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Love and Magic #2
Blood, Breath, and Desire
He'll show her that the dark side has more to offer than just cookies...
An attack with mysterious dark magic turns young witch Lily Murray into the very being she’s been fighting all her life--a demon. While struggling with her new dark instincts--and desperately trying not to kill her loved ones--she unwittingly earns the protection of a male of her demon species. He’s more than happy to help her out and show her the ropes. He’s also decidedly too gorgeous to handle.
Alek Kuznetsov has finally found the perfect mate: beautiful, smart, funny, and of course a pranagraha demon like him. The only problem: She wants to become a witch again, and if she does, they can’t mate. Solution: While he offers her help in finding the reversion spell, he in fact sets out to convince her that staying on the dark side has more perks than just cookies.
Warning: Includes a kick-ass heroine who loves to snark and curse, a demon hero who is as stubbornly determined to win his female as he is heart-stoppingly hot, and lots of laugh-out-loud moments and sexy action. Proceed with caution and a cold drink at hand.
***This book was previously published as Blood, Breath, and Desire.***
ebook
First published June 6, 2016
118 people are currently reading
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About the author
Nadine Mutas
14 books460 followersNadine Mutas is the award-winning author of paranormal romances featuring demons and witches and lots of forbidden love. Her debut novel, To Seduce a Witch’s Heart, won the Golden Quill 2016 for Best Paranormal Romance as well as the Published Maggie Award 2016 for Paranormal/Fantasy, and the latest installment in her Love and Magic series, To Enthrall the Demon Lord, is a finalist in the prestigious RWA® RITA® Award 2018 for Paranormal Romance.
After obtaining a university degree in the subjects job counselors like to warn you about (“There’s no money in humanities!”), Nadine is now writing full-time and introvertedly thriving from her home office. You can usually lure her out of her socially awkward shell by striking up a conversation about languages (keywords: Indo-European family; relation of Sanskrit to Ancient Greek) and watch her geek out for the next hour.
She currently lives in California with her college sweetheart, beloved little demon spawn, and two black cats hellbent on cuddling her to death (Clarification: Both her husband and kid prefer her alive. The cats, she’s not so sure about.)
Nadine Mutas is a proud member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Silicon Valley Romance Writers of America (SVRWA), the Rose City Romance Writers (RCRW), as well as the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal chapter of the RWA (FF&PRW).
After obtaining a university degree in the subjects job counselors like to warn you about (“There’s no money in humanities!”), Nadine is now writing full-time and introvertedly thriving from her home office. You can usually lure her out of her socially awkward shell by striking up a conversation about languages (keywords: Indo-European family; relation of Sanskrit to Ancient Greek) and watch her geek out for the next hour.
She currently lives in California with her college sweetheart, beloved little demon spawn, and two black cats hellbent on cuddling her to death (Clarification: Both her husband and kid prefer her alive. The cats, she’s not so sure about.)
Nadine Mutas is a proud member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Silicon Valley Romance Writers of America (SVRWA), the Rose City Romance Writers (RCRW), as well as the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal chapter of the RWA (FF&PRW).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
February 17, 2018
What a awesome read!!! To Win a demons love is one of the best reads I've read,Lily is a witch who has become a demon and she is far from happy about it. All she wants is to find a reverse spell and what does she get a hot gorgeous demon named alek. He's their to help her through this change, but he pretends to be helping her to find a reverse spell when all he wants to do is make the snarky Lily his very own. Such a friggin entertaining read,laughed my ass off more then once!!
August 24, 2020
Before everything else let me just say, I LOVED the P.S. at the end of the Acknowledgements. It went like this,
P.S.: Grant, this is what you get when you speak bad about romance novels. You dared me. I delivered.
She turned him into a DOG!
And what's worse? He's old and has trouble holding his bladder so he pees whenever he gets too excited plus he has been "fixed" but still humps people's legs only to get real confused.
“He likes to hump people’s legs.”
“Charming.”
He sighed. “Yeah, well, he’s fixed, but he still thinks he’s got the right equipment. Although he never seems to remember how to go through with it. He starts humping and then just stops with a confused look on his face…”
Oh the poetic justice!
Okay, Okay.
*takes deep breath*
I'm good. I'm good.
So this was another book I read solely for my reading challenge, "A book with a trigger warning". It was definitely up my alley but the prompt really pushed me to get to reading it and boy am I glad! Also, me and trigger warning books don't really mesh so I was so happy to find this! WooHoo! Score!
Our book stars a young witch, Lily Murray who through a mysterious magic attack turns in to the very being she has been hunting all her life, a demon. A Pranagraha demon or as the witches call 'em, a life leech. A demon who fed off others’ life force.
And how does she deal with this you ask?
Well let's just say, Mr. Prana-gremlin, prana-gravy, Mr. Prana-grunge, prana-grapes, prana-graffitis, are just some of her very inventive variations.
As the warning says, Includes a kick-ass heroine who loves to snark and curse. Check.
If it were me, I don't think I'd be able to get outta bed after this.
And it only gets worse too.
*nods*
Ah but also see. Here's what our h has that I probably wouldn't (Let's be honest, definitely wouldn't ) have.
A guide.
A helping hand.
Someone to teach her the ropes.
The fact that he's too gorgeous to handle is just the whipped cream with cherry on my sundae ;)
Now to quote the blurb, Alek Kuznetsov has finally found the perfect mate: beautiful, smart, funny, and of course a Pranagraha demon like him. The only problem: She wants to become a witch again, and if she does, they can’t mate.
I can't even begin to tell you how absolutely cute this guy is and-AND he calls her, little flower. In Russian. Awww
Now in his own words,
“I’m perfect mate material,” he said, going on to list his assets, ticking them off on his fingers. “I’m smart, healthy, strong, I can provide for you, protect you, I can cook, I clean up after myself, I’ll always take care of your pleasure, and I make cute babies.”
Dude! What's not to love? Jump his bones already!
A demon hero who is as stubbornly determined to win his female as he is heart-stoppingly hot. Check.
And as if all this wasn't enough. It also has me convinced I NEED to read the first book too!
I don't know how it is for you but usually when I read a stand-alone series like this one and it features the MCs from the previous book, they don't quite feel the same. Any takers?
I can't put my finger on it but they always tend to lose their zing. And some times come of douche-y and arrogant and like I need to take that stick outta their ass and whack 'em with it, you get?
Now my thoughts kinda follow that similar pattern when it comes to Merle, our h's bff and h of the prev book but only on a MUCH smaller scale. This might be only cause I haven't read that book yet. *shrugs*
But man! Rhun, prev book H, totally makes up for it with this,
“See,” Rhun said to Juneau from his spot beside Merle, “this is what happens when you hold in your farts. All that gassy air bubbles up and fills your head, and then when you open your mouth to speak, instead of sensible words, all you utter are verbal farts.” He made little bubbling sounds and wiggled his fingers in front of his mouth. “So, please, next time you feel like saying something, do us all the favor and just fart. Let it rip. It’ll still be more palatable than your usual oral flatulence.”
What a hoot!
And lots of laugh-out-loud moments. Check.
He was about to lunge at the other demon when Lily executed a series of martial arts moves that were beautiful in their efficiency—and sent the other pranagraha face-first onto the ground in a few seconds, with Lily on his back holding his left arm in a vicious hammerlock.
Alek grinned, deep satisfaction and grim pride at his female’s fighting skills filling his chest. Yeah, their demon attacker made the fatal mistake of underestimating Lily’s ability to defend herself, even without her witch magic. Served him right that he should eat dust for that alone.
And sexy action. Check.
Probably not the kind of sexy action the warning intended.
November 14, 2018
È stato peggio del primo, in senso buono ovviamente, in quanto l’ho divorato e mi ha tenuto incollata alle pagine da essermi dovuta dare un freno altrimenti rischiavo di non dormire più.
I colpi di scena non mancano nè le storie che si intrecciano, stavolta i protagonisti sono Alek, un demone davvero dal cuore d’oro che cerca solo di crearsi una famiglia tutta sua, e Lily, una strega che ha avuto nella sfortuna di ritrovarsi ad essere un demone come Alek. Loro due hanno fatto fuoco e fiamme, ognuno di loro fermo nelle decisioni che avevano prese in precedenza, certo è shockante come Lily sia diventata una demonessa che all’inizio (quasi per tutto il libro) non accettava questa sua nuova condizione, eppure in lei c’è il cambiamento interiore, ovviamente questo cambiamento è dovuto anche ad Alek che l’ha aiutata ed ha affrontato Arawn pur di far felice Lily e farla ritornare ad essere nuovamente una strega... perchè l’amore non è la propria felicità, ma è la felicità di chi ami da fare l’impossibile
Ci sono state delle scene in cui ho odiato ció che avevano fatto alle streghe per scopi puramente sessisti e immorali, d’altro canto sono rimasta soddisfatta di due particolari morti da dire:”Si cala il sipario, belli!”
La storia è come sempre rilassante e scorrevole, immaginandoti ogni situazione, ogni emozione che la scrittrice ha cercato di trasmettere e poi il finale, che un po’ me lo immaginavo, ma fino a quando non l’ho letto ho pensato che Alek perisse per salvare Lily che finalmente lo aveva accettato... suspance su suspance senza ombra di dubbio
Ed ora non vedo l’ora di leggermi il terzo che è sul fratello di quest’ultima
I colpi di scena non mancano nè le storie che si intrecciano, stavolta i protagonisti sono Alek, un demone davvero dal cuore d’oro che cerca solo di crearsi una famiglia tutta sua, e Lily, una strega che ha avuto nella sfortuna di ritrovarsi ad essere un demone come Alek. Loro due hanno fatto fuoco e fiamme, ognuno di loro fermo nelle decisioni che avevano prese in precedenza, certo è shockante come Lily sia diventata una demonessa che all’inizio (quasi per tutto il libro) non accettava questa sua nuova condizione, eppure in lei c’è il cambiamento interiore, ovviamente questo cambiamento è dovuto anche ad Alek che l’ha aiutata ed ha affrontato Arawn pur di far felice Lily e farla ritornare ad essere nuovamente una strega... perchè l’amore non è la propria felicità, ma è la felicità di chi ami da fare l’impossibile
Ci sono state delle scene in cui ho odiato ció che avevano fatto alle streghe per scopi puramente sessisti e immorali, d’altro canto sono rimasta soddisfatta di due particolari morti da dire:”Si cala il sipario, belli!”
La storia è come sempre rilassante e scorrevole, immaginandoti ogni situazione, ogni emozione che la scrittrice ha cercato di trasmettere e poi il finale, che un po’ me lo immaginavo, ma fino a quando non l’ho letto ho pensato che Alek perisse per salvare Lily che finalmente lo aveva accettato... suspance su suspance senza ombra di dubbio
Ed ora non vedo l’ora di leggermi il terzo che è sul fratello di quest’ultima
November 19, 2021
Not my favorite, but not too bad. I still like the author's writing and it was entertaining at times. My biggest issue is the couple. They do have some cute moments but their relationship was pretty boring tbh. Idk if it's because the hero is a little too sweet or what, but I just didn't vibe with them. Hopefully the next book is better.
Safety: Safe
No virgins
No ow/om drama
No sharing
Slight mentions of past partners for both characters and little talk of the hero's sex life (he can't orgasm unless he's mated, so he had to explain to the heroine that while he did have sex, he couldn't orgasm with them)
Hero didn't seem like a manho, and heroine had just gotten out of a relationship not long before the start of the book
Safety: Safe
No virgins
No ow/om drama
No sharing
Slight mentions of past partners for both characters and little talk of the hero's sex life (he can't orgasm unless he's mated, so he had to explain to the heroine that while he did have sex, he couldn't orgasm with them)
Hero didn't seem like a manho, and heroine had just gotten out of a relationship not long before the start of the book
October 11, 2018
Anche questo secondo libro mi è piaciuto! Adoro i protagonisti maschili di questa serie!
March 17, 2023
I found this second book in the series to be just as easy and fun to read as book 1, but unfortunately I didn't quite love it as much as the first book. I still had a great time and I'm glad I continued the series. While this book does standalone, I think the background of what happened in book 1 adds to the understanding of some of the dynamics of this story esp within the witch community. Lily (h) is a witch and at the start of the book, she's out with another witch, hunting for demons. On the way home from that patrol, she's attacked, but she manages to fight off the attacker. Except unbeknownst to her at first, the attack exposed her to something that forces her to change...into a demon. Alek (H) is already a demon and works for the Demon Lord, who has been keeping an eye on Lily's house because of a friend staying there. He's been smitten with Lily since he first laid eyes on her and he's on duty when she arrives at home and all hell breaks loose. He offers her help and breaks the news that she's becoming one of his kind. The rest of the story focuses on Lily attempting to turn back into a witch, them trying to determine who's behind what happened, and Alek trying to win Lily over to be his mate. Written in third person, multi-POV (including bad guys). No ow/om drama and neither are virgins (some details give on each of their histories).
I loved that Alek teaches Lily how to be a demon, from feeding to how to move around the city. Alek was probably my favorite of the two mains, he's very sweet and family-oriented and he has an elderly dog that he loves. But he does have some insta-love happening and he secretly tries to drag out helping Lily to give him more time with her, which sucked. Thankfully his twin literally smacks some sense into him. I liked Lily too, how she can fight and even without magic, she's got some martial arts skills that she's not afraid to use. Some of her responses to changing into a demon were frustrating and her insistence on avoiding a committed relationship because of trauma related to her parents didn't completely make sense to me, her best friend literally just got in an amazing romantic relationship in the prior book, with a demon! Still, her whole world's upended. I did like their chemistry together though and there was plenty of banter and humor as well. The spicy scenes didn't happen right away and there was an interesting quirk involving sex due to the type of demon Alek is once they did start getting down.
I loved the side characters, including her BFF and her demon husband, Lily's mom and brother, and Alek's adorable family (kid demons included and hilarious siblings). The witches are going through some conflict and some are supportive and others are gunning for Lily now that she's a demon, even though she's trying to figure out how to change back. Then the villains are awful, although I did wonder what inspired them to try what they did, since it was something that hadn't been done before.
This book does have some dark moments, but isn't a dark book overall. The final conflict does have some of that darkness and had some sad moments. There's also a bit of sacrifice that happens. The ending is a HEA in the sense that Lily and Alek are mated and in love, but there's not an extended epilogue. I did like that there's a bit more hinted at with the Demon Lord at the end of this story because he's a very shadowy figure with a lot of power and questionable intentions and he's a hero of another book in the series. I think I'm continuing this series, I'm just spreading them out a bit.
I loved that Alek teaches Lily how to be a demon, from feeding to how to move around the city. Alek was probably my favorite of the two mains, he's very sweet and family-oriented and he has an elderly dog that he loves. But he does have some insta-love happening and he secretly tries to drag out helping Lily to give him more time with her, which sucked. Thankfully his twin literally smacks some sense into him. I liked Lily too, how she can fight and even without magic, she's got some martial arts skills that she's not afraid to use. Some of her responses to changing into a demon were frustrating and her insistence on avoiding a committed relationship because of trauma related to her parents didn't completely make sense to me, her best friend literally just got in an amazing romantic relationship in the prior book, with a demon! Still, her whole world's upended. I did like their chemistry together though and there was plenty of banter and humor as well. The spicy scenes didn't happen right away and there was an interesting quirk involving sex due to the type of demon Alek is once they did start getting down.
I loved the side characters, including her BFF and her demon husband, Lily's mom and brother, and Alek's adorable family (kid demons included and hilarious siblings). The witches are going through some conflict and some are supportive and others are gunning for Lily now that she's a demon, even though she's trying to figure out how to change back. Then the villains are awful, although I did wonder what inspired them to try what they did, since it was something that hadn't been done before.
This book does have some dark moments, but isn't a dark book overall. The final conflict does have some of that darkness and had some sad moments. There's also a bit of sacrifice that happens. The ending is a HEA in the sense that Lily and Alek are mated and in love, but there's not an extended epilogue. I did like that there's a bit more hinted at with the Demon Lord at the end of this story because he's a very shadowy figure with a lot of power and questionable intentions and he's a hero of another book in the series. I think I'm continuing this series, I'm just spreading them out a bit.
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January 31, 2023
Original read: 2018
First re-read: 2023
Yeah so this is still a 3 star read for me. I re-read this series in 2020 and skipped right the fuck over this one cause it annoyed me so much and 5 years later it still does 😅
Basically Lily Murray, a witch and best friend of Merle (from book 1) gets turned into a demon, but not just any demon, a “life leech” or pranagraha aka the worst demon species of all time. They can't go out in sunlight, they HAVE to kill to live (horrible), when mated if one dies so does the other, and unlike the demon species in the previous two books pranagrahas can only mate with other pranagrahas (not witches or anyone else) 🤷🏼♀️ so she has to stay demon to be together with the H, but like what a shitty demon she got forced into being, of course she would want to be a witch again there’s literally nothing fun or cool about these demons. And honestly there's even more shitty stuff about this particular demon breed related to sex, but it's spoiler-y so I’m gonna write it at the very end of this review if you’re curious, but truly, scraping the bottom of the barrel, worst demon, 10000% would not want to be one of those. But what really fucking annoys me about this book is dumb old Alek, the supposed hero of this book. The only real thing he has going for him in my eyes is being hot and Russian (I’m a sucker for a Russian H). But this asshole has ulterior motives the whole time. He’s watched Lily for months, claims to love her and when the most traumatic life altering thing happens to her: she gets turned into a demon against her will stripping her of her magic, her identity, her family, her community, being able to carry on her family line, etc etc all he cares about is keeping her demon and mating her. He is not empathetic at all about how she's feeling or what her wants and needs might be. Not only that, but he lies to her face and actively works against her trying to reverse what’s happened to her all while half-heartedly “helping” 😤 Mans makes my blood boil. I forgot that Alek’s twin brother smacks him upside the head with all this knowledge that he’s a selfish son of a bitch and not really in love with her based on how he’s acting making dumb old Alek finally realize he’s been a tool and change his tune, but honestly too little too late, my man. Now you might read all this and think I hated this book, I didn’t, 3 star is still good in my book, the writing was good and I still find the world the author built interesting, but I definitely dislike Alek’s actions and think the author truly wanted to punish Lily by dreaming up the worst demon you could turn into like wtf, poorly Lily stuck as a prana-grouch for the rest of her life 😢 but I did like the tiny bit of Arawn we saw in this book and I can’t wait for his book 😫🤍 he’s a misunderstood King, for sure 🙇🏼♀️
*****spoilers mentioned above regarding sex & pranagrahas*****
Okay so first of all male pranagrahas can’t orgasm until they’re mated 🤯…Nadine, why?
But the most fucked up thing about this species of demon: mated females must have sex with their mates every night or they DIE. Are you fucking kidding me?!?! I get why the author did that for the little plot situation she backed herself into, but COME ON. Even in romancelandia women don’t want to have sex every single night for the rest of their lives OR DIE if they don’t feel like it that day…or get in an argument with their partner or are pregnant or are physically seperated from their partner, perhaps on vacation. Like what. Your mate has to come inside you daily or you’re dead? Get out of here with that. And that’s on top of the need to kill to survive, getting “prana” via sex doesn’t preclude you from having to murder to live. So yeah, shittiest demon species for sure🤦🏼♀️
First re-read: 2023
Yeah so this is still a 3 star read for me. I re-read this series in 2020 and skipped right the fuck over this one cause it annoyed me so much and 5 years later it still does 😅
Basically Lily Murray, a witch and best friend of Merle (from book 1) gets turned into a demon, but not just any demon, a “life leech” or pranagraha aka the worst demon species of all time. They can't go out in sunlight, they HAVE to kill to live (horrible), when mated if one dies so does the other, and unlike the demon species in the previous two books pranagrahas can only mate with other pranagrahas (not witches or anyone else) 🤷🏼♀️ so she has to stay demon to be together with the H, but like what a shitty demon she got forced into being, of course she would want to be a witch again there’s literally nothing fun or cool about these demons. And honestly there's even more shitty stuff about this particular demon breed related to sex, but it's spoiler-y so I’m gonna write it at the very end of this review if you’re curious, but truly, scraping the bottom of the barrel, worst demon, 10000% would not want to be one of those. But what really fucking annoys me about this book is dumb old Alek, the supposed hero of this book. The only real thing he has going for him in my eyes is being hot and Russian (I’m a sucker for a Russian H). But this asshole has ulterior motives the whole time. He’s watched Lily for months, claims to love her and when the most traumatic life altering thing happens to her: she gets turned into a demon against her will stripping her of her magic, her identity, her family, her community, being able to carry on her family line, etc etc all he cares about is keeping her demon and mating her. He is not empathetic at all about how she's feeling or what her wants and needs might be. Not only that, but he lies to her face and actively works against her trying to reverse what’s happened to her all while half-heartedly “helping” 😤 Mans makes my blood boil. I forgot that Alek’s twin brother smacks him upside the head with all this knowledge that he’s a selfish son of a bitch and not really in love with her based on how he’s acting making dumb old Alek finally realize he’s been a tool and change his tune, but honestly too little too late, my man. Now you might read all this and think I hated this book, I didn’t, 3 star is still good in my book, the writing was good and I still find the world the author built interesting, but I definitely dislike Alek’s actions and think the author truly wanted to punish Lily by dreaming up the worst demon you could turn into like wtf, poorly Lily stuck as a prana-grouch for the rest of her life 😢 but I did like the tiny bit of Arawn we saw in this book and I can’t wait for his book 😫🤍 he’s a misunderstood King, for sure 🙇🏼♀️
*****spoilers mentioned above regarding sex & pranagrahas*****
Okay so first of all male pranagrahas can’t orgasm until they’re mated 🤯…Nadine, why?
But the most fucked up thing about this species of demon: mated females must have sex with their mates every night or they DIE. Are you fucking kidding me?!?! I get why the author did that for the little plot situation she backed herself into, but COME ON. Even in romancelandia women don’t want to have sex every single night for the rest of their lives OR DIE if they don’t feel like it that day…or get in an argument with their partner or are pregnant or are physically seperated from their partner, perhaps on vacation. Like what. Your mate has to come inside you daily or you’re dead? Get out of here with that. And that’s on top of the need to kill to survive, getting “prana” via sex doesn’t preclude you from having to murder to live. So yeah, shittiest demon species for sure🤦🏼♀️
June 5, 2016
Why Blood Breath and Desire is a promising sequel ?
Blood Pain and Pleasure turned me into a gushing fan girl, could Nadine Mutas work the same magic again? I am happy to say she did that and more...
Things that made B,B&D a complete package :
1 World Building
The world building was intricate and showed the challenges of different paranormal creatures existing side by side. You read about their interactions, inter species politics, history and different abilities.
2 Arawyn
He was an intriguing character who plays the role of a powerful, game-changer. No one seems to know what kind of paranormal creature he is, you really can't get more mysterious than that.
3 Lily & Alek
Lily was feisty, snarky and completely kick ass. You see her falter on many levels, her dark urges, feeding and desperation to be a witch again. She struggles with her demon nature and her psychological demons.
Alek kept me hooked, not because he was drool worthy, caring, gentle or a a complete family man.
It was because he was willing to do anything to protect his loved ones and keep them happy and safe.
4 Depth
Both Lily & Alek had to fight tooth & nail, work through their issues and shuffle their priorities before they got their happy ending.
5 Villains
They are like a box of assorted chocolates in this story. You are not bored by a single villain with a lonely motive. Major, minor, obvious, hidden villains,they ensure that our lead couple is surrounded by trouble all the time.
6 Return of Rhun
We meet Rhun again and every scene starring Rhun is absolute perfection. Take my word for it. ;)
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Blood Pain and Pleasure turned me into a gushing fan girl, could Nadine Mutas work the same magic again? I am happy to say she did that and more...
Things that made B,B&D a complete package :
1 World Building
The world building was intricate and showed the challenges of different paranormal creatures existing side by side. You read about their interactions, inter species politics, history and different abilities.
2 Arawyn
He was an intriguing character who plays the role of a powerful, game-changer. No one seems to know what kind of paranormal creature he is, you really can't get more mysterious than that.
3 Lily & Alek
Lily was feisty, snarky and completely kick ass. You see her falter on many levels, her dark urges, feeding and desperation to be a witch again. She struggles with her demon nature and her psychological demons.
Alek kept me hooked, not because he was drool worthy, caring, gentle or a a complete family man.
It was because he was willing to do anything to protect his loved ones and keep them happy and safe.
4 Depth
Both Lily & Alek had to fight tooth & nail, work through their issues and shuffle their priorities before they got their happy ending.
5 Villains
They are like a box of assorted chocolates in this story. You are not bored by a single villain with a lonely motive. Major, minor, obvious, hidden villains,they ensure that our lead couple is surrounded by trouble all the time.
6 Return of Rhun
We meet Rhun again and every scene starring Rhun is absolute perfection. Take my word for it. ;)
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review
July 17, 2018
Bellissimo, come il primo libro! Anche se Rhun rimane sempre il mio preferito per ora!
Questa serie mi sta prendendo sempre più!
Questa serie mi sta prendendo sempre più!
November 27, 2018
" Ciò che fu rotto si ripari
Ciò che è lacero ritorni uno
Carne e sangue e vita imperituri
tornino a fondersi in un tutt’uno…"
.
Bentornate Fenici!
Oggi vi parlo di Desiderio Demoniaco, secondo volume della serie Love and Magic, con il quale continuano le avventure dei demoni e delle streghe create dalla geniale Nadine Mutas.
Lasciati Rhun e Merle, la scrittrice dedica questo secondo libro alla storia tra Lily, membro delle streghe Murray e Alek Kuznetsov, demone duhokrad in cerca della sua compagna di vita. Ai due, l’autrice riserva un’avventura di tutto rispetto!
La nostra strega viene infatti colpita da un dardo intriso di una magia arcana che la trasforma in un demone duhokrad, una particolare specie di demoni che si nutrono di dhu (la forza vitale degli esseri) per sopravvivere. Lily dovrà imparare a gestire i suoi nuovi impulsi e i desideri oscuri che la guidano… e chi meglio di un demone della sua stessa specie può aiutarla? Alek è da anni al servizio di Arawn, il potente Signore dei demoni (a cui è dedicato il quarto volume della serie, che non vedo l’ora di leggere). Il suo compito, come sentinella, è quello di osservare Meave, sorella di Merle, che da quando è stata liberata risiede presso la famiglia Murray. È qui che incontra, per la prima volta, Lily e se ne innamora immediatamente, nonostante di fatto i due appartengono a specie da sempre in lotta. Ed è sempre mentre è “in servizio”, che scopre della trasformazione dell’affascinante strega e si offre di aiutarla. La ricerca della verità su ciò che è accaduto a Lily, porterà la stramba coppia a combattere fianco a fianco… E alla fine dei giochi, cosa sceglierà di fare la nostra strega??
"Anche se essere un demone portava con sé l’immortalità e superpoteri come il volo o lo svegliarsi con il trucco perfetto, lei ci avrebbe rinunciato senza pensarci due volte pur di tornare ad essere una strega. Nel profondo della sua anima, dove avrebbe dovuto esserci la sua familiare magia, dove essa aveva pulsato e brillato da quando lei aveva acquisito i suoi poteri, c’era un vuoto dolente. Un baratro di pura oscurità. Se ci avesse pensato troppo, sarebbe precipitata in quell’abisso oscuro. Chi era lei, ora che ciò che l’aveva definita per più di vent’anni le era stato strappato? Priva com’era della sua identità di strega, cosa le rimaneva? Forse non voleva saperlo. Forse aveva paura di scoprirlo."
Anche questo secondo volume della serie si è rivelato al di sopra delle mie aspettative. Ho adorato il personaggio di Lily, strega (o forse dovrei dire demone!) irriverente e sempre sopra le righe. Le sue battute mi hanno fatto morire dal ridere, così come il suo continuo storpiare il nome della specie di Alek. Già dalle primissime righe, scopriamo che personaggio la Mutas è stata in grado di creare.
"Questa me la devo segnare: pedinare demoni quando indossi il tanga è peggio di un attacco di prurito inguinale mentre tieni un discorso alle Anziane."
Ma Lily non è solo spiritosa. É anche profondamente generosa e nutre un affetto sconfinato per il suo gemello Basil. La perdita dei suoi poteri e la sua trasformazione in demone, mettono questo personaggio fortemente in crisi e la spingono ad interrogarsi su cosa sia realmente importante.
"L’amore, pensò Lily, è un altro genere di magia."
E il nostro Alek non è da meno: un corpo perfetto, espressione di ferocia e autorità, plasmato da un animo nobile. Alek ha desiderato Lily dalla prima volta che l’ha vista. Ma non è soltanto sesso selvaggio quello che sta cercando. Lui aspira a trovare la compagna della sua vita (felicità e demonietti inclusi) e quando Lily si trasforma in una duhokrad vede finalmente i suoi sogni diventare realtà.
"Lily», ringhiò il demone.
Lily sobbalzò. «Cosa c’è?».
«Non puoi farlo».
«Fare cosa?».
«Eccitarti mentre guido». Le sue dita si strinsero con forza attorno al volante. «Il tuo odore mi sta facendo impazzire. Se non ti calmi, mi fermo, ti trascino dietro e ti mangio tutta.»”
Si conferma lo stile fluido e accattivante della Mutas, che spero di trovare anche nel prossimo volume, dedicato a Basil Murray.
.
Dada - per RFS
Ciò che è lacero ritorni uno
Carne e sangue e vita imperituri
tornino a fondersi in un tutt’uno…"
.
Bentornate Fenici!
Oggi vi parlo di Desiderio Demoniaco, secondo volume della serie Love and Magic, con il quale continuano le avventure dei demoni e delle streghe create dalla geniale Nadine Mutas.
Lasciati Rhun e Merle, la scrittrice dedica questo secondo libro alla storia tra Lily, membro delle streghe Murray e Alek Kuznetsov, demone duhokrad in cerca della sua compagna di vita. Ai due, l’autrice riserva un’avventura di tutto rispetto!
La nostra strega viene infatti colpita da un dardo intriso di una magia arcana che la trasforma in un demone duhokrad, una particolare specie di demoni che si nutrono di dhu (la forza vitale degli esseri) per sopravvivere. Lily dovrà imparare a gestire i suoi nuovi impulsi e i desideri oscuri che la guidano… e chi meglio di un demone della sua stessa specie può aiutarla? Alek è da anni al servizio di Arawn, il potente Signore dei demoni (a cui è dedicato il quarto volume della serie, che non vedo l’ora di leggere). Il suo compito, come sentinella, è quello di osservare Meave, sorella di Merle, che da quando è stata liberata risiede presso la famiglia Murray. È qui che incontra, per la prima volta, Lily e se ne innamora immediatamente, nonostante di fatto i due appartengono a specie da sempre in lotta. Ed è sempre mentre è “in servizio”, che scopre della trasformazione dell’affascinante strega e si offre di aiutarla. La ricerca della verità su ciò che è accaduto a Lily, porterà la stramba coppia a combattere fianco a fianco… E alla fine dei giochi, cosa sceglierà di fare la nostra strega??
"Anche se essere un demone portava con sé l’immortalità e superpoteri come il volo o lo svegliarsi con il trucco perfetto, lei ci avrebbe rinunciato senza pensarci due volte pur di tornare ad essere una strega. Nel profondo della sua anima, dove avrebbe dovuto esserci la sua familiare magia, dove essa aveva pulsato e brillato da quando lei aveva acquisito i suoi poteri, c’era un vuoto dolente. Un baratro di pura oscurità. Se ci avesse pensato troppo, sarebbe precipitata in quell’abisso oscuro. Chi era lei, ora che ciò che l’aveva definita per più di vent’anni le era stato strappato? Priva com’era della sua identità di strega, cosa le rimaneva? Forse non voleva saperlo. Forse aveva paura di scoprirlo."
Anche questo secondo volume della serie si è rivelato al di sopra delle mie aspettative. Ho adorato il personaggio di Lily, strega (o forse dovrei dire demone!) irriverente e sempre sopra le righe. Le sue battute mi hanno fatto morire dal ridere, così come il suo continuo storpiare il nome della specie di Alek. Già dalle primissime righe, scopriamo che personaggio la Mutas è stata in grado di creare.
"Questa me la devo segnare: pedinare demoni quando indossi il tanga è peggio di un attacco di prurito inguinale mentre tieni un discorso alle Anziane."
Ma Lily non è solo spiritosa. É anche profondamente generosa e nutre un affetto sconfinato per il suo gemello Basil. La perdita dei suoi poteri e la sua trasformazione in demone, mettono questo personaggio fortemente in crisi e la spingono ad interrogarsi su cosa sia realmente importante.
"L’amore, pensò Lily, è un altro genere di magia."
E il nostro Alek non è da meno: un corpo perfetto, espressione di ferocia e autorità, plasmato da un animo nobile. Alek ha desiderato Lily dalla prima volta che l’ha vista. Ma non è soltanto sesso selvaggio quello che sta cercando. Lui aspira a trovare la compagna della sua vita (felicità e demonietti inclusi) e quando Lily si trasforma in una duhokrad vede finalmente i suoi sogni diventare realtà.
"Lily», ringhiò il demone.
Lily sobbalzò. «Cosa c’è?».
«Non puoi farlo».
«Fare cosa?».
«Eccitarti mentre guido». Le sue dita si strinsero con forza attorno al volante. «Il tuo odore mi sta facendo impazzire. Se non ti calmi, mi fermo, ti trascino dietro e ti mangio tutta.»”
Si conferma lo stile fluido e accattivante della Mutas, che spero di trovare anche nel prossimo volume, dedicato a Basil Murray.
.
Dada - per RFS
March 27, 2021
Unfortunately, something about this book felt rather… lacking, compared to the other two in the series. I’ll try to be more specific:
1) Lily. I just didn’t click with her. It’s actually rather a pet peeve of mine to read about someone with commitment issues because it hits a little close to home and takes me out of the romance. So my reasons for not particularly loving Lily like I did the previous heroines in this series probably had to do a lot with that.
2) The ending felt super rushed.
1) Lily. I just didn’t click with her. It’s actually rather a pet peeve of mine to read about someone with commitment issues because it hits a little close to home and takes me out of the romance. So my reasons for not particularly loving Lily like I did the previous heroines in this series probably had to do a lot with that.
2) The ending felt super rushed.
June 13, 2016
Absolutely fantastic! Nadine Mutas couldn't have created a better second novel in the Tales of Blood and Magic series. Blood, Breath, and Desire is dark, witty, and sexy. I thought her first novel, Blood, Pain, and Pleasure, would be hard to beat, but this second book is even better!
To start off, Nadine creates characters who are very realistic. Their struggles and passions connect with the reader. Lily is such a strong heroine. She is feisty and wild, but she is also scared of being in love with someone. She is turned into a demon and wants nothing more than to be a witch again. Alek is the sexy pranagraha demon who falls for Lily as soon as he sees her. He wants a mate so badly. He is such a sweet, strong, and sexy man! The rest of the characters are all equally enjoyable and realistic.
The plot to the book is very well paced. It never felt rushed or too slow. Mutas' world building is just fantastic! The reader is pulled into this dark, demonic world, and it leaves you begging for more at the end.
Let's not forget about the wit and humor found throughout Blood, Breath, and Desire! I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. Some of the exchanges between Alek and Lily are just hilarious. I love Mutas' sense of humor!
All in all, Blood, Breath, and Desire is a must read! It won't be long before we see Nadine Mutas on the NYT bestselling list! Lovers of Kresley Cole or Lost Girl will LOVE this series! So, do yourself a favor and go start reading! :)
To start off, Nadine creates characters who are very realistic. Their struggles and passions connect with the reader. Lily is such a strong heroine. She is feisty and wild, but she is also scared of being in love with someone. She is turned into a demon and wants nothing more than to be a witch again. Alek is the sexy pranagraha demon who falls for Lily as soon as he sees her. He wants a mate so badly. He is such a sweet, strong, and sexy man! The rest of the characters are all equally enjoyable and realistic.
The plot to the book is very well paced. It never felt rushed or too slow. Mutas' world building is just fantastic! The reader is pulled into this dark, demonic world, and it leaves you begging for more at the end.
Let's not forget about the wit and humor found throughout Blood, Breath, and Desire! I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. Some of the exchanges between Alek and Lily are just hilarious. I love Mutas' sense of humor!
All in all, Blood, Breath, and Desire is a must read! It won't be long before we see Nadine Mutas on the NYT bestselling list! Lovers of Kresley Cole or Lost Girl will LOVE this series! So, do yourself a favor and go start reading! :)
May 16, 2016
This book uses "How far will you go for love?" as a choke-hold to pull you happily flailing from cover to cover.
This author gets better & better. BB&D is my fav book by Mutas so far for so many reasons. Alek is uber-delish. I love a nice guy who's gray from some angles. I don't want to give things away so I'll just say he's a little geek, an animal lover, and a whole lot sexy. Can't beat that combo. This book is chock full of sassy humor, and I laughed out loud numerous times. Honestly the humor, world-building, super hot sexy times, and tension (that doesn't rely on simply miscommunication) happily reminds me of Kresley Cole. I've been reading IAD recently and this book easily rivaled those, surpassing quite a few of them. (And I'm a Cole fan so that's saying something!) The stakes are high for Alek and Lily and for nearly everyone around them. The witches' world is changing. The demon lord is unpredictable and tied into things. And I need to know more about Basil. Like now.
This author gets better & better. BB&D is my fav book by Mutas so far for so many reasons. Alek is uber-delish. I love a nice guy who's gray from some angles. I don't want to give things away so I'll just say he's a little geek, an animal lover, and a whole lot sexy. Can't beat that combo. This book is chock full of sassy humor, and I laughed out loud numerous times. Honestly the humor, world-building, super hot sexy times, and tension (that doesn't rely on simply miscommunication) happily reminds me of Kresley Cole. I've been reading IAD recently and this book easily rivaled those, surpassing quite a few of them. (And I'm a Cole fan so that's saying something!) The stakes are high for Alek and Lily and for nearly everyone around them. The witches' world is changing. The demon lord is unpredictable and tied into things. And I need to know more about Basil. Like now.
August 22, 2020
I read and reviewed this book for NERFA, the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards
The story is written in third person, has an HEA, is not a cliffhanger, and is good and steamy.
I loved the cover. This was a nice erotic but vanilla paranormal romance. However to me it was nothing new. I had the ending figured out at 75%.
The editing and story consistency were well done. Nothing was repetitive just to stretch the length of the story. The heroine was kick-ass and the hero was hot, gorgeous and not a douche bag. I have to say that I liked the original title better: Blood, Breath, and Desire.
If you enjoy paranormal romance then you will thoroughly enjoy this series.
The story is written in third person, has an HEA, is not a cliffhanger, and is good and steamy.
I loved the cover. This was a nice erotic but vanilla paranormal romance. However to me it was nothing new. I had the ending figured out at 75%.
The editing and story consistency were well done. Nothing was repetitive just to stretch the length of the story. The heroine was kick-ass and the hero was hot, gorgeous and not a douche bag. I have to say that I liked the original title better: Blood, Breath, and Desire.
If you enjoy paranormal romance then you will thoroughly enjoy this series.
January 7, 2024
Would have been 3 stars if not for the cringy Russian words. Most of the endearments in russian that the hero says you would say to a minor/child not a woman and not romantically.
August 26, 2020
3.5 stars
I liked the first instalment a little better, mostly the chemistry and the relationship development between Rhun and Merle was smoother and more believable. Alek and Lily had been a great couple, but their insta-love/lust seemed a little too insta, and sometimes it seemed that the bigger issues were brushed away...
Rhun and his tenderness and sarcasm cannot be surpassed, I'm afraid, though I found myself swooning over Alek. How could I not? If people didn't want me to have an unhealthy obsession with demons they have to stop writing them so well. Much like Merle and Lily, my resolve can only last so long...
Overall a very entertaining, well-written summer read!
I liked the first instalment a little better, mostly the chemistry and the relationship development between Rhun and Merle was smoother and more believable. Alek and Lily had been a great couple, but their insta-love/lust seemed a little too insta, and sometimes it seemed that the bigger issues were brushed away...
Rhun and his tenderness and sarcasm cannot be surpassed, I'm afraid, though I found myself swooning over Alek. How could I not? If people didn't want me to have an unhealthy obsession with demons they have to stop writing them so well. Much like Merle and Lily, my resolve can only last so long...
Overall a very entertaining, well-written summer read!
January 25, 2021
3.5 stars...Got to be honest... I didn't really like Lily in the first book. So I wasn't so excited to read her story. Alek was ok, not my favorite hero either. Way too manipulative for a good chunk of this story.
Merle and Rhun gave this book a 3.5 rating otherwise it would be a 2.5
Here's the thing I think authors do all the damn time. The epiphany in the end is just so unbelievable and way overdone. Character growth needs to happen at a steady pace.
2 more books in this series to go...
Merle and Rhun gave this book a 3.5 rating otherwise it would be a 2.5
Here's the thing I think authors do all the damn time. The epiphany in the end is just so unbelievable and way overdone. Character growth needs to happen at a steady pace.
2 more books in this series to go...
January 2, 2023
This was a bit different than the first book, I still enjoyed it. What Nadine comes up with the demon traits are pretty unique to me. The cast of characters are starting to appear more which helps round out the book even more and can only wonder what will happen next! I'm really enjoying these.
Narrators Lia Langola and Jack Calihan were perfect!
Note: this series must be read in order as the overall story arc is weaved throughout the books.
Narrators Lia Langola and Jack Calihan were perfect!
Note: this series must be read in order as the overall story arc is weaved throughout the books.
June 24, 2024
Read this months later after I finished all of the other books. Started unknowingly and then realised I recognised the names and the plot. It was nice but since I knew what was going to happen it kind of took away the charm unfortunately
October 9, 2018
Bellissimo anche questo secondo libro su Lily e Alek 😍
September 9, 2016
AND….drum roll…..she’s done it again! This is the second book in the Tales of Blood and Magic Series by Nadine Mutas. The characters are fun and unique and just like the previous book this one had just enough humor to offset some of the darker overtones to the story. While technically I’d say you could read this as a standalone, I would highly recommend starting with the first book - Blood, Pain and Pleasure. It provides the foundation for the amazing world Mutas has built which would enrich your experience. There’s also the fact that Book 1 is simply awesome and hilarious LOL; I order you to just read it! Or if you’re not into orders, maybe a pretty please??? I swear you’ll love it. Anyhoo, I was saying…
Whereas the first book was centered on the witches and their community, this one gave us more insight into demons while still giving us glimpses into how the witch community views are beginning to shift from the first book.
As the author takes us deeper into the world of witches, demons and otherworldly beings we begin to get a peek into the life of a demon. In particular, the hot, sexy, sweet and very alpha Alek. He’s a pranagraha demon who sucks the life out of others. He’s been watching our heroine Lily from afar and is obsessed with her. He knows one thing for certain and that being he wants Lily….forever. He’s possessive, devoted and loyal to his family and wants one of his own. Mutas does an amazing job humanizing demons, as she introduces us to Alek’s dog (yes he has a dog LOL) and his family. While he may need to kill to survive, his dreams and wish for a family of his own is real and you root for him! The tricky part is that he can only mate with another pranagraha! But know that she is one all bets are off. He wants her BAD and has no qualms about telling her!
“I know enough to know I want you. You’re funny, clever, a fighter, loyal to a fault, passionate, and beautiful. Not to mention hot enough to make a demon forget his name. I want you in my life, by my side.” He lowered his voice to a murmur. “In my bed.”
Lily is a spitfire! She’s one tough badass witch who is fearless and meets challenges head on. And boy does she need that strength as her whole world changes from a demon fighting witch to a demon herself after being attacked by another demon using dark magic. Alek sees it happen and becomes her protector. Lily desperately wants to become a witch again and is determined to find out who did this to her and how to change back.
With the help of Alek and as they investigate what happened, Lily begins to learn about her new demon self. I literally felt her fear and sadness at the thought of losing her identity. Being a witch has defined her whole life. Without that, who is she and due to her past, the idea of love is terrifying! Needless to say Alek has a lot to overcome. As part of his attempt to sway her “to the dark side” so to speak he takes her to meet his family. It was funny and heartwarming. (I was grinning from ear to ear!). Lily is introduced to what real love and family could look like.
Then to make things more complicated, her own witch community has turned against her! With the exception of her best friend Merle, Rhun and her family, of course. I was soooo excited when I found out I was going to get to see Merle and Rhun again! Yes, Rhun is still his snarky, sarcastic self. Teehee…
Rhun snapped his fingers. “I almost forgot.” He walked over to Lily, pulled a small bag from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. “Welcome to the Dark Side. Here are the cookies.”
Jackass! Bahahahaha
Throughout the story there was intrigue, witch politics, demon lovin’, giggles and a lot of self-discovery as Lily redefines who she is and begins to learn how to open her heart.
Love, Liliy thought, is a magic all its own.
Lily and Alek are perfect together. I loved the new characters, plot, suspense and continuation of a paranormal world I think is awesome!
As an aside: The author did surprise me though… I didn’t think it could happen but she made me sort of soften a bit towards the demon lord, Arawn, whom we meet in the first book and who Alek works for. You’ll need to read the first book to understand who Arawn is and why he’s significant. He only makes a short appearance in this book but I can’t begin to tell you how much I seriously hated him. But at the end of this book Mutas makes me like him just a tiny bit. Makes me wonder if there may be something to that…future Arawn story maybe? I’d loooove that!
To see more of my reviews swing by www.aurorabsbookblog.com :)
Whereas the first book was centered on the witches and their community, this one gave us more insight into demons while still giving us glimpses into how the witch community views are beginning to shift from the first book.
As the author takes us deeper into the world of witches, demons and otherworldly beings we begin to get a peek into the life of a demon. In particular, the hot, sexy, sweet and very alpha Alek. He’s a pranagraha demon who sucks the life out of others. He’s been watching our heroine Lily from afar and is obsessed with her. He knows one thing for certain and that being he wants Lily….forever. He’s possessive, devoted and loyal to his family and wants one of his own. Mutas does an amazing job humanizing demons, as she introduces us to Alek’s dog (yes he has a dog LOL) and his family. While he may need to kill to survive, his dreams and wish for a family of his own is real and you root for him! The tricky part is that he can only mate with another pranagraha! But know that she is one all bets are off. He wants her BAD and has no qualms about telling her!
“I know enough to know I want you. You’re funny, clever, a fighter, loyal to a fault, passionate, and beautiful. Not to mention hot enough to make a demon forget his name. I want you in my life, by my side.” He lowered his voice to a murmur. “In my bed.”
Lily is a spitfire! She’s one tough badass witch who is fearless and meets challenges head on. And boy does she need that strength as her whole world changes from a demon fighting witch to a demon herself after being attacked by another demon using dark magic. Alek sees it happen and becomes her protector. Lily desperately wants to become a witch again and is determined to find out who did this to her and how to change back.
With the help of Alek and as they investigate what happened, Lily begins to learn about her new demon self. I literally felt her fear and sadness at the thought of losing her identity. Being a witch has defined her whole life. Without that, who is she and due to her past, the idea of love is terrifying! Needless to say Alek has a lot to overcome. As part of his attempt to sway her “to the dark side” so to speak he takes her to meet his family. It was funny and heartwarming. (I was grinning from ear to ear!). Lily is introduced to what real love and family could look like.
Then to make things more complicated, her own witch community has turned against her! With the exception of her best friend Merle, Rhun and her family, of course. I was soooo excited when I found out I was going to get to see Merle and Rhun again! Yes, Rhun is still his snarky, sarcastic self. Teehee…
Rhun snapped his fingers. “I almost forgot.” He walked over to Lily, pulled a small bag from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. “Welcome to the Dark Side. Here are the cookies.”
Jackass! Bahahahaha
Throughout the story there was intrigue, witch politics, demon lovin’, giggles and a lot of self-discovery as Lily redefines who she is and begins to learn how to open her heart.
Love, Liliy thought, is a magic all its own.
Lily and Alek are perfect together. I loved the new characters, plot, suspense and continuation of a paranormal world I think is awesome!
As an aside: The author did surprise me though… I didn’t think it could happen but she made me sort of soften a bit towards the demon lord, Arawn, whom we meet in the first book and who Alek works for. You’ll need to read the first book to understand who Arawn is and why he’s significant. He only makes a short appearance in this book but I can’t begin to tell you how much I seriously hated him. But at the end of this book Mutas makes me like him just a tiny bit. Makes me wonder if there may be something to that…future Arawn story maybe? I’d loooove that!
To see more of my reviews swing by www.aurorabsbookblog.com :)
August 15, 2016
This was a great read. I don’t usually read series that involve demons but this one sounded interesting and I had to give it a try. The world building in this book was great with the witches, demons, shifters and Arawn. It was complex and so very fascinating. I love the shades of gray that happens in books where not everyone of a certain species is necessary evil. I like seeing that there are some good ones of whatever they are out there doing good.
I did read this book before the first one “Blood, Pain and Pleasure” but Mutas did a great job catching her readers up to speed and introducing the characters from the first book. The characters were all butt kickers in their own rights. They were snarky and likeable as all heck. I love a butt kicking heroine that doesn’t need a man to save her and none of the women I met in this book needed one either. Can I get an Amen … Amen. I have read too many stories lately with flimsy, wimpy, wishy-washy, Mary Sues and this book what just what I needed to get that taste out of my mouth.
I loved the Banter between Alek and Lily. It’s a special kind of flirting and dancing that’s fun to watch and it shows their chemistry. They had great chemistry both in and out of bed and it was fun, sexy and HOT. Alek and Lily were definitely made for one another. Alek is so damn funny and charming. He was swoon worthy. He is just a stand up guy (demon) that most girls would dream of having. He is the straight forward kind of guy that will tell you exactly what he wants. In this case it’s Lily as his mate. Lily on the other hand is in no way shape or form looking for a mate…or any relationship with a guy especially not a demon. She is going to be turned back into a witch after all. Lily was a butt kicking witch (not in a bad way). She is her family’s heir and is powerful in magic. She knows who she is and knows what she wants and doesn’t want. She’s smart and knows a bunch of self defense and other fighting styles to help her kick some demon butt.
Overall I really enjoyed this book but it was over too quickly and I hope to see Alek and Lily in later books. We have to find out just how cute their babies are after all.
I did read this book before the first one “Blood, Pain and Pleasure” but Mutas did a great job catching her readers up to speed and introducing the characters from the first book. The characters were all butt kickers in their own rights. They were snarky and likeable as all heck. I love a butt kicking heroine that doesn’t need a man to save her and none of the women I met in this book needed one either. Can I get an Amen … Amen. I have read too many stories lately with flimsy, wimpy, wishy-washy, Mary Sues and this book what just what I needed to get that taste out of my mouth.
I loved the Banter between Alek and Lily. It’s a special kind of flirting and dancing that’s fun to watch and it shows their chemistry. They had great chemistry both in and out of bed and it was fun, sexy and HOT. Alek and Lily were definitely made for one another. Alek is so damn funny and charming. He was swoon worthy. He is just a stand up guy (demon) that most girls would dream of having. He is the straight forward kind of guy that will tell you exactly what he wants. In this case it’s Lily as his mate. Lily on the other hand is in no way shape or form looking for a mate…or any relationship with a guy especially not a demon. She is going to be turned back into a witch after all. Lily was a butt kicking witch (not in a bad way). She is her family’s heir and is powerful in magic. She knows who she is and knows what she wants and doesn’t want. She’s smart and knows a bunch of self defense and other fighting styles to help her kick some demon butt.
Overall I really enjoyed this book but it was over too quickly and I hope to see Alek and Lily in later books. We have to find out just how cute their babies are after all.
June 17, 2016
Talk about grabbing one’s attention from the very start because that’s what happened to me. The first three words “Note to self” and what followed after in that paragraph, caught me off-guard and I couldn’t help but laugh at Lily’s situation, but I could also understand her discomfort over a thong, LoL. Because of the humor right from the start, I easily became intrigued to see how the rest of the story would play out.
Lily is stubborn and strong, top qualities I like in a leading lady. Alek is a no crap-taking, strong, sexy demon and who knew, he’s also a demonic romantic. The sexual tension between the H/h was hot and the story had enough steam for me where I’d recommend it only for adult/mature readers. The story is in third person, but switches POV between Lily and Alek. This was a plus for me because I like knowing what’s going on in the minds of both H/h instead of trying to guess when a story is fixed on only one character’s POV.
Nadine Mutas is a new author for me and this is the first time I’ve read her work. She did a great job world building and it sucked me right in. I’m glad I was given the opportunity to read this story and I will be going on a search for more of her books. I received a copy of this book from Romance Authors That Rock, in exchange for an honest review. Loved it and I give the book (5) stars.
Lily is stubborn and strong, top qualities I like in a leading lady. Alek is a no crap-taking, strong, sexy demon and who knew, he’s also a demonic romantic. The sexual tension between the H/h was hot and the story had enough steam for me where I’d recommend it only for adult/mature readers. The story is in third person, but switches POV between Lily and Alek. This was a plus for me because I like knowing what’s going on in the minds of both H/h instead of trying to guess when a story is fixed on only one character’s POV.
Nadine Mutas is a new author for me and this is the first time I’ve read her work. She did a great job world building and it sucked me right in. I’m glad I was given the opportunity to read this story and I will be going on a search for more of her books. I received a copy of this book from Romance Authors That Rock, in exchange for an honest review. Loved it and I give the book (5) stars.
February 9, 2019
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Recensione di Sara – Desiderio demoniaco di Nadine Mutas, secondo volume paranormal romance della serie Amore e magia, pubblicato il 17 Maggio 2018 Self Publishing.
Sarò sincera, non mi aspettavo un libro su Lily o, almeno, non così presto. Pensavo che questo secondo volume della serie raccontasse la storia di Maeve, soprattutto per com’era finito Seduzione demoniaca, e invece no. Nadine Mutas mi ha stupita ancora con la storia di Lily e Alek, una storia inaspettata ma capace di conquistarti dalle prime righe.
“Era come se Alek fosse una calamita e lei il metallo che era attirato da lui, come se la sua sopravvivenza dipendesse dal sentire sotto il palmo della mano il liscio calore della sua pelle.”
Lily Murray è quel tipo di ragazza che si ama o si odia. É schietta e sincera, senza filtri ma assolutamente vera. Non è capace di nascondere ciò che prova o quello che pensa. Più di una volta ha dimostrato la sua lealtà alle persone che ama, ha rischiato tutto per proteggerle e tenerle al sicuro, perché Lily è così: lei se ne frega delle regole se deve aiutare qualcuno a cui tiene.
Questa volta, però, sarà lei ad aver bisogno di aiuto, di rassicurazioni dalle persone che fanno parte della sua vita.
Lily pensava di essere stata drogata, non si aspettava che la puntura di un dardo avesse il potere di cambiare la sua natura, di trasformarla in ciò che le streghe cacciano: un demone.
Si ritroverà a dover fare i conti con la natura di demone, con i suoi desideri e, come se non bastasse, non si è trasformata in un demone qualunque, ma in un demone che ha bisogno di uccidere per sopravvivere.
Alek è stato mandato a sorvegliare casa Murray e tenere al sicuro una strega: Maeve. Da dieci anni è al servizio del Signore dei Demoni e mai avrebbe immaginato che, grazie a questo compito, si sarebbe innamorato di una strega. Lily popola i suoi sogni e desideri da settimane. Dalla prima volta che ha posato gli occhi su di lei è rimasto folgorato e giorno dopo giorno ha osservato i suoi movimenti, le sue abitudini e preferenze, tenendo conto di ogni più piccola abitudine della strega. Lei è così vera, forte e determinata che il demone ha completamente perso la testa per lei, ma c’è un problema: Lily è una strega, non appartiene alla sua stessa specie di demone e, per questo motivo, non avranno mai un futuro.
La specie di demone a cui appartiene Alek può prendere come compagna solamente un demone della sua stessa specie. Pensava di dover guardare da lontano Lily per sempre, eppure ora lei è come lui. Inspiegabilmente, lei è diventata un demone e ora Alek può conquistarla, rivelarle ciò che prova.
Solo che Lily non è un vero demone e l’unica cosa che la ragazza desidera più di tutto è tornare ad essere una strega.
“Il vero amore è tenere alla felicità di un’altra persona più che alla tua.”
Alek ha promesso di aiutare Lily ad ambientarsi e abituarsi alla trasformazione, ad essere un demone e a rimanere in vita nonostante il suo bisogno di uccidere. Lily dovrà fare i conti con i pregiudizi che per anni le hanno fatto compagnia, perché ha sempre pensato che tutti i demoni fossero cattivi e assassini, eppure il demone biondo che la sta aiutando, riesce a mandarla in confusione e, giorno dopo giorno, a spezzare le convinzioni con cui sua zia Isabel l’ha cresciuta.
I demoni hanno una famiglia, delle tradizioni e dei legami come qualsiasi altro essere vivente. Alek le dimostrerà che può scegliere di chi nutrirsi e, al tempo stesso, rendere la città più sicura prendendo la vita di assassini, spacciatori e stupratori.
Il mondo da demone non sembra così male, ma c’è una parte di Lily che è sparita quando è stata trasformata: lei era abituata a sentire la magia dentro di sé e ora al suo posto c’è solo un enorme vuoto. La speranza di trovare una cura è l’unica cosa che la fa andare avanti, resistere e lottare. Merle e sua madre stanno facendo l’impossibile per capire come spezzare la magia che l’ha resa un demone e Lily è loro grata, perché ha bisogno di tornare ad essere se stessa.
“C’era anche il fatto che una piccola parte di lei non voleva lasciare Alek. Follia, ecco cos’era. Lo conosceva da meno di ventiquattro ore. Aveva a malapena sfiorato la superficie del suo carattere. E tuttavia, il modo in cui si sentiva quando era vicino a lui.. era come se qualcosa che le era mancato – una mancanza di cui non era stata nemmeno consapevole – si fosse messo a posto. Lui la faceva sentire al sicuro. In un momento, in una situazione in cui il mondo intero le era crollato addosso, in cui lei non era più sicura nemmeno della propria identità, Alek era riuscito chissà come a stabilizzarla.”
Lily è sempre scappata dalle relazioni serie, non ne vuole. Quello che sua zia Isabel le ha insegnato per anni è che l’amore rende deboli, succubi. L’ha visto succedere a sua madre e non è disposta a lasciarsi andare completamente con il demone che pian piano si è intrufolato nel suo cuore. Alek la vuole come compagna, la corteggia e la conquista, ma c’è un muro dentro di lei che nemmeno il bel demone può abbattere.
O, almeno, questo è ciò che pensa Lily, perché dovrà fare una scelta, dovrà capire cos’è disposta a perdere davvero e chi vuole essere. Le cose belle non durano per sempre, soprattutto se sei tu ad allontanarle e Lily dovrà fare i conti con le sue decisioni.
I personaggi di Nadine Mutas sono capaci di conquistarti e farti sentire parte della storia, sono divertenti, forti ma anche dolci, determinati e capaci di farti sentire sulla pelle i loro desideri, l’amore.
Assolutamente una lettura da non farsi scappare se amate il genere!
“Il cuore di Lily capì ciò che la ragione aveva sempre saputo: forse, spiccare il balzo attraverso quell’abisso non era poi così spaventoso quando ci si rendeva conto di non essere i soli a saltare.”
Recensione di Sara – Desiderio demoniaco di Nadine Mutas, secondo volume paranormal romance della serie Amore e magia, pubblicato il 17 Maggio 2018 Self Publishing.
Sarò sincera, non mi aspettavo un libro su Lily o, almeno, non così presto. Pensavo che questo secondo volume della serie raccontasse la storia di Maeve, soprattutto per com’era finito Seduzione demoniaca, e invece no. Nadine Mutas mi ha stupita ancora con la storia di Lily e Alek, una storia inaspettata ma capace di conquistarti dalle prime righe.
“Era come se Alek fosse una calamita e lei il metallo che era attirato da lui, come se la sua sopravvivenza dipendesse dal sentire sotto il palmo della mano il liscio calore della sua pelle.”
Lily Murray è quel tipo di ragazza che si ama o si odia. É schietta e sincera, senza filtri ma assolutamente vera. Non è capace di nascondere ciò che prova o quello che pensa. Più di una volta ha dimostrato la sua lealtà alle persone che ama, ha rischiato tutto per proteggerle e tenerle al sicuro, perché Lily è così: lei se ne frega delle regole se deve aiutare qualcuno a cui tiene.
Questa volta, però, sarà lei ad aver bisogno di aiuto, di rassicurazioni dalle persone che fanno parte della sua vita.
Lily pensava di essere stata drogata, non si aspettava che la puntura di un dardo avesse il potere di cambiare la sua natura, di trasformarla in ciò che le streghe cacciano: un demone.
Si ritroverà a dover fare i conti con la natura di demone, con i suoi desideri e, come se non bastasse, non si è trasformata in un demone qualunque, ma in un demone che ha bisogno di uccidere per sopravvivere.
Alek è stato mandato a sorvegliare casa Murray e tenere al sicuro una strega: Maeve. Da dieci anni è al servizio del Signore dei Demoni e mai avrebbe immaginato che, grazie a questo compito, si sarebbe innamorato di una strega. Lily popola i suoi sogni e desideri da settimane. Dalla prima volta che ha posato gli occhi su di lei è rimasto folgorato e giorno dopo giorno ha osservato i suoi movimenti, le sue abitudini e preferenze, tenendo conto di ogni più piccola abitudine della strega. Lei è così vera, forte e determinata che il demone ha completamente perso la testa per lei, ma c’è un problema: Lily è una strega, non appartiene alla sua stessa specie di demone e, per questo motivo, non avranno mai un futuro.
La specie di demone a cui appartiene Alek può prendere come compagna solamente un demone della sua stessa specie. Pensava di dover guardare da lontano Lily per sempre, eppure ora lei è come lui. Inspiegabilmente, lei è diventata un demone e ora Alek può conquistarla, rivelarle ciò che prova.
Solo che Lily non è un vero demone e l’unica cosa che la ragazza desidera più di tutto è tornare ad essere una strega.
“Il vero amore è tenere alla felicità di un’altra persona più che alla tua.”
Alek ha promesso di aiutare Lily ad ambientarsi e abituarsi alla trasformazione, ad essere un demone e a rimanere in vita nonostante il suo bisogno di uccidere. Lily dovrà fare i conti con i pregiudizi che per anni le hanno fatto compagnia, perché ha sempre pensato che tutti i demoni fossero cattivi e assassini, eppure il demone biondo che la sta aiutando, riesce a mandarla in confusione e, giorno dopo giorno, a spezzare le convinzioni con cui sua zia Isabel l’ha cresciuta.
I demoni hanno una famiglia, delle tradizioni e dei legami come qualsiasi altro essere vivente. Alek le dimostrerà che può scegliere di chi nutrirsi e, al tempo stesso, rendere la città più sicura prendendo la vita di assassini, spacciatori e stupratori.
Il mondo da demone non sembra così male, ma c’è una parte di Lily che è sparita quando è stata trasformata: lei era abituata a sentire la magia dentro di sé e ora al suo posto c’è solo un enorme vuoto. La speranza di trovare una cura è l’unica cosa che la fa andare avanti, resistere e lottare. Merle e sua madre stanno facendo l’impossibile per capire come spezzare la magia che l’ha resa un demone e Lily è loro grata, perché ha bisogno di tornare ad essere se stessa.
“C’era anche il fatto che una piccola parte di lei non voleva lasciare Alek. Follia, ecco cos’era. Lo conosceva da meno di ventiquattro ore. Aveva a malapena sfiorato la superficie del suo carattere. E tuttavia, il modo in cui si sentiva quando era vicino a lui.. era come se qualcosa che le era mancato – una mancanza di cui non era stata nemmeno consapevole – si fosse messo a posto. Lui la faceva sentire al sicuro. In un momento, in una situazione in cui il mondo intero le era crollato addosso, in cui lei non era più sicura nemmeno della propria identità, Alek era riuscito chissà come a stabilizzarla.”
Lily è sempre scappata dalle relazioni serie, non ne vuole. Quello che sua zia Isabel le ha insegnato per anni è che l’amore rende deboli, succubi. L’ha visto succedere a sua madre e non è disposta a lasciarsi andare completamente con il demone che pian piano si è intrufolato nel suo cuore. Alek la vuole come compagna, la corteggia e la conquista, ma c’è un muro dentro di lei che nemmeno il bel demone può abbattere.
O, almeno, questo è ciò che pensa Lily, perché dovrà fare una scelta, dovrà capire cos’è disposta a perdere davvero e chi vuole essere. Le cose belle non durano per sempre, soprattutto se sei tu ad allontanarle e Lily dovrà fare i conti con le sue decisioni.
I personaggi di Nadine Mutas sono capaci di conquistarti e farti sentire parte della storia, sono divertenti, forti ma anche dolci, determinati e capaci di farti sentire sulla pelle i loro desideri, l’amore.
Assolutamente una lettura da non farsi scappare se amate il genere!
“Il cuore di Lily capì ciò che la ragione aveva sempre saputo: forse, spiccare il balzo attraverso quell’abisso non era poi così spaventoso quando ci si rendeva conto di non essere i soli a saltare.”
June 6, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this! Great humor, sex, world-building and characters. Warning: Has a spoiler in review.
My favorite scene was when Lily killed someone for the first time for the prana and how she and her lover chose who to kill.
My second favorite scene was the bonding at the end. Very clever that he's had sex, but never been able to have an orgasm, that really made the bonding very special and powerful.
Favorite line: "Love is a Magic all its Own."
Dima and Merle were very likeable side characters! I felt so much sympathy for Lily's mom and the past abuse was very credible in Lily's hesitation to mate.
Nadine Mutas's novels keep getting better and better!
My favorite scene was when Lily killed someone for the first time for the prana and how she and her lover chose who to kill.
My second favorite scene was the bonding at the end. Very clever that he's had sex, but never been able to have an orgasm, that really made the bonding very special and powerful.
Favorite line: "Love is a Magic all its Own."
Dima and Merle were very likeable side characters! I felt so much sympathy for Lily's mom and the past abuse was very credible in Lily's hesitation to mate.
Nadine Mutas's novels keep getting better and better!
May 17, 2016
Such a wonderful second book in the Tales of Blood and Magic series. The author drops the reader right into her world of sexy demons and the witches that tame them. Loved the character development for both Alek and Lily as they struggle to overcome their own fears while battling enemies on both sides of the war. The plot continues and brings new conflict into their world. This book is a great read for anyone who loves paranormal romance!
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2018
Nah
It is not kick ass heroine but a mumbling and fumbling idiot with some martial skills. Being a witch it takes her forever to realize she is now a demon - like duh? Then has someone finally wanting a loving and committed relationship with her and she can’t...because of mommy and daddy’s issues...Oh, please. No plan, no caution, no cleverness - just finesse of a blunt hammer. Not original or engaging story at all.
It is not kick ass heroine but a mumbling and fumbling idiot with some martial skills. Being a witch it takes her forever to realize she is now a demon - like duh? Then has someone finally wanting a loving and committed relationship with her and she can’t...because of mommy and daddy’s issues...Oh, please. No plan, no caution, no cleverness - just finesse of a blunt hammer. Not original or engaging story at all.
Read
August 3, 2016Fantastic! Nadine Mutas makes a whole new breed of demons and witches super sexy and exciting! Loved the hot romance, the fast-paced action, and the witty banter! Keep an eye out for her work, it's fun and sexy!
January 22, 2020
Lily e Alek? Strepitosi!
5+
5+
February 4, 2021
Un romanzo che sembra scritto da un'altra persona, diverso in tutto dal precedente. Delusione su ogni fronte, a partire dai due scialbi protagonisti.
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