Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark (IAD) Series

IAD is another para ro-no series that includes its own glossary and alternative world (the Lore) hiding in plain sight around all of us humans. Kresley Cole started the series strong, and is losing ground over time, IMO. But I'm sucked into the general plot enough that I will keep reading. The books all suffer the same contrivance - these paranormal species are drawn to each other through a force beyond their control. Thus, they MUST mate, but they may in fact hate each other. It is a good way to ensure you have plenty of sex scenes from start to finish, all while the actual love story unfolds. As a result, many of her romances have some coercive/violent sex scenes that rub me the wrong way. She gets around this by making all the characters super powered so we're not supposed to care too much that they sometimes beat the crap out of each other. All the same, this is the weakest thing about the series (oh, along with the titles. These are some of the worst titles EVER!!!!). Most of them feature this little gang of Valkyrie who scream a lot, drink, swear, and play video games. Fun times.

Series Order

The Warlord Wants Forever - a great kick-off to the series, buried in a collaboration called "Playing Easy to Get." E's husband is still mad for making him pick this up for her at the library. The rest of the stories in the anthology are awful. Nikolai Wroth, the human turned vampire, falls hard for Myst the Coveted, a pretty (lame) valkyrie.

A Hunger Like No Other - Emmaline the half vamp-Valkyrie and Lachlain MacReive, the head of the werewolves meet, do some violence to each other, and then fall in love.

No Rest for the Wicked - Yowza Sebastian Wroth! And Kaderin is pretty fun, too.

Wicked Deeds on a Winter Night - Sexy werewolf meets sultry witch (Bowen & Mari).

Dark Needs at Night's Edge - Another Wroth brother meets his match. Sadly, not great. Featuring Conrad and snoozefest Neomi the ghost.

Deep Kiss of Winter - This is an anthology that includes the story Untouchable - The last Wroth, Murdoch, is mated to an Ice Princess Valkyrie, Daniela. Meh. Not critical to the series, but entertaining.

Dark Desires After Dusk - Cadeon & Holly - demons! Valkyrie who think they're human!

Kiss of a Demon King - Sabine the sorceress & Rydstrom the demon king - HOT HOT HOT. Also, an oddly appropriate title.

Pleasure of a Dark Prince - Lucia the Valkyrie archer, and Garreth MacRieve, another werewolf. This was just ok.

Demon from the Dark - Malkolm, a vemon, and Carrow, a witch, face off in this surprisingly tender romance. I was desperately awaiting the Regin book, and then KC threw this one in the mix. And then it turned out to be way better then the Regin one.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior - the beloved Regin the Radiant, a valkyrie, and Aidan, the Berserker that has stalked her through a number of reincarnations. I anticipated this book for a long time, and was disappointed with how it played out.

Lothaire- by this point, KC is getting stuff into hard cover, and it is too bad that Lothaire had such a huge release and was SO bad. Lothaire is with some human who is possessed by a demoness? Seriously off the rails...

Shadow's Claim - this book starts a series within the IAD series, the Dacian Chronicles. My expectations were low and it definitely did NOT exceed my expectations, so you know what that means. Features Trehan Daciano and Princess Bettina.

MacRieve - Chloe Todd, a human (and then some) and another MacRieve, a tortured and prejudiced werewolf get together and show each other how love can overcome bigotry.

Dark Skye is coming in August 2015 and I'm excited (it takes a long time to shake my loyalty!).  Thornos and Lanthe, characters we've been hearing about for awhile, are finallllllly getting it on. Hopefully some loose story lines will resolve AND we'll get some steamy romance!

E Rating: 4 stars      H Rating: 4 stars

Stand out book: No Rest for the Wicked

Putting the kibosh on baby talk

Can we talk about what's up with the standard fare ro no recipe?

(sexyhottie + beautiful-but-available damsel) x high-drama situation possibly involving threat to damsel's life -> BONING = BABY

I get it. Ro Nos are written by women for women, and women want babies. Thus, a clever ro no author will craft a hero "whose cock hardened at the thought of her belly swollen with his child" etc., etc. ad nauseum. To this formula, I say "what the WHAT?!" It is sooooo common that when I see that plot line arise (conflicted couple must stay together for the sake of the bebe!!) I yawn and want to toss it over - even if I actually really like the story. I know that men and women make babies together and I know that for most women the idea of a happy ending can only exist when the couple's true love leads to fetuses. BUT I feel like it's an overly contrived plot gimmick that dumbs down the ro no genre. [And as someone who struggled quite a bit to make the bebe in her love match, this was a hard pill to swallow]

Of course I'm dying to make a list of the most offending books taking advantage of this approach, but I don't dare risk spoilers. I'll just say this: so far I don't believe these authors have ever pulled the baby blanket over my eyes mid-read:

Anne Stuart
Kresley Cole
Loretta Chase

Fellow readers, I think you are safe with the above list, but I strongly caution you when reading other ro no authors. And, rest assured, love is not the only ingredient in the baby making recipe (and it's not even necessary - see "Teen Mom," Kevin Federline, etc.). It's just a silly ro no gimmick and try not to let it interfere with your enjoyment of a sexy read OR your escapism

All the Single Ladies!

The other side of a good romance is the heroine and we have a few favorites! Not enough to qualify for a top 10 list, but enough to merit recognition and ranks.

H's list:
7. Chloe Zanders from the Dark Highlander (Karen Marie Moning) is terrific. That scene with her rooting around under Daegus' bed is hilarious (and sexy!).
6. Samantha Wickersham from Yours Until Dawn (Teresa Medeiros) is cunning yet compassionate. When you learn her secret you realize how much you've grown to adore her and hope she seals the deal with her man.
5. Judith, from Julie Garwood's The Secret, definitely makes the list. She is a courageous woman and loyal friend. You don't see a lot of female friendships portrayed in ro nos, and this story has it. Makes you wish Judith was your bestie!
4. Beatrix Hathaway from Love in the Afternoon is wonderful. She's great in all the Hathaway books in the series and you just feel so happy when she gets her perfect romance. Also, I give major credit to Lisa Kleypas for writing a quirky yet sincere character. In the wrong hands, Beatrix would be twee and annoying. Instead, you grow to love her as the series progresses. She has a pet hedgehog. Seriously.
3. Minerva Dobbs in Bet Me (Jennifer Crusie) is awesome. I would totally be friends with her and rooted for her getting her man without giving up who she was or what she cared about.
2. Penelope Featherington from the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn is great. She is funny and clever, and I love a put down woman who doesn't lose confidence or shrink into the background.
1. Jessica Trent in Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels is absolutely amazing. Sexy, smart, resisting marriage but still getting offers well past the 'marriageable age,' she makes the romance in this story sizzle.

E:

Wow, we really are twins. I could have written this list blind and the only thing different would have been the order. And, probably the # as I cannot limit myself to only 7! In addition to the ladies above, I'd throw in:

- I loved all of the sisters in Nora Robert's Irish 'Born in...' trilogy. My favorite was Maggie in Born in Fire. She was so passionate and zesty and didn't back down from anything
- Kate Sheffield in The Julia Quinn's Viscount Who Loved Me is hilarious and lovable and someone I'd want to be friends with. The scene with the croquet ball is priceless
- Going back to a classic Julie Garwood I doubt H has read, I have to put Nicholaa from The Prize on this list. She is smart and sassy (while still being relatively realistic for the time period). Their love story is one of my favorites

I can be your HERO, baby!!

What would the ro no be without a sexxxy hero?!

E: I often find myself composing (fantasizing?) about who in my ro no catalogue would feature in my list of the hottest heroes. You know I cannot be forced to limit myself to only 5, so this is a list of my very favorite top 10 ro no hunks. And, yes, I will probably edit this, add to it, and change my mind frequently because I've read some damn good ro nos and it's hard (pun intended) for a girl to have to make Sophie's choice.

Ugh, it is so hard to reduce the list of hotties to just 10. I swear I've already re-edited this list like 200 times. 
10. I think #10 goes to Kev from Lisa Kleypas' Seduce Me At Sunrise (The Hathaway's series, which is outstanding and definitely in my top 10 series). There's something about a man who secretly burns for his love while being a steadfast, supportive friend to her (and her family)
9. "The answer is 'enigma'." Oh yes you are, Peter Madsen, from Anne Stuart's Ice series. His book was Cold As Ice, but IMO, there's nothing hotter than this 'still waters run deep' stud
8. Wulfric Bedwyn, eldest sibling in the Slightly series by Mary Balogh is a complicated aristocrat, but at his heart (hidden deep behind his pride) is a man very much worthy of making my top 10
7. Julie Garwood has been a staple for me since I started reading ro nos in high school and I've been a huge fan of her early historicals every since. You never get over your first love and that's why #7 goes to Iain Maitland, of The Secret. He is protective over Judith, but respects her unusual POV for the time and ultimately even lets himself learn from her (while, of course, falling madly in love). There's a lot to love about this laird
6. Aren't you a bonny one, Shawn Gallagher, of Nora Robert's Ardmoore trilogy (his book is Tears of the Moon)? There's something so sweet and special about Shawn. I love his quiet confidence and what woman could resist a talented singer who can whip up a delicious peach pie AND clean up after himself?
5. I realize this is a strange departure from #6, but #5 goes to Vishous of JR Ward's BDB. He's had a prominent role in many books in the series, and I am a HUGE fan of what he's got going on. I'd let him keep his shitkickers under my bed any night (although I doubt I could handle him)
4. Sebastian Wroth from Kresley Cole's IAD series (his book is No Rest for the Wicked). His devotion to Kaderin and his smoldering sexiness are quite enticing!
3. Dageus MacKelter of Karen Marie Moning's The Dark Highlander. Any man who says "Naught will be done to you that you dinna wish to be done" in a smokin' hot Scottish brogue can star in my dreams any night
2. Jericho Barrons of KMM's Fever series. This is a hottie with some serious animal instincts.
1. After much deliberation, I realized that I could never put anyone above Jamie Fraser, beloved hero of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. He is such an unusual hero (younger than the heroine, a virgin, ginger) for the ro no category, but so perfect at the same time.

** Just read yours, H, when I was editing my list and now I think I need to edit mine AGAIN! I do so love Zsadist (the only BDB I've reread) and Christopher is a gem!
H: Agreed. Every time I read your list I have to go back and edit mine. I hope to rearrange a bit as we keep reading because if we've maxxed out the hottest heroes we're in pretty sorry straits...

H: Just to show that there is no accounting for taste, I have just a few of the same beloved heros as my dear sister.

10. UM, Adam Black, E?! KMM's perennial hero from the land of fae is a ripped, sassy mischief maker, and when he finally falls in love, he falls hard. He shows up in many of the Highlander books, but finally gets his due in the Immortal Highlander and it is worth the wait. I love a good epilogue and this hero has one of the sweetest. [E- you are so right!! I do love most of the Highland hotness KMM puts forth -Kiss of the Highlander and after]
9. Shawn Gallagher. Like E, I am also in love with a man who cooks and has an innate instinct about what his lady love is in the mood for. That he is also musically gifted and blessed with some beautiful peepers is icing on the cake.
8. The Duke of Tresham in No Man's Mistress is pretty freaking awesome. He is a witty daredevil with a tender side (I'm sensing a theme in my hero list...). He is also named Jocelyn, but thankfully they mostly call him Tresham. I like when my ro no heroes cover up their insecurities with humor. [E - about to start this one. YAY!]
7. I'll stick Barrons on this list because obviously I liked him enough to think the Fever series was one of the best ever, but I am not sure I'd like to actually be in his bed. He might be a little too scary. But he is definitely sexy to think about.
6. Zsadist, from the BDB series by JR Ward. He has been tortured nearly beyond recognition, but under that abused body is a tender soul. His singing and the way he pulled himself together for his beloved were pretty damn sexy.
5. Captain Christopher Phelan from Lisa Kleypas' Love in the Afternoon is a lover, not a fighter. Only he's just been fighting for many long years and his sensitive side is revealed only through letters (and little drawings and leaf pressings and other heart-melty things). Call me crazy, but that is sexy as hell.
4. OK, I agree with E that Wulfric was a major hottie. That random quizzing glass? You can run your eyes all over me, Wulf.
3. Sebastian Wroth from No Rest for the Wicked. That first scene in his castle, a tortured recluse meeting his heart's desire, is pure hotness. Then his pursuit of said lady turns him into one seriously desirable vampire.
2. Durstan MacKeltar in Kiss of the Highlander. Hands down better than his twin and all of KMM's other heroes. Perhaps because this book was my gateway drug into the world of romance he will always hold a special place on my hero list. I had read a few Julie Garwoods, but after KMM's highlander I couldn't turn away. Durstan is smart, funny and personable. I could play some naked chess with this man, let me tell you.
1. Rupert Carsington from Loretta Chase's Mr. Impossible. Such a stupid title, such a wonderful character. He is hilarious and cavalier and sexxxxxxy. Seriously, he might tempt me from my husband, and that is saying something.

J. R. Ward's "Black Dagger Brotherhood" Series

Of course we're going to have a BDB review! This is one of the most popular paranormal rono series out there (para-ro-no?). It takes place in the modern world and is about (gasp!) vampires! The stories center around the warriors of the vampire race - the Black Dagger Brotherhood - who fight against another non-human race who are trying to kill them. Not only are the members (and associates) of the BDB big & strong, they're also (very much) down to get the friction on. Also keep your eyes peeled for a little of the ol' "Brother-on-Brother" action.

The sex scenes are delectable, but I could do without EVERY hero being so damn tortured. Part of the appeal is that JR Ward creates this engaging world (complete with a glossary of terms) with multidimensional characters and a fast moving plot. Each book has one main romance, but there is a lot more going on, and it is nice to revisit the characters you love over and over. I also like that it isn't just a neat and tidy "now they're together, DONE" as you see in future books that a lot of the couples are still navigating their relationships. 

Distractingly hilarious quirks? Shitkickers; "beat feet"; relentless shower taking; convenient vampire servants who neatly circumvent having to explain how this parallel world exists all around us; similarly, the made-up city of Caldwell that for some dumb reason singlehandedly homes most of the vampires AND most of their enemies (like, dude, you can teleport, why the hell don't you spread yourselves around so your enemies can't pick you off so easily?!); and the idea that these male vampires have 30 orgasms in one sexual encounter - half of which likely occurs with no touching them while they are wearing leather pants. EWWWW.

Dark Lover, 2005 - Wrath, the Blind King, and Beth, the half-breed daughter of Darius

Lover Eternal, 2006 - Rhage and Mary, a human (who we pretty much never see again the rest of the series. Bizarro).

Lover Awakened, 2006 - Zsadist, the super tortured twin vamp and Bella, a surprisingly normal female vamp, given the cast of characters in this series.

Lover Revealed, 2007 - Butch, the human cop, and Marisa, a female vamp and Wrath's former mate sort of thing. This book ends (somewhat abruptly) a minor story line on the vampire's enemy.

Lover Unbound, 2007 - Vishous, the bi-curious kinky vamp, and Jane, the human trauma MD. A satisfying start to a their relationship, but mostly the overall BDB story line starts to really take off in this book.

Lover Enshrined, 2008 - Phury, Zsadist's twin, and Cormia, a Chosen. Ugh, this story is so boring. Mostly because Phury sucks, but also the love story is super weak. Thankfully we get a lot of interesting background plot in this one.

Lover Avenged, 2009 - Rhevenge, who is a vampire, but not in the BDB, and Ehlena, a female vamp. This book of lovers with extra 'h's in their name starts another big story arc that ends in Lover Mine.

Lover Mine, 2010 - John Matthew, our beloved special needs vamp, and Xhex, a female vamp, and Rhevenge's right hand. We see more of Wrath and Beth in this one. By this point, you are so sucked in to the series you whip through each massive tome in a day and then yearn for an entire year until the next one comes out.

Lover Unleashed, 2011 - Payne, a female Chosen, and Manny, a human MD and Jane's old coworker (and who's name is basically Manny Manny and no one ever mentions it). We get a lot of Vishous in this book, but then the story arc sort of disappears.

Lover Reborn, 2012 - Thorment, the widower, and No'One, a female vamp with a past. This was supposed to be the conclusion of the series, but definitely does not end anything. A lot of the characters have had progressing story lines from the 3rd book in, and we still haven't seen things conclude for them. Word on the street is another book is on the way...

Lover at Last, 2013. Wow, JR Ward is not just hinting at the the "Brother-on-Brother" action in this one - we finally see what happens with  John Matthew's best friends, Qhuinn and Blay.


The King, 2014. A totally unexpected release - and featuring Wrath and Beth again. The book ends with FOUR separate romances that leave us wondering what the heck is coming next?!

E Rating: 4 stars    H Rating: 4 stars  

Stand out book: They are all pretty awesome with the exception of Lover Enshrined - SNORE

Brenda Jackson's 'Bachelor in Demand' Series

These are published by Kimani Press, the Harlequin's line of African-American romances. For full disclosure, neither of us is African-American, which maybe why we didn't like these, but I'm more inclined to believe it is because they weren't very well written. The guy on the cover on the first one was smoking hot, and the plot was good, but there were so many cliches about their romance and then in their sex scenes, that I couldn't get into the story. The characters all seemed exactly the same and totally one dimensional. That said, the plots really were different from what I typically read in that they featured real life issues and the sex scenes actually included condoms and concerns about STIs/pregnancy - seems that is a real afterthought in most ro nos.

Series Order
Bachelor Untamed, 2009 - only one H read
Bachelor Unleashed, 2010
Bachelor Undone, 2011

E: UGH. I tried one of Brenda Jackson's books when I saw it was marked down on the Kindle. It was called Hot Westmoreland Nights and seriously, the only thing good about it were the 'nights.' The premise lacked anything believable or captivating, the heroine was officially 'meh' and the couple had no chemistry. Even though I had paid $ for and it was stuck on a plane (cross-country so plenty of reading time), I dropped it at 40% read and reread Darkfever.

E Rating:      H Rating: 2 stars

Stand out book: none? Didn't read enough to find a standout

Multi-author "Dogs and Goddesses"

This is a multi-authored ro no by Anne Stuart, Jennifer Cruise and Lani Diane Rich. There are several different character's story lines, and they are clearly written by each of the authors, so it is sort of distracting. H was not wild about this so E did not read it.

Dogs and Goddesses, 2009

E Rating:       H Rating: 2 stars

Anne Stuart's "House of Rohan" Series

These historical romances feature rakish members of the House of Rohan who are reformed by smart heroines - or, in the last one, the "rake" is the heroine. The characters are all relatives, including the sons of the hero in the first book. Despite the family links, there isn't a lot of cross over between characters so you could definitely read each independently. Sexy and intriguing plots, per the norm with Ms. Stuart's books.

Series Order 

Ruthless, 2010
Reckless, 2010
Breathless, 2010
Shameless, 2011

E Rating:  4 stars        H Rating:  3 stars

Stand out book: Breathless

Anne Stuart's 'Ice' Series

We read these (E did first) in 2010 and both enjoyed them. They go fast and feature heavy sex with a consistent theme of a strong, hard to reach male lead and a sexual novice female. There are also fairly suspenseful plots and some violence. The series centers around a spy/mercenary-type organization called the Committee and their various members. There isn't that much carry over between characters, but the series should be read in order to understand the evolution of the Committee.

Series Order

Black Ice, 2005

Cold as Ice, 2006 

Ice Blue 2007 

Ice Storm, 2007

Fire and Ice, 2008

On Thin Ice, 2012 -  H still hasn't read this one (my poor lamb - HA!)

E: Wrapped up On Thin Ice in 2012 and it was an excellent conclusion to a fun, thrilling, sexy series. Not sure what's going on with Amazon as this shows a pub date of 2011, but it was only recently made available. And now many of the previous books are not on the kindle anymore...

H: On Thin Ice is available as a book on Amazon as of Feb. 2014! Time for me to get reading!

E rating: 4 stars      H rating: 3 stars

Stand out book: Ice Storm