Customer Reviews

Tied With a Bow

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Do all the stories have to rock, or is one good one enough to make up for something poorer? Does it matter if they fit a theme? Does it have to hurt is something is outside a genre I might normally like? And my biggie...if a story is part of a series, will I want to go read the series? Or if it's a series I already follow, is it a worthy entry?

Basically I mentally try and give each story a yes or no vote and figure out if the end tally comes closest to 100/80/60/40/20 consistent with the 5 star system in place, while taking the above into consideration.

Also, I normally don't give too much of a plot summary--it gets tiresome when other reviewers and/or the book blurb do a great job. I did notice one review was full of factual errors (HK)...but the others (look at Melindeeloo particularly) do a great job, which is good as this book's 'publisher's blurb' is terribly empty.

The cover implies a running holiday theme...the holidays were the backdrop for several, but honestly there is one story I can't even remember the link. I also thought theme-wise, this anthology was highly variable. Historical/near-future/alternate modern, and peppered with Angels (fallen and otherwise), vampire kin, wolf kin and the Breeds. Kind of all over, but the variety was interesting. I'm not sure other than the bare hint of holiday exactly how these were chosen, but I did enjoy them, so not a big deal in the final count.

So...the stories.

1. Upon A Midnight Clear--this one was the toughest for me to decide on. I've yet to get hooked on the historical era novels (this was 1792-1810s if I did the math right--can't call that Regency right?), and the Fallen Angel theme has also been one I've not gotten into as much. Despite my trepidation I found myself quite enjoying this. The writing flowed well and there was some real interest generated in the characters--I'd love to see more about them. I get the idea this is the prequel for a new series by the author and I will keep my eye out. I may not read them given I don't usually go for this era, but some day when I'm in the mood for something different I have a feeling this will be a great place to start. Win.

2. First Light--the start of a new series. I doubt I would have given this series a second look given the length of my TBR list but I found this one a great read. It managed to set the tone for what promises to be a complex world combining elements including half-human vampire descendants, demons, angels and human descendants of the Muses. I never would have thought this sounded feasible, yet this story was extremely well done. The characters never devolved into the tiresome `explaining' syndrome--the were well drawn and I felt that I got a real taste and sense of them. This story really pulled me in and I have now added the upcoming series first book to my `list'. A definite `Win'.

3. Human Error--this is the first book I have ever read in the `worlds of the Lupi' by Eileen Wilks. This was obviously part of a series, and events from the series were mentioned, yet I never felt as though I was missing anything by not having read the precursors. Once again the writing was well done enough that the novella stood on it's own merits. I must admit that shape-shifters are among my favorites of the `paranormals' so this one also is getting added to my `list'. It's nice to have a series to start that is already far along--gives you a chance to really sink into it without having to wait. Win.

4. An Inconvenient Mate--ah, the Lora Leigh Breed story. I try to keep tabs on which story is coming out when, but I don't watch her website. A few months ago the publishing order was different--there was a story with a different title listed as coming out around this time frame, and her upcoming novel originally had a publication date before this anthology. I definitely got the feeling that once I read her next novel (now coming out in December if I recall correctly) will help suss out some of the details incorporated into this story. The Breed history is pretty convoluted and if you haven't been reading them I think this story will leave a lot of questions. As a Breed story it was pretty typical--it's always fun to see a Breed find a mate, and this mate was not a ninny as some have been. I rather liked her. I loved some of the tidbits dropped and as usual, I felt like the novella length suits the author nicely. I only noticed one significant editing flub, which I think is a record for her publisher and it wasn't terribly distracting. Great for the Breed fan...and I do continue to follow the series. Win, but for those already `into' the Breeds. I'm not so sure for the Breed-naive.

Overall, I was pretty happy with this anthology--some very pleasant surprises and at least one that might have me going off in a whole new direction. My usual desire to split stars is present but given my level of enjoyment with each story, the 5 stars are well earned.

JTG

Tied with a Bow by Virginia Kantra, Kimberly Frost, Eileen Wilks, Lora Leigh

Upon A Midnight Clear by Virginia Kantra - Unfortunately I was unable to get through this offering. I guess I just wasn't in the mood for a historical.

First Light by Kimberly Frost - I was impressed by this offering by Kimberly Frost. It was much darker than her Southern Witch series. I really enjoyed it and look forward to seeing where she goes with this.

Human Error by Eileen Wilks - I love Ms. Wilks World of the Lupi and Benedict has long been one of my favorite characters. It was good to revisit him. Also I could totally relate to the situation of being introduced to family traditions so different than mine.

An Inconvenient Mate by Lora Leigh - This is a Breeds world short that has nothing to do with the holidays. Not a bad story just wondering what it was doing in this anthology.

Obviously the minute I got this I moved to the Inconvenient Mate story featuring Lora Leigh's Breeds. Many fans of the Breeds have been buzzing about this story...so here is the information:

I couldn't remember running into Malachi in other stories (let me know if you remember which ones he is in). Malachi is coyote. He meets Isobel when he goes with Ashley, Rule and Stygian to meet with the Navajo Nation. They are searching for one breed (I think this stems from Caleb's story)and two human women (one they refer to as Christine Roberts who may be the 'Honor Roberts' they have mentioned in Aiden's story who potentially may be related to Amburg possibly). They think the Navajo nation knows where they are and the breeds are trying to find them.

Really this story furthers the plot and sets up future stories. Lawe and Diana are briefly mentioned as already mated...I think it might set up Stygian's story as well (for some reason I think he might have Honor Roberts as his mate-but as always I could be wrong).

The story itself is good...but very short (hence the antho). It kind of reminded me of Creed's story in Primal. I think that it is definitely worth the read because Lora Leigh does use it to set up/continue plots.

My thoughts.....

Read the Wilks and Leigh short stories for now, will read the other two later.

Human Error - Eileen Wilks -- 3.5 Stars

This story takes place in the two week period between the end of Blood Challenge and the epilogue. There are a couple of innocuous spoilers to Death Magic. Benedict and Arjenie have gone to her family's home to celebrate Yule (a Wiccan celebration), and the secular form of the Christmas holiday. I was a little bothered by Wilks using one of the most sacred of Christian holidays to feature a story about a cult. The family as a whole were more than a little odd, sometimes uncomfortably so. They had more strange secrets than even the Lupi clans. While they are visiting, a skinwalker taking the form of a bear has come onto their land to kill with Death Magic. Coyote, a trickster spirit, comes in to help; he is being hosted by the family's Jack Russell Terrier to follow Benedict and aid him in his search for the killer bear. The story well written, and I enjoyed it for the most part; but I'm wondering if this one will be enjoyed more by the fans of the series than readers who aren't familiar with the Lupi.

An Inconvenient Mate - Lora Leigh - 4 Stars

Leigh is back on her A Game with this story. After a couple of disappointing Breeds stories, this was a breath of fresh air. The story had an interesting plot, a great build-up to the romance, and kept my interest throughout. In this story, Leigh has shown that she has grown with the series, and the series itself has grown and changed over the years. The issues the Breeds were facing in this short story were what you would expect a dozen years down the road. Sure, it still has the mating heat, but after a dozen or so years, they are finally learning better how to deal with it. I loved the fact that Malachi and Isabella talked to each other, and felt love, not just had sex. The reader got to meet up with some old friends, and learn a little more about the Breeds with stories coming up. We learned a little bit more about the background of the Breeds, and got fed enough of the background story for Lawe's and Stygian's upcoming books to whet the readers appetite and interest in reading them. Really good story, and I'm excited about the Breeds again, more than I have been in a while.

Do not let the cheesy cover, with the decapitated stubbly man torso and the strategicly placed bow, tempt you into passing on Tied with a Bow. If you do you will be missing out on a collection of stories both ultra spicy and sweet, and some tidbits from Lora Leigh's and Eileen Wilks' established series mixed in with some promising starts to series in brand new worlds from Virginia Kantra and Kimberly Frost.

The stories in the order that I read them...

Human Error by Eileen Wilks - World of the Lupi connected novella- Benedict goes home with Arjenie to meet her family and to celebrate Solstice and the "grand explosion of culturally sanctioned greed" (aka Christmas - 109 pages) - I never read anthologies in order, and being a huge Lupi fan I couldn't wait and jumped straight into the Benedict and Arjenie short - I love those Lupi males and Arjenie is charming in her own oddball way as well - this story had a nice amount of mayhem in the background and the pair's now solid bond made me want to go back and reread the last book, Blood Challenge (The World of the Lupi, Book 7).

An Inconvenient Mate by Lora Leigh - Breed's novella - Coyote Breed Malachi finds his mate at an inconvenient time but will wait no longer to make her his - I generally like Breed shorts, since Leigh normally tones the erotism down in a bit from her full length novels. This time though her story had all of the 'language'(and fluids) which will be nothing new to Breeds fans, but are what keep me from jumping on the Breed bandwagon even though Leigh's background plots are good. Even so, I still really liked the poem that leads off the story, it fits with the heroine's feelings for Malachi - feelings which add a bit of sweetness that almost manages to balance the sweaty stuff. For those who follow the Breeds, there are enough cameos to make fans happy.(113 pages)

Upon A Midnight Clear by Virginia Kantra - Children of the Air prequel - Answering a dying mother's last prayer to save her young daughter, costs an angel his wings. Later, after living years as a human, when Lucien's adopted 'father' threatens to cut him off unless he makes something of his life, Lucien rebels and decides to find a rich wife instead of bowing to his father's demands. - Fallen angels are all the rage right now, but Kantra's story added a different slant by giving us regency fallen angels - instead of urban fantasy ones - and I really liked this story because it had that feeling of destined soul mates without ever going to that heavy handed place that destined mate stories tend to live in.(98 pages)

First Light by Kimberly Frost - connected to her new Etherlin series - After finding a ring in college, a Pulitzer journalist has dreamed of a gorgeous bronze man, as a lover and has also witnessed his battles. When she finally finds her dream man unconscious in the snow, it is clear that he's not human and not a modern man, but is completely irresistible in the flesh - I took me a bit to get hooked on this story, mostly because the world building is so ambitious. The world of the Etherlin is inhabited by Muses, Ventala (children of a human vampire pairing), Demons, and Angels. But when there is an extremely poignant moment for a pair of star crossed lovers - which I am hoping is a set up for their own story in the series - and after Frost kicks it up with her leads and the background plot as well, I really ended up liking this, and wishlisted her series starter, All That Bleeds

There are four stories in this anthology of romance.

The Stories
Virginia Kantra's Upon a Midnight Clear is an historical romance some years after the French Revolution. A decision made by an angel to rescue a girl from Madame Guillotine results in his becoming Fallen although he later finds Aimée surviving as an unpaid drudge in her cousin's house when Lucien arrives to court the daughter of the house for her dowry. A cute romance that could have stood more work. That or it needed to become a full-length story as Kantra simply dropped us into situations without developing them. It's all just too easy.

Kimberly Frost's First Light was a rather unique perspective on angels with this time traveling angel attempting to resolve an centuries-old feud Definitely an interesting romantic conflict with both parties thinking they knew the other but had no idea how or where. Frost did a nice job in creating an alternate world with few words and creating tension although the ending seemed too abrupt. I'd like to see if this is a series.

Eileen Wilks' Human Error occurs less than two months after the events in Death Magic (World of the Lupi, Book 8) with Benedict going to spend the Yule holidays with Arjenie's Wiccan family. It's a bit of an uphill row for Benedict as they can't explain about the mate bond and various members of the family are angry at him; they believe he has used some sort of juju to enthrall Arjenie into doing as he wants. All it takes is a short battle with Coyote and a humongous bear to bring the family 'round.

I like that Benedict is concerned about what his clothes will say culturally to Arjenie's family.

Arjenie Delacroix's family consists of the aunt and uncle who raised her after her parents were killed in a car accident (the one that resulted in her limp), Robin, a large animal vet, and Clay, a blacksmith and sculptor and two of their three kids, the twins, Siri and Sammy; Uncle Hershey and his partner Gary; Uncle Ambrose and Aunt Carmen with their kids; Uncle Nathan with his wife Sheila with their three kids; Stephen; and, I'm not sure who Malik, Danny, and Amy belong to as Wilks did a lovely job of creating a sense of boisterous family; and, Havoc the terrier who plays a very important role.

Lora Leigh's An Inconvenient Mate focuses on Isabelle Martinez and a Coyote Breed, Malachi. It's an inconvenient time to find his mate. Rule and his men are trying to find some Breed survivors on the Navajo reservation and they can't come right out and tell the tribal Elders this. The primary theme is the man stalking Isabelle. Holden. He doesn't understand no. Doesn't care about no. But now he has Malachi to explain the definition. This story takes place during Lawe's Justice (Breeds, 25).

The Cover
The cover is a red and white icicle-strewn background of Christmas with a partially wrapped present of a dew-bedecked, muscled male torso. I do like the positioning of that bow!

My guess is that the title reflects that each story is wrapped up all pretty and tidy at the end.

I totally adored this book. I loved how brazen and then sweet the Isabelle is. Malachi has made a cameo or two in several other books and I am glad to see him again. I love the coyote breeds.

Ordered this for the Lora Leigh story, which I actually enjoyed. I like most of her "breed" stories. You almost have to read all of them to follow the progress of the various characters you see in her stand alone books. The other stories in this book weren't bad, since we are dealing with fiction. It is a nice method of occupying your mind for a while.

An Inconvenient Mate by Lora Leigh is First Rate (*5 stars)! Always love her "Breed" books. Can't wait for the next one! Lots of passion and the words burn up the pages.

Human Error by Wileen Wilks is not one of her best novels. Too short and tried to get too much in the few pages. No heat and no passion, but enough mystery and action to hold interest.

First Light by Kimberly Frost refreshing and a very easy read. Just enough action and mystery to keep it interesting, with passion and heat.

Upon a Midnight Clear by Virginia a period piece with fallen angels and not enough action to hold my interest for very long. Read a few pages and skip to a new novel and come back when I have nothing else to read. Just takes up time. Not even well written.

This book contained stories by at least two of my favorite authors...Lora Leigh and Eileen Wilks; I just love my wolf shape-shifters and "Breeds"! I was not disappointed by the other two stories either. This was money well spent and was a Christmas gift to myself. I had ordered it early and waited until my Christmas break to read it...oh happy day!