Theresa Meyers

The concluding story of this series finally catches us up with the mysterious tattoo artist that plays a crucial role in this series. And of course we would have to find her in Mystery Central - New Orleans.

Bella Dupre is struggling to keep herself and her aunt's business afloat while trying to pay off the huge debt left behind by her family's curse. Her dream to salvage her ancestor's ship and recover its treasures can solve all her problems. When the dream becomes a reality, complications arise with the head of the salvage team, Tucker McCormack. She has already suffered at the hands of the McCormacks, in fact, they are one of the reasons she is in over her head in debt. But Tucker has his own bone to pick with the McCormacks. So warily, she moves forward with her plans, but the attraction between them is hard to resist in spite of the "no fraternizing" rule on the salvage ship. The stars have much more than they expected in store for their futures, but which of them is willing enough to let go of the past in order the make all their dreams come true.

A sweet, adventurous and steamy novel about letting go of your preconceived notions and embracing the opportunities staring you right in the face.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
… (meer)

I had high hopes for The Hunter, and I am delighted to say it did not disappoint. It was a fun ride, from start to finish, with an awesomely eclectic mix of old west action, steampunk adventure, and paranormal romance. It's a high-concept story that could have fallen apart in so many places, and which could easily have crossed the line from inspired to ridiculous, but which deftly holds it all together.

When we first meet Colt Jackson, he's largely innocent of his family's calling and, as a result, about to get his head handed to him by demon horseman. In essence, he provides the reader with an accessible window into the story, giving us an excuse to learn about the mythology (both Hunter and Darkin). Fast forward a decade, and it's now Colt who so religiously pursues the family calling, putting himself at odds with his brothers, the law, and every supernatural specimen to cross his path. Although a little dour and single-minded, Colt is also the very epitome of an old west action hero, and definitely worth following along with.

In pursuit of a legendary Book that he believes will help to seal away the Darkin forever more, he crosses paths with the sexy, succulent, sensual, Lilly . . . the succubus who answers his summoning. As is so often the case with me, I identified most strongly with Lilly and, through her, really found my way into the story. I loved her multiple layers of identity, her conflicting passions, and her dubious loyalties. She's a woman beholden to both demon and mortal, destined to betray one (or both) when the time comes. With that in mind, she's also a woman of awkward inhibitions, one who teases and toys with her captor/rescuer in the naughtiest manner (as a succubus should), but who also flirts with him in the sweetest ways (as a young woman should).

What follows is an exciting romp, full of enough twists and turns to keep the story exciting. Colt and Lilly are great leads (who make a great couple) who could easily carry a novel, but they're smartly assisted by some fantastic secondary characters, who keep things fresh and interesting. Steampunk mad-scientist Marley is definitely one, fallen angel/vampire/demon-lord Rathe is another.

With this being the first part of a trilogy, we don't get a tidy tying up of all the loose ends, but it's definitely a story that works very well as a self-contained volume. There's a little bit here for everyone, but the various genres all mesh together wonderfully - there's never any sense of things being forced or arbitrarily dropped into the narrative, just to satisfy the conventions of one genre or another. Definitely a fun read, and one that has me excited for The Slayer (April 2012) and The Chosen (Dec 2012).… (meer)

"3.5 out of 5 stars! An unconventional family comes together during unusual circumstances but together they make it all work."

Read more of this review and two teasers here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2013/07/made-grade-scandals-of-san-seb...… (meer)