Book Review: The Mutatio Project by J.A. Garland

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The Mutatio Project

Written by J.A. Garland

Published by Burst, A Champagne Books Company

Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

180 Pages

“She is a prize that the Shadows find they just can't resist…”

 

The Mutatio Project—Book Synopsis Provided by Publisher

Hiding in plain sight is a skill that Lucia has learned to perfect. Born with extraordinary Otherkind talents that could be considered both a blessing and a curse, Lucia is one of the rare few of her kind, and as such, she is a prize that the Shadows find they just can't resist...

  

Book Review and Synopsis of The Mutatio Project

Vampire Zeke Walker once worked as a Tracker, hired to pursue and often kill. After a mission gone wrong, he resigned and started his own business. When bounty hunter Loera Keller hires him to protect her sister, Molly, he finds himself over his head in more way than one.

He's strongly attracted to Molly, who now calls herself Lucia, is unsure just who's after her, and his "client" isn't keen on having him watch over her. Lucia mentions her past involvement in a research project with the National Oceanic Administration called The Mutatio Project, where she worked closely with a Dr. Alexiou Papadakis.

Lucia's convoluted past makes it difficult for Zeke to ascertain whether it's her powers, her past or a little of both that put hired killers on her trail. Lucia's a level four shapeshifter with more sophisticated powers than most in her league. As a child, Lucia was sometimes molested by her father's drunken friends. Years later, when her parents were murdered during a home invasion, a man she'd become intimately involved with named Carlos Mendez kept her from being their next victim. Mendez later married another woman, leaving her heartbroken. Zeke denies his attraction to Lucia, feeling he's unworthy of her love while Lucia finds it difficult to trust men in general.

Garland's characters are likeable, believable and easy to relate to. I strongly connected to the predicaments of Zeke and Lucia, particularly their personal vulnerabilities and concerns about becoming involved with the other given their "brokenness." They felt very human, even with their paranormal powers.

The author's voice really shines through in the story. She has an unusual way of describing people and their emotions, which really worked for me.

The secondary characters, such as Carlos Mendez, Loera Keller, Dr. Papadakis, and Devin, had intriguing personalities that really added extra dimension to the story. The plot is full of twists and turns, which I loved. There was only one scene I partially predicted, but the outcome was much more complex than I expected. I am always drawn to a real page turner with strong romantic elements and this book delivered both to the fullest. The Mutatio Project was exciting, fast-paced and romantic.

~Reviewed by Sabrina Devonshire ~

Exotic romantic adventure novelist Sabrina Devonshire has published two novels with Extasy Books; THE OPEN WATER SWIMMER and MESSAGE FROM VIOLA MARI. Her romantic adventures series, LOVE IN THE LABYRINTHS will be released in July. Sabrina, also a fitness expert and nationally ranked competitive swimmer, writes dozens of articles annually for national magazines. Her passion for the water, outdoor adventure and exotic travel come alive in her books. You can connect with her online at www.sabrinadevonshire.com or www.sabrinadevonshire.blogspot.com

Book Review: Taken In by Jane Toombs

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Taken In
Dagon House Ghosts, Book One

Written by Jane Toombs

Published by Champagne Books
Paranormal-Suspense

60 Pages   

Taken In- Book Synopsis 

Dagon House Ghosts, Book One

Gail Sarandon runs for her life after witnessing a murder. Found by Special Agent Jason Tregarth, the two are spotted by the murderer and pursued. After a car crash, Gail and Jason are taken in by the inhabitants of Dagon House who all have secrets of their own. 

Dagon House itself hides its own terrible secrets. When the murderer finds Gail and Jason, it wakes the vengeful ghosts who are bent on revenge.    

Book Review of Taken In

Synopsis

When an impromptu meeting with Gail’s drug dealer ex ends in his murder at the hands of a ruthless hit man, she’s picked up by Jason, a U.S. Marshal, for her own safety. Before he can get her into protective custody, their car swerves off the road and they narrowly escape conflagration. Injured and on foot, they flee to the mysterious Dagon House, where they recuperate and wait for Jason’s agency to come pick them up.

Unbeknownst to them, Dagon House has secrets and so do their hosts. During the course of their impromptu investigation, Gail and Jason are forced to confront their preconceptions about the afterlife, and about each other.

Meanwhile, the hit man who shot Gail’s ex in cold blood tracks them to Dagon House and bides his time, waiting for the opportunity to finish tying off loose ends.

Review

Toombs plunges the reader into the action right away, and keeps it coming all the way to the last page. Gail is a likeable protagonist and her burgeoning romance with Jason is believable and entertaining to watch unfold.

I’ll admit, I had no idea where the story was going. At first, I thought it’d be a cat-and-mouse game between Gail and the hit man. Then, I thought it was going to be a romance kind of deal. By the end, I was intrigued by the paranormal mystery aspect of the story and couldn’t wait to see what happened.

Taken In is a fun read through and through, infused with rich detail and unexpected twists and turns. It’s proof that sometimes help can come from the most unexpected places.

 ~Reviewed by Erika Mitchell~

Erika Mitchell is the author of Blood Money, published by Champagne Books. She lives in Seattle with her husband and their two tiny humans and enjoys indulging in an eclectic array of interests. For more information, excerpts, and free short stories, check out Erika's website at www.Erika-Mitchell.com.

Book Review: Powerful Moves by Tonya Ramagos

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Powerful Moves

Written by Tonya Ramagos

Published by Siren-Bookstrand

Erotic Paranormal Romance

211 Pages

 

Powerful Moves—Book Synopsis from Publisher

As an agent with the Logistical Unit of Specialized Talents, Elena Cabot’s primary mission is to use her abilities to solve crimes against humanity that government agencies can’t. But when she joins forces with the confident, sexy, and powerful Tavius Zolan in a race against time, terrorists, and a centuries-old vampire threatening everyone and everything she holds dear, she finds herself on a mission to protect her heart.

Providing security for his family’s weapons research and development agency can keep a man on his toes, especially when a portal is opened between Tavius’s realm and Earth. But he’s about to encounter a mission that will call on every ounce of power and brains he possesses even as it stirs his blood and libido for a delectably lustful Earth-realm agent.

Book Review of Powerful Moves

Powerful Moves by Tonya Ramagos instantly swept me up into the story and did not let go until the very last sentence. The reader is immediately dropped into a future parallel world as Tavius Zolan tracks – and loses track of – Regulus Le Mort, the most evil and dangerous vampire ever known. When Le Mort leaps through a portal to present day earth, Tavius follows instantly, materializing out of nothing in front of Elena Cabot, out for a moonlight run in the woods she loves so much.

Neither one is prepared for the sudden burning sexual attraction that plagues their every step for the rest of the book, a desire that seems a perilous distraction from their very urgent task to stop Le Mort before he destroys the entire earth. Sometimes I cringe when I run into romance characters who have an instant off-the-charts physical attraction, because it can seem unreal. Tonya Ramagos accomplished much more than just make it convincing and inevitable. Her capacity to convey Tavius and Elena’s deep turmoil plunged me into their inner worlds, pulling me into a story I could not put down.

Of course, all is never as it seems, and I was unprepared for the high speed twists and turns in this stunning plot as the would-be lovers enlist their apparent allies, throw their combined brilliant brainpower into solving the perverse clues, and pursue their quarry across time and distance. I loved every minute.  

A perfect blend of suspense, fast action, explosive sexual tension and sizzling attraction that will not be denied, Powerful Moves is a well-crafted story that will leave readers both deeply satisfied and begging for more.
                                                                             

~ Reviewed by Adriana Kraft ~

Adriana Kraft is the pen name under which my husband and I co-author Erotic Romance for Two, Three or More. We have over twenty five erotic romance books published at Extasy Books, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, Love You Divine, Logical Lust and Torquere. Pairings include straight m/f, lesbian, bisexual, ménage and polyamory, with both contemporary and paranormal settings. We’d love you to stop by our Website, browse our Blog, and sample a taste of our world, “filled with warmth, blazing hot sex, well-developed characters…not for the faint of heart.” (Romance Junkies)