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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Scorching Hot New Series That Has Me Wanting the Next Book Already!, July 20, 2010
This review is from: Dark Embers: A Dragon's Heat Novel (Paperback)
I think that it always says something about a book when you purchase it one evening and finish it the next! I had been anxiously anticipating the arrival of this novel, which caused me to put it on a higher pedestal than any book aught to be. But, much to my joy--and relief--, this book was able to meet the mental bars I had put in place. Dark Embers is a fantastic debut to a new erotic paranormal series, that will take you an a scorching hot adventure, and leave you wanting more. First and foremost, I must comment on my number one appreciation for this book: an erotic tale with a plot! Not sex surrounded by plot, but an actual plot sprinkled with some delicious smexiness! And, it wasn't half-assed either. This factor alone gains major points with me! Phoebe's a beautiful and super intelligent biochemist who's just had her research grant yanked out from underneath her. (Can we say, 'YAY', for making the heroine geeky smart with looks!) She's desperate for money to continue her research in finding a cure for Lupus-- a painful and deadly disease that has wrecked havoc on her family. She's a little suspicious of the one person who can secure her funding for a couple of years with his generous pay-out. But, like I said, she's desperate, and with all big 'gifts', there's something that's required in return. Dylan is the king of a concealed, ancient, and dying clan of dragon-shifters, who's plagued with both personal and obligatory failures. He's without a mate, leaving him without an heir, he's in a position of power that he's not eager to be in, and now his clan is under attack by an unforeseen force: a deadly virus that his own scientist can't figure out how to cure. When the disease starts claiming members of his family, Dylan is left in a dangerous position to carefully seek outside help-- Phoebe. They immediately feel 'something' between them, but they don't know what, nor why, and both have issues with trusting one another. But, the connection only deepens when Phoebe accepts his proposition and joins him and his 'people' in finding a cure for what's killing them off. Which brings me to my next appreciation of this book: the characters. Tessa Adams has done an amazing job at developing both the heroine and hero, as well as the secondary characters! Right from the beginning I started to get a true sense of who the characters really were. She also spends time conveying the character attributes through non-verbal communication within their interactions. My feelings of connection with the characters was only amplified when I was introduced to other Dragonstar members. There was even a moment I felt myself get teary-eyed-- in an erotica people!! I already have my eyes on a couple of smexy Dragonstar men I want follow up books to! There was only one major issue that I had while reading this and that was the final 'outcome' (I'm treading lightly here as to not give away spoilers) of Phoebe, and Phoebe's and Dylan's resolution. I will only say that I wish there was more information on her family due to some events, and leave it at that. Adams' writing style is very easy to follow. She provides detail and imagery in a beautifully written way that you can just let the movie play out in your head without getting caught up in words. The unique scenery of the setting enhanced the fantasy of the story, but still made me feel like I could step in to this location and believe it was real. And last, but not least, the fervent passion between Dylan and Phoebe. I've read a lot of erotica books where the sex scenes get over-the-top graphic, but this is not the case in Dark Embers. Adams wrote very hot, yet tastefully sexy scenes. I honestly can't decide if it was the way in which the sex scenes were written, or the deep connection that she has created between the characters that made them even hotter. Maybe it's a combination of both! I guess you'll have to be the judge on that one. ~*~Final Thoughts~*~ This is an adult category book for primarily the reasons of sex and language. I highly recommend this book to all erotica and paranormal romance fans who have a great appreciation for hot passion, men with a smexy combination of dominance, loyalty, affection, eye-candy bodies, and hot growling noises, and one adventures ride! Oh, and you must love dragons, not be afraid of heights, and have an appreciation for the mile-high club! :P
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The hero is smokin' HOT! And this book is a sure fire hit!, July 6, 2010
This review is from: Dark Embers: A Dragon's Heat Novel (Paperback)
Dark Embers by Tessa Adams Paranormal Romance -July 6th, 2010 4 stars Dark Embers is quick, light read with tons of sexy scenes. In this fascinating paranormal series readers are introduced to the long-lived Dragon shifters with extraordinary powers. Dragonkind are an ancient and powerful race of shifters who transform into dragons. Dylan MacLeod is the ruler of the Dragonstar clan. Dylan has always felt in control and command, but now he feels helpless because his clan is dying. A strange and mysterious illness has fallen over his clan. And the latest casualty has been the most painful; his beloved sister has just contracted the disease. Dylan knows her disease will follow a tortuous death. One that will paralyze her body and cause internal bleeding until she finally dies. For ten long years Dragonstar healers have been unable to find a cure, and Dylan knows he must do something radical and break with tradition. Dylan has decided to go outside of his clan and into the weak human world to find a healer. There he finds the strangely attractive bio-chemist Dr. Phoebe Quillum. In Phoebe Dylan finds hope that a cure can be found before his clan wastes away. Phoebe is disheartened and desperate. She has just discovered that the funding for her research has been pulled. Now she knows she will never find the cure for the disease that killed her mother and her sister. But a strange and hugely attractive man suddenly crashes into her lab and demands she work for him. Phoebe thinks he is crazy, but Dylan promises her millions if she can find an antidote. Tempted by his money, Phoebe is cautious. Who is this enigmatic man? And why is he pressuring her to conceal his need for help? But Phoebe knows Dylan's money is her only hope to finish her own research. She finally agrees to accompany him to his beautiful desert stronghold in New Mexico. There she finds mystery and wonder that will both challenge her and free her, if she is willing to take a chance. This was the perfect summer read. It was a fast and fun book that quickly caught my attention. The suffering as the disease's impact devastates the clan made for intense reading. But the revelation behind the disease's origin was a little predictable. The sexual tension between Dylan and Phoebe is scorching. Most of the scenes are actually between the two main characters. I was so impressed by this new world I actually wished the author had spent more time on the other intriguing characters and the details of Phoebe research for the cure. This book packs a couple of surprises, and I can't wait for the author to fill in more gaps about the dragon society and the other clans in upcoming books?! I would really like to know more about the dragons, how they live and how they shift. I would also enjoy knowing more about Dylan's history as the last royal of his line. Dark Embers is a romance that will capture your imagination. The hero is smokin' HOT! And this book is a sure fire hit! Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lovin' Me Some Dragons!, July 16, 2010
This review is from: Dark Embers: A Dragon's Heat Novel (Paperback)
My Review: Dylan MacLeod, dragon and King of the Dragonstar Clan, is unwillingly leading his people straight towards Death's door. During his four and a half century existence, Dylan's fought and won many a blood-soaked battle but the microscopic entity that's currently destroying his dragons is one battle he can't conquer. As if he wasn't under enough pressure, Dylan still has yet to find his mate and provide the clan a much needed heir. As the last pure-blood dragon, it's his duty to continue the line but despite the copious amount of sex he's engaged in throughout his four hundred plus years, his rampant efforts have yet to yield a mate. Now, after the recent loss of his sister to the disease that's succeeded in striking down his family one by one, Dylan concludes that it's time to take his fight outside the clan and solicit the help of humans. Phoebe Quillum is no stranger to tragedy herself after loosing her family to first abandonment then violence and finally to disease. Now, after dedicating the last six years to the study of incurable diseases, more specifically lupus with a verging breakthrough, Phoebe is suddenly met with a financial roadblock that could potentially derail her studies forever. Unable to find new funding for her research, Phoebe is desperate and in the prime position to be plucked from reality. When Dylan approaches her about a strange disease that's killing his people, Phoebe is more than wary. While a lot of Dylan's story doesn't make much sense, when the gorgeous man offers her three million dollars to help him attempt to cure this unknown disease, Phoebe would be stupid to say no. It also helps that a burning hunger has ignited for Dylan on such a scorchingly hot primal level, that Phoebe's hormones won't let her say no. Not since adolescence has Dylan been unable to control his dragon half but Phoebe's close proximity, lush figure and astounding intellect has the dragon within clawing to break free. Now is obviously not the time to be distracted from his mission to find a cure for his people but Dylan's fighting a losing battle as he's consumed with a burning need that will not be ignored. Knowing it'd be foolish to get involved with a human when he owes it to Dragonstar to find a dragon mate, Dylan tries hard to resist but his need and his dragon will not abide. Never has a man affected Phoebe the way Dylan can. He's aggressive and domineering which would generally cause her to bristle with contempt. Instead Dylan invokes an uncontrollable lust that leaves Phoebe terrified but craving more. Trying desperately to resist falling in love with someone after learning that to love means to loose, Phoebe buries herself in the lab with the hope uncovering a cure to the mysterious disease that's killing people in the most heinous of ways. As gaps begin to widen with missing information, information that Dylan has purposefully withheld, Phoebe forces the truth from him and discovers a whole new realm of possibilities. While the news of Dylan being a dragon should rationally terrify her, Phoebe's scientific brain that relishes new discoveries, is overcome with curiosity and delight. But that interest also is emotional and endearing as Dylan reveals himself to her and Phoebe can't help but fall more and more in love with the infuriating man. Unfortunately, when the sinister origins of the disease eating voractiously through the Dragonstar clan is unveiled, Dylan's and Phoebe's romance is put on hold. While Dylan was first to withhold information about his dragon heritage, its Phoebe's resistance that may prove to be deadly. My Thoughts: DARK EMBERS is a steaming hot and wonderfully entertaining erotic romance with the perfect balance of sex and plot. Too many times I've read an erotic novel and the worst has happened: I've become bored with the overabundant and redundant sex! It's true and I'm sure others have had a similar experience at one time or another. Certainly its a tenuous line between too much and too little sex and finding that balance must be more than difficult but when an author hits that perfect stride and sensual flow, she receives the result of a happily satisfied reader. With DARK EMBERS, the paranormal elements, animalistic dragon natures and understandable scientific aspects all make the perfect background for a high intensity ride of sex and romance. Lovin' it! Another aspect that I'm lovin' about DARK EMBERS is its villains. They're not vampires, fanatical humans or any other mythical creature. They're dragons! Surprisingly, with dragons as the Dragonstar enemy, it humanizes the book and gives this paranormal read a realistic touch. It also allowed Ms. Adams to focus entirely on her dragons and really build their history and world rather than spending time creating another mythical enemy. Sadly, there was one draw back to this book and that was the Happily Ever After. And before anyone gets scared, no, it wasn't that DARK EMBERS was lacking an HEA but rather that it just felt too easy. After both Dylan and Phoebe grapple endlessly with the reasons why they can't be together, the resulting outcome left little sacrifice on either of their parts. Of course while my inner reader is satisfied that they're happy, I wanted more of a dramatic finish. I'm also hoping that book two, HIDDEN EMBERS, doesn't have the same result. *fingers crossed* For erotic romance fans that love and want an engaging paranormal plot, uber alpha males, and explosive sex, DARK EMBERS is a must read.
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