Moon Dance: Angela Knight
Elena Livingston is the last descendant of Wulfgar's line, her father holds the highest seat in the council of clans and means to marry her off to another trueblood. He betroths her to Stephen Bradford, a repulsive choice by anyone's standards but in the volatile aristocracy of the Direkind, it's a life sentence.
A friend tells her that shes found a way out for Elena, all she needs is a champion, all she needs is Lucas Rollings.
Lucas is a police officer in a little backwater town in South Carolina, his life is laid back and slow, until he walks out of his precinct and sees Stephen assaulting Elena. He comes to her rescue and takes her home with him, where she lays out her plans and tells him what she needs from him.
The author linked several myths to create the backdrop for this story, making it come together seamlessly. The characters came to life with charming wit and personality. The plot ran smoothly even in its limited space. I'd love to read more about the Direkind and believe this tale was done an injustice by being included in a collection. Review: 4 stars
Between the Mountain and the Moon:Virgina Kantra
Cait MacLean lived a sheltered and protected life. After graduating from college, she decided hiking the Appalachian trail would be a good way to prove to herself and her parents that she was a grown-up.
Rhys Danuson is on a mission for his mother. He must trick Cait into bending to his desire and bind her to him. Rhys comes to care deeply for the mortal woman and defies his mother to save her. But who will save him from the sidhe Queens wrath?
At first, I wasn't sure if I was reading a horror story or a romance. The author makes no attempt at explanations of any kind. You are thrown tidbits of information here and there but not enough to make any kind of assumption as to what is actually going on. Veiled refernces to a slight in the past being the reason behind the Queens ire and the reason her son is hunting the mortal woman for a "crime" her parents perpetrated. Unfortunately that sentence sums up literally all you'll ever know about it. At the end there is a small author's note telling you to check out another story -- the story of Cait's parents. That is the only way to figure out what on earth all of this is about? Aside from that. the story is stunted with no real development of the characters or the plot. I felt as if I had just wasted a portion of my life. Review: 1 star
Driftwood: MaryJanice Davidson
Burke is eating clams right out of the shells along the water and sees some drunken teens drive onto the beach. Deciding it's time to go, he heads over the dunes toward home. He sees a woman trapped in a hole in the sand and feels he must save her before he goes home. Unfortunately being a werewolf, he is quite claustrophobic and basically buries the woman while trying to escape. Once he returns to human form, he and some friends search for her.
A vampire named Serena travels to New England to find and kill Peter, the vampire who made her and killed her best friend Maggie. While looking for a snack she fell into a hole on the beach.
Oh God save me from ridiculous stories. Hmmm how original! A female vamp goes all soft for for the big brooding male werewolf. Can we say snooozefest? There is nothing original or remotely interesting in this waste of paper. Neither the characters or plotline have any strength. Even if you're not an avid reader of all things that go bump in the night you can easily pick apart the flaws in this story easily. I'm not sure its even technically a romance considering they don't even kiss! Review: 1 star
Mona Lisa Three:Sunny
Queen Mona Lisa and her royal guard are packing up to move to her new territory. But before they go she needs to purchase better clothing for herself and her men. Returning from her little shopping trip she finds a Demon Dead, sitting on her loveseat and awaiting her arrival.
Queen Mona Sera comes to her for help after one of her men is bitten by the Demon Dead's hellhound, something for which there is no cure. Queen Mona Sera informs her that it is her fault he was bitten so either she heals him or forfeits one of her men.
If nothing else, the sex scene in the beginning is more than enough to seal its place in my collection. I had to smoke a cigarette after I read it. That first scene is not the only one and even though the author devotes attention to these scenes, she is still more than capable of carrying the plotline forward without lagging. It's luridly erotic and riveting. The characters are wonderfully unique and colorful. I am truly looking forward to the next story. Review: 4 1/2 stars
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Okay. On the whole, "Mona Lisa Three" and "Moon Dance" are the best reasons to read this book and when I pick it up again, it will be to read these two stories. They were done a huge injustice by being included with drivel like "Driftwood" and "Between the Mountain and the Moon".
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Publisher: Berkley (January 2, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425213439
ISBN-13: 978-0425213438
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