fiber of my being. He was ruthless and mean and did bad things to our boys in the other books (rival MC club and all...so sure). However, I grew to like him. He's not my favorite of the boys, but..................I respected him. He sure made a huge change and NO it didn't happen overnight. I think it will always be a battle to shake off his past. He was raised in that world and he has a lot of things he was taught from his parents and other adults. 

Amanda was a darling. Loved her to bits! I would want to be her bestie. 

There was a scene I nearly cried at. It was a lovely moment for Nick and Amanda (and another character I will not name for the sake of spoilers). I won't spoil it but it was so healing for everyone involved.

Oh Kat. I hope she can find her way and maybe find love. Maybe there will be some sort of spin-off? *researches* Not sure. I looked at a series that is a spin-off/has a crossover with this series, but I didn't see her name anywhere. Maybe she'll pop up someday. I'm sure she wants nothing to do with the MC after her experiences, but sighs. I want to see her happy. I liked her!!!! I'm a little let down in the epilogue. They mention she is working on her recovery, but I think the author did her dirty. 

Honestly, I felt the epilogue needed more. More of a conclusion especially with this being the end of the series. SURE there is some stories set in this world so MAYBE we'll see their names again and learn more, but I feel like we needed more to be done with the series. 

Now, the narrators were a blast. I believe they did the past ones too. Love a good duo that works well together. She read all the lady parts and he read the boy voices; it was beautifully done. 

In the end, I was EXTREMELY hesitant because of Snake and his past. I was pleasantly surprised that ended up liking him and (can't believe I'm going to say this) root for him. Oof! The redemption of Snake was well done and well written. Amanda is a gem to society and I love her. I'm mad at the epilogue though. We needed more info to tie up some of the loose ends. It just didn't feel complete to me, like there would be another book after this.

All-in-all, 3 stars from me. I really enjoyed this series. It ended on a good note overall.

- Favorite Character(s): Amanda! 

- Least Favorite Character(s): All of the other Grimm Brothers and that doctor! 

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #6

- Romance Reading Challenge #5 (Title is only One Word)

Audiobook Review: Alien King Crashes the Wedding by Becca Brayden

Author: Becca Brayden

Narrator: Teddy Hamilton

Title: Alien King Crashes the Wedding

(Lumerian Knights #1)

Genre: SciFi, Fantasy, Romance, Erotica

Format: Audiobook

Published: August 6th 2019

Where I got It: Audible 

Summary: 

Shy art dealer Sasha Montgomery is both nervous and thrilled to be invited to the Caldorian Earth Base for her best friend’s wedding to an alien warrior. She’s never seen an alien up close but she made a promise to be there, no matter how much the idea of being surrounded by hundreds of huge alien warriors frightens her.

Sash thinks she’s got it all under control until Dagan, the groom’s best friend, crashes the wedding. He’s smoking hot—way too hot to be an alien—and determined to seduce her.

Sasha gives in to passion with unexpected consequences. Ancient power rises in response to their new-found bond, and the once innocent Sasha discovers that Dagan has been keeping secrets. He’s not just another warrior, he’s a king, and the power rising between them hasn’t been seen in a millennium.

Sasha must learn to control the force clawing its way through her body or destroy them all.

Review:

I had read another one in the series a while back. I think it was book 3 or 4? I can't remember, but luckily this series seems to be okay to be read out of order. 

Here we follow Sasha Montgomery who is a human art dealer. She is shy and nervous. She's excited for her best friend's wedding to an alien warrior, but she is scared but curious at the same time. When she arrives she thinks she has it all under control until she meets Dagan. He is way too hot to be an alien and he is determined to seduce her.  Sasha gives into the passion but with unexpected consequences. Ancient power rises in response to their newfound bound but Dagan has kept a big secret. He is not just a warrior, but he is their king, and the power rising between them hasn't been seen in a millennium. 

It was fun watching Sasha and King Dagan falling for each other! They were together and married and happy in the book I read. Sasha def was a meek girl to begin with. Poor thing. She is so nervous and scared of her own shadow. This...brings me to my first big issue... 

The lust was literally INSTANT. Sure, sure, I get being lusty and whatever but they really jumped each other really dang quick. Too quick. And there were a few parts that became non-consensual and it bugged me.   

Sasha DOES eventually wake up to the realization that she doesn't even know Dagan AT all. She decides to take a few steps back and be on her own to mull over stuff. Good on her. Dagan needs to win her and woo her. 

I wish the author had slowed things down a bit. The plot seemed to be a freight train speeding by. 

The narrator was good. His girl voices are pretty good. It sometimes can be hard for a man to do good girl voices and have them all be a little bit different. Kuddos to him. 

In the end, this was fun but I did have some issues. The lust and love were WAY too quick and there were some questionable scenes that were kinda, sorta not consensual. I'll give this 2 stars. 

Challenge(s):
- #23 for Audiobook challenge

- #19 for Romance Reading Challenge - SciFi

Audiobook Review: Delicate Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

 

Author: Carrie Ann Ryan 

Narrator: Gregory Salinas

Title: Delicate Ink

(Montgomery Ink #1)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Erotica

Format: Audiobook

Published: October 14th 2014

Where I got It: My shelf (audible)

Summary: One look at the woman who comes in for new ink and Austin Montgomery knows she’s the one for him. The problem: she can’t stand him. Now he’ll have to be his most charming and brooding if he has any chance of changing her mind…and claiming her heart.

Sierra Elder has reasons for keeping away and secrets close to her heart. An accident took her first love and scarred more than her soul in the process. Now the inked man with a wicked grin is starting to melt the ice she’s built to keep her safe, but the danger isn’t only from what she feels.

Some secrets were never meant to be kept and when mistakes from both of their pasts come knocking, they’ll have to trust each other, even if it could hurt them both in the process.

Review:

I mainly grabbed this one because I want to be good and read the books in order. There is one a little later down in the series I want to read....so I'm trying to be better at starting at book 1. ;) 

We follow Austin Montgomery and Sierra Elder. Austin is nearing 40  and is starting to realize he needs to maybe settle down and maybe find someone who can make him happy. Walks in Sierra who he has been slightly attracted too but she cannot stand him. It will take some work, but maybe he can win her over. Sierra has her reasons for wanting to stay away even though she lusts after Austin. She has a lot of secrets and past hurts that she is scared to share. However, some secrets are never meant to be hidden and mistakes from the past has a funny way of coming back. 

Oh Austin...oh Sierra. Both really, really dense. For smart individuals who can manage successful businesses...they are really dumb sometimes. Especially near the end. SIGHS....they need a kick in the romp. I liked them though and they were good for each other. 

There is BDSM here which is normally not something I lean to in romances. However, it was done really well. He is the dom and she is the sub, but mainly in the bedroom. They are equals in real life. I have a hard time with dom/sub relationships that leak into the real life situations and the dom takes ALL control and makes ALL the decisions. NO. That person is an adult and has the right to do what they will. GAH. But yes - I am happy with how this was done. 

Warning...there are a LOT of BDSM smexy scenes. I did fast forward through some of them especially near the end. I was much more interested in the story and I was itching to see things get resolved LOL! Even though Austin and Sierra get together and become a couple quickly.....it does take a lot of time for them to fully trust each other and admit their feelings. 

There are a couple of sideline stories that happen as well. In the end...I did grow to like them. But it felt very jarring at first. It seemed to ruin the flow a little bit. I felt like they could've had their own book or short story or something...IDK. It just didn't work at first. Like I said...I grew to like them and be interested in their stories and problems, but I wanted to mainly focus on our main couple in this one especially since they already have enough drama/issues to fight through.

Now the narrator.......I liked him a lot. His girl voices were okay. Not amazing, but it worked well and each girl had slight differences so I was content. 

Overall, I enjoyed this. I did not like the side stories at first because it felt a little jarring for me. Yes, I did grow to like them and be intrigued, buuuuut they could've just had their own book or short story. I liked Austin and Sierra a lot and I liked how their BDSM relationship was showcased. It felt natural and real. Yes, he is alpha...but Sierra is his equal - not his property. I'll give this a 3. 

Challenge(s):
- #42 for Audiobook Challenge

Book Review: Confessions of a Sheba Queen by Autumn Bardot

Author: Autumn Bardot
Title: Confessions of a Sheba Queen
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Erotica
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384 
Published: March 10th 2020 
Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)



During a raging sandstorm along a riverbed in the ancient lands of Saba, a powerful jinni born of smokeless fire gives birth to a half-human daughter. Bilqis does not inherit her mother’s magical abilities, but the fire of her jinni blood does imbue her with other powerful gifts.  As she undergoes her rites of womanhood and her insatiable sexual hunger is awakened, it becomes clear—this is the key to her “great destiny” prophesized at her birth. But it could also lead to her total undoing.

Bilqis comes to understand that her supernatural talents have the power to make men, and women, and nations prostrate themselves in utter devotion to her. When tragedy strikes, she leaves her home to seek revenge against the tyrannical god-king whose reign is a plague upon his land and people. Armed with only her body, courage, and wits, she quickly masters the art of seduction, all the while resisting the mind-consuming call to stay locked in an endless cycle of carnal passion.

Destiny soon intervenes, and what began as a quest for vengeance becomes a mission to heal the land of Saba from a twisted, corrupt regime and to see it become the wealthiest kingdom in all the land. Yet, it is only after meeting the already legendary and wildly attractive King Solomon that Bilqis discovers her greatest battle is not with others, but with herself



This cover is simply beautiful. Honestly...a contender for best cover of the year. 

The story follows Bilqis who is the daughter of a powerful jinni and a human. She destined for a great destiny which was prophesized at her birth. When tragedy strikes, she leaves her home to seek revenge and complete her destiny. Armed with only her body, courage and wits she must master the art of seduction and the art of revenge. Eventually, her quest for revenge will turn to a mission to heal the land and lead her people to prosperity. 

I really enjoyed this. Yes, it is erotica so there is a LOT of smexy scenes. And when I say a LOT times that by two. Bilqis is half-jinni and she likes to do the deed...a lot. Which I applaud her. She had no shame! YOU DO YOU GIRL!

Minus the sexy scenes, the story was really good. I did enjoy watching Bilqis grow into a woman and take the reigns of life. She was a strong character and she was not perfect and that made me like her more. She realizes her flaws and tries her best. 

There was SOME romance near the end there, but I'm glad that was not the main focus of the story so that made me happy. It took the majority of the book to get that romance anyways. I was meh about him, so if the romance never blossomed I would not have cared to be honest. Not that he was bad or anything. I didn't fully trust him and...I liked her being a wild spirit and having smexy time with whomever she wanted. haha. She didn't let the romance dominate her life though, so I was content with the romance because she is still an independent woman in the end and the story is about her journey to her destiny not about him. 

I LOVED HER PETS! The camel was cute and that leopard cub! Awww. They were adorable. They were fun!

My only hang-up, I guess, was the use of modern words and terms here and there, especially during the smexy times. I got used to it after a while and it no longer bugged me. I could be wrong and the words/terms were used, but it felt modern. But yea - again, I got used to it and it didn't hurt the story or characters.  

In the end, I really liked this book. Lots of smexy scenes (which I expected) and they were hot but they didn't diminish the story. The story was there and strong and our main heroine was awesome. I'll stamp this with 4 stars.  

Book Review: Seduction of the Phoenix

Author: Michelle M. Pillow

Title: Seduction of the Phoenix (Zhang Dynasty #1)
Genre:  Fantasy, Romance, Drama, Erotica, Sci-Fi
Pages: 220

First Published: January 1st, 2006 
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon)

"Prince Zhang Jin is a man raised in honor and tradition, so it is a great surprise when he is compelled to claim a stranger as his bride who has neither. Francesca La Rosa is hardly a match fit for a prince. Though beautiful, she is a thief with one thing on her mind--stealing the sacred Jade Phoenix of his people. But the mystery doesn't end there. With the aid of the spirits of his ancestors he must discover who this woman is, why she would destroy the Zhang Empire and most of all, if she could ever return the love that is growing in his heart. Rating: Contains graphic sexual content, adult language, and violence."

This is the first book I've read by Michelle M. Pillow and it is also the first book of the Zhang Dynasty series, which is one the many series written by this author. She is no newbie by any means.

Alright....I was rather confused during the first couple of chapters. When I picked this up I had thought that this was a historical romance and it did seem so! However, uploads, computers, cameras, and etc was mentioned and I was like: 0_0? I went onto goodreads and found out that  this is a fantasy and sci-fi novel. All suddenly made sense and I was able to sit and enjoy the rest of the book.

I loved Jin! I loved him from page one. It drove me crazy that Francesca hurt him over and over again. Any lady would be lucky to win such a stud of a prince. Jealous? Who me? Yes. Even though Francesca was cold and mean at times, I really liked her too. You can't blame her for being her....if I went through what she had to endure, I would be like her too. 

Jin and Francesca were great characters and they were made for each other. I also loved the side characters. Like Haun, Jin's older brother. Perhaps Michelle M. Pillow could write a book about me and him *wink wink*. Don't mind me. ^.^ But the book had a strong set of characters and it really made me want to read more! Some of the characters are guests from past books in other series. I may have to check out her other series.

Okay, the ending bothered me a little bit. It was so drawn out and I was in high doubt that Jin and Francesca would ever become one again. I was getting anxious and so I zipped through with reading until the last page. I know there is a second book in the series, but I wanted to know more! Like an epilogue or something. Oh well, I guess this was the authors way of making me read the second book. haha.

Besides for the slight confusion at the beginning, long ending, and small cliff at the end there was nothing else I can nick-pick about. I really enjoyed this book. Michelle M. Pillow had a way with words that had me wanting more. She has a way of presenting those lovely erotic scenes that had me hooked and smiling like a goon.

This was a fun book and I'm probably going to read more by this author. I would recommend this book to others who like romance, erotica, fantasy, and sci-fi type novels. If you like a light touch of historical feeling too. Jin and his people hold the strong traditions of their Chinese ancestors from Earth. Which I found interesting! Jin's people are descendants from Chinese people who left Earth and settled on their own planet. A pretty nefty idea. Anyways....I grant this story 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Haun (yum), Jin (great man), Francesca (a spit-fire that chica), Mei, and Fen
Not-so-Favorite Character(s): Emperor Zhang (he bugged me) and Great-Grandmother An

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<3CaroleRae