REVIEW Shadow Dance (Shadow Riders #8) by Christine Feehan

Shadow Dance (Shadow Riders #8) by Christine Feehan
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Release Date: August 22, 2023
Format: eBook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Berkley 

Shadow Dance by Christine Feehan was another entertaining addition to the Shadow Riders series. Focusing on a different branch of the Ferraro’s in New York, Geno Ferraro is now center stage as he finds his other half in an unlikely place and an even unlikelier person. 

Geno and Amaranthe have a unique relationship. They first meet after Amaranthe is caught in a trap Geno sets, and realizes she is a shadow rider and his shadow wants to connect to hers. As an accomplished shadow rider herself, Amaranthe is used to doing things on her own. However, as a typical Ferraro and alpha male type character who is used to taking care of those in his family, Geno has to balance his need to protect with respecting her independence and her training. The romance is a bit repetitive, mirroring some of what’s present in previous books, but the unraveling mystery was enough to draw me back in when the romance faltered. 

While the story is a bit slower paced than other books in the series, and at times does seem like a bit of a transition phase in the larger storyline of the series, it maintains the same level of suspense and action that are present in her other books. I also enjoyed how the family aspect remains a large part of the story. The previous generation of shadow riders were awful humans and even worse parents (which becomes more evident in this book), but this generation of shadow riders is doing their best to keep family at the heart of all that they do. Francesca is still the unquestioned heart of the group, and they are slowly expanding their family one person at a time. 

Now that we have moved the action to New York instead of Chicago, I’m curious to see which Ferraro sibling will be the focus next (assuming she doesn’t jump to another branch of the family). I would recommend this series to those who might enjoy a darker set of paranormal romance books that feature family at the center of everything. 

REVIEW Queen Takes Rose (Wicked Villains #6) by Katee Robert

Queen Takes Rose (Wicked Villains #6) 

by Katee Robert
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: November 10, 2020
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC (Self Published by Author) 

I’ve been on a recent streak of reading all of Katee Robert’s books, and Queen Takes Rose is the final installment of the Wicked Villains series. Aurora has appeared in all of the previous books, and now it’s finally time for her to take center stage. Once again, it was quite intriguing to see how the author took the skeleton of the original fairytale and twisted it to fit the series. However, for some reason, the female dominant characters that the author writes don’t seem to click for me as much as others. 

Aurora has definitely grown since the first time she was introduced to the series. I was intrigued by the dynamic between her and Malone and some of the references you can recognize from the original fairytale. Like many of her other series, this one has a connection to another set of books - specifically, Malone is connected to the Sabine Valley series (which at this point, I’m going to have to pick up and read out of sheer curiosity). In addition to Malone and Aurora, Katee Robert continues their trend of LGBTQ+ positive characters with a non-binary former Amazon serving as Malone’s head of security. 

Despite liking Malone and Aurora as individual characters, I wasn’t super invested in their relationship. I flipped through their ‘scenes’ together instead of devouring every word. I kind of missed the types of scenes that Aurora participated in with the previous installments of the series (i.e. the Scene with Isabelle, Gaeton, and Beast in book 4). I also thought it was weird that Malone wanted Aurora submissive 24/7 instead of only when they were scening together (like the other dominants in the series such as Jafar or Hook do), but that might just be a lack of exposure to such characters more than anything else.  

Overall, Queen Takes Rose was definitely another entertaining book. It just wasn’t my favorite out of the series or something I’d see the need to reread in the future. Narrators Lacy Laurel and Jenny Nordbak did an excellent job bringing the story to life with their performance in the audiobook narration. The Wicked Villains series would be a great choice for mature readers who aren’t put off by taboo dark romance stories that reimagine classic fairytales. 

CONTENT WARNINGS (Courtesy of Author’s Website): Parental Death (mother, comatose for long period of time and heroine makes choice to end life support), assault, explicit sex

About the Book

Once upon a time I made a deal with the devil. It turns out I like playing in the dark. Over the years, I’ve become someone I’m proud of, someone dangerous.

I’ll never be as dangerous as Malone, though. She’s one of the most feared leaders in Carver City, and her reputation is more than earned. Years ago, we had a single night together and she’s ignored me ever since.

Imagine my surprise to discover she’s scheduled me for the final two weeks of my contract. Maybe I should be afraid. Everyone else fears Malone. Instead, all I feel is anticipation. It’s time to balance the scales, once and for all.

The villains aren’t the only ones in Carver City a person should be wary of crossing.

Sometimes the prettiest flower hides the deadliest poison…

About the Author

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

 

Katee is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

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REVIEW Radiant Sin (Dark Olympus #4) by Katee Robert

Radiant Sin (Dark Olympus Book 4) by Katee Robert
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: February 7, 2023
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library, Bought from Libro.fm0
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Katee Robert’s Radiant Sin, the fourth book in the Dark Olympus series, picks up after the events of Wicked Beauty with the power dynamics in Olympus once again shifting. New arrivals to the city have disrupted the usual ebb and flow, and a failing boundary system has left all of the members of the Thirteen desperate to shore up their power base and not show weakness to those outside of the city looking to strike.  

Radiant Sin gives readers a different viewpoint on the world of Olympus. Instead of most of the story taking place in the main city, Apollo and Cassandra journey to Minos’ country estate to attend a house party and try to determine his ulterior motives. The action that happens there is reminiscent of the board game Clue or the movie Knives Out, as the duo is thrust into an evolving mystery that they must solve before the ‘villains’ can make their move. The house guests add an extra element of fun to the story, as you have the ever-mischievous Hermes, the laid back party loving Dionysus, and the chaos-inducing Aphrodite (formerly known as Eris) as just a few of those present at the event. 

I’ve constantly been left amazed by the author’s creative ways of reimagining the Greek myths. Apollo and Cassandra’s roles in Olympus take very loose inspiration from the original tales. For example, there are never any references to poetry, healing, or music with Apollo’s role in the Thirteen. Apollo is also not a package deal with Artemis in this book (they’re cordial at best). There’s also no reference to Cassandra’s role in the Greek myths as the ‘mad prophetess’. However, despite the inspirations being loose, I do think Ms. Robert managed to maintain the spirit of those figures as well as their recognizability. 

Overall, Radiant Sin was an excellent read. Zara Hampton Brown and Alex Moorcock did an excellent job bringing Cassandra and Apollo’s perspectives to life in alternating chapters within the book (I really love all of the books they’ve narrated for Katee Robert). As with the other books in the Dark Olympus series, I would recommend Radiant Sin for mature fans of steamy, romance-filled mythology retellings. While Cassandra and Apollo’s story stands alone, a lot of the happenings in this book take up the story threads from Wicked Beauty and really set up the foundation for what should be happening in the next book, Cruel Seduction. I’m really excited to see Ms. Robert’s take on the story of Aphrodite and Hephaestus, and how she will incorporate Pandora and Adonis into that relationship.  

CONTENT WARNINGS (Courtesy of the Author): Body Shaming (referenced briefly, historical), murder, blood, guns, boss/employee relationship

About the Book

There's nowhere more dangerous than Olympus...and no one more captivating than its golden god: Apollo. Keeper of secrets, master of his shining realm...and the only man I am powerless to deny.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Apollo and Cassandra that's as sinful as it is sweet.*

As a disgraced member of a fallen house, Cassandra Gataki has seen firsthand what comes from trusting the venomous Thirteen. But when the maddeningly gorgeous and kind Apollo asks her to go undercover as his plus-one at a week-long party hosted by a dangerous new power player...Cassandra reluctantly agrees to have his back.

On one condition: when it's all over, and Apollo has the ammunition he needs to protect Olympus, she and her sister will be allowed to leave. For good.

Apollo may be the city's official spymaster, but it's his ability to inspire others that keeps him at the top. Despite what the rest of Olympus says, there's no one he trusts more than Cassandra. Yet even as their fake relationship takes a wicked turn for the scaldingly hot, a very real danger surfaces... threatening not only Cassandra and Apollo, but the very heart of Olympus itself.

About the Author

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

 

Katee is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

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REVIEW The Beast (Wicked Villains Book 4) by Katee Robert

The Beast (Wicked Villains Book 4) by Katee Robert
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: April 13, 2020
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC 

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The Beast by Katee Robert is another installment in the Wicked Villains series, and this one is a very loose reimagining of the tale of Beauty and the Beast. If you’re a fan of the series and read the books in order, you probably already know that the Man in Black was one of the biggest power players in Carver City and that he’s recently passed. The power structure of the city has become precarious, and the Man in Black’s daughters Isabelle is left to ensure that they don’t lose their territory in the aftermath of her father’s death. In doing so, she reaches out to both her exes and her father’s former lieutenants (Beast and Gaeton) to make a deal. Will she be finally able to make the choice they are asking her to make, or will things crumble in the process? You will be happy to know that she doesn’t have to choose and that the relationship develops into a glorious polyamorous throuple. 

Love is love, and it comes in all shapes and sizes. Beast, Gaeton, and Isabelle are all bisexual and enjoy their polyamorous relationship. It was amusing to see the original fairytale retold in the form of a menage et trois or a throuple (as I said, it’s a very loose retelling). Despite being extremely committed to each other, they do enjoy ‘playing’ with others. EVERYTHING done in the books is consensual, and it’s so exciting to see that play out (for those who are curious, basically all of Katee Robert’s books have a heavy emphasis on consent and feature ‘consent king’ heroes). My favorite steamy scene in the book was where the trio had a scene in the Underworld with Aurora.   

Some might go into this book thinking that it’s all smut and no plot (and there’s definitely no shortage of smut), but I was pleasantly surprised to see how well thought out everything is, and how interconnected each of the books is (despite being able to read them as standalone). After reading this book, I’m even more convinced that I need to pick up Ms. Robert’s Sabine Valley series. This is yet another connection to those books (Beast’s origins are there), and I did feel like I missed out on some small details by not having that context. Looking at the bigger picture, my mind is blown by how interconnected the worldbuilding of her various series is - job well done there!

Overall, The Beast is another entertaining installment to the Wicked Villains series. I can’t wait to read the last book in the series! As with the other books, I would recommend this series to mature readers who aren’t put off by taboo, kinky dark romance stories that reimagine modern fairytales.  

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Courtesy of the Author’s Website): Parental death (father, cancer, off-page, historical), grieving, assault, explicit sex

About the Book

Once upon a time, I fell in love with two men. Their feelings for me were matched only by their hatred for each other. Gaeton, with his brash charm and casual cruelty. Beast, his lust equal to his penchant for violence. Being with them was sinful and perfect in different ways. In the end, I couldn't choose, and I lost them both. Now, my sisters have tasked me with securing our power base, no matter the cost. I will do anything for my family even if it means agreeing to the terms set by Gaeton and Beast. The three of us. Together. But only for as long as it takes me to choose one of them once and for all. When playing games of power, happily ever after isn't a priority. Not even for me. Especially not for me.

About the Author

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

 

Katee is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

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REVIEW Shadow Fire (Shadow Riders #7) by Christine Feehan

Shadow Fire (Shadow Rider #7) by Christine Feehan
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: April 26, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Berkley 

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Christine Feehan’s Shadow Fire is the seventh book in the Shadow Rider series, and the first book to feature someone other than the main Ferraro siblings. Elie Archambault is one of the fastest riders in the world, but after a mistake in his youth, he’s resigned himself to a life of service and duty (and no love). Fate has other plans though, as all of his carefully laid plans are about to go up in flames…

There is tons of chemistry between Brielle and Elie in this book, as one would expect from something Christine Feehan writes. However, I wasn’t as sold on it as I have been by previous books. It seemed like the plot suffered in the name of kink and repetitive steamy scenes. Said steamy scenes also seem to have lost some of the emotional intimacy that her earlier books had, and they gave off more of a choreographed feel rather than oozing a sensual vibe (the Dark/Carpathian series seems to have no issue with this, thankfully). I was also disappointed by how she seems to be re-using some of her base storylines, as the human trafficking plot has now appeared in three of her series and spanned multiple books (Torpedo Ink, Shadow Riders, and the Leopard series off the top of my head).

While the steamy scenes in Shadow Fire were meh, my favorite part of the book and the series is the family aspect. All of Christine Feehan’s books have some family aspect to them, but this one is the top of the top (I would rate Torpedo Ink second, the Dark Series/Carpathians third, and Ghostwalkers fourth out of what I’ve read). Stefano is the best damn patriarch out of all of Ms. Feehan’s books (Czar is a close second, but Prince Mikhail of the Carpathians is kind of meh in my opinion), and I wholeheartedly agree with the fact that Francesca is the heart of the group. The Ferraros are a mix of blood family and “found family”, but that doesn’t change how they treat those they care about. I love that! With this being one of Ms. Feehan’s shorter series at the time, it’s nice to be able to have cameos and appearances from almost all of the siblings (instead of the sporadic cameos you see in the Dark series now that it’s at 30+ books). 

As a side note, I do like Jim Frangione’s narration of Christine Feehan’s books. I just wish that she would have a different narrator for each of her series instead of using the same one for all of them. 

After finishing this book, I’m very curious about who will be the focus of the next one (it wasn’t clear while reading, and there are so many options). If I had to guess, I think it would be Dario. The others certainly gave him enough crap about being on a dating app in this book that he deserves his own happily ever after. I am hesitant about the romance aspect for future installments (as well as how the books seem to be getting darker and darker), but the overarching theme of the family will probably have me coming back. I would recommend this series to those who might enjoy a darker set of paranormal romance books that have a family at the heart of every story. 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Human trafficking, child abuse, emotional abuse, graphic violence, explicit sex, bondage

About the Book

Journey deeper into the world of Chicago's most dangerous, alluring crime family in this incendiary installment of the Shadow Riders series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.

Shadow Rider Elie Archambault has been called many things: domineering, brash, loyal, but most of all fast. And there's nothing faster than choosing to marry a woman you've never met. All he has is a signed contract and a list of his new bride's expectations for their arranged marriage. He's not expecting love or some happy ever after, just a partner that knows exactly what she signed up for. He'll be faithful because he's a man of honor, but she'll never have his heart....

Elie knows who he is. A privileged member of the Archambault family. A skilled rider and fighter. A man who's always had things easy for all the wrong reasons. He's made his mistakes and lost his chance at real, true passion with his other half thanks to his own careless arrogance. Now he just wants to do his duty as a Shadow Rider and leave the past behind.

But Elie has no idea that his choice is about to spark a blaze that will burn all his carefully laid plans to the ground....

About the Author

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 90 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, GhostWalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series, Shadow Riders and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

Check out my reviews of other books by Christine Feehan

 

REVIEW Stone Heart (Dark Olympus #0.5) by Katee Robert

Stone Heart (Dark Olympus #0.5) by Katee Robert
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Format: eBook (Courtesy of Author's Newsletter)
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC 

Katee Robert’s Stone Heart was an entertaining prequel novella to the Dark Olympus series. I really enjoyed her take on Medusa and Calypso’s individual backgrounds. There was also just enough world-building for readers who haven’t read the other books to become familiar with Olympus, and some of the less flashy power players in Olympus make an appearance. I personally need more Athena content asap.  If a sapphic love story where one is an assassin sent to kill the other, but it turns into a case of “I was supposed to kill but now I have feelings for you” sounds like something you enjoy then I would highly recommend Stone Heart. 

CONTENT WARNINGS (Courtesy of the Author): Attempted Murder, Drugging, Assault (Historical, Off-Page), Explicit Sex

TAGS (Courtesy of the Author): Was supposed to murder you but having regrets, wlw romance, plus sized heroine, big lesbian himbo energy, Medusa is good at murder and bad at everything else, Calypso is bad at feelings and good at everything else, soft only for you, Odysseus slander at all times, insta-love, scarred and tattooed heroine

About the Author

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

 

Katee is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

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REVIEW Wicked Beauty (Dark Olympus #3) by Katee Robert

Wicked Beauty (Dark Olympus #3) by Katee Robert
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: June 7, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 

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After the events of Electric Idol, Olympus has been shaken to the core. There’s a new Aphrodite on the scene. The old Ares is dead, and there will be a massive tournament to fill the role. Helen Kasios is used to the power plays between the members of the Thirteen, but when a twist to the Ares tournament is announced she has no choice but to enter and prove to everyone (especially her siblings) that she’s more than just a pretty face. 

Wicked Beauty had more action than the first two books, and I was all here for it. I loved seeing Helen’s performance in the various trials. It seemed like she was a secret American Ninja warrior in the making! The thought of all the shocked faces in the crowd was amusing, especially when I thought about what Zeus’ and Aphrodite’s faces of frustration must have looked like. I imagine it was a glorious full-circle moment for Helen to defy her siblings in such a public way; if I had to guess, Callisto/Hera probably looked pretty smug and amused at the moment too. As a side note, I’d love to see a short story featuring Athena in the future. She’s such a mysterious badass, and I need more of her and Hermes. While Hermes is projected to appear as the main character in Book 10 of the series, Athena is not listed as the main character in any of the currently announced books so it seems like a short story would be the most likely place for her to make another appearance. 

After finishing the Wicked Villains books, it's nice to be able to make the connection that Hercules from Learn My Lesson is the brother of Helen, Zeus (formerly Perseus), and Aphrodite (formerly Eris). It seems like Helen was close to him before he left the city, so it was nice to have the full context available. The relationships of Hercules and Helen offered an interesting contrast. Both are in polyamorous relationships. Meg and Hades went into a relationship with Hercules with the goal of pissing off Zeus and becoming intimate. Achilles and Patroclus, on the other hand, had no interest in Helen at the beginning and only wanted to gain the title of Ares. I also felt it was interesting that the relationship between Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus seems a bit more balanced than that of Hercules, Meg, and Hades (Hades is the primary dominant member of his trio, while Helen, Patroclus, and Achilles all seem to have dominant traits on some level). 

Overall, another fantastic book from Katee Robert. Alex Moorcock and Zara Hampton-Brown did a fantastic job with their performance in the audiobook narration. If you liked Ms. Robert's The Beast, then I think you'll enjoy this book. As with the other books in the Dark Olympus series, I would recommend this book for mature fans of steamy romance-filled mythology retellings. I’m curious to see how the relationship between Cassandra and Apollo will play out in Radiant Sin, especially since Apollo’s duties for the Thirteen and Olympus are not as closely related to his role in the myth. 

TRIGGER WARNINGS (Courtesy of Author’s Website): Abusive Parent, Assault, Attempted Murder, Blood, Abusive Ex, Miscarriage (Side character, Off-Page, Historical)

About the Book

She was the face that launched a thousand ships, the fierce beauty at the heart of Olympus...and she was never ours to claim.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus that's as sinful as it is sweet.*

In Olympus, you either have the power to rule...or you are ruled. Achilles Kallis may have been born with nothing, but as a child he vowed he would claw his way into the poisonous city's inner circle. Now that a coveted role has opened to anyone with the strength to claim it, he and his partner, Patroclus Fotos, plan to compete and double their odds of winning.

Neither expect infamous beauty Helen Kasios to be part of the prize...or for the complicated fire that burns the moment she looks their way.

Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give to away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition as a middle finger to the meddling Thirteen rulers, effectively vying for her own hand in marriage. Unfortunately, there are those who would rather see her dead than lead the city. The only people she can trust are the ones she can't keep her hands off-Achilles and Patroclus. But can she really believe they have her best interests at heart when every stolen kiss is a battlefield?

About the Author

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

 

Katee is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

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