Expected Release Date: August 2, 2011 (Available Now!)
Publisher: Self Published
Imprint: N/A
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
The Blushing Bounder by Meljean Brook
Part of a Series: Yes, Iron Seas 1.5
Series Best Read In Order: Yes
Steam Level: Steamy
Contable Edward Newberry and his wife, Temperance, are "bounders", people whose ancestors fled England when the Horde first attacked, and now that the threat are over, are returning to England. In this universe, while the New World still follows the social mores of what we would call the Regency era (ie a woman's reputation is everything, and any kind of contact between the sexes is frowned upon without a proper chaperone), but England is much more relaxed and practical about such matters.
Temperance was a governess in Manhattan City, and formed a very sweet (and very chaste) friendship with Constable Newberry, whose blushes never failed to charm her. However, she fell very ill with consumption and made the decision to invest the small inheritance she'd gained from her grandfather into a quiet hospice setting at a sanatorium. As she was about to leave, she realized Edward had come to say goodbye to her, only, Edward had different ideas. He kissed her, of all things, which immediately set into motion a hasty marriage and banishment to the awful and filthy city of London.
Temperance might have been able to forgive him, had he merely been overcome by passion, but when she asked him shortly following his marriage if he had planned all of this -- their marriage, his receiving her inheritance, and their move to London -- he confirmed that it had indeed been his plan.
Now dying and miserable, Temperance despises her new husband (though she can't help but to notice the nice fit of his trousers or the way his broad shoulders fill a doorway every now and again), and she merely wants to find some quiet enjoyment before she dies.
Things are never as simple as that, however, because Temperance witnesses a murder in the alley below her bedroom window, and worse, the murderer got a good look at her as well.
Willing to do absolutely anything to protect the woman he adores, Edward puts both his life, and his heart, on the line.
Overall, I of course loved it. In fact, the entire reason that I bought this anthology was I read the excerpt on Meljean Brook's website and got sucked right back into the world of The Iron Seas. While I think that new readers might be fairly lost, any fan of the series will definitely appreciate the cameos and references to other characters, as well as the insights as to the lives and attitudes of bounders.
That said, however, this story could also serve as an admirable intro into the world of The Iron Seas for readers who haven't had the opportunity to read earlier works. Of course, I personally think new readers should immediately go out and read both Here There Be Monsters and The Iron Duke instead, but I'm a bit biased on that front because I enjoyed both of those stories so much.
Recommended for fans of steampunk done the right way, of being forced into a marriage of convenience, and of allowing yourself to finally embrace the love that's been waiting for you all along.
Keywords: Meljean Brook, Steampunk, Steam Level: Steamy Forced Marriage, Marriage to Avoid Scandal, Plain Heroine, Spinster Heroine, Serious Illness or Injury, Series Best Read In Order, Virgin Hero, Virgin Heroine
5/5 Stars
Vixen by Jill Myles
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Hot
Miko is a were-fox, or, as her mother Japanese mother prefers, kitsune. Just like vixens in the wild, were-fox females tend to be extremely promiscuous, needing more than one mate to satisfy their needs.
Determined to avoid mimicking her mother's harem of men, Miko lives in the middle of nowhere in Texas. Her theory? Since she can't control herself around men, the best thing to do is to avoid men altogether.
However, when a local (and illegal) fox-hunting group forms, her mother sends along two very sexy cat-shifters to protect her until the hunters can be stopped. Now, forced to live in close quarters with not one but two extremely desirable men, Miko knows that she can't choose between the delectable Sam and Jeremiah, and luckily for her, she might not have to.
Overall, this one was a lot more enjoyable than I'd anticipated. I'm not typically a fan of polyamory simply because I don't find it realistic, but the fact that Jere and Sam had previously been in a polyamorous relationship made things much more believable to me. Add to that the danger of the fox hunters, and the delicious sexual tension throughout, and this one gets a solid 4/5 from me.
Keywords: Jill Myles, Menage, Polyamory, Shapeshifters, TSTL Moment, Steam Level: Hot
Kitten-tiger & the Monk by Carolyn Crane
Part of a Series: Yes, Disillusionist Trilogy 2.5
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy
Sophia Sidway is a memory revisionist. She has the ability to remove a person's memory from up to a day prior, and to replace them with very realistic memories of her choosing. While she cannot replace emotion, she's become a master of designing replacement memories to coincide with the emotions of the original memory, making her talent both amazing and incredibly dangerous. The daughter of a notorious mob boss, Sophia has used her powers for all sorts of evil over the years, including ruining the life of her one true love, Robert.
Now, she's so very tired of it all, and seeks the Monk, a mysterious and dangerous Disillusionist, known for being able to "reboot" criminals and send them on their way as productive citizens.
Unfortunately for Sophia, the only man who knows how to contact the Monk turns out to be the one man she thought she'd lost forever. Facing Robert is one of the most painful things that Sophia has ever had to do, but she is willing to do absolutely anything to put an end to her life as a revisionist, even if it means opening up old wounds.
WOW. Simply. Wow. While I purchased this book solely for Meljean Brook's story, The Blushing Bounder from the Iron Seas universe, I have to say that this story would've made the purchase worth every penny. I have never had the pleasure of reading Ms. Crane's Disillusionist trilogy (an oversight I intend to rectify as soon as possible), but this story was able to grab me and draw me into a world of dark crime, incredible powers, harrowing danger, and lost love.
An incredibly solid 5/5 Stars, and no joke, I would rate it higher if possible.
Keywords: Carolyn Crane, Estranged Lovers, Serious Illness or Injury, Steam Level: Steamy, Urban Fantasy, Part of a Series, Secret Identity, Tortured Hero, Tortured Heroine.
--
Overall, this anthology is a must-have for fans of paranormal romance. It literally has something for everyone: steampunk, shapeshifters, urban fantasy, polyamory, forced marriages, and estranged lovers. It runs the gamut from a virgin hero and heroine to a rather promiscuous heroine and everywhere in between.
Only three bucks at Amazon, I would gladly have paid that price for any one of these novellas by themselves, so for all three, this is an incredible bargain, that fans of PNR would be fools not to purchase.
Final rating, a delightfully solid 5/5
