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Guardians of the Dark #4
The Beast Within
"New York Times"-bestselling author McCarthy teams up with Bianca D'Arc and Jennifer Lyon for a spooky, sexy anthology featuring a trio of superb paranormal stories.
"The Howling" BY Erin McCarthy - When Liv Lugaru's boyfriend Sebastian disappears, she finds comfort in his brother's arms. But Sebastian is much closer than Liv realizes...and he'll stop at nothing to protect her from the feral danger that comes alive only when she sleeps...
"Smoke On The Water" BY Bianca D'arc - In the misty fog of a lakefront village, zombies are roaming wild - and zombie hunter John Petit must stop the carnage. John is also fighting a different kind of battle: a forbidden passion for his new partner, Donna. With her help, killing zombies is a walk in the park, but keeping his desire in check is making him sweat...
"Redeeming The Wizard" BY Jennifer Lyon - Gage Remington was once a powerful wizard; now he's a recluse who keeps the world at bay. But when Mira Tate arrives at Gage's door, she stirs in him an attraction he can't deny. Soon, Gage will risk everything to keep Mira close - even the secret that may be his ruin...
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"The Howling" BY Erin McCarthy - When Liv Lugaru's boyfriend Sebastian disappears, she finds comfort in his brother's arms. But Sebastian is much closer than Liv realizes...and he'll stop at nothing to protect her from the feral danger that comes alive only when she sleeps...
"Smoke On The Water" BY Bianca D'arc - In the misty fog of a lakefront village, zombies are roaming wild - and zombie hunter John Petit must stop the carnage. John is also fighting a different kind of battle: a forbidden passion for his new partner, Donna. With her help, killing zombies is a walk in the park, but keeping his desire in check is making him sweat...
"Redeeming The Wizard" BY Jennifer Lyon - Gage Remington was once a powerful wizard; now he's a recluse who keeps the world at bay. But when Mira Tate arrives at Gage's door, she stirs in him an attraction he can't deny. Soon, Gage will risk everything to keep Mira close - even the secret that may be his ruin...
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
327 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
10 people are currently reading
640 people want to read
About the author
Erin McCarthy
216 books4,827 followersUSA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written over a hundred novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 23, 2010
(back excerpt) Meet three Men without boundaries, hell-bent on satisfying their deepest desires- and those of the women who drive them wild….
The Howling by Erin McCarthy.
It’s been six months since Sebastian vanished from Liv’s life and took all of her money. Since then she has become engaged to his brother Scarborough and everything in her life appears to be perfect. The thing is that Liv keeps having these weird dreams that seem to be telling her something.
It’s been six months since Sebastian was betrayed by his brother and left for dead. Ever since then he has healed and become more powerful than ever. He’s determined to reclaim Liv and his place as head of the werewolf clan. He’ll do this anyway he can.
I’m going to go ahead and say this upfront that I do not tolerate rape of any kind. Sebastian basically rapes Liv in chapter three of this story. Sebastian sneaks into Liv’s bedroom in wolf form and then turns into his human form. He then crawls on her bed naked and basically positions himself on top of Liv in the sheets. Liv thinks the whole thing is a dream. She has no idea what Sebastian is really there. Thinking she is dreaming she consults to having sex. Sebastian of course accepts the invitation and then leaves. Liv wakes up thinking she had a nice dream. That is till she discovers the semen between her legs. She spends the whole day as a nervous wreck because she thinks she is going crazy. This screams that she was not a willing participant which equals rape. It doesn’t matter if Sebastian later fells bad because of what he did. He still raped her. I hated him after that. I wanted Liv to push him into the stream where he could float to Forks, Washington and be with the pedophile and abusive werewolves from “Twilight”.
The thing is that Liv does nothing of the sort. Sebastian tells her that he loves him and all is forgotten. I hated them both then. I would have left both Sebastian and Scarborough; newly made werewolf be dammed. Course Sebastian beats his brother, claims Liv as his mate, and takes his place at the head of the pack. The end.
Final rating: 1 star
Smoke on the Water by Bianca D’Arc.
CIA Agent John Petit has a few problems on his hand. The first being his newly appointed partner Donna Sullivan. The other being that someone is making Zombies. It’s up to John and Donna to stop these zombies and put an end to their creation. They are sent down to a fishing hot spot in Tennessee to do just that. Intelligence has put one of the zombie creators, Dr.Bemkey, as living near the lake. It’s their job to capture Dr. Bemkey and kill any zombie’s she has created. That’s if only John and Donna can stop lusting after each other.
I have no idea why this short story was called “Smoke on the Water”. It really should have been titled “Sex and Zombies”. The whole time I was reading it I thought I was reading a script for a porno. John and Donna killed zombies. Have Sex. Kill some more Zombies. Have sex again. Make out in front of the cleanup crew and have sex again for the fun of it. Infiltrate Dr. Bemkey’s lab. Have sex. Get ready to go on another mission, but not before making out. John even referred to Donna as “Babe” most of the story. I’m left with a blank stare after reading this. I don’t even know what to say. It really and honestly felt like I was reading a porno. I don’t do porn or erotic stories. I felt uncomfortable reading it. Therefore if you like erotic stories with a touch of zombie killing this is a story for you.
Rating: 1 star
Redeeming the Wizard by Jennifer Lyon.
Mira Tate is in a major jam. Her grandmother has just been kidnapped by a wizard and all of her magic using relatives are too busy to help look for her. Seeing as she has no magical ability herself, Mira has no choice but to go seek help from “him”. Gage Remington is the last person Mira has ever wanted to ask for help from. This is because he let her parents get killed by demon. Now she has to go ask for his help to prevent the death of the only remaining relative she cares about. Little does she know what’s she is in store for.
Gage Remington has been having a terrible sixteen years. It all started when his former apprentice summoned a demon and it killed two innocent bystanders. After killing her for doing this, Gage’s magic went completely in the fritz and it hasn’t gotten better. Now this gorgeous woman has blackmailed him into helping him find her lost grandmother. She could just be another nail on the coffin or the very cure he’s been looking for.
This story was the better of the three, but that’s not saying much. I say this because if the last two have been a porno and a rape story this one was about the saving grace of sex. Now I’m a big fan of maho shugo or magical girls. Most of these girls have catchy themes and use the power of love and friendship to save their loved ones. Mira has the power of the… vagina…. Yep you read that right. It was Mira’s vagina that saved the day. Gage got all of his powers back when he had sex with Mira. Mira also got some of his power from their various sexual encounters as well. Together they have sex and save Mira’s grandmother. Wonder Woman and Sailor Moon are weeping. Harry Potter is turning his head from side to side. And Gandalf just had a stroke from the stupidity of it. I have no further comment.
Rating: 2 stars
The Howling by Erin McCarthy.
It’s been six months since Sebastian vanished from Liv’s life and took all of her money. Since then she has become engaged to his brother Scarborough and everything in her life appears to be perfect. The thing is that Liv keeps having these weird dreams that seem to be telling her something.
It’s been six months since Sebastian was betrayed by his brother and left for dead. Ever since then he has healed and become more powerful than ever. He’s determined to reclaim Liv and his place as head of the werewolf clan. He’ll do this anyway he can.
I’m going to go ahead and say this upfront that I do not tolerate rape of any kind. Sebastian basically rapes Liv in chapter three of this story. Sebastian sneaks into Liv’s bedroom in wolf form and then turns into his human form. He then crawls on her bed naked and basically positions himself on top of Liv in the sheets. Liv thinks the whole thing is a dream. She has no idea what Sebastian is really there. Thinking she is dreaming she consults to having sex. Sebastian of course accepts the invitation and then leaves. Liv wakes up thinking she had a nice dream. That is till she discovers the semen between her legs. She spends the whole day as a nervous wreck because she thinks she is going crazy. This screams that she was not a willing participant which equals rape. It doesn’t matter if Sebastian later fells bad because of what he did. He still raped her. I hated him after that. I wanted Liv to push him into the stream where he could float to Forks, Washington and be with the pedophile and abusive werewolves from “Twilight”.
The thing is that Liv does nothing of the sort. Sebastian tells her that he loves him and all is forgotten. I hated them both then. I would have left both Sebastian and Scarborough; newly made werewolf be dammed. Course Sebastian beats his brother, claims Liv as his mate, and takes his place at the head of the pack. The end.
Final rating: 1 star
Smoke on the Water by Bianca D’Arc.
CIA Agent John Petit has a few problems on his hand. The first being his newly appointed partner Donna Sullivan. The other being that someone is making Zombies. It’s up to John and Donna to stop these zombies and put an end to their creation. They are sent down to a fishing hot spot in Tennessee to do just that. Intelligence has put one of the zombie creators, Dr.Bemkey, as living near the lake. It’s their job to capture Dr. Bemkey and kill any zombie’s she has created. That’s if only John and Donna can stop lusting after each other.
I have no idea why this short story was called “Smoke on the Water”. It really should have been titled “Sex and Zombies”. The whole time I was reading it I thought I was reading a script for a porno. John and Donna killed zombies. Have Sex. Kill some more Zombies. Have sex again. Make out in front of the cleanup crew and have sex again for the fun of it. Infiltrate Dr. Bemkey’s lab. Have sex. Get ready to go on another mission, but not before making out. John even referred to Donna as “Babe” most of the story. I’m left with a blank stare after reading this. I don’t even know what to say. It really and honestly felt like I was reading a porno. I don’t do porn or erotic stories. I felt uncomfortable reading it. Therefore if you like erotic stories with a touch of zombie killing this is a story for you.
Rating: 1 star
Redeeming the Wizard by Jennifer Lyon.
Mira Tate is in a major jam. Her grandmother has just been kidnapped by a wizard and all of her magic using relatives are too busy to help look for her. Seeing as she has no magical ability herself, Mira has no choice but to go seek help from “him”. Gage Remington is the last person Mira has ever wanted to ask for help from. This is because he let her parents get killed by demon. Now she has to go ask for his help to prevent the death of the only remaining relative she cares about. Little does she know what’s she is in store for.
Gage Remington has been having a terrible sixteen years. It all started when his former apprentice summoned a demon and it killed two innocent bystanders. After killing her for doing this, Gage’s magic went completely in the fritz and it hasn’t gotten better. Now this gorgeous woman has blackmailed him into helping him find her lost grandmother. She could just be another nail on the coffin or the very cure he’s been looking for.
This story was the better of the three, but that’s not saying much. I say this because if the last two have been a porno and a rape story this one was about the saving grace of sex. Now I’m a big fan of maho shugo or magical girls. Most of these girls have catchy themes and use the power of love and friendship to save their loved ones. Mira has the power of the… vagina…. Yep you read that right. It was Mira’s vagina that saved the day. Gage got all of his powers back when he had sex with Mira. Mira also got some of his power from their various sexual encounters as well. Together they have sex and save Mira’s grandmother. Wonder Woman and Sailor Moon are weeping. Harry Potter is turning his head from side to side. And Gandalf just had a stroke from the stupidity of it. I have no further comment.
Rating: 2 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2010
Though only one of the heroes is truly `beastly', The Beast Within offers three paranormal romance novellas from familiar authors Bianca D'Arc, Erin McCarthy and Jennifer Lyons. While I normally really like anthologies, this one was just okay.
A nightmare in which she dreams of a bride who is literally thrown to the wolves, causes a women who is engaged to the brother of the man who abandoned her and stole her money to reconsider her wedding plans. I really didn't like the dream sequences in Erin McCarty's story "The Howling", and never managed to feel really connected to the pair in the main story line.
A woman who became part of the zombie hunting team because of her immunity to the disease which makes their bite and scratches so lethal, tries to prove herself to her partner who is a true warrior. She gets the chance to show her true worth when the pair go undercover to try and capture the zombies' creator. I liked Bianca D'Arc's "Smoke on the Water" better. Connected to her zombie hunter series, both characters were appealing and there was a good amount of action.
A woman with good reason to hate a reclusive wizard needs his help to rescue her kidnapped grandmother. Out of all of the three stories, I liked Jennifer Lyon's "Redeeming the Wizard" story the best. I really like wizards and Lyon's gives her wizard a sensual intensity that's hard to resist, but be forewarned the balance between story and steamy stuff definitely favors the steamy stuff, the pair hook up early and often.
A nightmare in which she dreams of a bride who is literally thrown to the wolves, causes a women who is engaged to the brother of the man who abandoned her and stole her money to reconsider her wedding plans. I really didn't like the dream sequences in Erin McCarty's story "The Howling", and never managed to feel really connected to the pair in the main story line.
A woman who became part of the zombie hunting team because of her immunity to the disease which makes their bite and scratches so lethal, tries to prove herself to her partner who is a true warrior. She gets the chance to show her true worth when the pair go undercover to try and capture the zombies' creator. I liked Bianca D'Arc's "Smoke on the Water" better. Connected to her zombie hunter series, both characters were appealing and there was a good amount of action.
A woman with good reason to hate a reclusive wizard needs his help to rescue her kidnapped grandmother. Out of all of the three stories, I liked Jennifer Lyon's "Redeeming the Wizard" story the best. I really like wizards and Lyon's gives her wizard a sensual intensity that's hard to resist, but be forewarned the balance between story and steamy stuff definitely favors the steamy stuff, the pair hook up early and often.
June 28, 2018
I received a copy of The Howling only from Net Galley in exchange for a review, so I am not commenting/rating either of the other stories.
It took me about halfway through this novella to understand what I was even reading, and for a shorter story, that was a pretty good portion of the story to wonder. The werewolves in this story were a little different from a lot of other werewolf stories I have read, which was fun. I enjoyed the ending.
It took me about halfway through this novella to understand what I was even reading, and for a shorter story, that was a pretty good portion of the story to wonder. The werewolves in this story were a little different from a lot of other werewolf stories I have read, which was fun. I enjoyed the ending.
August 11, 2010
**This is a note that I only read and reviewed Ms. Jennifer Lyon's story.** The rest will come later...
Oh gosh, this is an amazing story. So amazing that I read it in one night... Yea, as in a few hours. I could not put down... I think my house could have been on fire and I would have not moved. This story rocks apples.
I mean you have Mira ~ a woman who is not afraid to stab a troll in the eyes with her keys, Gage ~ a wizard who's magic has kinda fried, some master wizard fighting to the death, some ugly as hell trolls, hot sex flash-jumping, a match maker granny... oh and did I mention that Gage is also a Sex on Stick kinda man... this story has it all!
Mira has lost her parents when she was a little girl. Both of them... Now some wizard has taken the only person that loves her for herself ~ her Grandmother. Mira is a magic-blind, she has no magic in her system to save her life. Everyone else around her... of course has magic. The only person/wizard to help her find her Gram... is the only wizard she holds responsible for the death of her parents. Oh joy, doesn't that just make you want to jump up and down for joy! Can a wizard be redeemed? Do you believe in second chances?
Gage has became a reclusive wizard after the death of Mira's parents. Scaring off any human to come onto his property and slaying any demons/trolls that appear on his land as well. He protects the people of his town and they are very thankful... but they do not know the full depth of how he really protects and serves his community. A magic-born, he is a rare breed... so you can imagine that everyone would want a piece of him. And Gage is not just a little wizard with some skills... he is a Master Wizard.... Oh yeah... bad ass... Well, except that he had fallen in lust for an apprentice he had taken under his wing that he should not have; because she wanted him alright... she wanted his power... to raise a demon. Oh yeah... it gets that good!
This story is a fun, fast read. Hot and steamy. Action packed and demented all rolled in one. Mari and Gage make this story come alive. There is never a dull moment! I can not stress how much of an awesome quick read this was!!! And believe me... you will fall in love with these characters...
Can finding the answers to a past heal a heart and soul? Is love enough to save the soul of a fried wizard?? How magical is love? Can a missing Gram's love for her granddaughter be enough to save her heart?
On a last note, one of my many favorite parts of this story is when Gage refers to Mira as kitty... Oh, I am not telling ~ but you know I am good for a tease though!! So, I will share this quote:
" "What about this, kitty," He ran his fingers up the inside of her thighs. "I'm going to need to know how --"...
..." He whispered roughly-- "you feel about petting. The kind of petting that makes my kitty purr."
Oh gosh, this is an amazing story. So amazing that I read it in one night... Yea, as in a few hours. I could not put down... I think my house could have been on fire and I would have not moved. This story rocks apples.
I mean you have Mira ~ a woman who is not afraid to stab a troll in the eyes with her keys, Gage ~ a wizard who's magic has kinda fried, some master wizard fighting to the death, some ugly as hell trolls, hot sex flash-jumping, a match maker granny... oh and did I mention that Gage is also a Sex on Stick kinda man... this story has it all!
Mira has lost her parents when she was a little girl. Both of them... Now some wizard has taken the only person that loves her for herself ~ her Grandmother. Mira is a magic-blind, she has no magic in her system to save her life. Everyone else around her... of course has magic. The only person/wizard to help her find her Gram... is the only wizard she holds responsible for the death of her parents. Oh joy, doesn't that just make you want to jump up and down for joy! Can a wizard be redeemed? Do you believe in second chances?
Gage has became a reclusive wizard after the death of Mira's parents. Scaring off any human to come onto his property and slaying any demons/trolls that appear on his land as well. He protects the people of his town and they are very thankful... but they do not know the full depth of how he really protects and serves his community. A magic-born, he is a rare breed... so you can imagine that everyone would want a piece of him. And Gage is not just a little wizard with some skills... he is a Master Wizard.... Oh yeah... bad ass... Well, except that he had fallen in lust for an apprentice he had taken under his wing that he should not have; because she wanted him alright... she wanted his power... to raise a demon. Oh yeah... it gets that good!
This story is a fun, fast read. Hot and steamy. Action packed and demented all rolled in one. Mari and Gage make this story come alive. There is never a dull moment! I can not stress how much of an awesome quick read this was!!! And believe me... you will fall in love with these characters...
Can finding the answers to a past heal a heart and soul? Is love enough to save the soul of a fried wizard?? How magical is love? Can a missing Gram's love for her granddaughter be enough to save her heart?
On a last note, one of my many favorite parts of this story is when Gage refers to Mira as kitty... Oh, I am not telling ~ but you know I am good for a tease though!! So, I will share this quote:
" "What about this, kitty," He ran his fingers up the inside of her thighs. "I'm going to need to know how --"...
..." He whispered roughly-- "you feel about petting. The kind of petting that makes my kitty purr."
February 5, 2012
Loosely themed anthology with the usual ups and downs. Action based plots.
"The Howling" BY Erin McCarthy I can't review as I didn't read it. I really dislike the Russian folktale that is the basis of the term "throwing someone to the wolves" and since it opens with that I moved on the next one. I'm sure the author wrote it beautifully - she always does - it just wasn't for me.
"Smoke On The Water" BY Bianca D'arc was a good read - zombies and spies oh my! Our hero is the surly but well trained agent and resents being assigned to work with our heroine is not. A chemist by training who happens to be immune to the zombie infection she's been dumped into the deep end and told to swim. As the heroine says to herself: "I'm no Chuck Norris, I'm not even Chuck E. Cheese!" Frankly, the whole shambling undead thing is a turn-off for me but the interplay between the hero and heroine kept me reading.
"Redeeming The Wizard" BY Jennifer Lyon was the real winner of this anthology. I loved it. The hero is a wizard with issues [fried powers, a portal that leaks demons, and trust issues - all generated by the betrayal of a woman] and a heroine with issues [no magic which puts her way at the bottom of the food chain, undeserved guilt over the death of her parents, and now her beloved grandmother has been kidnapped]. She marches off to demand the wizard find her Gram - she threatens him with blackmail and then promises anything his heart desires... Interesting world, I'd like to see more of it.
"The Howling" BY Erin McCarthy I can't review as I didn't read it. I really dislike the Russian folktale that is the basis of the term "throwing someone to the wolves" and since it opens with that I moved on the next one. I'm sure the author wrote it beautifully - she always does - it just wasn't for me.
"Smoke On The Water" BY Bianca D'arc was a good read - zombies and spies oh my! Our hero is the surly but well trained agent and resents being assigned to work with our heroine is not. A chemist by training who happens to be immune to the zombie infection she's been dumped into the deep end and told to swim. As the heroine says to herself: "I'm no Chuck Norris, I'm not even Chuck E. Cheese!" Frankly, the whole shambling undead thing is a turn-off for me but the interplay between the hero and heroine kept me reading.
"Redeeming The Wizard" BY Jennifer Lyon was the real winner of this anthology. I loved it. The hero is a wizard with issues [fried powers, a portal that leaks demons, and trust issues - all generated by the betrayal of a woman] and a heroine with issues [no magic which puts her way at the bottom of the food chain, undeserved guilt over the death of her parents, and now her beloved grandmother has been kidnapped]. She marches off to demand the wizard find her Gram - she threatens him with blackmail and then promises anything his heart desires... Interesting world, I'd like to see more of it.
March 3, 2016
The Howling by Erin McCarthy
Definitely loved my adventure with these two characters Liv Lugaru & Boyfriend Sebastian...definitely reading more by this Author..
Smoke On The Water by Bianca D'Arc
Definitely love my experience with this lady's books will definitely be reading more...
Redeeming The Wizard by Jennifer Lyon
Had a blast with Gage Remington & Mina Tate definitely reading more...
3 Wonderful sexy books in 1 a definite 5 Star for me :)
Definitely loved my adventure with these two characters Liv Lugaru & Boyfriend Sebastian...definitely reading more by this Author..
Smoke On The Water by Bianca D'Arc
Definitely love my experience with this lady's books will definitely be reading more...
Redeeming The Wizard by Jennifer Lyon
Had a blast with Gage Remington & Mina Tate definitely reading more...
3 Wonderful sexy books in 1 a definite 5 Star for me :)
June 8, 2018
Liv was devastated when Sebastian left her 6 months ago. Sebastian’s brother was there to be a shoulder to cry on and to help her pick up the pieces. With her impending wedding coming closer, her dreams are becoming more disturbing. Are they a means to help her or a warning of something coming? A surprise visit could help her with her indecision. But it won’t be easy for her to get what she wants.
This was a pretty quick read but packed full of excitement, emotion and suspense. 5 stars!
This was a pretty quick read but packed full of excitement, emotion and suspense. 5 stars!
September 24, 2018
Some great reads. Hot and sexy. Wish there was more.
July 23, 2012
The Howling – Erin McCarthy (3 stars)
Synopsis - Liv Lugaru has been plagued by intense, recurring nightmares about wolves in recent months. Perhaps they are just a manifestation of her reservations about marrying the brother of the man who broke her heart, Sebastian. While she thinks that Sebastian stole all her money and abandoned her, the truth is that his brother tried to kill Sebastian in a power play to rule their werewolf pack. Liv is an unwitting part of that scheme, and now her former lover is back to claim and protect her.
Review - The narrative of the bride (Liv’s great-great-grandmother) was interesting, but a little distracting at times. Maybe putting it in italics would have helped to distinguish it from the rest of the story. I’m not in love with Liv or Sebastian, but I like them enough to be happy for them. There were some parts where I felt like I had missed a transition or explanation, and there were some inconsistencies between Liv and Sebastian’s accounts of her first conscious shift. I’m curious to read a full-length Erin McCarthy book, since it appears that I have managed to only read her anthology novellas so far.
Smoke on The Water – Bianca D’Arc (4 stars)
Synopsis - Donna Sullivan has fallen into a military Special Forces group of zombie hunters, thanks to her unusual immunity to the top-secret contagion being tracked down by her new team. John Petit is her partner, a stoic former marine/CIA agent who is used to working alone. While things start out rocky, they learn to communicate and appreciate one another’s strengths. While they investigate a doctor suspected to developing and deploying the zombie contagion, they discover a mutual attraction that grows faster and stronger than either expected.
Donna can tell that John’s the love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type, so while she can acknowledge her love to herself, she refuses to say it out loud and drive him away. John initially thought that she was too innocent for a man with his dark past, but watching her in action shows him her strength, and making love to her confirms that he wants to spend the rest of their lives together. Now they just have to survive the zombies and their insane creator.
Review - There were a lot of really cute scenes. We get just enough background on Donna and John for them to be 3-dimensional and relatable. I love that John can be alpha, but still understand Donna and try to accommodate her. He even admits being wrong! *swoon* I’ve been trying to decide if the characters are too perfect, but the fact that I’m questioning tells me that it’s not “too” if it’s not bothering me. This is definitely an action-driven story, but despite the somewhat short length, I don’t feel like anything about it was incomplete. It left me curious to read more of D’Arc’s work and see what she can do with a full-length book.
Redeeming the Wizard – Jennifer Lyon (3 stars)
Synopsis - Seventeen years ago, the reclusive Wizard of Raven Mist banished the demon who killed Mira Tate’s parents. In a family filled with psychics and other magical types, she is magic-blind and seen as inferior. When her beloved grandmother is kidnapped by another wizard, Mira follows Gram’s direction to ask Gage Remington, the Wizard of Raven Mist, for help.
While Gage is a master wizard, his powers have been fried since his apprentice and lover betrayed him and summoned the demon. Until he can fix them he has to keep the glitch a secret in order to protect his village. Mira blames Gage for her parents’ deaths and blackmails him to let her help find her grandmother. As she learns more about Gage, Mira realizes that he’s not the selfish jerk she believed him to be. She still doesn’t like her sexual response to him, but Gage realizes that their connection is jump-starting his powers. He can’t trust her with the truth about his fried magic and his suspicions that sex with her will ground it (she did try to blackmail him after all), but he doesn’t have to lie about desiring her.
Review - I liked learning the details of this magical universe, although I still had questions from time to time. The confrontation with Sin was kind of awkward, and I’m not sure what purpose was served by the attack at the club, beyond bonding Gage and Mira. Both characters have strengths and vulnerabilities that seem to complement, but I never fell in love with them. It was an interesting adventure that I was eager to follow, but I was not invested in Mira and Gage.
Synopsis - Liv Lugaru has been plagued by intense, recurring nightmares about wolves in recent months. Perhaps they are just a manifestation of her reservations about marrying the brother of the man who broke her heart, Sebastian. While she thinks that Sebastian stole all her money and abandoned her, the truth is that his brother tried to kill Sebastian in a power play to rule their werewolf pack. Liv is an unwitting part of that scheme, and now her former lover is back to claim and protect her.
Review - The narrative of the bride (Liv’s great-great-grandmother) was interesting, but a little distracting at times. Maybe putting it in italics would have helped to distinguish it from the rest of the story. I’m not in love with Liv or Sebastian, but I like them enough to be happy for them. There were some parts where I felt like I had missed a transition or explanation, and there were some inconsistencies between Liv and Sebastian’s accounts of her first conscious shift. I’m curious to read a full-length Erin McCarthy book, since it appears that I have managed to only read her anthology novellas so far.
Smoke on The Water – Bianca D’Arc (4 stars)
Synopsis - Donna Sullivan has fallen into a military Special Forces group of zombie hunters, thanks to her unusual immunity to the top-secret contagion being tracked down by her new team. John Petit is her partner, a stoic former marine/CIA agent who is used to working alone. While things start out rocky, they learn to communicate and appreciate one another’s strengths. While they investigate a doctor suspected to developing and deploying the zombie contagion, they discover a mutual attraction that grows faster and stronger than either expected.
Donna can tell that John’s the love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type, so while she can acknowledge her love to herself, she refuses to say it out loud and drive him away. John initially thought that she was too innocent for a man with his dark past, but watching her in action shows him her strength, and making love to her confirms that he wants to spend the rest of their lives together. Now they just have to survive the zombies and their insane creator.
Review - There were a lot of really cute scenes. We get just enough background on Donna and John for them to be 3-dimensional and relatable. I love that John can be alpha, but still understand Donna and try to accommodate her. He even admits being wrong! *swoon* I’ve been trying to decide if the characters are too perfect, but the fact that I’m questioning tells me that it’s not “too” if it’s not bothering me. This is definitely an action-driven story, but despite the somewhat short length, I don’t feel like anything about it was incomplete. It left me curious to read more of D’Arc’s work and see what she can do with a full-length book.
Redeeming the Wizard – Jennifer Lyon (3 stars)
Synopsis - Seventeen years ago, the reclusive Wizard of Raven Mist banished the demon who killed Mira Tate’s parents. In a family filled with psychics and other magical types, she is magic-blind and seen as inferior. When her beloved grandmother is kidnapped by another wizard, Mira follows Gram’s direction to ask Gage Remington, the Wizard of Raven Mist, for help.
While Gage is a master wizard, his powers have been fried since his apprentice and lover betrayed him and summoned the demon. Until he can fix them he has to keep the glitch a secret in order to protect his village. Mira blames Gage for her parents’ deaths and blackmails him to let her help find her grandmother. As she learns more about Gage, Mira realizes that he’s not the selfish jerk she believed him to be. She still doesn’t like her sexual response to him, but Gage realizes that their connection is jump-starting his powers. He can’t trust her with the truth about his fried magic and his suspicions that sex with her will ground it (she did try to blackmail him after all), but he doesn’t have to lie about desiring her.
Review - I liked learning the details of this magical universe, although I still had questions from time to time. The confrontation with Sin was kind of awkward, and I’m not sure what purpose was served by the attack at the club, beyond bonding Gage and Mira. Both characters have strengths and vulnerabilities that seem to complement, but I never fell in love with them. It was an interesting adventure that I was eager to follow, but I was not invested in Mira and Gage.
December 18, 2011
With anthologies, it's sometimes hit and miss if you'll enjoy all the stories or not. With The Beast Within, I loved all 3 of these stories! They are all different, except that it takes a woman to tame the "beast within the man" in each . Erin McCarthy took a break from her Vegas Vampire series with the werewolf tale "The Howling", which deals with a young woman named Liv who is having nightmares about wolves. The man she thought she loved has disappeared and ran off with her money, according to Sebastion's brother Scarborough. Scarborough has taken care of her since then, and even wants to marry her, but Liv's nightmares deal with a bride being eten by wolves... which might be a metaphor for her impending nuptials. There's some great twists to the story, and there's definitely a reason for Liv's nightmares. It's a sexy, steamy read with some great plot twists, and redemption! Bianca D'Arc's "Smoke on the Water" has two agents , Donna and John sent out to do a recon at a lake front property that borders a wealthy doctor's property. This doctor is part of a group of twisted masterminds that created a contagion that kills people and turns them into mindless zombies. Donna happens to be one of the few people with a natural immunity, and that's how she got involved with the agency. John is the agent in charge of mentoring her in the field, but once they get out to the lake, more than mentoring starts happening between them! Plenty of action with zombies brings them closer together... and this story felt like it's part of a series... so I may just have to look into more of Bianca D'Arc's stories! Jennifer Lyon's "Redeeming the Wizard" has non-magical Mira seeking out the Wizard Gage to find her kidnapped grandmother, just as he's fighting trolls that have come through a portal that he guards on his property. She blackmails him for his help, and it's her gutsiness and more that ends up warming up this cool reclusive wizard. His magic has been messed up, but somehow, non-magical Mira might be able to help heal his broken magic! Very sizzling and action packed!
May 28, 2018
Didn't really care for this short, transitions seemed choppy.
Redeeming the Wizard by Jennifer Lyon - 4
Magic born, magic sensitive and nulls. Gage finds Mira who helps him repair the damage he'd done to himself while they try to save her grandmother. There was a weird jump from finding the kidnapper that didn't seem to get resolved.
Redeeming the Wizard by Jennifer Lyon - 4
Magic born, magic sensitive and nulls. Gage finds Mira who helps him repair the damage he'd done to himself while they try to save her grandmother. There was a weird jump from finding the kidnapper that didn't seem to get resolved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2010
Plot:
Oh read the blurbs.
My thoughts:
I am going to make this short, it is always so hard to talk about short stories.
The Howling
I liked this one, but then I do like werewolves. There was Liv and her new boyfriend, but he is not really gone. There is a bit of action, betrayal, and hot hot passion. It was a nice short werewolf story that delivered what it promised.
Smoke on the water
This one was my least fave of the three. I can't say why, perhaps it was the zombies, I just can't think of sex when there are crazy man eating zombies outside. So the passion in this one did not work for me. But hey there was at least zombie killings so that is always nice.
Redeeming the wizard
This one was actually my fave, I did not expect that, but it was Gage, he was so mmm. Mira was a bit annoying and yes I do confess I wanted to hit her once when she accused him of something. Action, lots of passion, and magic. I liked this world too, and I would like to know more about it.
Final thoughts and recommendation:
I never know with short stories, but these worked. They were interesting in different ways, and two I liked more. One I liked cos of shifters, love them! And the other one cos of the world it presented. All in all a good anthology.
Reason for reading:
Sounded fun
Cover:
ok
Oh read the blurbs.
My thoughts:
I am going to make this short, it is always so hard to talk about short stories.
The Howling
I liked this one, but then I do like werewolves. There was Liv and her new boyfriend, but he is not really gone. There is a bit of action, betrayal, and hot hot passion. It was a nice short werewolf story that delivered what it promised.
Smoke on the water
This one was my least fave of the three. I can't say why, perhaps it was the zombies, I just can't think of sex when there are crazy man eating zombies outside. So the passion in this one did not work for me. But hey there was at least zombie killings so that is always nice.
Redeeming the wizard
This one was actually my fave, I did not expect that, but it was Gage, he was so mmm. Mira was a bit annoying and yes I do confess I wanted to hit her once when she accused him of something. Action, lots of passion, and magic. I liked this world too, and I would like to know more about it.
Final thoughts and recommendation:
I never know with short stories, but these worked. They were interesting in different ways, and two I liked more. One I liked cos of shifters, love them! And the other one cos of the world it presented. All in all a good anthology.
Reason for reading:
Sounded fun
Cover:
ok
April 29, 2012
As reviewed on Read Our Lips:
Three shortstories, all with something more than man inside.
Erin McCarthy´s The Howling, Liv was played for a fool, deserted and skinned of all her money by the man she loved. His brother steps up and saves the day, comforts her and in return she finds herself accepting a marriage proposal. But something just doesn´t feel right. Werewolves and smutty fluff, a great read.
Bianca D'arc´s Smoke on the Water, Donna, a civilian immune to the zombie disease, teams up with the ex military John, going undercover to explore a threat of zombies. An OK read, not as great as i´m used to from B D'arc.
Jennifer Lyon´s Redeeming the Wizard, Mira, a magic-blind mortal, is seeking help from the Wizard of Raven Mist, Gage, the one who´s responsible for the death of her parents but at the same time the only one capable of saving her Grams now that she´s been kidnapped. Great read, smutty fluff and a Wizard with markings *rawr*
Three shortstories, all with something more than man inside.
Erin McCarthy´s The Howling, Liv was played for a fool, deserted and skinned of all her money by the man she loved. His brother steps up and saves the day, comforts her and in return she finds herself accepting a marriage proposal. But something just doesn´t feel right. Werewolves and smutty fluff, a great read.
Bianca D'arc´s Smoke on the Water, Donna, a civilian immune to the zombie disease, teams up with the ex military John, going undercover to explore a threat of zombies. An OK read, not as great as i´m used to from B D'arc.
Jennifer Lyon´s Redeeming the Wizard, Mira, a magic-blind mortal, is seeking help from the Wizard of Raven Mist, Gage, the one who´s responsible for the death of her parents but at the same time the only one capable of saving her Grams now that she´s been kidnapped. Great read, smutty fluff and a Wizard with markings *rawr*
January 11, 2011
The Howling by Erin McCarthy: Brother Scarborough steps in when Liv Lugaru's boyfriend Sebastian apparently abandons her and steals her money. Little does she know she is a pawn in a werewolf power struggle that might not stop at murder. Nice depth to story with flashbacks to Liv's ancestress.
Smoke on the Water by Bianca D'Arc: Zombies trying to take over the world, naturally immune or immunized fighters trying to prevent it. Ok storyline, not a big zombie fan, probably better if more background.
Redeeming the Wizard by Jennifer Lyon: Hunky wizard and non-magical female, she blackmails him to find her missing grandma, he discovers he needs her more than she needs him. Sparks fly. Entertaining story, would be nice if it was longer.
Smoke on the Water by Bianca D'Arc: Zombies trying to take over the world, naturally immune or immunized fighters trying to prevent it. Ok storyline, not a big zombie fan, probably better if more background.
Redeeming the Wizard by Jennifer Lyon: Hunky wizard and non-magical female, she blackmails him to find her missing grandma, he discovers he needs her more than she needs him. Sparks fly. Entertaining story, would be nice if it was longer.
June 22, 2011
For an anthology, this one stands up pretty well given that we're given novellas as opposed to true short stories. In my opinion, all three of these novellas are fun, quick reads. My one gripe might be that the word "beast" in the book's title typically implies that the heroes are shifters, but that is only the case in Erin McCarthy's werewolf tale "The Howling". My favorite is Bianca D'Arc's zombie-filled "Smoke on the Water"--although being familiar with that series could make me a bit biased. Even though Jennifer Lyon's "Redeeming the Wizard" is my least favorite novella, it's still an engaging story about a non-magical woman dealing with magical circumstances.
October 10, 2011
I bought this anthology for the Erin McCarthy story, which I thought was okay. It's paranormal and I've only read her straight contemporaries, so it was a bit of an adjustment to read about werewolves in her voice. I'll be happy to read more…
I've never been attracted to the idea of zombie hunter stories (because things that go bump in the night totally creep me out!) but I really liked the Bianca D'Ark story and am hoping to come across more.
Jennifer Lyon's wizard story was also a positive experience for me, so I'll be on the lookout for more.
All in all, I'm happy with the anthology.
I've never been attracted to the idea of zombie hunter stories (because things that go bump in the night totally creep me out!) but I really liked the Bianca D'Ark story and am hoping to come across more.
Jennifer Lyon's wizard story was also a positive experience for me, so I'll be on the lookout for more.
All in all, I'm happy with the anthology.
August 21, 2011
THE THREE SHORT STORIES IS THIS BOOK WERE RATHER GOOD SHORT BUT GOOD THE WOLVES THAT ERIN IS WRITTING ABOUT INT HE FIRST ONE IS REALLY KINDA BIZZARE BUT WE PUT TOGETHER. ROMANTICALLY SHE BRINGS BACK THE HEROINE HER MAN THROUGH WOLF FORM AND SHE DOSENT EVEN KNOW SHES WOLF TOO. THE 2ND STORY WAS INTRIGUING ITS THE FIRST TIME IVE READ ABOUT ZOMBIES BEFORE SO IT WAS EXCITING TO READ ABOUT ALL THE GORY DETAILS THAT THIS ONE ENTAILLED. THE 3RD WAS ABOUT WIZARDS AND IT WAS GOOD AS WELL MAAGIC IS ALWAYS WIERD BUT ENTERTAINING SO I WAS SATISFIED.
October 30, 2010
This book with 3 different stories ended up being a crap shot for me. I normally really like Erin McCarthy, but her story was just meh.... the weakest of the 3, and easily forgettable. Bianca D'Arc's story was a great one to continue her series that I just discovered a little while ago. I loved the chemistry between the couple even when they were fighting zombies. Jennifer Lyon's story was a little hokey, you totally knew what was going to happen but it was still a fun read.
October 24, 2011
Three stories. Only one about "beasts." The first two stories, by Erin McCarthy and Bianca D'arc, were not bad, but they really had a lot of gratuitous sex.
The third story, by Jennifer Lyon, was the best of the three. The sex had a purpose, the characters were great, the plot good, the story was fun, interesting and I loved it. I don't normally care much for wizards and magic in my paranormal romance, so liking this one surprised me.
The third story, by Jennifer Lyon, was the best of the three. The sex had a purpose, the characters were great, the plot good, the story was fun, interesting and I loved it. I don't normally care much for wizards and magic in my paranormal romance, so liking this one surprised me.
January 13, 2012
I really liked this anthology.
Werewolves from Erin McCarthy, Zombies from Bianca D'Arc & Wizard's from Jennifer Lyon.
It was the first I've tried anything from Bianca and I really enjoyed it, I was surprised consindering it was about Zombies! Thankfully it wasn't a zombie romance ;)
Jennifer Lyon's tale was my favourite of the three, I would like to read more stories set in this world.
Werewolves from Erin McCarthy, Zombies from Bianca D'Arc & Wizard's from Jennifer Lyon.
It was the first I've tried anything from Bianca and I really enjoyed it, I was surprised consindering it was about Zombies! Thankfully it wasn't a zombie romance ;)
Jennifer Lyon's tale was my favourite of the three, I would like to read more stories set in this world.
May 22, 2013
The four stars is for Erin McCarthy's "The Howling" and Jennifer Lyon's "Redeeming the Wizard". I really enjoyed those two stories.
However, "Smoke on the Water" by Bianca D'Arc stalled me out, I give it two stars. I almost didn't finish the book when I lost interest somewhere in the middle of that one. The villain in the story was a cliched "mad scientist" crossed with "woman wronged" and overall it read like a not funny parody of the zombie genre.
However, "Smoke on the Water" by Bianca D'Arc stalled me out, I give it two stars. I almost didn't finish the book when I lost interest somewhere in the middle of that one. The villain in the story was a cliched "mad scientist" crossed with "woman wronged" and overall it read like a not funny parody of the zombie genre.
August 23, 2011
This anthology gets four stars because Jennifer Lyon's entry saves the day. "Redeeming the Wizard" is full of magic, a feisty heroine who thinks she has none and the wily wizard who shows her that anything is possible with love. Or maybe it is Mira who convinces Gage that life is worth taking a chance on. The other two entries were enjoyable but not up to Ms. Lyons' contribution.
January 20, 2012
I only read "The Howling" and "Redeeming the Wizard" because I've read some of Bianca D'Arc's other stories in this series and didn't like them. I'll read it later.
I liked Redeeming the Wizard and reading Jennifer Lyon's work makes me sad that the publisher chose not to finish the Wing Slayer Hunter series.
I liked Redeeming the Wizard and reading Jennifer Lyon's work makes me sad that the publisher chose not to finish the Wing Slayer Hunter series.
April 16, 2013
I've seen the movie and now I've read the book. The movie I'd give one star but I really liked the book and gave it a four. I was hesitating between a four and a five so 4.5 would be appropriate. It takes a strong stomach reading some parts but it was well written and unbelievable that one human could do this to another.
November 21, 2015
I don't like it when they hace several short stories under one book.
Its harder to rate the stories.
I rated the "Smoke On The Water" BY Bianca D'arc = 2 Stars it was boring and short.
However,
I rated "Redeeming The Wizard" BY Jennifer Lyon = 3 stars, it was too short but it was interesting.
I did not read the third story, thus making it hard to rate each story fairly.
October 6, 2013
All three stories are enjoyable but I have to say I enjoyed both Jennifer Lyon and Bianca D'Arc the most. There is nothing wrong with the McCarthy, it just wasn't as strong of a story as the other two are.
May 5, 2014
Since I only liked 1/3rd of the book, I gave it 2 stars. I only liked the werewolf story. I couldn't wait to finish the book to say I actually finished a book, so I could move on to something else. Sorry, I wish I had more to say.
October 19, 2010
Three stories in this book -- my favorite was "The Howling" by Erin McCarthy.
In this book, you'll find wolves, zombies and wizards.
In this book, you'll find wolves, zombies and wizards.
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