Each book in the series is a whole story with a beginning and an ending, however the plot of each book relies significantly on the prior books in the series. As is common in paranormal romance series, there is a couple who is the focus of each individual book in the series, however there are plot lines and character development which make it useful to read the books in their published order.
Hades
Standalone - Demonica #13 / Demonica Underworld #2
Rating -
1/2Genre - Paranormal Romance / forbidden
POV - dual 3rd person
Heat - descriptive
Source - library ebook
Length - 155 pages
A fallen angel with a mean streak and a mohawk, Hades has spent thousands of years serving as Jailor of the Underworld. The souls he guards are as evil as they come, but few dare to cross him. All of that changes when a sexy fallen angel infiltrates his prison and unintentionally starts a riot. It’s easy enough to quell an uprising, but for the first time, Hades is torn between delivering justice — bestowing or mercy — on the beautiful female who could be his salvation…or his undoing.
Thanks to her unwitting participation in another angel’s plot to start Armageddon, Cataclysm was kicked out of Heaven and is now a fallen angel in service of Hades’s boss, Azagoth. All she wants is to redeem herself and get back where she belongs. But when she gets trapped in Hades’s prison domain with only the cocky but irresistible Hades to help her, Cat finds that where she belongs might be in the place she least expected.
Thanks to her unwitting participation in another angel’s plot to start Armageddon, Cataclysm was kicked out of Heaven and is now a fallen angel in service of Hades’s boss, Azagoth. All she wants is to redeem herself and get back where she belongs. But when she gets trapped in Hades’s prison domain with only the cocky but irresistible Hades to help her, Cat finds that where she belongs might be in the place she least expected.
So many books in and I'm still amazed at how the author describes her characters. The males are insanely hot hunks and the females are incredibly beautiful sirens. Hades, blue mohawk and all, sounded delish and Cat, with her barely-there clothing, seemed to be his match. At least physically. Too bad having a conversation and getting to know each other was impossible. That is until Cat makes a huge mistake and Hades has to be the one to help her out.
I loved the details given for Sheol-gra, such as the Inner Sanctum, the many halls and grounds that made up the different tiers of life in this realm, and everything in between. I definitely wouldn't want to live there, even as a soul, and I'm happy that there's a place suitable for even the good demons. That was a seriously nice touch.
This forbidden romance was surprisingly sweet and I was so happy to see Hades get some happiness in his life.
Base Instincts
Standalone - Demonica #13.5
Rating -
Genre - Paranormal / LGBTQ+ / instalove
POV - dual 3rd person
Heat - explicit
Source - library ebook
Length - 154 pages
As a Seminus demon, Raze’s life literally depends on having sex with females. The problem is that he doesn’t desire females, and it’s physically impossible for him to be with males. Thankfully, he and his best friend, Fayle, have an arrangement that keeps him alive . . . if lonely. He finds some solace in his work as a medic at Thirst, a vampire club known for its rough clientele. But his carefully structured world turns upside down when he meets a mysterious male who makes him want what he can never have.
Slake is an assassin used to getting what he wants, and what he wants is Raze. But he also wants to earn back the soul he sold when he was a much different demon. All he has to do is capture a runaway succubus named Fayle and hand her over to her family. What he doesn’t count on is being caught himself by a web of lies—and his attraction to Raze.
Raze and Slake must navigate a dangerous world to be together. But as Fayle’s jealousy of their relationship turns deadly, they find themselves embroiled in a battle not only for their love, but their lives and souls.
Slake is an assassin used to getting what he wants, and what he wants is Raze. But he also wants to earn back the soul he sold when he was a much different demon. All he has to do is capture a runaway succubus named Fayle and hand her over to her family. What he doesn’t count on is being caught himself by a web of lies—and his attraction to Raze.
Raze and Slake must navigate a dangerous world to be together. But as Fayle’s jealousy of their relationship turns deadly, they find themselves embroiled in a battle not only for their love, but their lives and souls.
I didn't know where this story was going to end up, but because Raze was a seminus demon, who needed a female to orgasm, I knew that there was more to Slake than met the eye.
I kept thinking maybe Slake was transgender, but the truth was a bit more complicated and I loved how it solved the problem of how these two, who were drawn to each other from the start, could be together. Raze was a sweetheart who put up with the worst qualities of his friend Fayle in order to survive. Slake saw himself as a villain and nothing could be further from the truth. Yeah, he could kill with the best of them, but he had made the most with what he had. All I know is that these two were great together, in the short time I spent with them, and I wish them the best.
Oh and I can't be the only one who thought Fayle deserved far more than she got. She was such a wicked person, but she was right about something... she was a demon so what did we expect?
Z
Standalone - Demonica #14 / Demonica Underworld #3
Rating -
1/2Genre - Paranormal Romance / second chance
POV - dual 3rd person
Heat - explicit
Source - library ebook
Length - 127 pages
Zhubaal, fallen angel assistant to the Grim Reaper, has spent decades searching for the angel he loved and lost nearly a century ago. Not even her death can keep him from trying to find her, not when he knows she’s been given a second chance at life in a new body. But as time passes, he’s losing hope, and he wonders how much longer he can hold to the oath he swore to her so long ago…
As an emim, the wingless offspring of two fallen angels, Vex has always felt like a second-class citizen. But if she manages to secure a deal with the Grim Reaper — by any means necessary — she will have earned her place in the world. The only obstacle in the way of her plan is a sexy hardass called Z, who seems determined to thwart her at every turn. Soon it becomes clear that they have a powerful connection rooted in the past…but can any vow stand the test of time?
As an emim, the wingless offspring of two fallen angels, Vex has always felt like a second-class citizen. But if she manages to secure a deal with the Grim Reaper — by any means necessary — she will have earned her place in the world. The only obstacle in the way of her plan is a sexy hardass called Z, who seems determined to thwart her at every turn. Soon it becomes clear that they have a powerful connection rooted in the past…but can any vow stand the test of time?
This story made me laugh and I know that wasn't the intention, but Zhubaal couldn't get out of his own way and Vex was hilarious.
Once upon a time, Z was a warrior angel with his best friend, Laura. They did everything together and made a vow to be everything to each other. Then she fell and she died and Z has been looking for her ever since. Surely no matter who or what she was reborn as, she'd remember him and all they shared, right?
No.
Vex was absolutely nothing like Laura and Z couldn't get past it. She felt so much for him, some of which are her old feelings coming to the surface, but she just wants him to accept her as she is. Is that too much to ask?
I loved the interaction between these two. Vex knew how to push Z's buttons and it was fun to watch.
Razr
Standalone - Demonica #15 / Demonica Underworld #4
Rating -
Genre - Paranormal Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - dual 3rd person
Heat -
Source - library ebook
Length - 152 pages
A fallen angel with a secret.
An otherworldly elf with an insatiable hunger she doesn't understand.
A cursed gem.
Meet mortal enemies Razr and Jedda...and the priceless diamond that threatens to destroy them both even as it bonds them together with sizzling passion.
Welcome back to the Demonica Underworld, where enemies find love...if they're strong enough to survive.
An otherworldly elf with an insatiable hunger she doesn't understand.
A cursed gem.
Meet mortal enemies Razr and Jedda...and the priceless diamond that threatens to destroy them both even as it bonds them together with sizzling passion.
Welcome back to the Demonica Underworld, where enemies find love...if they're strong enough to survive.
I freaking loved the new realm introduced in this book. We got elves!!
So I found out that Razr isn't actually a fallen angel. He's an angel being punished for a lapse in duty. His powers are mostly bound, he has to put up with torture on a regular basis, and he's not welcome in Heaven until he fixes his mistake.
Sounds easy compared to his fallen brethren who have less of a chance to make it back home.
Too bad Jedda isn't about to make things easy. She and her sisters stole the gems that Razr and his team were protecting and taking the gem back would kill her. Oh and there's a vicious fallen angel who also wants a piece of her.
I really didn't know where this story was going, but I enjoyed all of it. It's a novella so it all wrapped up quickly and my only complaint was that I didn't get to spend more time with this couple.
Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award.
She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case.
She lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.
Visit https://www.larissaione.com for more information.
Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
Rating -
1/2Book 4 of the Artefacts of Ouranos series
Release - November 26, 2024
Genre - Fantasy Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Multiple 1st person
Heat - descriptive
Source - eARC provided by the publisher
Length - 672 pages
After Lor makes the biggest mistake of her life, she finds herself on the run from the Aurora King and decides it's time to end this, once and for all. But when a new enemy emerges to claim her freedom, the entire fate of Ouranos comes to rest on her shoulders.
As the land continues to rebel, Lor must admit she is the key to saving the continent, whether she likes it or not. To fight for Nadir, she must lie, steal, and do whatever it takes to hunt down the remaining arks. Growing more and more desperate, she worries her actions are turning her into something she doesn't recognize, dooming her to repeat her grandmother's mistakes.
When the Aurora King finally comes for her, Lor ventures into the Underworld's shadowy depths, where, once again, she finds herself at the heart of another deadly test. Only this time, she’s competing for everyone's future, not just a crown.
The only thing Lor ever wanted was to be free, but she may soon find she was always destined for a cage.
As the land continues to rebel, Lor must admit she is the key to saving the continent, whether she likes it or not. To fight for Nadir, she must lie, steal, and do whatever it takes to hunt down the remaining arks. Growing more and more desperate, she worries her actions are turning her into something she doesn't recognize, dooming her to repeat her grandmother's mistakes.
When the Aurora King finally comes for her, Lor ventures into the Underworld's shadowy depths, where, once again, she finds herself at the heart of another deadly test. Only this time, she’s competing for everyone's future, not just a crown.
The only thing Lor ever wanted was to be free, but she may soon find she was always destined for a cage.
Previous books in the series:
Trial of the Sun Queen / Rule of the Aurora King * Fate of the Sun King
Trial of the Sun Queen / Rule of the Aurora King * Fate of the Sun King
After the horror show of the last book, at least when it comes to the ending, I didn't know what to expect from this.
Would Lor finally be free?
Would the bad guys finally meet their deserved end?
And would I ever see my beloved Nadir again?
I've got to say, I enjoyed learning more about the goddess, Zerra, but I could've done without her strange perversions. Finding out she wasn't as 'godly' as she was renowned to be wasn't exactly a surprise, but she took it several steps further and for some reason I found it all very hilarious.
I loved that, once again, I got to be in the heads of several characters. My heart absolutely broke for my favorites and I continued to root for them to win.
I don't know how this author did it, but I'm still twisted over this entire series. I didn't want it to end and I was looking for ways for there to be a spinoff so I could spend more time with these characters.
It's the last book so obviously the good guys won, but it takes a lot of painful and dangerous steps to get there. Strap in!
Nisha J. Tuli is the bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen—the first in the Artefacts of Ouranos series—which became a BookTok hit thanks to her amazing fans. The originally self-published series was acquired by Forever Publishing and Orbit UK in 2023, and will soon be published in 15 other languages around the world.She's also the author of Heart of Night and Fire, a South Asian-inspired fantasy romance and the first in a four-book series. Look for her rom-com debut in 2025 with NSFW (Not Suitable for Work), a workplace rivals to lovers rom-com publishing with Forever.
Nisha lives in Canada, where she spends most of her time reading and writing while enjoying travel, food, and camping with her partner, two kids, and their fluffy Samoyed, Mora.
Visit https://nishajtuli.com for more information.
"I'll call you whatever you want, as long as you're clear on whose last name you'll have, Sunshine."
Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon
Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon
Clap Back by Lani Lynn Vale
Rating -
Standalone - Carter Brothers #4
Genre - Contemporary Romance / instalove
POV - dual 1st person
Heat - descriptive
Source - eARC provided by author
Length - 248 pages
Being a twin is great.
What isn’t great is having the hots for the same woman your twin does.
Been there, done that, have the t-shirt.
Since Auden Carter made that mistake in his teens, he’d promised himself never to do that to his brother again.
Hence why he’s tried so hard to stay away from Maven, the sexy bakery owner that seems to have been put on this planet to tempt him.
After months of watching his brother never make a move, Auden’s had enough. He tells his twin to either shit or get off the pot. Only, come to find out, his twin was never on the pot. He’d never had the hots for Maven at all, but her cute little assistant.
Unfortunately, at this point, he’d done his level best to appear undesirable to Maven, and had gone out of his way to make it very clear that he wasn’t interested.
He has a lot of work to do to convince her that he’s not the guy he’d been acting like for the last few months.
Luck is on his side, though, and soon Maven needs his help, giving him the perfect opportunity to worm his way into her life…and her heart.
But that help she needs turns into a desperate plea for protection, and all he has to do is quit his beloved job to give it.
It’s not every day that you are in love with your boss’s daughter, who just so happens to be the chief of police of Dallas, Texas—your beloved police department that you’ve worked at for your entire career.
It’s also not every day when that boss pulls out every stop, and ruins your life to the point where you’re not sure you can find your way out of the downward spiral he’s forced upon you.
There is one thing Auden knows for certain, though. Maven is worth it. He’ll fight the chief of police, or the entire world, putting his life on the line to do it, as long as it keeps her safe.
What isn’t great is having the hots for the same woman your twin does.
Been there, done that, have the t-shirt.
Since Auden Carter made that mistake in his teens, he’d promised himself never to do that to his brother again.
Hence why he’s tried so hard to stay away from Maven, the sexy bakery owner that seems to have been put on this planet to tempt him.
After months of watching his brother never make a move, Auden’s had enough. He tells his twin to either shit or get off the pot. Only, come to find out, his twin was never on the pot. He’d never had the hots for Maven at all, but her cute little assistant.
Unfortunately, at this point, he’d done his level best to appear undesirable to Maven, and had gone out of his way to make it very clear that he wasn’t interested.
He has a lot of work to do to convince her that he’s not the guy he’d been acting like for the last few months.
Luck is on his side, though, and soon Maven needs his help, giving him the perfect opportunity to worm his way into her life…and her heart.
But that help she needs turns into a desperate plea for protection, and all he has to do is quit his beloved job to give it.
It’s not every day that you are in love with your boss’s daughter, who just so happens to be the chief of police of Dallas, Texas—your beloved police department that you’ve worked at for your entire career.
It’s also not every day when that boss pulls out every stop, and ruins your life to the point where you’re not sure you can find your way out of the downward spiral he’s forced upon you.
There is one thing Auden knows for certain, though. Maven is worth it. He’ll fight the chief of police, or the entire world, putting his life on the line to do it, as long as it keeps her safe.
I had a blast reading this story and I can't believe I'm only diving into this series now.
Maven and Auden have the hots for each other and they were both too hesitant to act on it. That is until Maven grabs the bull by the horn and makes her desire known. It doesn't take Auden long to take her up on her offer, but tons of family drama (hers, not his) keeps getting in their way.
First of all, I love this Carter family. I really need to read the first three books.
Second, I love how devoted these men and women are to each other. It may have happened quickly, but Maven and Auden were all in pretty much from the start.
Third, the freaking twist the author threw at me had me stumped. I definitely didn't expect that and I'm wondering if a new series will be in the works. *hint hint*
Lani Lynn Vale is an American author of humorous romantic suspense novels. Born in the Great State of Texas, she has lived the majority of her adult life in East Texas where most of her novels are based. She’s married to her high school sweetheart whom her readers refer to as “LLV’s Bearded Half.” She published her first novel, Boomtown. in the summer of 2013 after the birth of her third child. She’s gone on to publish over 100 novels, with most of them going on to become USA Today bestsellers.
Visit https://lanilynnvale.com for more information.
The Sons and Daughters of Lir is a paranormal romance based on Scottish each uisge folklore and mythology.
Way Down We Go by Andrea Jenelle
Rating -
1/2Standalone - Sons and Daughters of Lir #1
Dual POV
Heat - descriptive
Tropes - Fated Mates; Star-Crossed Lovers; Marriage of Convenience Source - ebook provided by author
Length - 368 pages
Callum has been imprisoned for over a thousand years.
He's finally free and he has three objectives:
Claim Her.
Steal Her.
Sacrifice Her.
The Prince of the North Sea will claim his vengeance on the descendant of the witch that stole his brother's life.
Meghan is a research librarian in modern day Chicago. And he's the new maintenance guy in her apartment complex.
He's finally free and he has three objectives:
Claim Her.
Steal Her.
Sacrifice Her.
The Prince of the North Sea will claim his vengeance on the descendant of the witch that stole his brother's life.
Meghan is a research librarian in modern day Chicago. And he's the new maintenance guy in her apartment complex.
I love mythical retellings and Way Down We Go was very unique. I don't remember reading anything like it and that's part of why I enjoyed it so much.
Callum and his people were betrayed over a thousand years ago and he was stuck in a cave, living through punishment, vowing revenge — against his family and definitely against humans. What he didn't count on is that for his vengeful plan to come to fruition, he needs a human female to complete a prophecy. He must marry her, impregnate her, and kill her to save his people and bring peace to his realm.
What happens when he catches feelings?
Meghan was a tad naive, but it fed the plot. Can't have someone like me who would have responded with a HELL NO right out the gate. Her personality and her various charms kept chipping away at the distance that Callum tried to keep between them and pretty soon, I was rooting for them to find a way to have a happy ending.
If you enjoy romance full of magic, mystery and death, you'll enjoy this one!
Wither on the Vine
Rating -
1/2Standalone - Sons and Daughters of Lir #2
Dual POV
Heat - descriptive
Trope - second chance
Source - ebook provided by author
Length - 377 pages
Eachann and Galanta fell in love almost two thousand years ago. Their love was star-crossed and tragic and ended in her betrayal and his death. After hundreds of lifetimes of separation, Galanta has finally found the incantation that will bring Eachann back to life. When that happens, will he still want revenge?
Wither on the Vine was a lot more emotional than the first book. Eachann and Galanta met and fell in love. Their relationship was absolutely forbidden, but they couldn't seem to stop. Galanta was abused by her stepfather and stepbrothers and Eachann was the first person, since her mother, to show her any kindness. When she falls pregnant and he proposes marriage, life couldn't get any better.
So what happens when that love is betrayed?
Galanta spent a thousand years trying to figure out how to resurrect Eachann and I felt the pain of her loss. I felt the pain of her isolation and I was so happy that the women of the family took her under their wing, giving her companionship and encouragement. Especially when Eachann came back and was an absolute meanie towards her.
Seeing these characters make their way back to each other was magic itself. I loved how the author highlighted their individual suffering and gave us so much warmth as well. These stories are well-written and entertaining, and I'll be looking forward to the next one.
I waited more than half my life to begin this journey…
I wrote my first story, about a friendly giant that saved a ladybug, when I was six. I have at least three journals crammed full of poetry. In middle school and high school I had a non-profit side gig writing love stories for my friends that featured characters with their names… But as a young single mom, I was discouraged from pursuing a writing career. I’m tired of waiting and I’m following my dream.
Visit https://www.andreajenelleromance.com for more information.
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