My Dangerous Pleasure

My Immortals #4

by Carolyn Jewel

TEMPT THE DARKNESSStrong-willed and independent, Paisley Nichols is used to taking care of herself. But when an insane mage begins tracking her every move and threatening her at every turn, she has no choice but to put her life in the hands of a demon.RISK THE PASSIONBurned by betrayal, demon assassin Iskander won't get too close to anyone. He spends his days serving his warlord and his nights indulging in carnal pleasures . . . and that's exactly how he likes it. But when a mage wages a wrenching psychic assault on his beautiful tenant Paisley, Iskander must defend her. Under his protection, she will be drawn irresistibly into his life and learn about her own mysterious powers. And not a moment too soon. The mage haunting her isn't acting alone-and he won't rest until he destroys both Paisley and Iskander.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Magic, Demons, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Carolyn Jewel was born on a moonless night. That darkness was seared into her soul and she became an award winning and USA Today bestselling author of historical and paranormal romance. She has a very dusty car and a Master’s degree in English that proves useful at the oddest times. An avid fan of fine chocolate, finer heroines, Bollywood films, and heroism in all forms, she has two cats and a dog. Also a son. One of the cats is his.

Reviews

[Anna (Bobs Her Hair) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in Carolyn Jewel's Immortal Assassin series. It's a paranormal series involving kin aka demons, mages, witches and humans. It's a dark and sensuous world where the mages and witches are the bad guys, although there are some that use the magic for good. You see, mages and witches enslave the kin in which they are used as bodyguards, assassins, and other nefarious activities. Kin are also sacraficed to prolong the life of mages and/or witches. It's incredibly useful to read the glossary before entering this world, plus having read the previous books.

The h/h in this story are Iskander, a demon/kin first introduced in My Wicked Enemy, and Paisley. Paisley, a latent human, is being stalked by a mage familiar to Iskander. Iskander becomes her protector.

I liked how their romance developed. It wasn't rushed and didn't happen over a fews days. Iskander had been a promiscuous character, which was his way of disconnecting and avoiding getting hurt after his last relationship. His behavior changes in credible ways as guards Paisley. She matters to him. They build a sense of home together. There is also action, fights with mageheld demons, and attempted kidnappings. Their HEA was had a sweetness that was pleasing if a bit rushed at the end.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in the process of reviewing the My Immortals series and I'm totally out of order, lol. I think I'm finding it easier to review my favorites first...and I loved My Dangerous Pleasure. I was totally surprised to find how much I loved Iskander. :-D

I wasn't a fan of Iskander when the reader meets him in My Wicked Enemy (mainly cause he had sex with Nikodemus&Carson). Iskander was a bloodtwin in a menage relationship with Harsh (the brother of Alexandrine from My Forbidden Desire ) until his bloodtwin, Fen, betrayed them. Fen - for reasons unknown other than she's insane - decided to get into a relationship with mage Rasmus Kessler (Alexandrine's biological father). Fen willingly binds herself to Rasmus which betrays her bloodbond to Iskander. Because they are still bonded, the betrayal makes Fen [even more?] insane and starts affecting Iskander. In order to protect himself, Iskander blocks his bloodbond to Fen but this cuts him off from everything - slowing but not stopping Iskander's decent into madness. In her insanity, Fen "gives" Harsh to Rasmus who takes Harsh mageheld. Carson manages to free both Harsh and Iskander in My Wicked Enemy.

My Dangerous Pleasure takes place about a year or so after the events in My Wicked Enemy. Iskander is (mostly) sane and living the bachelor life: lots of random women and one night stands. He owns a small place alone and he rents the apartment above his garage to a regular human woman, Paisley. Paisley is a regular person living her dream: she owns a small but successful bakery. Paisley's life is normal until Rasmus Kessler walks into her shop. Rasmus starts stalking Paisley after she rejects him romantically. In additional to stalking Paisley physically, Kessler finds some kind of way to force his magic inside of her, slowly turning her into a witch.

Iskander saves Paisley, becoming her protector and eventually lover. I loved watching Iskander have to step away from his "ladies man" act and be real with a woman he cared about. I loved watching Paisley take care of Iskander. I loved them together and apparently I am a sap, lol. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what I loved so much about this duo but love them I do.

One of the things I loved was that Iskander was such a dog but he didn't need "straightening out" nor was he "looking for someone" to get him to change his ways. When Iskander got to know Paisley, he realized she was special and they had something special together and he wanted to keep it. I loved that Paisley didn't give Iskander [much] grief over his womanizing ways - even though three different friends if Iskander basically told Paisley that Iskander was a womanizer.

“You should think about moving closer to the rest of us.”

“Have you been talking to Leonidas?”

“My place in Tiburon has plenty of room. Lots of company, too. I know Carson wouldn’t mind another woman in the house.” He shrugged. “Or you could move here if you want. Up to you. Either way, you’d be safer from Rasmus.”

“I’m happy where I am.”

He met her gaze. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“If that changes, you know you have somewhere to go.”

“Give him a little credit, Warlord.”

“Oh, I do.” He laughed. “I hope it works out between you two, I really do.”
He didn’t sound like he thought it would.
-page 302

Oh my! Iskander is such a dog! I swear, you know he's bad when his friends warn you off. O_O But lovable none the less.

One of my favorite scenes in My Dangerous Pleasure is when Paisley is introduced to other members of the My Immortals "crew":

Xia took a tentative bite. Good grief. He was almost as gorgeous as Iskander. She enjoyed watching the expression on his face go from worry to amazement to sheer bliss.

“Where did you buy these?” he asked Iskander.

Iskander jerked his thumb in Paisley’s direction and grinned. “My secret weapon made them.”

Xia’s head whipped around, and Paisley was speared by a pair of eyes too blue to be real. Nobody had eyes like that in real life. Neon blue. Not human. Her chest thrummed. He took a step toward her. She would have backed up if she wasn’t already against the table. Xia was really big, and though she knew Iskander would never let anyone hurt her, Xia didn’t look friendly. He jabbed a finger at her. “You made these brownies?”

“Yes, sir, I did.” Her accent turned as thick as her chocolate syrup. She wiped her hands on a paper napkin and held it out. “Paisley Nichols. Pleased to meet you.”

“You’re Paisley Nichols?” His eyes went wide, and he did a quick check of Iskander. “The human woman Nikodemus was telling us about?”

She nodded. “I assume so, yes.”

“You freed kin who were lost to us.”

“That’s her,” Iskander said.

Xia ate another bite of brownie. “And you made these?”

“Yes, sir, I did.”

While she watched in amazement, Xia went down on both knees and then bowed his head, the fingers of one hand pressed to his forehead. That got them some attention. The noise level in the room went down several more notches. Xia looked up and said, “For food like that, I’d swear fealty to you if I weren’t already sworn.”
-pgs 283-284

I truly enjoyed My Dangerous Pleasure! I loved Iskander and Paisley. I also loved her new power(s) - though I have to admit that it's very convenient that [yet another] person has popped up with a special (and new!) power that only boosts Nikodemus's prestige and power.

Most of the books in the My Immortals series typically have some kind of underlying issue woven into the plotline. I can't quite put my finger on the moral of this particular story, however. There are a lot of things that fall into the "moral" aspect of the story: the unending agony of the ritually murdered kin; the repercussions of not keeping your word; stalking is bad and that love may not always conquer all. That's a lot to parse down into one statement so I guess I haven't. I *think* that this book is one that has a lot of important plot details for the rest of the series but standing alone is mostly just a good story.

 

 

 

 

*Definitions:
Blood-twins: A bonded pair of fiends who share a permanent magical connection. They may be biologically related and/or same-sex. Antisocial and prone to psychosis.
Demon: Any one of a number of shape-shifting magical beings whose chief characteristic is, as far as the magekind are concerned, the ability to possess and control a human.
Fiend: A subspecies of demon. Before relations with the magekind exploded into war, they frequently bonded with the magekind.
Kin: What fiends collectively call each other. Socially divided into various factions seeking power over other warlord-led factions. The Kin connect with other Kin via psychic links, often collectively. They typically possess multiple physical forms, at least one of which is recognizably human.
Magekind: Humans who possess magic. The magekind arose to protect vanilla humans from the depredations of demons, a very real threat.
Mage: A male who possesses magic. A sorcerer. See also magekind.
Mageheld: A fiend or other demon who is under the complete control of one of the magekind.
Severing: The act of removing a mageheld from the control of a mage or witch, through the use of magic.
Vanilla: A human with no magic or, pejoratively, one of the magekind with little power.
Warlord: A fiend who leads some number of other fiends, who have sworn fealty. Usually a natural leader possessing far more magic than others of the Kin.
Witch: A human female who possesses magic. A sorceress. See also magekind.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

When his 'vanilla' human tenant, bakery owner Paisley Nichols, comes under magical attack from an enemy of the Kin, demon Iskander finds finds his forbidden desires are making him want to do more than just protect the woman he brings into his home. And as Paisley discovers the hidden world populated by demons and the mages who enslaved them, she comes to trust Iskander with more than just her life.

I really liked this newest entry to Jewel's series, and even though the starring pair aren't enemies this time, Jewel still brings that feeling of forbidden romance to Iskander's story, while balancing Iskander struggle against instincts which make him want to 'take' what must be freely given with a human woman with the care Iskander takes not to cross the final lines with Paisley. Having seen the destroyed Iskander who was such a mess in earlier books, I could appreciate how far he has come to allow himself to actually connect with another woman after the betrayal which nearly cost him his sanity. And it really adds to the story that Iskander really 'tries' to figure out how to interact with human Paisley, and the effort it takes Iskander when he is anything but human. I am hugely hero-centric, so sometimes it is easy for me to overlook the heroine, but I really liked Paisley too. Considering what Paisley goes through, she is exceedingly resilient and, with the new powers Paisley gains over the course of the book - as well as the experience that she brings from her human past - Paisley is a good partner to Iskander.

The white chocolate buttercream icing on the cake , is that the romance between Iskander and Paisley in My Dangerous Pleasures is set against a really good story - there is much more to Paisley's stalking by a powerful mage than it first appears. And I liked how Paisley's entry to the demon world adds a whole new wrinkle in the detente between mages and demons which should be interesting as Jewel carries her series forward. Also, after four books, Jewell has built up an interesting supporting cast which is used to good effect here, and I can definitely see the threads being put in place for at least three more books.

For those new to the series, Jewel does reintroduce the rules of her world, so be patient at the start of the story you will learn about the kin/fiends/demons, mageheld, vanilla humans, latents and mages along with Paisley. One warning to newbies though, demons have a nonhuman form and the urge to mate while shifted is strong and Iskander's inhumanity does add a touch of kinky intensity to the love scenes. Personally, I think Jewel manages to skirt the line without crossing too far into uncomfortable territory, but some readers may not agree.

[RachelW (BamaGal) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading the series getting ready for Kynan's book.

Loved the story, Iskander is one of my top fave demons of this wonderful series. If I had on small complaint to make, it would be that the Iskander in this story has changed from past books. The Demon with some serious issues throughout the series has been demoted to a very bad boy here. Still, I loved him and the book.

[WildAboutBones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth in the Witches series. Mages, witches, demons, fiends, hot male bodies, oh yeah!

There is a nice Glossary before the story. I really love it when authors do this when they have created a new mythos or world. And being new to this series, it was especially helpful. I was a little concerned about not having read the first three books when I was asked to review this. Because of the way the story is written, had I not known this was a part of a series, I wouldn't have guessed. The book reads like a stand alone even though fans of the series will probably recognize a few of the things mentioned as being probably from an earlier story and I'm sure many of the secondary characters were introduced earlier as well.

Paisley is living her dream - she owns a bakery cafe - and suddenly finds herself very sick one day after receiving what she believed to be a static electricity charge when she and one of her hot customers accidentally touch.

Iskander, Paisley's landlord and "the most beautiful man [she's] ever seen", is a fiend - a subspecies of demon - who comes to the rescue when Paisley is dying from what he believes is an attempted demon possession. He thinks Paisley is "seriously, wickedly hot."

There is non stop action in this story and I read it in one day. I'd put it down only to find myself picking it back up shortly thereafter to see what happens next. This reminds me a little of a Kresley Cole Immortals After Dark story or maybe a Shayla Black Doomsday Brethren story as opposed to a straight witchcraft or magic story and that is a very good thing.

Seriously hot: sex up against a wall (she's just the right height), sex on a desk in a bakery (after almost getting kidnapped) and some hot tub sex (who needs water jets?). But in no way does the sex get in the way of, or slow down, the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the other books in the series.

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this book. In fact, I almost put it down, which I something I never do. But I'm so glad that I didn't. It got better in a big way.

My Dangerous Pleasure is book four in Carolyn Jewel's Witches series and I have not read the first three installments in the series. And believe me, I felt my ignorance in the beginning. The world building wasn't too hard to pick up on, but there was clearly a lot of backstory on the supernatural characters that the author tried to compress into short bursts of information overload. I had no trouble understanding what was happening in this story, but I knew there were gaping holes in my knowledge of the characters, which I found distracting. I found the first half of the book to be slow-moving: very little action, no romance, and a lot of explaining.

Paisley is a regular human who runs a bakery. But she has the misfortune of renting her apartment from a landlord who is demonkin. That makes her a target for a mage, intent on bending her to his will. Rasmus awakens magic within her as he stalks her and tries to possess her mind. Iksander, our hero, catches wind of what's going on and becomes Paisley's protector. They become friends and eventually lovers, as the Paisley gets deeper into the demon and mage world.

This is where the book got good... when Iskander and Paisley's relationship evolved into something more than friendship. The sex was awesome; frantic; needful. I loved the dynamic of Iskander changing to his demon form. It was all very hot. I enjoyed his struggle with his feelings. Coincidentally, it was right around this same time that I also became invested in the action. The story picked up. The danger felt real. Just as much as I struggled to keep reading in the beginning, I found myself unwilling to stop reading in the end. And now I want to go back and read the first three books in the series.

I have a feeling that I really might have connected with this book a lot sooner if I had read the other books beforehand. But the simple fact is, I didn't. And I'm struggling to rate this book as a result. I'll go with 3 1/2 stars. But I'll bet it would be more for anyone who has read books 1-3.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read on April 2015. Binge reading all the series again. A note on those links, BamaGal left GR some time ago. Her Hyde didn't pick up her slack....Link is broken. *grin*

The sweetest of the four My Immortals books and the only one that really needs to be read in order. If you don't know the backstory (Fen and Isk's past and meaning of their bond), it will be difficult to understand motivation and plot.

And given this series is very much character driven, you'll miss a lot.

For a serious review, please read:

BamaGal
Anna
Melindeeloo

They all touch different aspects.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC through NetGalley from the publisher.

I have to admit that although I've read some of Carolyn Jewel's historical romances (and REALLY enjoyed them), this was the first paranormal of hers that I have read, and I kinda jumped in halfway through the series, which wasn't such a smart move. I think if I'd read the others first then some of my comments below would be obsolete.

This was essentially a really engaging romance, which used the paranormal elements very well, and yet had great characters also.

What I liked about this one:

- I loved the hero and the heroine. The heroine had more airtime to build her character, since I assume the hero has been introduced before, but, having said that, it was incredibly easy to get to know him - and really like him. He's a man-whore, fun-lovin', shape-shiftin' demon, who rents out the room above his garage to an independent, hard-working, pleasant human woman - the heroine. I just really liked them both.

- The first part of the story has a fair amount of scene-setting. There is a considerable amount of world-building, so you know what all the paranormal stuff refers to, even if you are jumping in half-way through the series, which I really appreciated. It would have been impossible to follow what a witch, mage, demon or warlord was in this paranormal world, without this running background, but as it was it was actually fairly easy to follow, and I wasn't left confused at any point.

- I really enjoyed the plot. It did rely on what had happened in a previous book, but I'll be honest, I liked it anyway. It was creative, and more than a little twisted, and you find your sympathies pulled a little towards the end. The pacing was also pretty good. Started out with scene-setting and then half-way through kicked up, and then it really got going!

- The steamy bits are smokin' hot! I always thought that shape-shifting/demon sex as a concept was kinda creepy, and not really credible or even pleasant to read, but, boy! when it's written like this, it is fabulous. There is just enough of it to keep anyone satisfied, but not so much that you want to tell them to get on with the damned story. (This was actually how I felt about the world-building stuff too).

What I didn't like so much about this one:

- In some places, it felt to me like the story got kind of "lost" in among the paranormal world-building and the large cast of secondary characters. Now, I know I came in half-way through the series, but I can't help wandering if (a) the paranormal stuff really had to be so complex to build a decent world, and (b) if so many secondary characters were actually needed to advance the plot in this book, regardless of whether they have appeared before in the series, or are being set up for a future book. I started to wander what the book would have been like with less "stuff", and really just more focus on the hero and the heroine and the predicament they find themselves in, how they resolve it, and their emotions and feelings and thoughts, and I came to the conclusion that I think I would have preferred it that way. I know this author can write fabulous standalone HR's, and perhaps I would have preferred this one to have had the strength to stand on its own merits, whilst still being part of a series.

- The writing style was a bit over-descriptive in some places, and could have been a bit more fluid, but I really liked the contemporary romance style laid over a paranormal. It worked quite well.

So, I give this 3 stars for now, but I do intend to go and read the other books in the series, which says something about how much I did actually enjoy this one.

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: June 1, 2011
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Imprint: Forever
Author’s Website: http://www.carolynjewel.com
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 4, My Immortal series
Series Best Read In Order: Probably, but works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy

Paisley Nichols is just a regular woman working hard to fulfill her dream of running a successful bakery. It’s been quite a while since the bitter breakup with her last boyfriend, she decides it’s time to put herself back into the dating pool. Unfortunately for her, she chooses the wrong man, who unbeknownst to her is a powerful mage who not only begins stalking her, but who has done something to her — something that makes her begin to believe that she’s losing her mind.

Having gone through his own bitter breakup (to the extreme), Iskander is a demon who never allows anyone to get close. An attractive man, he constantly moves from one woman to the next, with absolutely no chance of getting his heart involved. When Paisley’s upstairs apartment is broken into by the insane mage who is stalking her, he knows that he has no choice but to protect her. He soon discovers that his tenant, whom he previously thought was a vanilla (non-magical) human, has also come into an incredible power that makes her a valuable ally and asset to his warlord. Now it is up to him to protect her from a man who is determined to not only possess Paisley, but to destroy Iskander at all cost…


One thing that always makes me wary of starting a paranormal romance novel is when it opens with a glossary of terms. Things likefiends and vanilla and mages grace the first few pages, but I was happy to discover that with very few exceptions, the glossary really was not needed. While I do think that readers would be better served to read the series, as there are quite a few details and nuances that seem to be missing from both relationships and the world itself, it worked reasonably well as a standalone. I certainly enjoyed the basic premise, as well as the universe that Paisley and Iskander live in.

Recommended for fans of commitment-phobic heroes who finally find true love, “normal” heroines who become extraordinary, a splash of suspense and action, frosted with some delicious sensuality. 3.5/5 Stars

[Wendy *Sebella Blue* Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paisley Nichols had every reason to be content. Her fledgling bakery was doing well, she was finally starting to see a profit and the good looking blonde guy who came in for coffee every morning was showing some interest in her. When he asks her to go out and innocently touches her wrist, Paisley is overcome with pain and fire flashes through her body leaving a blister. Rasmus Kessler is more than just a gorgeous man, he is a mage who needs Paisley's latent powers, and also wants to use her to get to her land lord, Iskander. Iskander is a demon who hunts Rasmus and his ilk, the mages and witches who enslave demons and indwell humans. Paisley is about to enter a world that few would believe exist and even fewer can survive. Iskander is determined that Paisley will be one of the few.

This author and series were completely unknown to me when I requested to review this book. To be perfectly honest, I liked the cover and the blurb. Yay, me!!! What an OUTSTANDING find! I was blown away by the story, the characters, the writing, the humor, the too hot sex, and just the entire package. Iskander is my soul mate. He's a property owner, financially solvent, all tatted up, gorgeous, watches Shaun of the Dead, drinks, tokes demon hash in the hot tub, a freak in the bedroom, lives for pastries, and (did I mention ?) GORGEOUS. How is he not perfect? Paisley is a fitting heroine as well. When all the weird magic stuff starts going down, she thinks she's literally losing her mind. Pretty normal belief, but when Iskander tells her the 100% truth of the matter, does she freak? Um, no. She puts on her big girl panties and rolls with the punches, discovers she has some pretty amazing abilities herself, then fights the good fight. Annnnd she does this while continuing to make delicious baked goods.

This is book four of the series but I had no problems following and loving the book. I wasn't even half way through the book before I was ordering the first three in the series. Even though Rasmus is the big baddie in the story, I still found him to be a sympathetic character. (sue me, I have a thing for blondes) I would love to see him redeemed somehow. There are lots of single supernaturals meandering through the story that could be up for the challenge. This group of warriors and assassins are wicked, fun, unique and memorable. You better believe I am all over this series now. and I strongly recommend you follow suit. This is a definite "Must Read".

[Mary Gramlich · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY DANGEROUS PLEASURE written by Carolyn Jewel
My Immortal Series Book #4
06/11 - Grand Central Publishing - Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Is there magic in love or love in the magic?

Paisley Nichols is a creative genius in her bakery but not so great at picking out the right man for herself. Rasmus was the one she thought might work out but he turned into a stalking nightmare when she called it off. He went so far as to scorch her apartment and that is how she found herself living with her landlord, Iskander Philippikos.

Iskander is a complete package of genuine concern and affection rolled up into a body that is fit for a God. Paisley knows he loves her cooking and desires her body but she is beginning to question whether he is completely all man. After her encounter with Rasmus it seems Paisley can hear screaming in her head of voices she cannot figure out where they are coming from. She cannot figure out what is wrong until she accidently uses her unknown magic in front of Iskander who then provides the answers to who she is and what she can do.

Paisley’s power is key to the Mage in the Kingdom of Nikodmus as he and his group fight off the evil that is trying to assume power by taking the souls of those they kill. Paisley can free these souls and remove the power but she has no idea where to go with this new-found power or the feelings she has for Iskander. He is an amazing, passionate man that has taken her to new levels of pleasure but do they have the stuff that will keep them together, or is this just another fling for Iskander?

While the forces on the dark side try to control Paisley and her power she learns how to manifest her skills and not only take down the evil but also clear her heart for the possibility that love may be there for her with Iskander.

This series is so well written you flow from one book to the next without ever losing your place or asking – who are these people? Carolyn Jewel knows how to make the paranormal side mingle with the romantic part so that the books are well developed and the characters ones you want to read more about.

[Lisarenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book The book comes out on May 31st, and I added it to my list of most anticipated releases of May. Also, language was used which some may find inappropriate.

Paisley Nichols is the girl next store type. She owns a bakery and is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. When a regular customer at the bakery she owns asks her out, she says yes. That was a big mistake. Little did she know that this seemingly innocent event would change her life, throwing her into a world of mages, witches, demons, and warlords. Now avoiding the unwanted advances of a mage who claims she's his, Paisley finds protection in a very unlikely person--her landlord, Iskander. Did I mention Iskander is extremely good-looking? He also happens to be on of the deadliest demon assassins out there.

This is the fourth book in the series, but I didn't feel lost even though I hadn't read the previous three books. The men are gorgeous, and the love scenes are steamy. My favorite part, however, was the world that Ms. Jewel created and that is what I truly look forward to seeing more of in her books. A very fun read. I gave this one a 4 out of 5 stars rating.

Order of the series:



To read more of my reviews check out my blog at:
www.seducedbyabook.com
1. My Wicked Enemy
2. My Forbidden Desire
3. My Immortal Assassin
4. My Dangerous Pleasure

[Aislynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book from Carolyn Jewel in her "Witches" series. I was so thrilled when I got this book from NetGalley!! This book series was recommended to me by a friend of mine who owns a used bookstore. She told me I had to read them - that they were the type of books you couldn't put down. Boy was she right!! I devoured the first two books in a day and a half, and went hunting for more by Carolyn Jewel!

Iskander and Paisley have quite the chemistry. She is the quiet tenant and bakery owner he doesn't want to think about but can't get her out of his head. He is the drop dead gorgeous landlord who she knows is off limits. When Paisley comes under attack by an enemy of Iskander's he has to protect her with his life.

I LOVE how these two come to learn how to deal with one another and fall in love in the process. They have to overcome some pretty dangerous obstacles to save Paisley and defeat the enemy. We also get so see the characters from the previous novels!!

As always Carolyn Jewel has written some fabulous characters - sexy, full of wit, funny, and some steamy scenes and that fogged up my glasses! Full of magic, sexy demons, evil mages and beautiful witches - this story will have readers enchanted from page one until the last chapter!

[Kelly Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paisley Nichols is used to being on her own and taking care of herself. But when she finds herself with new abilities, everything she thinks she knows about the real world crashes down. An insane mage has transferred his powers to her, and now he's threatening her at every turn. Demon assassin Iskander doesn't get close to anyone, and spends his days serving his warlord. Until an attraction for a human with unimaginable powers needs his protection. Now they must fight together to find out what this mage wants, before hell is unleashed.

This book is number four in the series, and I've followed them all. They are stand alone reads, but I recommend reading them in order. This book especially is an example of what a perfect paranormal romance should be. Humans, witches, demons, undercover secrets in the real world, magic, and romance. Oh, the romance. This book was hot. The heroine was particularly lovable in this book. There was action at every turn, and without issuing a spoiler alert, the ending couldn't have been more satisfying. Recommended!

[Laurie Gold · Rating 3 out of 5]

My "Fresh Meat" piece on Heroes and Hearbreakers for Carolyn Jewel's My Dangerous Pleasure just went online.

[Kereesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very big thank you to both the Goodreads First Reads program and the author for giving me a copy of this book. Thank you!

My Dangerous Pleasure is the fourth in a series of stand alone novels all set in Jewel's magical world of mages/witches and demons where magic is lurking around every corner in the everyday lives of ordinary people. The story starts with Paisley (Yes, I know terrible name. Sadly it is only one of many throughout this novel), a bakery store owner meeting this SUPEROMGHOT yet subtly creepy guy named Rasmus who gives her quite a unique burn on her wrist. When she starts to well freak out magically, her landlord the VERYSEXYHOTWONDERFUL and also a demon-sort-of Iskander *winces at name* takes care of her. When Paisley's stalker keeps calling, and eventually burns her place down, sexy boi toi decides to take action and find out what's really going, as well as being distracted by Paisley's equally hot body, and stupendous cooking. Oh and her sudden gun-wielding skills.

Well, it is a harlequin-esque romance.

I liked and disliked My Dangerous Pleasure. The characters and world were both detailed enough to keep me occupied while reading, but the story followed a little too well the harlequin-esque formula for a typical romance for me to really enjoy it. Yes, yes, I KNOW it's supposed to follow this plot of two people instantly attracted to one another, evil thing threatens to tear them apart, lots of sex scenes and an ending that wraps everything up, but I've read a lot of harlequins that continue to follow it without really breaking the mold. (excepting Snyder) I think I'm just annoyed at the predictability of the formula in general at the moment, though, so I'll get on with actually reviewing the book.

When I first picked up My Dangerous Pleasure, I did a little research on the first three in the series, and found out that all of them are basically stand alone novels with intersecting characters that show up for cameos and whatnot. (Reminded me of Pierce's Tortall novels, but on a much smaller scale obviously) Luckily, and kudos for the author, we are given a small glossary at the beginning of the book that basically explains a good portion of the details you really need to know about the world. It also saves a lot of that infodump crap, and instead lets the world lie in a more realistic fashion than explaining everything. I enjoy good world building, and My Dangerous Pleasure did have that going for it. The author kept the intricacies between humans, magic users and demon kind simplistic to read, while still establishing an actual society with rules and whatnot. Rules which made me back off from screaming "JUST KILL THE BASTARD ALREADY!" every five minutes, because they made sense and worked well with the society the author created. And the plot line, obviously.

The plot, like I said, is pretty predictable, and to be honest nothing really happens except for:
A. Cooking scenes which made me hungry
B. Smoldering eyes/checking each other out/describing the other AMAZING BEAUTIFUL person with too many details. *facepalm*
C. Sex scenes. Obviously.
I suppose there were some action scenes, but there were mostly a minimum compared to a usual fantasy novel. None of them really moved the overall plot with Rasmus (and I mean serious moving, not small incidents and stuff) till the end. This is a romance novel, though, so I forgave it for having those dozens and dozens of scenes of either character debating their relationship with the other, and how they felt about the other, and how hot the other was... *sigh* way wayyyy too redundant.

Anyway, so the characters. Unsurprisingly there's really only two the novel focuses on: Paisley and Iskander. There's a bit of Harsh (YES THAT IS A PERSON. I WARNED YOU ABOUT THE NAMES!!), and some Fen and Rasmus, but really it's about the hot demon with leathery skin (DO tell me HOW that is attractive????!!) and his um droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Indian and Persian origin (thank you wikipedia!)

So Iskander is pretty much your typical male hero. He's been with LOTS of women, is very good in bed, has an OUT OF THIS WORLD BODY (and facial tattoos...), but has NEVER felt this WAY about a woman since his entanglement with a certain madwoman who may be one of the few people mentioned above. Do guess, I beg you. But yeah, that's pretty much it to Iskander. He's been hurt before, and is into Paisley. Oh and has magical powers, but for the most part Isky falls into that stereotype of strong/sensitive guy.

Paisley is equally as stereotypical. She's hot but doesn't really know it, has not much self worth (ex was a douche), and has these amazing skills that pop up from nowhere. Like baking, cooking, shooting with guns (which is surprisingly only used in one scene, even though she's shown her capabilities with a gun and you would think would use that lovely talent more often to protect herself, but right damsel in distress...), sex?, magic, and just overall wonderfulness. Both Isky and Paisley seem to fit into that marysue character type, but each have enough insecurities and such to hint at a personality.

I think I was just annoyed at their mushiness to be honest. I think that's why I enjoyed Harsh the most. He was a douche, and I liked him for it. He didn't use the word 'cupcake' as the nickname of a certain pattern named person either, so that probably helped.

The villains, however, was where I kind of got pissed. How should I put this? You know in like every Disney movie you've ever seen the bad guy dies from a cliff/goes to prison/etc instead of actually getting killed onscreen? That feeling you kind got cheated out of some kind of revenge for the terrible things the douche has done? That's how I felt about the villains.

So, this could spoil things, but anyway, there's this thing in literature where villains get this kind of pity motive? Like the opposite of an anti-hero, anti-villain?, where they're doing the wrong thing but it's for a good cause or there's this huge problem in their past that's made them this way. You know the WHY of their motivation that makes them a little more understandable? a little more real and less of that LOTR Sauron pure evil style. Anyway, I'm pretty cool with that, it's interesting and conflicting to see the bad guy actually have a good side and not just be evil. It makes them human. Like I said, cool with that. The problem with these villains was their explanation reminded me of a thing they do in bad movies and books. It's that duce ex machina. Like it was all a dream-kind of thing that explains everything and just makes you feel disappointed. Like Belle should've gone after Gaston with a butcher knife for putting her father in a mental institute. But yeah, that's how I felt at the end of the book with the villains.

madness does not save you from responsibility. I'm just saying.

Another thing that kind of annoyed me is what I'm gong to dub the Twilight-description-problem which is short for I-don't-care-how-perfect-Edward-is-no-one-has-breath-that-smells-wonderful. It's this thing in harlequin novels, and quite a bit in YA where every FREAKING person is absolutely gorgeous.

Face the facts. Humans have flaws. That's why marysue characters SUCK.

Anyway, My Dangerous Pleasure had that problem. Hard core. Because in this novel, EVERYONE. And I mean EVERYONE. was ABSOLUTELY. POSITIVELY. OMG BEAUTIFUL. It was kind of annoying.

I know no one really wants to read about grotesquely ugly people, and everyone does want to read about pretty boys and girls kicking butt, etc... but let's try to stay in the realm of realism. I expect the books I read to reflect at the very least the people and humanity that make up our world, but if you're going to have everyone look like a movie star don't expect me to take you seriously. I'll just laugh and remember that's it's just a fantasy instead of being immersed in the world and people you've created. And that's a shame. Because that's why I read at least. To fall in love with somewhere else.

All in all, My Dangerous Pleasure was really one of the better harlequin-esque romances I've read. Yes, I've outlined more problems than praise, but there were good things in the novel as well. The world, the writing (clear and good), and some of the characters. It's got an addicting quality that'll keep you reading, and an easy plot to follow and not get lost in. It's one of those books to just pick and up and read without too many expectations, and will keep you distracted for a few hours at least. Light, with touches of dark sexy paranormal fun, My Dangerous Pleasure gets a 2.5/5.

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paisley never imagined how swiftly her life could change. One minute, she’s single – she’s working hard at her bakery and living alone without even a cat to keep her company. Now? She’s…still single and working at the bakery but she’s got herself a sexy roommate who happens to be her landlord. After a crazy stalker burns down her apartment and all her worldly possessions within, she’s homeless without any funds to care for herself. Until Iskander steps in, demanding she stay with him until she gets back on her feet – even buying her clothes. Appreciating beyond words for his generosity, Paisley pays him back in baked goods and breakfast which Iskander loves. She considered them friends…until a spark ignites the already growing fire between them.

Iskander never imagined his tendent could be such an important weapon for the Kin against their enemy, witches. Paisley possesses the ability to set free the magic of captured fiends. She doesn’t know it yet but that’s why her stalker is so pressed to have her, why is she getting headaches and hearing screaming coming from random people. It’s also why he’s been told to keep her close. Well, that’s not the only reason. Once she’s up to speed on the lore of his people, he still asks her to stay with him instead of any other of his friends who could protect her just as well. He’s falling hard for the little baker and that scares him. He’s not had a good track record for relationship, his last nearly killed him when she broke their bond to turn to the dark side.

But time passes and the two grow closer, living side by side and sharing the same bed. Could life really be this or are they just waiting for the inevitable end?

I loved this book as I loved this entire series. I will say that flat out before I go into any of my minimal grievances. Paisley, the southern baker with a heart of gold and a sold head on her shoulders took everything in stride and didn’t do the stupid heroine behavior of ignoring blatant facts staring her in the face. That’s always a massive plus for me. Plus, she wasn’t whiny or the type to put herself into dangerous situations on a whim. Iskander was amazing. He was still badass, but he had more humanity about him than the heroes in this series prior. He was charming and usually had a smile on his face but all that could change in an instance if there was a threat. And there was a ton of chemistry between these characters.

My issues with the book? Kind of repetitive. It was a routine of Kesser showing up every other chapter just to be creepy and cause problems. It happened 10 times in this book like clockwork, but it never came to anything. It was comical towards the end. That was another thing- this depiction of Kesser turned him from a dangerous threat to a small nuisance. Lastly, the ending? God awful. Didn’t put any effort there. They just got into the discussion of love and making this affair into a serious thing and then WHAM, it’s full-blown love. Not buying it. Why can’t the story be, we have love for each other but need time to develop that? I would fine with that ending. Anyway- still a great book.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

~* 3.5 Stars *~
Wish I'd Been In On This Series Sooner
Bakery owner and pastry chef Paisley Nichols is used to having little to no social life. After a bad breakup a while ago, she hasn't been all that keen to dip her toes back into the dating waters, and even if she had been, the insanity that is the work schedule of a bakery owner/chef wouldn't give her much wiggle room to do so. Still, one of her regulars had caught her eye, and she was weighing the options of asking the gorgeous man out every time he came into her bakery.

It seemed she'd caught his eye too, and when he stopped by to make a special order one afternoon, Paisley thought her luck in the romance department was changing. He asked her to meet him for coffee. She shook off the oddness of the incident preceding his invitation, when his fingers brushed across her wrist and the electrical shock of the contact stung her skin. Things were looking up if she had a coffee date with such a good looking man.

The positive attitude didn't last long. By evening Paisley was deathly ill and her arm felt like it was going to fall off. She couldn't even make it to her home phone to call for help.

As one of the kin, Iskander was well versed in the feel of magic. When his quiet evening of movie watching and pizza consumption was blown to hell by the shriek of every single one of his magical wards being set off, Iskander went on immediate alert. A quick search of his property led him to the stairs of the apartment he rented out over his garage. The scent of mage magic was like an infected wound against his senses, and the stink drew him up to his tenant's door. Iskander knew his tenant Paisley was human, he wouldn't have rented to her otherwise, but there was no mistaking that a mage was working some freaky magic at her place. With no one answering his knock, and the demon concerned about Paisley's well being, he went in. And found Paisley near death, her body and blood corrupted by a power-hungry mage's ill will.

Saving Paisley may not be as easy as a one time healing, however, and soon it becomes clear to Iskander that the twisted mage who is responsible for the destruction of the relationship between he and his blood-twin has set his sights on Paisley. Iskander lost everything to the mage once, he had no intention of giving up anything else, especially not someone as lovely and unique as Paisley. Even if that means war.

It seems lately I've gotten into a habit of reading books in existing series that I haven't been following. In some cases, that's worked out very well and I'm compelled to go back and read what's come before. In others it hasn't been quite such a good thing, leaving me feeling lost while reading or seriously impacting my enjoyment.

Thanks to a glossary provided at the beginning of the book, I was at least passingly familiar with terminology and was given a very brief glimpse into the sort of world that has been created for Jewel's My Immortal series. That helped prevent me from feeling lost or overwhelmed by unknown backstory and previous development. There were a few things that I didn't understand or wasn't able to grasp the full scope of emotional significance. Subtext and subtlety was pretty much lost on me for the duration. It was sort of like the reading equivalent of having one of my senses go dead. It didn't prevent me from experiencing the book, but it lessened my ability to fully appreciate it.

Keeping that in mind, I was still able to admire the originality of the world Jewel created here, as well as the unique aspects of the mythos and magic driving it all. There were some very nice twists on old standards of demons, witches, and mages that I found appealing, and some compelling contradictions in the nature of the races involved. I'm rather amused by the magekind's intentions to protect humans while amping up their power and extending their life expectancy through ritualistic slaughter of another race. Not that I saw a lot of protection going on, really, but I was comparing the definition of magekind to the actions of what Paisley called screamers. Irony that ironic makes me chuckle.

Stepping beyond the lack of series familiarity to look closely at the plot and characters of this book I felt there were good points and bad. While I enjoyed Iskander and Paisley as individuals, I wasn't all that crazy about them as a couple. It felt more like I was being told they were wicked hot for each other but never actually felt any of that heat. And anyone who knows me or my reviews knows that damsels in distress don't get a lot of sympathy from me (or...well...any). While Paisley spoke big about independence and tried to walk the walk, the fact remains that if everyone around you can kill you with little effort, and you need a bad-ass bodyguard like Iskander to keep you alive, you're a damsel who is either at this moment, or will soon be, in distress. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I didn't have much use for the woman until she managed to do something of worth on the kin's behalf and cut a witch down to size.

That's also probably why I enjoyed the latter part of the book far more than the first part. Once Paisley could contribute, I was much happier, and other aspects of the plot which up until that point had seemed rather meandering and a bit incohesive, started to come together in a far firmer and more palatable manner. I liked Iskander throughout the book, even though I felt there were some minor inconsistencies in his character. I enjoyed the intended contradictions - the killer, the protective male, the frat-boy mentality for life and playboy mentality for women - and thought it was cute how he sort of tumbled into feelings for Paisley.

This book had some good aspects, some bad. I enjoyed the romance for what it was, appreciated the sizzling sexuality, and was utterly confused by the actions and motivations of Iskander's former blood-twin. I felt like I was missing something big time, and not just because the chick was batshit crazy. Kessler's character and plot thread were tied up with her and I had some problems with that, too. I just don't understand why Paisley ended up involved in any of it, actually, or what Kessler was originally after from her given how the story progressed, nor did I feel Kessler's storyline got resolved by the end. That was all very odd to me.

In the end, I think there was more good points than there were bad, and while I'm not a huge Paisley fan, I couldn't help but enjoy her and Iskander together. Some times more than others, but still. I sure wouldn't want to be anyone but Iskander if I was requested to guard/protect/watch Paisley, though. Those sorry sods fell faster than the Red Shirts on Star Trek.

I can't say that I'm feeling particularly compelled to go back to the beginning of the series and find out what I missed after reading My Dangerous Pleasure, but I wouldn't be adverse to doing so either. I would definitely read another book by this author, and I'd continue the series from here, though again, I don't feel terribly compelled to do so. It was a book that I mostly enjoyed while I was reading it, but doubt it'll hold lasting memory for me.

Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dangerous Pleasure by Carolyn Jewel is definitely for fans of Heather Graham, Lynsay Sands, and Angie Fox. It has danger, deadly situations, and sexual attraction all in one intriguing paranormal read. I love when paranormal and romance collide. It makes it all the more fun and suspenseful. This read starts off with the hero being attracted to the heroine and wanting to keep her safe. Someone is wanting her dead and maybe him too. She has a lot to work out and do so while outsmarting the dangerous mage that's intent on killing her. Can she trust a demon? Picking her battles there is a long, humorous, yet fun filled adventure ahead and how it ends is perfect. Carolyn Jewel combined all the right elements to make her fictional world enticing to readers of all fantasy, paranormal, and romantic suspense novels.

*I bought this copy from my library's used book sale. This is my voluntary review.*

[Marie Andersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to lick the cover. 😉🥰😍LOL! I enjoyed the story. 📚📚

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

When I got home today I got to read an advanced reader copy of My Dangerous Pleasure by Carolyn Jewel that the publisher sent for review - so exciting! This is the fourth book in Ms. Jewel’s Witches series, and it’s a fascinating world. I’d never read any of her books before, but I’ll certainly be checking them out in the future. The novel begins at Paisley Nichols’ bakery, where she meets and flirts with a sexy stranger, Rasmus Kessler. When she returns home that evening, she becomes violently ill. Her symptoms set off her landlord’s magic security system, alerting him that someone is using dark magic on the premises. He finds Paisley in her apartment and treats her. Unfortunately, for the following six weeks, Rasmus Kessler stalks Paisley, and when his actions become too threatening, her landlord has to step in and protect her. Paisley’s landlord, Iskander Philippikos, is a demon assassin sworn to the local warlord, but he’s drawn to the magic-resistant Paisley, and offers her protection from Rasmus, the mage.

The world building in My Dangerous Pleasure is complex, but I had little problems understanding what was happening in the novel despite not having read any of the earlier books in the series. There’s a glossary at the beginning of the novel, which I glanced at, but I think you can figure the terms out fairly easily on your own. Humans are for the most part unaware of the world of magic surrounding them, and both the mages and the demons want to maintain the humans’ ignorance. What was intriguing about this novel is that even though mages are presented as mostly evil, with the demons protecting the humans, the lines between good and evil are sometimes blurry. Both “good” and “bad” characters had to make decisions that could affect others, without any easy solutions. I particularly liked the character of Rasmus Kessler, because he started out as evil but as the novel progressed he became less of your typical villain and more of a more sympathetic character.

Given the title, I expected a lot more sex between Paisley and Iskander, but I was pleasantly surprised by how late in the novel the two actually got together. The sexual tension was played out for most of the novel, which I thought was really well done. Both Paisley and Iskander had difficult relationships in the past, with Iskander having been deeply betrayed, but they didn’t allow their pasts to stand in the way of a new relationship. I enjoyed seeing the two get to know one another gradually, learning to trust and develop feelings for one another before getting down and dirty.
I only have two criticisms of the novel. The first involves the scene early in the novel where Paisley is sick from Rasmus’ attempts to possess her and Iskander senses dark magic on his property. Iskander goes to investigate the source of the dark magic, and realizes that it’s coming from his tenant’s apartment. There are several pages of inner monologue, where he tries to decide whether or not he will be attacked by whomever is in the apartment or if Paisley is the one under attack. At this moment, which should be a tense one for the reader, Iskander starts to ponder his former partner’s betrayal and all it involves. I kept thinking, “Dude, stop dithering and do something!” Basically it felt like an awkward way for us to learn about his past that broke up the tension of the moment and made my mind start to wander, never a good thing. The second criticism is that the sixth chapter of the novel could have been left out completely. It involves several minor characters dealing with events that happened in previous novels and didn’t really add anything to the storyline. We meet them again later, but what’s revealed in the sixth chapter is not alluded to again, and any necessary introductions for the reader’s sake could have occurred later, since Paisley has to be introduced to the same characters in a scene late in the novel. It was a bit disconcerting, because it happened so early in the novel I kept expecting the characters to reappear and play more pivotal roles.

Either way, I really enjoyed Paisley and Iskander’s growing attraction, and the story really took off after chapter 6. I felt the pace of the action from then on was just right, and we learned more about the world Ms. Jewel has created as Paisley did, which was particularly effective. It was a fun read, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Ms. Jewel’s work after I catch up on her previous novels.

[Inky Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

(http://freshinkreviews.com/2011/05/re...)

Online blurb:
TEMPT THE DARKNESS

Strong-willed and independent, Paisley Nichols is used to taking care of herself. But when an insane mage begins tracking her every move and threatening her at every turn, she has no choice but to put her life in the hands of a demon.

RISK THE PASSION

Burned by betrayal, demon assassin Iskander won’t get too close to anyone. He spends his days serving his warlord and his nights indulging in carnal pleasures . . . and that’s exactly how he likes it. But when a mage wages a wrenching psychic assault on his beautiful tenant Paisley, Iskander must defend her. Under his protection, she will be drawn irresistibly into his life and learn about her own mysterious powers. And not a moment too soon. The mage haunting her isn’t acting alone-and he won’t rest until he destroys both Paisley and Iskander. (from Amazon.com)

My opinion:
Paisley Nichols has spent much of her life trying to not be like her hippy-dippy mother who saw portents in every cloud and gloom and doom around every corner. Instead she parlayed her love of baking and hard work into her business as owner of a small but growing bakery. Too bad her bakery is the sole focus of her passions ever since she’d broken up with her lackluster lover several years previously. When a fascinating man enters her bakery, her libido springs to life and she decides to take a chance and maybe ask him out for coffee. Instead he becomes her stalker, a magical one at that, and Paisley’s entire life is turned on its head with no safe harbor in sight.

Iskander is happy renting his small spare apartment to a true human. Paisley never bothers him, never interrupts his constant string of women guests and keeps to herself. That is until first she’s injured by a magical assault and then her stalker follows her home. Iskander places her under his protection but is forced to reveal that he’s far from human and, now, she’s not really human either. As Iskander and Paisley get to know each other, they still have to navigate the danger poised by the insane mage stalking Paisley – and whoever is controlling him.

This is the first book I’ve read in Ms. Jewel’s My Immortal series and, because of that, I was a bit confused about the world at first. The complexity of the world is impressive, though, and I was soon caught up in the uneasy relationship between the mages and the kin, with the humans as (mostly) unaware bystanders. Ms. Jewel has created a fascinating magical world where nothing is quite what it seems and there are no clear victors.

For the most part I liked the two main characters but at times they seemed a bit too simplistic, a bit too lacking in self-awareness or introspection. This was especially true of Iskander. I was a bit impatient with his consistent use of “hot” when referring to Paisley. Paisley was a character I sympathized with more but she seemed almost too willing to take a lot of the magical world in stride, despite the multiple mentions of her mother being a bit overboard on the psychic theories. That said, they were very much likeable characters and I did love Iskander’s endless thrill with food and Paisley’s desire to feed and care for him. That was a terrific touch.

My Dangerous Pleasure started out a bit slowly for me. There were several chapters of almost complete narrative which didn’t capture my attention but the book picked up considerably about one quarter of the way in and I read the rest in one sitting. I believe the over-use of narrative was an effort to introduce a reader new to the series (like I am) to the world but I would have preferred to have the really, absolutely necessary facts sprinkled throughout the story. Honestly, that’s the only thing that kept this book from being at least a 4 star book for me.

Ms. Jewel’s world has me intrigued enough that I have the first three books in this series on my wishlist, just waiting for budget to buy them with. I really want to see more of this world and the characters I’ve caught glimpses of so far. I’m hoping this is not the last book in this series, though, because there are other characters in the wings I’d love to hear more about.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally Posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/05/27/...

Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: May 31st
How I got this book: NetGalley

Some series are very easy to jump in at the mid way point, others are not. While I had some problems in the beginning with this one and felt like some of the secondary characters were not well developed, I did eventually end up liking this 5th book in the Witches series.

Paisley is living her dream; owning and running her own bakery. When a handsome stranger stops by day after day, she wonders if it might be possible for something more to develop. She quickly realizes that he is a crazy stalker, and does everything possible to avoid him. When he takes things to the next level and destroys her entire apartment, her landlord Iskander helps her out in her time of need.

Iskander didn’t want anything to happen to his human tenant, but there is something about Paisley, other than his desire to protect her, that draws him to her. When he takes her under his constant protection, the desire lights up between the two and they ignite in every possible way. When Paisley develops powers of her own, the danger dials up another notch, and Iskander finds himself willing to throw down his own life for hers.

It took awhile for me to become fully immersed and able to follow along with the world building, mainly because there were so many different kinds of paranormal creatures, all with differing powers and origins and abilities. Once things became more and more clear, I found myself really enjoying the different elements. I think this is the first time since reading the Demonica Novels that a demon has been a hero, and a sexy one at that.

I found that I really liked Paisely. She was happily living out her dream, and then tossed in the deep end of this crazy paranormal world. She took in all in stride, even when her own body was going through magical changes. She was able to come out swinging when she needed to, and willing to go to war for what she deemed as important. While she didn’t seem to know it, she had an awesome inner badass, and wasn’t afraid to let it show.

While Iskander was undoubtedly sexy, I didn’t really relate to him at all. I thought he was kinda selfish and immature at times. While he was completely loyal to the oaths he had taken, his only motivation seemed to be to better himself. There were even times in his budding relationship with Paisley that he didn’t seem to do anything FOR her, instead would take what he wanted; with the bonus of it benefiting her.

I did feel a connection between them more towards the end, and was glad to see Iskander really lay his feelings on the line for her. I just wish it hadn’t happened in the last few pages of the book. There were also times I felt left out when some of the secondary characters came to the forefront. I think, had I read the series from book 1, that I would have been a little more on track with everything.

All in all I did end up liking this book. The writing was well done, the world-building fun and imaginative, and the heroine was enjoyable to read. I give My Dangerous Pleasure a B-

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

www.obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.com

My Dangerous Pleasure was kindly provided to me by Netgalley

Review: 3.5 out of 5

Paisley Nichols owns & runs a Bakery and lives a seemingly normal life, she has had no interest in dating since her last relationship failed until a handsome customer enters her shop and her interest is piqued, what she doesn’t know is he is a powerful mage who has somehow transmitted some magic into her, igniting her own powers and then obsessively begins to stalk her. Things start to become serious when he turns her possessions to dust and avoiding him seems to be virtually impossible.

Her life is turned upside down by the events that follow and she is thrust into a new world full of intrigue, romance and danger.

Iskander is Paisley’s landlord and a powerful Demon who is extremely familiar with the mage, Rasmus Kessler who is stalking her, he has also discovered that Paisley, whom he originally thought was Vanilla, a non-magical human, has come into her own powers since her encounter with the mage, powers that make her an extremely valuable asset to his warlord, Nikodemus and will help to free his kin. It is up to him to protect her from the mage, who is determined to not only possess her, but to also destroy Iskander. He has sworn to protect her at all costs, including with his life.

Iskander doesn’t get close to anyone since being betrayed by his blood-twin, Fen; his loyalty is only to his warlord and his free time is spent with different women without forming any connections so as to protect his heart, he is surprised by the feelings and attraction Paisley has ignited in him.

This is the first book I have read in Jewel’s Witches series and although the terminology at times was a tad confusing as well as the complexity of the world she has created, I never found it too hard to keep up with what was happening as well as who was good versus evil.

I liked Iskander and Paisley as a couple, they were both intense, tentative and caring towards each others needs; I just felt for strangers Paisley accepted Iskander and the supernatural world too easily, she also accepted his charity and protection all too willingly and without question.

The smexy scenes were hot! But I had so many questions - why did he prefer to be in his true form and visually what is it? Why did he enjoy sharing blood? What did his facial & body markings symbolize? And also details on the telepathic links they were able to share. I found these little tidbits confusing and wanted to know more.

The world Jewel has created is captivating and intriguing, the action wasn’t too graphic but was ongoing and the build-up to the romance was sweet and sexy; I was curious to know if now that Paisley has come into her powers will her lifespan also increase or will she still live out her years as a human.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, all powerful, complex and dangerous & I will definitely be picking up books 1-3 to learn more about them; I am especially curious about Kynan Aijan & look forward to his story.

My Dangerous Pleasure by Carolyn Jewel is a fast paced, action packed novel that is richly detailed with suspense that kept building until the very end.

An enjoyable read.

[Angela Noviana · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Dangerous Pleasure adalah buku pertama Carolyn Jewel yang aku baca. Dan berhubung aku langsung baca #4, aku jadi kurang paham ceritanya. Sepertinya cerita tentang Fen dan Iskander sudah ada dari buku #1. Jadi aku gak bisa cerita banyak tentang kenapa si Iskander bersumpah sama si Nikodemus. Heheheheheh...

Kalau yang aku tangkap, ceritanya ini dulu si Iskander mengikat darah dengan Fen, tapi Fen malah mengkhianatinya. Dengan bantuan Nikodemus dan Carson, Iskander berhasil memutuskan hubungannya dengan Fen walaupun dia nyaris gila. Fen meninggalkannya karena Rasmus Kessler, seorang mage (penyihir). Btw, Iskander ini demon. Demon bisa di-"perbudak" sama mage. Nah, masalahnya, Fen meninggalkan Iskander karena memang dia ingin, bukan karena dipaksa oleh Rasmus.

Apa hubungannya sama Paisley? Paisley ini adalah seorang manusia yang suatu hari bertemu dengan Rasmus. Ternyata, Paisley juga seorang resistant yang menolak sihir yang diberikan Rasmus ntuk memperbudak wanita itu. Karena dia seorang resistant, jadilah dia sakit karena berusaha menolak sihir Rasmus. Berhubung Iskander adalah landlord dari Paisley, dia bisa merasakan adanya kekuatan sihir di apartemennya dan berusaha menolong wanita itu.

Sewaktu Paisley ditolong sama Iskander, dia udah pingsan gitu. Jadi gak sadar. Beberapa hari kemudian, dia menemukan kamarnya sudah dihancurkan oleh Rasmus (pria ini jadi seorang stalker gitu). Iskander menawarkan agar Paisley tinggal bersamanya sampai kamarnya dibangun kembali. Awalnya Paisley menolak, tapi Iskander mendorongnya agar ia dapat melindunginya.

Dimulailah hari-hari dimana Iskander menjauhkan Paisley dari Rasmus dan keduanya saling tertarik. Iskander juga mengenalkan Paisley pada dunianya. Oh, dan karena sihir yang diberikan oleh Rasmus, Paisley dapat membebasikan demon yang dibunuh oleh para magekind. Para magekind ini membunuh demon untuk memperpanjang umur mereka.

Berhubung aku bacanya gak urut, jadi rada bingung juga sama istilah dan beberapa kejadian untuk beberapa karakternya. Untungnya sih masih bisa sedikit ngikutin walaupun aku penasaran sama asal muasal antara Iskander dengan Fen.

Menurutku, alur cerita My Dangerous Pleasure enak diikutin walaupun agak datar. Gak ada berantem-berantemnya gitu. Kalau seri Black Dagger Brotherhood kan mereka tiap ketemu lesser langsung bunuh. Mungkin karena gak semua mage itu jahat kali ya? Hmphhh... Yang jelas action-nya kurang banget lah.

Terus hubungan Iskander dengan Paisley juga menurutku biasa aja chemistry-nya. Tiba-tiba whoosh mereka saling tertarik secara fisik. Gak ada bujuk rayu dulu gitu. Gak asik. Hahahahaha... Tapi di sini ada twist yang sedikit membuatku wow juga terkait Rasmus. Kok bisa gitu ya dia seperti itu? Ck!

Nah, sekarang permasalahannya, setelah baca buku ini, aku jadi penasaran sama Kynan. Hadeuh. Di buku berikutnya bukan tentang pria itu. Apakah Carolyn Jewel akan nerusin seri ini atau berhenti sampai di #5 ya? Masa gak ada cerita Kynan sih? Sudah setahun sejak buku terakhir diterbitkan :'(

Overall, nice reading untuk karya pertama dari penulis baru yang aku baca. Aku nanti mau baca dari #1-nya biar ngerti ceritanya. Heheheheh..

P.S. : buku ini aku dapatkan dari Ren, lengkap dengan tanda tangan author-nya. Makasih ya, Ren :)

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted at Renee's Book Addiction.

I love this series, and was so glad that the long wait between books 3 and 4 was finally over. Iskander has been put through the mill in previous books in this series, so I’ve been really looking forward to his getting a shot at a HEA.

First off, let me say that this is the fourth book in the series, and given the complexity of the world and the character relationships, I highly recommend reading them in order. I’m usually a stickler about these things, and the payoff will be worth it in this case, since the larger story arc continues to get more and more interesting as the books progress.

The world of demonkin, witches, and mages waging a power struggle in modern-day San Francisco is dark, sensual, and often violent. Nikodemus, the leader of the kin, is struggling to keep the peace between his kind with their witch allies, and the power-hungry mages.
Paisley, a human woman who owns a bakery and rents a garage apartment from her sexy (and unbeknownst to her) demonkin landlord, Iskander, stumbles into this explosive situation when Kessler, a dark mage awakens an incipient magic in her, and begins to terrorize her.

I really liked Paisley. While she’s often put in terrifying, confusing, and overwhelming situations (at the beginning of the book she is completely unaware of the non-human world) she deals with it in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner. Her naiveté doesn’t result in tstl actions, as often is the case with uninformed heroines.

Iskander is someone who has been through hell, been damaged, especially by his crazy blood-twin, and is often on the edge of losing it, himself. I love how when he’s put in the position of guarding Paisley, she brings out another side of him that we haven’t seen in previous books. He’s not just a bad-ass alpha around her, but also a considerate protector (and, eventually,) lover. Their love scenes are HOT, and I love how Iskander, for all his passion, always tries to make sure that she is ok with his more “demon-like” aspects.

While the story itself took a little bit to really get going, once it did, I love where it went. I found the story behind Kessler’s actions original and absorbing, and it kept me turning pages. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see where the larger story arc continues to go.

Related blog posts about the series:
Just finished reading…My Immortal Assassin by Carolyn Jewel
My Top 5 . . . paranormal romances

For more info on the series, the author has a great primer on it.
I received this book from the author, for review purposes.

[Elaine Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of MY DANGEROUS PLEASURE, the 4th installment of Jewel's MY IMMORTAL series. I've read all prior stories, but this could certainly stand alone for a new reader.

I loved it! First of all the hero, Iskander is absolutely adorable. If you've read earlier books in the series, you may not even recognize him because he has certainly come out of his shell since his character was first introduced, no longer the anti-social near-mute. Not only has he managed to survive after severing the connection with his blood-twin, he's been tearing through the women and developing quite the outgoing, witty persona.

When his tenant, Paisley, finds herself the target of a nasty mageheld stalker that Iskander knows only too well, Iskander not only lets her move into his home so he can watch over her, he helps her as she battles against the mage's magic that tries to consume her.

Jewel deftly continues to weave the world and overarching storyline (battle for power between the mages and fiends) and uses previous characters deftly (no trotting people through to show off their kids --these characters are here for a reason and a few of them will surprise you).

What I liked best about this story: Iskander, Iskander, Iskander. The fella is just adorable. Jewel really captured the male persona with this character and brings it to life through Iskander's internal dialogue.

For example, he's determined to be a gentleman with Paisley, but can't help how his mind (and eyes) want to wander to her body. Little gems like these:

"When she was done, she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms underneath what had to be the most perfect, gorgeous breasts in creation. His favorite part of the female anatomy. He kept his eyes on her face. He deserved some kind of medal for that."

Between moments like that and his drive to connect with Paisley not only physically, but to always and gently *ask her permission* before taking anything to a new level (when was the last time a romance hero seriously and consistently actually asked for verbal permission?), that Iskander is a real sweetheart. A big fiend who doesn't hesitate to rip the hearts out of anyone who messes with his Paisley, but still...

Paisley was almost overwhelmed but her steady determination carried her through and by the end I felt she was a solid enough match for our Iskander, perhaps a stable and solid foundation for him.

Iskander has given Xia (the hero in book #2 and my favorite before now) a run for his money. I'm going to have to reread MY FORBIDDEN DESIRE to see if Xia's angry belligerence still holds my heart or if Iskander's quick wit and grin has stolen it away. LOL

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong-willed and independent, Paisley Nichols is used to taking care of herself. But when an insane mage begins tracking her every move and threatening her at every turn, she has no choice but to put her life in the hands of a demon. Burned by betrayal, demon assassin Iskander won't get too close to anyone. He spends his days serving his warlord and his nights indulging in carnal pleasures . . . and that's exactly how he likes it. But when a mage wages a wrenching psychic assault on his beautiful tenant Paisley, Iskander must defend her. Under his protection, she will be drawn irresistibly into his life and learn about her own mysterious powers. And not a moment too soon. The mage haunting her isn't acting alone-and he won't rest until he destroys both Paisley and Iskander.

I fell in love with a blog post about this book on Heroes and Heartbreakers and then went and read the first chapter on Ms. Jewel’s website, then finally caved and bought the book. I felt a little confused in the middle of the book with certain character’s and what was going on and how people meet etc but other than that, as My Dangerous Pleasure was the fourth book in the Witches series I felt that it was an otherwise great book to start with. I really liked Iskander I thought he was a great hero and guy for Paisley, they really suited each other and made My Dangerous Pleasure such a sweet and fun read.
I think the blurb really does sum the book up without giving away any spoilers or giving you the whole story. There’s a really humorous scene in the book with another character sna Paisley about some brownies which really made me giggle! I really enjoyed the other character’s in the book and plan to at least go back and read the first book and see how this series starts, after that though I’m not sure if I’ll read any more in the series because although I enjoyed the book and the different twist with the idea of demons/fiends I’m not 100% sure this is the series for me.

Favourite Quotes:
“They ended up stretched out on the couch with his body over hers, and while he was French-kissing her for all he was worth, he thought dirty thoughts about Paisley and sex, but he kept coming back to thinking up ways to make her want to stay with him.”

“It means she’s been free to find someone who won’t treat her badly. Hmm?” Her eyebrows quirked. “Do you treat her well, young man?”
“As well as I know how.”

Overall, I enjoyed My Dangerous Pleasure it was a fun, sweet and interesting read but I would suggest people read this series in order.

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: June 1, 2011
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Imprint: Forever
Author's Website: http://www.carolynjewel.com
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 4, My Immortal series
Series Best Read In Order: Probably, but works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy

Paisley Nichols is just a regular woman working hard to fulfill her dream of running a successful bakery. It's been quite a while since the bitter breakup with her last boyfriend, she decides it's time to put herself back into the dating pool. Unfortunately for her, she chooses the wrong man, who unbeknownst to her is a powerful mage who not only begins stalking her, but who has done something to her -- something that makes her begin to believe that she's losing her mind.

Having gone through his own bitter breakup (to the extreme), Iskander is a demon who never allows anyone to get close. An attractive man, he constantly moves from one woman to the next, with absolutely no chance of getting his heart involved. When Paisley's upstairs apartment is broken into by the insane mage who is stalking her, he knows that he has no choice but to protect her. He soon discovers that his tenant, whom he previously thought was a vanilla (non-magical) human, has also come into an incredible power that makes her a valuable ally and asset to his warlord. Now it is up to him to protect her from a man who is determined to not only possess Paisley, but to destroy Iskander at all cost...

One thing that always makes me wary of starting a paranormal romance novel is when it opens with a glossary of terms. Things like fiends and vanilla and mages grace the first few pages, but I was happy to discover that with very few exceptions, the glossary really was not needed. While I do think that readers would be better served to read the series, as there are quite a few details and nuances that seem to be missing from both relationships and the world itself, it worked reasonably well as a standalone. I certainly enjoyed the basic premise, as well as the universe that Paisley and Iskander live in.

Recommended for fans of commitment-phobic heroes who finally find true love, "normal" heroines who become extraordinary, a splash of suspense and action, frosted with some delicious sensuality. 3.5/5 Stars

[Robin Priddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Text
Paisley Nichols owns Paisley Vakery and Cafe in San Francisco, California. After the disaster that was her last relationship Pisley took herself out of the dateing market and forcused on her business. She rents an gurage apartment. But when she finds herself interested in a regular customer, Paisley decides she is ready to start dating again. When he asks her out for coffee she agrees to go. Things go bad on that first date and she decides she does not want to see him again. But he will not take no for an answer and starts sending her gifts, calling at all hours, and showing up at the cafe. Unknown to Paisley he is not just a stalker but he is a Mage, and he is very dangerous.

Iskander is not only Paisley's landlord but he is a fiend. A fiend is a kind of demon. Iskander is also an assissian working for the local warlord. Iskander has his home and Paisley;s apartment warded so that any Magekind or the mageheld can not enter the building. When he notices that the wrads to the apartment have been broken he goes to check it out. But all he finds is a very ill Paisley. When he first rented the apartment to her, he did so because she was full human. But now she is radiating magic just like a witch does. When the stalker destroys her apartment, Iskander asks her to stay in the house with him until he can get her apartment fixed. Paisley knows nothing about the world of demons and magekind. She knows something strange is happening to her. Iskander will have to keep her safe from the mage and teach her how to control her new powers. Iskander was betrayed by his blood twin for the very mage that is after Paisley. Iskander and Paisley are drawn to each other. But will they be able to stay safe from the danger stalking them long enough for their feeling for each other to grow.


This is the fourth installment in Ms Jewel's My Immortal series. This is a story about two people who have been hurt by love before. Ms Jewel brings these amazing characters to life. She is able to blend the two different world together with ease. There is enough action and romance to balance the story out. The characters are interesting, even the villains. Ms Jewel's My Immortal series should be on everyones reading list. She is an autobuy for me.