2 Nocturne Bites, 2 Spice Briefs, 1 H. Mini... QC #440

Reviewed by christa_r on December 5th, 2008, 4:41pm

Mortal Enemy, Immortal Lover

by Olivia Gates

4

Format: eBook

Series: Silhouette eBooks

Other stories include Captured by Lori Devoti, Layover by Megan Hart, Dreamer by Kate Austin, Drive me Crazy by Vicki Lewis Thompson
4.5 Hearts~~ Olivia fills this story with the same emotion and passion as one of her full length reads. I always look forward to reading an Olivia Gates book.

Mortal Enemy, Immortal Lover by Olivia Gates, Nocturne Bite, December 2008
Excellence Rating- Great
Steaminess Rating- Heat Wave
Copied Back Blurb
From the moment they met, Javed and Desire have shared an explosive passion. Yet Javed fears that being with Desi will put her in danger from the monsters that inhabit his world ... monsters like himself. An immortal half-vampire, half-demon with both species' powers and none of their weaknesses, even Javed may not be strong enough to save Desi from his enemies. He is determined to end their affair to protect Desi ... and to tell her the truth about himself. But Javed isn't the only one with a deadly secret. For Desi is an Eradicator, a breed of human with special powers trained from childhood to eliminate all demons. Once their true identities are revealed, will these destined enemies destroy one another--or will their love be enough to overcome an otherworldly feud centuries in the making?
It seems that any story Olivia writes, for any line, turns pure gold. She weaves such emotion into her stories, you can’t help but fall in love with her characters. She has a way of drawing the reader in with her words.
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Captured by Lori Devoti, Nocturne Bite, December 2008
Excellence Rating- Very Good
Steaminess Rating- Heat Wave- Combustible
Copied Back Blurb
The dark elf who slashed him must have graced the tip of his sword with a drug. Because that was the last thing Gray Barsk remembered until he awakened in a dark cell ... and he was not alone. Immediately he sensed a female nearby. Then she attacked! After years of captivity, Leve refused to surrender. This male was the latest in a series of hellhounds they’d forced on her. But Gray was different...unlike the others, he somehow had control over his primitive instincts and could not be manipulated by their captors. Now, for a chance to turn the tables on their tormentors and escape the nightmare of Kamp Arena, where hellhounds were bred for fighting, Leve would have to overcome her fear and distrust, and join forces with this singular male. But to fool their captors, they had to pretend to be avid mates ... and their ruse was stirring very real passion in both of them.
I liked that Lori started out with a very extensive glossary of characters, creatures, worlds, other terms, places and events. It really helped in clarifying everything for a first time reader of her works. This glossary really added to my enjoyment of the story. T he only thing that had me shaking my head was when they were escaping, they became trapped, they had sex. Um thinking this might not have a good time to have sex. What is it about the H and h having sex when danger is so near?
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Layover by Megan Hart, Spice Brief, December 2008
Excellence Rating- Great
Steaminess Rating- Heat Wave
Copied Back Blurb
The first time she'd met him, he'd been blindfolded and at her mercy. Partnered in a trust exercise, Graham had been enticed by the allure of Julia's voice, and eagerly followed her direction to navigate a maze. But as a warm friendship developed between them, their mutual attraction remained unacknowledged. And in the long-distance e-mail relationship that followed, their reticence persisted. Until the day a cancelled flight stranded Julia in Graham's home town. Both tried to play it cool, though each had approached their dinner date with intense anticipation. But the minute they stepped into Julia's hotel room, the flood gates opened and their unfettered passion exploded. What really excited Julia, though, was that as in the trust exercise, Graham was great at taking direction. Because what really excited Graham was pleasuring Julia as no one else ever had.
I found this to be a beautiful love story. Julia and Graham didn’t jump into bed in those 5 days at the conference where they first met. They spent a year emailing and IMing and online chatting, getting to now each other. We read that these two had insecurity issues, making them more real. These two communicated well and were honest with each other, when it came to talking. I was disappointed when the end came.
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Dreamer by Kate Austin, Spice Brief, December 2008
Excellence Rating- Okay
Steaminess Rating- Combustible
Copied Back Blurb
He had spoiled her for all other men. It would be a laughable cliche if it weren't so tragically true. But the mindblowing sex Miri had experienced in her brief encounter with Jack had invaded her dreams and filled her with unquenchable longing. And she'd lost her orgasm! Nothing she did could bring it back. Her desperate need had driven her to reckless sexual adventures with dangerous liaisons. But they all seemed unbearably tedious compared to that singular electrifying experience ... and the tormentingly delicious dreams that allowed her to relive it again and again. Her friend Heather had once told her to be careful what she wish for--she just might get it. How ironic that her one wish--that her night with Jack would never end--had come true ... but only in her dreams.
I wasn’t fond of this one. I had a hard time following it. I wasn’t sure when I was in the past or in the present. I never really knew which memories, dreams, reality were.
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Drive Me Crazy by Vicki Lewis Thompson, H. Mini, April 2007 (Connected to Drive me Wild)
Excellence Rating- Good
Steaminess Rating- Yummy (*)
Josh Gregory wanted to own his own limo company so when his girlfriend, Priscilla Adams told him she wanted to get married, he let her go. 6 months later she is getting married and she hired the limo company Josh works for and she also requested him as the driver. She supposed this was a little act of revenge. But when she can’t go through with the wedding, it is Josh who rescues her and whisks her away in the limo. Can this be a second chance for them? Will Josh realize that while being married to the woman he loves, he could still have the dream?
I thought this was a rather fast story. I thought Priscilla was acting rather petty when she insisted that Josh was the driver like she wanted to rub his nose and she him what he was missing. I also think she placed too much emphasis on financial security.

Personal total- 232 ~ harl/sil- 177 ~ other- 55
Dec. - harl/sil- 4 ~ other- 0
Ratio of TBR/ new- Totals since Jan 1= 87/145 ~ Dec= 3/1

Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008-2009 Challenge Blog My Shelfari Page