As a confirmed book addict, who marks the calendar when my
favorite
authors come out with new books, I was taken aback by just how many long-
awaited
books had April release dates. After being sufficiently wowed, I decided to
undertake a month-long book odyssey. Crucial TV-viewing was interrupted,
proper
tribute to the family cat was put on hold, and other highly important daily
activity came to a screeching halt while I wallowed in romantic literary
delicacies. It was hard, but somebody had to do it.
My all-time favorite romance writers, Cynthia Eden and Jennifer Ashley, are
both
very versatile authors who tackle stories in a wide array of genres and
sub-genres. Both authors are also very prolific without sacrificing quality
for
the sake of quantity. Both BITTER BLOOD by Cynthia
Eden and WHITE TIGER
by
Jennifer Ashley feature shape shifter heroes but the settings and journey
that
both sets of characters take differ. I love Cynthia Eden’s
shadowy
New Orleans noir with a paranormal twist. Eden’s “Blood and Moonlight”
trilogy has an exciting mix of dangers around every corner, characters that
experience a constantly changing reality, and paranormal villains in all
their
fangy glory. However, in spite of that turmoil, Cynthia Eden has
crafted
an epic love story with a hero and heroine who have an unshakable faith in
each
other and their love. BITTER
BLOOD ties everything together enough to satisfy fans of the series and
provides that thrill that only paranormal romance can. Jennifer Ashley’s “Shifters Unbound”
series
has the excitement fans crave but with solid, stellar storytelling, a little
humor and a definite focus on the love, strength, and importance of family.
WHITE TIGER starts off
with
one sexy white tiger shifter fighting for his family, and it ends that way
too.
Everything in between is a showcase for Jennifer Ashley’s brilliant
assortment
of characters. The relationships between pack members, and even non-pack
members
are what make this series and story shine. It doesn’t hurt that the love
story
in WHITE TIGER is
marvelous as well.
PLAY
FAIR by L.P.
Maxa
and TAKE ME HOME
TONIGHT
by Erika Kelly are
both two fabulous books about rock stars that center on family, but they are
wildly different yet equally enjoyable. Although there are many tear-
jerking,
sentimental moments in PLAY
FAIR, in general I consider L.P. Maxa’s “Devil’s Share” series
to
be delightful brain candy. Each Devil’s Share rock
star
bad boy experiences his own epiphany and moment of growth over the course of
the
series. The main characters operate as a tight knight, fun, sometimes goofy,
family and their affection for each other really comes across as you read
about
them. I recommend PLAY
FAIR if you’re looking for a fun rock star-themed read with a little bit
of
emotional pull to bind the story together. I’ve said it before and I’ll say
it
again, Erika
Kelly’s
“Rock Star Romance”
series has ridiculously hot guys with a surprising amount of emotional
depth.
However, what stands out to me in TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT is
the
kick-ass heroine and her honesty in the face of difficult situations. Mimi
is
attracted to Calix but she doesn’t play coy and sets her own terms for their
relationship. Erika
Kelly also makes every supporting character in TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT
flesh
and blood, very believable, and a gem. You will get very emotionally
invested in
an Erika Kelly
romance.
HIS
RUTHLESS BITE by Brooklyn Ann and GOOD DUKES WEAR BLACK
by Manda Collins have
the
least in common of any of the books in this group of awesome April books,
but
they are both outstanding. HIS RUTHLESS BITE is a
paranormal historical about vampires with a hero who suffers from what I
consider to be “the Mr. Darcy effect”. Gavin Drake is a lord vampire – so
not
only is he a toff, but he has supernatural as well as societal power. Gavin
has
the reputation for being ruthless and immovable when in reality, like the
much
maligned Mr. Darcy, he’s a better man than he’s thought to be. HIS RUTHLESS BITE is
great
for fans of historical romance that like common tropes like “marriage of
convenience” but want a little something spooky and otherworldly to mix
things
up. There are no paranormal aspects in GOOD DUKES WEAR BLACK
by Manda Collins
but she exquisitely blends romance and mystery, in a story about a missing
woman and the
ease with
which some members of society were dragged off to insane asylums. I love the
gothic vibe in GOOD
DUKES
WEAR BLACK coupled with the strong female characters.
Vaughan Hewson in DIRTY by Kylie Scott and Asher
Knight in RETURN OF THE
BAD
BOY by Jessica
Lemmon are both incredibly sexy musicians who come to a crossroads in
life.
One other key similarity is that, while the many characters in each book are
very different, the strong friendships are amazing. Vaughan and Lydia meet
in a
most unconventional way in DIRTY, move in together
and
then pounce on each other with sexy results. Gloria and Asher in RETURN OF THE BAD BOY
are
combustible together and try and take another crack at get their
relationship
right after many epic fumbles. I love both authors and, as with so many of
my
favorite books on this list, these books are character-driven and the
characters
driving the story are exceptional. Along with the intense emotional impact,
both
books have a lot of humor thrown in to lighten the mood. Kylie Scott and Jessica Lemmon are
two
superb contemporary romance authors for fans to keep an eye out for.
HIS
ROYAL PRINCESS by Jessica Clare is the
only
book I’ve read this month, and in a very long while, about royalty. Normally
Jessica Clare writes my favorite stories about sexy billionaires and, as Jessica Sims, about
sexy
paranormal characters. In HIS ROYAL PRINCESS,
this is
a little bit of a departure in that this story features a heroine who can
more
than match the hero for wealth and status. Actor Luke Houston and Princess
Alexandra are great characters and HIS ROYAL PRINCESS has
all
the trademark heat and sense of fun that so many Jessica Clare romances
have.
This is a perfect short, sweet treat well worth checking out.