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Friday, July 31, 2015

Book Review: The Taming of the Billionaire by Jessica Clare


The Taming of the Billionaire
(Billionaires and Bridesmaids #2)
By Jessica Clare

Blurb: 
The New York Times bestselling author of The Billionaire and the Virgin returns with a tale of Shakespearean-style seduction…

Edie’s an overbearing cat behaviorist who’s not big on people. Magnus is a newly-rich game developer who likes to be in control. When the two of them meet at Gretchen and Hunter’s masquerade engagement party, the loathing is mutual. Unfortunately for them—and everyone else—they’re in the wedding party together and must deal with each other for the next few months.

But when Magnus’s younger brother falls for Edie’s sister, he begs for his brother’s help in concocting a plan to win her over. If Magnus can keep the prickly Edie occupied, his brother will have time to woo Edie’s sister. Of course, Magnus isn’t interested in the slightest, but Edie is…intriguing. And stubborn. And smart. And sexy. And they might have more in common than they thought.

Before long, it becomes a challenge between the two of them to see who will be tamed first. But how’s Edie going to react when she finds out that Magnus is using her? And how’s Magnus going to handle the fact that he’s fallen for a cat lady?



Available for purchase at 
            


Viviana's Review: 
The second book in the Billionaires and Bridesmaids series and it does not disappoint.  The author, Jessica Clare continues to bring a breath of fresh air to an otherwise saturated genre and trope.  This is truly the only “Billionaire” anything I read.  In this story our heroine is stated to be a “cat lady” while our hero is an actual gamer who, after selling a game becomes a billionaire.  Not your traditional trope.  Thank you Jessica!

Edie, the heroine is a cat behaviorist who gets along better with felines than with people.  I don’t blame her!  It seems she is constantly surrounded by individuals who are mean spirited or out for themselves and use her.  However, she doesn’t cower or allow others to walk all over her.  She calls them out on their stupidity or childish behavior  and during a particular scene it’s freaking priceless!  Though she is blinded to the way her sister is dependent on her and this is a major issue.

Magnus, our hero is smart and sexy.  He’s also sweet and a good brother.  So when his brother comes up with a scheme to get a girl, while Magnus hesitates he still helps him out.  So starts Edie and Magnus’s relationship.  However, he feels guilty about starting things with  false pretenses and hurting her feelings.  His brother, Levi, is whiny and childish.

Edie’s sister Bianca was a manipulative gold digger, looking out only for herself.  She puts on a good show but Edie’s BFF saw through the act.  Gretchen also calls her out on it and tries to get Edie to see things how they truly are.  Between Levi and Bianca you don’t know which one you want to smack first and then most.

I mentioned how Jessica brings a breath of fresh air to the saturated Billionaire trope.  She brings a sense of truth…  In the previous book in the series, the heroine was “too tall” according to society standards.  In the spinoff series “The Billionaire Boys Club” one of the billionaires was disfigured and one of the heroines was curvy.  In The Taming of the Billionaire, the heroine has a limp due to an injury.

Also, each of the billionaires actually work.  They do actual work.  Traditionally, in the Billionaire genre, the billionaire doesn’t seem to do any “work”.  It’s nice to see them actually having to do work and earn their living.

Magnus and Edie are a very cute couple.  However, I was waiting for him to come clean about how things got started.  It was going to be interesting to see how it’s all going to play out.  When everything does blow up Magnus does a wonderful job of groveling.  It was brilliant!

Overall a great continuation of the series.  Can’t wait for the next book.  


Rating: 4 Stars - Loved It




Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.


Thursday, July 30, 2015

Guest Post & Giveaway: Caged Magic by Jennifer Lyon


Hi everyone! Please welcome Jennifer to Enchantress of Books! I'm extremely happy to have you here with us today to chat about your latest release


Thank you Vivana for having me here on Vivana, Enchantress of Books blog! It’s a pleasure to hang out with you all!

It’s no secret that I love witches, and have ever since I was a little girl and stumbled onto reruns of the old sitcom Bewitched. I adored Samantha and wanted to be just like her. I pretty much detested Darrin. He was afraid of a strong, powerful woman and even as a little girl that bugged me. In my world of witches, the men that love them are proud and supportive of their magic.

In Caged Magic, book 5 of the Wing Slayer Hunter Series, Risa is desperate to get her high magic in order to find her missing six-month-old godchild, Kendall. To do that, she must obtain her high magic by mating with her soul mirror – Linc Dillinger. The problem is that in order to secure Linc’s help, Risa must lie, not realizing that her lie might save the baby but destroy her heart.

While the book is dark, sexy and emotional I think witches can be fun! Of course I’d end hunger, cure the sick, comfort the sad, and rid the world of evil…but once I did all the important stuff…well then I’d have some fun! So I came up with five reasons I wish I was a witch:

  1. Who needs a diet when you have magic? Chocolate cake for breakfast! Chocolate chip cookies for lunch! Cheesecake for dinner! Self-control is for mortals, not witches!
  2. Whenever a man says “calm down” I’d grant him his wish – and send him into the eye of a hurricane. 
  3. I would have a dozen dogs.  And believe me it would take a whole lot of magic to convince my husband! I can get my husband to do almost anything, the guy is sweet and generous, so good to me that I can’t remember the last time I put gas in my car. But he doesn't want to be tied down to a dog and he’s a tad stubborn on the subject. 
  4. No tequila headaches! I love having a margarita in the pool, but I have to severely limit it as tequila will randomly give me a headache. Yes I know this is really tough problem, but I’m very brave and deal with it. However, if I were a witch, I could totally rock those margaritas in the pool with no fear of those headaches! (FYI, it’s not a hangover, I am too much of a wimp to drink enough to get a hangover. Ugh!)
  5. Rude people on cell phones – loud conversations in restaurants or movie theaters, driving thirty miles an hour on the freeway while texting, blocking grocery store aisles – all those people would find themselves on an island where they would all spend the appropriate amount of time locked in their own private phone booth and not able to annoy anyone. 


I could go on and on but I thought I’d give you a turn. What fun things would you do if you were a witch?

If you love paranormal romance, I hope you’ll give Caged Magic a try!


Caged Magic 
(Wing Slayer Hunters Series, Bk  #5)
by Jennifer Lyon

Blurb: 
Risa Faden is a witch whose ultra-powerful shield magic is slowly breaking her mind. But when her beloved goddaughter is snatched by a demon, she’ll risk anything to rescue the baby—including lying to the handsome, intriguing stranger who has the power to help her keep her sanity, save the child…and steal her heart.

Linc Dillinger is a Wing Slayer Hunter whose sexy, rich, bad-boy charm hides a treacherous betrayal that left him emotionally scarred. As a result he risks his life to protect innocents, but is incapable of love—until he meets a beautiful witch who can save his cursed soul. Risa’s fierce courage and loyalty reaches past his barriers and he begins to believe she has the magic to free his caged heart.

But Risa’s lie explodes into dark danger that forces Linc into a hellish high-stakes gamble: He must either win the witch he loves and her godchild…or endure a loss that will destroy them all.


            



You can read my review here


Excerpt


But there’s a price.”
           
She jerked her gaze up. “What?”

He lifted her hand to his mouth, his warm lips sliding over her knuckles. “You’ll let me kiss you first. A deep, owning kiss.”

Her heart started to pound. “You want to kiss me?”

I want to kiss you so hard you’ll go to sleep and wake up with the taste of me. No one else, Risa. Me.”
Intensity. She’d never experienced this pull, this inability to emotionally distance herself from another person. He had a magnetic effect, tugging her into him. “Is this the soul bond?”

Bronze shimmered in his eyes. “I don’t know. But you’re ripping me open, making me need more than sex. I need your touch.”

Recognition sounded in her like a gong. Touch. They’d both had too much of the wrong kind and not enough of the right. She thought of the way he’d held her last night, even after finding out it had been her father who kidnapped and gave him to the bastards who’d caged him. Yet Linc hadn’t seen her ugliness. Instead, he’d held her until she fell asleep.

Safe in his arms.

And now he was unfailingly honest in what he needed. A kiss. Touch. Unable to stop herself, she wrapped her hands around Linc’s sides. The powerful muscles twitched beneath her palms.

Kiss me.” She tugged him to her.

Linc curled his palm around her nape and lowered his gaze to her lips.

The air between them thickened. Sizzled. Her lips tingled, and her heart thumped.

He stroked his thumb along the sensitive curve of her throat. Arousal rode her nerve endings, pebbling her nipples and warming her belly. She squeezed her thighs together, vividly aware of her nakedness beneath the shirt.

His mouth touched hers, warm velvety lips gliding over hers with a slow exploration while his thumb lazily caressed her jaw.

No one kissed her like this, as if they needed to learn every secret of her mouth. She tracked her hands over his shoulders, absorbing the warm skin stretched over powerful muscles. Bold hunger flickered, and she licked at his mouth.

A groan rumbled against her palm on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. Pinning her to the wall, he tilted her chin up and consumed her. His tongue dueled with hers, then darted away, exploring and marking her.


Risa shivered as the taste of him hit her tongue, like dark chocolate mixed with real cream and whipped until irresistible. Greed for more pulled out a moan. She’d never have enough of his flavor or the feel of his mouth moving over hers as if he were as starved for her as she was for him. The kiss devoured her.



About the Author


Jennifer Lyon, who also writes as Jennifer Apodaca, lives in Southern California where she continually plots ways to convince her husband that they should get a dog. After all, they met at the dog pound, fell in love, married and had three wonderful sons. So far, however, she has failed in her doggy endeavor. She consoles herself by pouring her passion into writing books. To date, Jen has published more than fifteen books and novellas, including a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances under the name Jennifer Apodaca. As Jennifer Lyon she created a dark, sizzling paranormal series, and The Plus Once Chronicles, an emotionally sensual adult contemporary series. Jen’s won numerous awards and had her books translated into multiple languages, but she still hasn’t come up with a way to persuade her husband that they need a dog.





You can find Jennifer at 

         


Giveaway
There are 3 tour wide giveaways!
Open to US, CAN, UK 
(1) grand prize $50.00 electronic gift card (Amazon or B&N)
(2) runner up winners of one $25.00 electronic gift card each (Amazon or B&N)




Presented by


Follow the Tour

For more interviews and guest posts with Jennifer plus Caged Magic reviews & Spotlights stop by the tour every day!

The complete schedule can be found HERE

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Cover Reveal: Demon of Mine by Rayna Vause


Demon of Mine
by Rayna Vause

Blurb:

Climbing the corporate ladder can be hell….

As a Collections Demon, Zavier grants his “clients” one wish in exchange for their souls. His job sucks, but once you make a deal with Corporate South, they own you. The trouble is, Zavier’s not a very good Collections Demon, with his tendencies to spurn authority and find loopholes to help deserving clients out of their contracts. He’s under scrutiny from the head of his department, who would quite literally like to see him burn. He just needs to close a simple deal to get upper management off his back. Instead, he meets Ryan.

Ryan is desperately searching for a way to save his dying sister. He doesn't believe in magic and demons, but he’s out of options. Zavier’s not what he expects in a demon, and even more unexpected is the strong sense of familiarity—very intimate familiarity.

While trying to free Ryan from his contract, Zavier discovers secrets unscrupulous even by South standards. Exposing them could cost Zavier everything, but it might be Ryan’s only hope.



Available for pre-order at 



Release Date: 
August 28, 2015


Excerpt


 “What person in their right mind would text a random stranger and tell him to come to the middle of a field in farm country?” Zavier rolled his eyes.
“I don’t know. People do stupid things just for shits and giggles all the time.” The man shrugged, pulling his jacket tighter around him.
“For that matter, what idiot follows those instructions unless they have a damn good reason?”
Again the man simply shrugged, then stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Look, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to ask for proof that you are who you say you are and that you’re actually capable of doing the things that book said you could do.”
Zavier paused for a moment, considering, impressed by his guts. Most took his abilities on faith, hope, and a bit of greed. Instead of turning on the intimidation as he usually did in an effort to keep these encounters short, he decided to oblige. He balled his fist and squeezed. When he opened his hand, an orb of electricity danced in his palm. The man gaped and stumbled back a step. After a moment, his expression changed from fear to fascination. He stepped closer to Zavier in an attempt to get a better look.
“Can I touch it?” The man inched his hand closer to the tiny lightning flashes that danced across Zavier’s hand.
“Only if you’re in the mood to be electrocuted.”
The man jerked his hand back, tucking it under his arm.
Zavier stifled a laugh, then turned down the intensity until the ball dissipated and all that remained were strings of power arcing between his fingers like a Tesla ball. “Here, touch my hand now.”
The man hesitated, then reached out and placed his palm over Zavier’s. “Wow. That’s awesome.” Leaving his hand there, seeming to enjoy the light tingle Zavier’s abilities had generated, the man laughed a warm sound that rolled through Zavier.
Zavier took a moment to study the hand touching his. He had long, slim fingers, like those of a pianist and soft, yet slightly calloused palms. The man’s jacket hid his arms, but the opening revealed a form-fitting white T-shirt molded to a rather impressive set of abs and a broad, muscular chest. Very nice. Oh yeah, a night or two with this guy could definitely improve his mood. Call him shallow, but he couldn't help but admire a well-toned body.
Tearing his focus from the guy’s pecs, he scanned upward to take his first good look at the man’s face. Strong chin, lips made for kissing, and long, dark lashes that shielded the man’s eyes. Zavier wanted to see those eyes.
“Convinced?” He spoke a little louder than necessary in an attempt draw the man’s attention.
The man’s head jerked up. When their gazes met, Zavier froze. The world stopped spinning as he stared into gorgeous, green eyes. Something about them tugged at his memory, causing a tingle at the base of his skull. Zavier shifted his attention to study the rest of the face before him. He clasped the man’s wrist, preventing him from backing away.
Think dammit, think. You know this face. Vague irritation churned inside of him at his inability to remember. Sometimes the rules and regs of demon life sucked, especially the “Swiss cheese memory” policy.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
Zavier’s attention turned back to his potential client, when both the words and the tugging on his arm finally registered.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry about that.” He released the man, who took a step back. “So, let’s get on with this.” Zavier stared at the ground as he stepped back, needing to regroup. Nothing about this assignment was going as expected.
“Uh, sure. H-how do we do this? Do I need to say some type of special incantation? Offer up more blood?”

“No, just tell me what you want. This is demonology 2.0, the upgraded edition. We've phased out a lot of that old school, bodily fluids stuff.”


About The Author

Rayna Vause loves to craft romances that mix a little action, a little adventure, and, often, a touch of the paranormal. She’s voracious reader and a perpetual student. Rayna has collected more degrees and certifications then she cares to admit and eventually she’ll probably earn a few more just because. She is a proud geek who injects a little bit of her geeky, tech obsessed soul into every story she writes.


When Rayna isn't busy make up stories, she’s likely indulging her love of video games. Why? Because playing through the action, adventure, and romance in a role playing game is as good as reading a romance novel and is sometimes great inspiration for her writing. She’s a martial artist having studied American Kenpo Karate. She is also a Disney fanatic of epic proportions.   

Rayna is a member of RWA, RRW, and a founding member of Liberty States Fiction Writers. She lives in southern NJ, just a bit outside of Philadelphia and shares a home with a cat who thinks she’s royalty.

You can find Rayna at 

            





 Presented By

Gift Ideas for the Book Lover #42





Check out this week's "Gift Idea For The Book Lover"!  Scroll down below and check out this week's items and let me know which is your favorite? 




Personalized Bookplates, Custom Bookplates, Modern Bookplates, Gift for Readers, Hostess Gift, Office or Book Club Gift, Set of 6
$5.75 (plus S&H)


You receive: 6 bookplate labels, ready to peel and use. 

Size: 3.3" x 4"

When ordering, please provide an active email address that you check frequently, as I may have a question about the information you have sent with your order.

Include the name you would like to use on the bookplates in the Note to Seller section at checkout. 







What You're Really Thinking at Book Club Scrabble Tile Wine Glass Charms
$30.00 (plus S&H)


What are you REALLY thinking at book club? In every book club, there are those who devour each selection cover to cover, those who cram it into the day or two before the meeting, and those who are just there for the wine. You know who you are. And so do these wine charms. 

Each wine glass charm in this set of eight is constructed from vintage Scrabble tiles (letter partially viewable on other side), with attractive beadwork and a triple-glazed finish. 








Book Lovers Coaster Set, Library Due Date Card Wood Coasters, Gifts for Readers, Book Clubs, Literary Decor, Teacher Gift, Party Favor
$20.00 (plus S&H)

A coaster set for the book lover in your life or the perfect Book Club Hostess Gift. Based on vintage library due date cards these fun, colorful coasters are sure to charm. Featuring classic children's books: Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables, The Wizard of Oz and the Secret Garden.

You receive all four coasters pictured.

This is a made-to-order item. Fabrication time is five business days.









Bookish Tote Bag for book lovers - gifts for readers, book lovers, book bag, grocery bag, orange turquoise green, shopping bag carry-all bag
$29.00+ (plus S&H)


Beautiful tote bag in my "Bookish" design. Hand sewn in the USA by a wonderful company I work with on the east coast, using a sturdy yet lightweight poly poplin fabric. You won't have to be concerned with seams unraveling. All seams are double-stitched for added strength and dependability.

While some totes feature a design only on the front side, this bag features my original artwork on both sides. It also has a sturdy 1-inch wide cotton webbing strap for carrying it over your shoulder.

Tote comes in three sizes - see dropdown menu for details.





If items are no longer available, please contact the seller to request further information. 




Click here to see more gift ideas!!
Visit us every Wednesdays for more awesome gift/present ideas for you or the 
Book Lover in your life!!! 

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Book Review: Caged Magic by Jennifer Lyon


Caged Magic 
(Wing Slayer Hunters Series, Bk  #5)
by Jennifer Lyon

Blurb: 
Risa Faden is a witch whose ultra-powerful shield magic is slowly breaking her mind. But when her beloved goddaughter is snatched by a demon, she’ll risk anything to rescue the baby—including lying to the handsome, intriguing stranger who has the power to help her keep her sanity, save the child…and steal her heart.

Linc Dillinger is a Wing Slayer Hunter whose sexy, rich, bad-boy charm hides a treacherous betrayal that left him emotionally scarred. As a result he risks his life to protect innocents, but is incapable of love—until he meets a beautiful witch who can save his cursed soul. Risa’s fierce courage and loyalty reaches past his barriers and he begins to believe she has the magic to free his caged heart.

But Risa’s lie explodes into dark danger that forces Linc into a hellish high-stakes gamble: He must either win the witch he loves and her godchild…or endure a loss that will destroy them all.


            

Viviana's Review: 
Oh how long I have been waiting for the next Wing Slayer Hunter book for what seemed like forever. I was totally thrilled to hear the news “Caged Magic” was going to be released.  As the release date neared the excitement grew.

“Caged Magic” did not disappoint.  Jennifer did a great job catching readers up on the series.  With that said,  this is definitely not a standalone.  There is a lot of back history and it’s a great series so I’d recommend you read it from the beginning if you haven’t as of yet.

Action packed from the start.  While the entire book is full of action, the pace ebbs and flows and the pace works perfectly for the story.

Linc is a great hero!  We got to learn about his past and it’s heartbreaking.  Because of his past he works hard to do good. He struggles with trusting others but knows it's something he must learn to overcome if he wants a future of any kind. 

Risa is one tough woman and witch!  She has had a tough life.  She has survived and continues to fight to survive. One of the many reasons I LOVE this series is that all the heroines are strong, independent and smart women. They may need help but they are not helpless. They overcome their fears and become strong woman. In part because of their partners, this is due though because their partners believe in them.  

Loved getting to know Linc and Risa together.  They build a friendship and trust is a big factor.  They are a great couple. I'm glad Linc got his HEA! 

I was also extremely happy to read more about Ram and Eli.  As well as to learn that their stories are coming up next! WOOHOO!!!

I loved this story!  It’s a great continuation of the series!!


Rating: 4 Stars - LOVED IT



Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, Jennifer Lyon via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Tempt Me Tuesday with Mad Hatter Reads 7/28/2015

Tempt Me Tuesday


Happy Release Day or as we like to call it Temp Me Tuesday!!!
Mad Hatter Read has some awesome temptation for you this week!!! 

Dragon Fall (Black Dragons, #1) by Katie MacAlister

Dragon Fall (Black Dragons, #1)YOU FLIRT WITH FIRE...
For Aoife Dakar, seeing is believing-and she's seen some extraordinary things. It's too bad no one else believes that she witnessed a supernatural murder at an outdoor fair. Returning to the scene for proof, Aoife encounters a wise-cracking demon dog-and a gloriously naked man who can shift into a dragon and kiss like a god. Now thrust into a fantastical world that's both exhilarating and terrifying, Aoife is about to learn just how hot a dragon's fire burns.
WHEN YOU DATE A DRAGON
Kostya has no time for a human woman with endless questions, no matter how gorgeous or tempting she is. He must break the curse that has splintered the dragon clans before more of his kind die. But his powerful attraction to Aoife runs much deeper than the physical-and there may be more to her than even his sharp dragon eyes can see. To survive the coming battle for the fate of his race, he needs a mate of true heart and soul .
 

Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements, #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements, #3)Some loves will last ’til your dying breath
Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.
Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.
Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell.
 

Siren's Call (Rainshadow, #4) by Jayne Castle

Siren's Call (Rainshadow, #4; Harmony, #12)In the mysterious world of Harmony, there are places filled with unexplored marvels. But Rainshadow Island isn’t about to give up its secrets…
In the alien catacombs of Rainshadow, there are creatures whose compelling songs lure the unwary to their death. That’s why Rafe Coppersmith, hired to clear out the catacombs for exploration, needs a music talent. He’s knows the perfect one, but she probably doesn’t want anything do with him...
Ella Morgan had once fallen hard and fast for Rafe, but then he disappeared for months…and he’s not about to tell her why. Ella, too, has secrets that only her dust bunny knows. She’s not just a music talent, she’s a Siren: a paranormal singer capable of singing men to sleep—or to their deaths.
But once on Rainshadow, Rafe and Ella will learn that surrendering to passion doesn’t come without risks—and fighting fire with fire only adds to the flame.
 

Soul of Smoke (Dragonsworn, #1) by Caitlyn McFarland

Soul of Smoke (Dragonsworn, #1)On a hike deep in the Rocky Mountains, Kai Monahan watches as a dozen dragons—actual freaking dragons—battle beneath a fat white moon. When one crashes nearly dead at her feet and transforms into a man, Kai does the only thing a decent person could: she grabs the nearest sword and saves his life.
As the dragon/man, Rhys, recovers from the attack, a chance brush of skin against skin binds him inextricably to Kai. Becoming heartsworn to a human—especially such a compelling one—is the last thing Rhys wants. But with an ancient enemy gathering to pit dragons against humanity and his strength nearly depleted, Kai has just become the one thing Rhys needs. A complete bond will give him the strength to fight; a denied bond means certain death.
Kai is terrified at the thought of allowing any dragon into her mind…or her heart. Accepting the heartswearing and staying with the dragons means sacrificing everything, and Kai must decide if her freedom is worth risking Rhys's life—a life more crucial to the fate of humanity than she could possibly know.
 

Spider's Trap (Elemental Assassin, #13) by Jennifer Estep

Spider's Trap (Elemental Assassin, #13)The next thrilling book in Jennifer Estep’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Elemental Assassin series—“an extraordinary series… One of the most intriguing heroines in the genre” (Romantic Times Book Reviews).
Keep your friends close but your enemies within stabbing distance.
One important lesson I’ve learned in the assassination business is that to be the best you have to roll with the punches. Now that I’m queen of Ashland’s underworld—by default, not by choice—a lot more punches are being thrown my way. But I suppose that’s the price of victory for taking down some of the underworld’s top dogs. Good thing I have my Ice and Stone magic to help me survive my volatile new position. Just when I think things are finally settling down, someone tries to murder me during a hush-hush underworld meeting. But the real surprise is how strangely familiar my shadowy assailant seems to be.
My job is to maintain order among killers, crooks, and thieves, and soon I’m embroiled in a bloody game where the ability to keep secrets could be the greatest superpower of all. My enemies have all sharpened their knives and laid their traps, waiting for me to fall. But this Spider weaves her own webs of death.
 

The Bourbon Kings (The Bourbon Kings, #1) by J.R. Ward

The Bourbon Kings (The Bourbon Kings, #1)The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal....
For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.
For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.
As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.
 

The Forgotten (Krewe of Hunters, #16) by Heather Graham

The Forgotten (Krewe of Hunters, #16)Murdered by a dead man?
A woman named Maria Gomez is murdered in Miami, apparently by her husband—who'd been presumed dead, slain by a crime boss. FBI agent Brett Cody can't believe it; dead or alive, the man had loved his wife. He also can't help feeling guilty, since he was responsible for protecting Miguel and Maria Gomez.
A few miles away, Lara Mayhew has just begun working at a dolphin research facility. She loves her new job—until a dolphin brings her something unexpected from the deep. A human hand. More body parts show up, and when Brett looks into the situation, he discovers that the dismembered corpse is Miguel's.
Soon, rumors of crazed zombies abound in the Miami media, and the Krewe of Hunters, an elite FBI unit of paranormal investigators, is called in. Brett and Lara find themselves working with the Krewe—and working closely together. An elderly crime boss who's losing his memory seems to be key to solving this case, but…there's no motive. Unless Brett and Lara can uncover one in the Miami underworld. And that means they have to protect themselves. And each other.


  Traci