ARC REVIEW Guards of Emerald Queen by J.S. Striker

Guards of Emerald Queen is the first boxed set for this series. It's about four supernatural siblings with an interesting curse. Constantly on the move until they reached the small unassuming town of Emerald Queen they are there for over a year before Ian Matthews the eldest decides it's the perfect place to finally settle the family. Ivy Leigh has plans now that she has worked off the debt her ex accumulated. She is free and clear to do what she wants and meeting the brooding computer programmer, Ian, and falling in love wasn't what she had in mind especially since he can't seem to makeup his mind about whether he wants her or not. One kiss was all it took and the curse came into effect now Ian has to decide whether he wants to let the curse take it course or fight it. Nick one of the youngest, one of the twins, has always been a ladies man but when he hires interior decorator Rose Newark he loses sight of everyone else. But just like with his brother one kiss and the curse activates but Nick knows nothing is going to keep him from Rose. Ara has kissed a lot of frogs to try and trick the curse into activating so she could fight it on her own terms but to no avail. Tom for the first time in a long time has free time on his hands and he seems to keep crossing paths with Ara saving her from one thing or another soon his protectiveness and attraction to Ara leads to a kiss and now Ara and Tom are fighting for their lives. Samuel has always been the different sibling only sharing one parent with the other three is what lead to this curse in the first place and it seems with every sibling the curse gets stronger. Natalie Hill is the only other person who knew about the paranormal side of Matthews siblings as their healer and friend she also seems to be the only one who can talk Samuel out of his dark moods. Samuel and Natalie finally give into the attraction between them only to have the curse show back up worse than ever and Samuel doesn't know if he can fight it. 

Overall, this was a great boxed set. the story was fantastic and the characters were all great. J.S. Striker has a way with words fitting in so much for each story it's fast paced and action packed.    

ARC REVIEW Shifters of SoHo books 4-6 by J.S. Striker

Shifters of SoHo part 2,

Dean was previously published and reviewed.

Oscar: Oscar is the heir apparent for Merland one of the many worlds that connects to Earth through paintings. Merland has been preparing for war there have been an increasing amount of rumors and merman from the outlying ocean being attacked. Oscar, his father, and their General, Rigby, have been upgrading the weapons and other protections preparing for when the attack will finally come. Lili Maldives loves living in SoHo, she is a librarian and caretaker for a privately own library/ art gallery but her boss is an idiot who only cares about the adjacent coffee house. The newly acquired painting was a gift from a Russian painter who before he retired gave away three of his paintings. Lili while determining whether she needed to sell it of keep it was pulled into the painting. Oscar was attacked, it was an attempted assassination and he managed to escape into the closest room available the art gallery but in his haste he ran into one of his uncles paintings of another world and accidentally pulled someone to his side. Lili takes everything in stride she's amazingly calm about discovering there is another world or there full of mermaids. For Oscar's protection and to find his potential mate they travel to SoHo. After a while with no luck Oscar asks Lili if she will pretend to be his mate and after offering her a pretty hefty sum she agrees. Once they get to Merland pretending to be in love is the easy part (mainly because they kind of already do love each other) because soon after the kingdom is surrounded by their previously unknown enemy and the war begins.

At first I was a little disappointed because it mainly took place in Merland and none of the other series characters showed up, then it's all good I liked the way they were brought in. Overall, it was a very exciting story with a good amount of humor and Oscar and Lili are pretty hot.

Rigby: Rigby use to be the General but during the attack on Merland he lost his leg. He still want to be useful so the newly crowned King, and friend, Oscar tasks him with the job of finding the other two painting his uncle painted that are also gateways into Merland before someone finds out what they are. Kitty Waterson is having the worst day ever. She gets fired from her job and her brother is getting married and wants her to move out of their shared apartment. With nowhere else to go she contacts her best friend Lili and asks about her empty apartment. Lili responds right away saying another friend is already staying there and if she doesn't mind sharing the place with him she's welcome to stay.  Kitty and Rigby don't get along at first but when Kitty get suspicious about what it is that Rigby is doing she follows him and watches him break into a house and she follows him into the house and into the wine cellar and proceeds to lock them inside, accidentally of course. When they hear someone upstairs she stumbles and falls into the painting, Rigby has no choice but to after her. Kitty almost drowns but before she does Rigby is there his mouth over her giving her air. Well the cat's out off the bag Kitty knows and Lili comes back to SoHo to explain everything. Because it was all Kitty's fault that she messed up the first recovery of the painting she promises to help Rigby get them. The first one is easy it's the second one that takes them on the adventure. First through the marketplace and then the countryside full of vampire gypsies, sirens, river monster, and mountain goblins.

Overall it was a good story, full of adventure and excitement. Kitty and Rigby have a strong attraction with enough differences to keep it interesting. There are a few hopefuls for characters to get their own story that I want to see. All in all it's good boxed set.         

ARC REVIEW Bear Guards by J. S. Striker

Bear Guards a collection of four stories based around the shifter sanctuary town, Orville. Striker creates another different world of shifter and vampires and other things that go bump in the night. The council runs the town and keeps the rules strict in order for those seeking sanctuary to find peace from hunters and others who might hurt them, but that doesn't mean Orville is all quiet and peaceful inside the borders. The vampires are supposed to stick to their territory, the shifter to theirs, the witches to theirs on the outskirts of town, and everyone leaves the humans off the menu.

Evan:  Deana is a human who inherited her grandmother's flower shop and house in Orville, Texas. Needing a break away from the ex she caught sleeping with her roommate in California she thought the little town was going to be a great place to get her head back together and make money until she goes back to Cali. She never expected Evan the bear shifter cop, or the seemingly random vampire attacks, or the fact that there are such things as shifters and vampires and that witches really do have special powers. Evan knew almost immediately Deana was something special, but Deana's hesitancy to start an actual relationship comes from past bad boyfriends and the fact that she was never planning on staying in Orville. Evan needs to find a why to convince her to stay that is if he can keep her alive.

Garrett:  Garrett is stuck filling in as Sheriff and comes head to head with Angel, a vampire resident looking to fill a spot on the council. To help maintain peace Garrett along with Angel must help supervise the three new vampires on their probationary time before being allowed permanente residency. At first Angel sets out to make Garrett's time there miserable, but Garrett take sit all in stride and continues to be overly nice. So nice in fact he asks her out on a date. The date changes everything and they both realize the attraction they feel is mutual. They don't act on it until Garrett saves Angel from some stupid shifters who thought to teach her a lesson. Garrett and Angel's future isn't going to be easy a bear and a vampire mated is unheard of and they have a long way to go.

Adam: Hazel is one on the most powerful witches in Orville, along with being a doctor she's also one of the few mingles with everyone. One night Hazel comes home to find a strange shifter in her living room bloody and seriously hurt. Adam is never one to stay in one place long, always on the move because something is always trying to kill him. He came to Orville because he could sense that his mate would be there, no idea who it could be but only that she's in Orville. Because of the uniqueness of Adam's abilities the council agrees the Hazel will be his supervisor during his probationary time. There is a chance that Hazel could be Adam's mate but she doesn't want to be another notch on the bedpost for Adam if she isn't. The evil casing Adam has caught up with them and with Hazel help they manage to fight off the first two waves easily enough but the third one turns to the town and now everyone is a target.

Nikoli: Irene wasn't happy being the towns hermit but it kept everyone safe if they feared her. Nikoli knew she helped when the demons came for Adam and he knew that as the most powerful witch in town she could help again. Irene agrees to help if Nikoli agrees to keep her secret. The more Nikoli spends with Irene learning her secrets the more he falls for her, never much of the one woman man he finds himself no longer interested in anyone else but her. He soon realizes that she's his mate and now all he has to do is protect her in the upcoming battle and convince her he's the only man for her. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, Evan was a nice introduction into the series and Garrett was an indepth look at the animosity between the groups and Adam and Nikoli were the intense ones where they proved that everyone could work together to save the town. The romance was hot, loved Adam and Hazel, and the story was really good. It's basically one story divided into four parts. If Striker writes more about Orville I will gladly read those too.     

ARC REVIEW Dean: Shifters of SoHo by J.S. Striker

Shifters of SoHo #4, Dean, the lion shifter guardian of the portal, well his life just became way more complicated dealing with bounty hunters who focus on shifters to steal their hides and other rare items and sell them to human collectors. Dean was given the task of taking down the shifter slavery ring and bring the shifters who are involved to justice. Indigo, hag and owner of a marketplace bar, well her life also just became way more complicated than she ever thought it could when Dean shows up at her doorstep beaten and bloodied and needing to be healed. Dean found out all her secrets and using that a leverage he gets her co-operation to help in his task. I don't know if I would recommend reading this as a standalone but it can be if needed all pertinent information from the other books is gone over.

Dean and Indigo's relationship doesn't start off well, in fact they hated each other. Indigo is friends with Cassidy a human who served time as a messenger for the Shifter elders and Dean and all Indigo saw of Dean was the broody bossy alpha male. Dean only saw the snarky, rude, and while he found her attractive and beautiful for a hag that was one reason he tries to avoid her. Once they start working together they start to see another part of each other all the good parts, Indigo isn't your typical hag and Dean isn't all mean and broody and it isn't long before they fall in love with each other. Together they track down the shifter slavery ring and infiltrate it but the shifters involved are devious and have on their payroll Black Witches. Indigo must overcome past fears and Dean must face the harsh reality that someone from his pack is behind it all. 

Overall, this was a great read. I loved the characters and the story, the romance was nice (mmmm Dean) they do get pretty hot and heavy but that nothing unusual for this author. There were things I wish she had gone into more detail about like shifting the POV to one of the other characters as they are doing their part of the story instead of just glossing over it other than that this was a great read.    

ARC REVIEW Shifters of SoHo box set by J.S. Striker

Shifters of SoHo box set vol 1, Brand new series set in a new universe where our Earth sets parallel with other more magical worlds. One the home of the shifters, another is home to the Elfkind, another for Fae, and one for the evil demons. Some of these magical beings have the ability to open portals and travel between worlds the central hub being a marketplace, which is the connecting point to all the worlds. Striker once again creates a world full of magic and mystery with strong alphas and even stronger women they inevitably fall in love with. Each book has a common theme between them but they can be read as a stand alone if needed.  

Book 1: Jack Jillian loves living in SoHo and her job at an art gallery, but a difference of opinion with the bosses new fiancee and she may lose it all. Luckily she finds another job in now time and she meets someone. Jack had one job retrieve the painting he never counted one being attracted to Jillian and with his feelings clouding his judgment. Jillian unfortunately gets sweeped up into a world she knows nothing about and running for her life with the man who seduced her for her painting. Along the way she befriends a one winged fae, Yeri, and along with Jack's friend Kasper they have to keep the demons from getting that painting.

Jack and Jillian's is a nice start to the series. it a nice gradual introduction to this new universe of characters. Jillian is slow to trust Jack even though the attraction is there and even more so after she learns of his deception. The romance is constantly building throughout the story.

Book 2: Kasper We met Yeri and Kasper in the last book. Yeri loved the sights, sounds, and food of SoHo so much she stayed but she's growing bored again. She wants to feel something new something she's only read about in those books Jillian lent her but to no success. Kasper was fine living his live in the marketplace working at his bar and occasionally longing for home but Yeri comes bouncing back into his life with a mission from Dean and Kasper is supposed to help out. It was just supposed to be a simple retrieval, some of her own kind has been spotted and all they have to do is return them. But when Kasper and Yeri find them they learn a collector has stolen their wings; the mission just became more complicated especially when a teenage human becomes involved. 

The attraction between Yeri and Kasper sneaks up on them. Yeri discovers that the feeling she been longing to feel she feels with Kasper and Kasper has been attracted to her but the truth of his feelings pretty much hits him over the head like a 2x4. 

Book 3: Xian Cassidy knew the moment she discovered the magical world of fae and shifter her life would never be the same any more, to the point she has devoted the last three years of her life working for Dean and the shifter Elders just to keep her memories. Xian is prepared to do anything to protect his tribe. The crocodile shifters were banished centuries ago to an offshoot realm that has slowly begun to die. Cassidy was just supposed to deliver the stone but just before the exchange Xian and Cassidy are ambushed by bounty hunters. Because of Cassidy they are able to escape but she also gets more involved than she planned when Xian marks her in a way she owes him three favors. Xian has to work to save his tribe or is it too late?

This is probably the most emotional tear jerking one of the three, and not just because of what happens between Xian and Cassidy but everything. Their relationship starts of rocky but everything about Cassidy calls to Xian's beast. Cassidy feels the pull to Xian as well but she loves him enough she won't make him pick between his tribe and her. This is a very emotional and action packed story definitely my favorite of the three.        

ARC REVIEW Raz by J. S. Striker

Clan Legacy #10, From the last book Raz was in I wasn't completely convinced that he was a good guy, well as good of a guy a vampire whose second-in-line of command can be, so I was surprised when I found out this was his HEA. It can be read as a stand alone none of the past books have anything to do with this one. Good characters with a good plot and easy to read writing that you can read through in no time. Raz really did turn my opinion around on him.

Raz was satisfied with his place in vampire society a place that gave him just enough power but without all the responsibility and paper work of the higher up position. But a mission goes bad and one of their own turn on them and Raz is the only survivor. Before the betrayer died he told Raz he was hiding a deadly secret. Lucinda tells Raz to find out what it is and then they can figure out a way to deal with whatever the secret is.  Eva Thomason is struggling, not to make ends meet but with the fact she was left with her half brother's two teenage kids. Eva is half fox shifter who can't shift, she does have the extraordinary senses of a shifter though so she can tell when someone starts watching her house. Raz has been watching the house for a couple of weeks when he notices another presence around the house, Raz knows now is the time to act and the only way to keep the kids safe is to gain the trust of Eva. Eva has never liked vampires but the dangerously sexy Raz is showing her a side of vampires she never could exist. Raz convinces her to let him help with the kids but is it enough?

Overall, it was a good story. There was one part that was, WTF Just Happened! I can't believe Striker went there, wow. The sexual tension is good they don't have sex until the latter half of the book so there is a good build up to that, which is kind of funny Raz knows and Eva tries to deny it there is some teasing but in the end it pays off. The action was also very well done very exciting. The ending fell short with me a little, it was bittersweet but a HEA nonetheless.     

ARC REVIEW The Clan Legacy: Shifters by J.S. Striker

Mate Hunt (Clan Legacy #5)  The Ultimate Shifter Leader Dylan Masters is in charge of everything shifter related, well except for those panther shifter down in Brazil but they leave each other alone. When Dylan gets word that his brother maybe involved in a shifter child slave ring on an island off the coast of Brazil. Dylan decides to handle this personally, taking with him a young wolf shifter names Simon and a young witch Robin they head off to Brazil to ask the panthers for help. Dylan is fully prepared for them to turn him down but they have a reason of their own besides the fact that the whole situation is wrong. Isabella Hart snuck on to the island to see what happened to her brother, what she ended up doing was breaking his cover. Lucky to escape she is eager to get back to help all the rest of the kids and her brother. Their plan is to use Simon and Robin to infiltrate the island and scope it out before doing anything but one thing leads to another and all hell breaks loose. But freeing the kids from the pirates is only the beginning. A sudden kiss between Dylan and Isabella sparks the passion that they have kept hidden from each other. But now that Dylan knows what she is to him not even her Alpha can keep him away from her. 

I enjoyed this one. It had plenty of action and Dylan is smokin' hot and of course with as powerful as he is Isabella would have to be pretty badass herself, trained as an assassin and can hold her own in a fight it's match made in heaven; or at least Brazil.

Hans (Clan Legacy #6)  The Bear Clan Leader Hans Greyson was the only one to refuse to help when the shit came down with the vampires, witches, and shifters, but he knows it was a mistake. He still hates vampires, and even more so now, witches. The bear clan has been cursed by a witch and it's up to Hans to track down the cure hidden up on an enchanted mountain in Scotland. Hans is prepared to make the trek to keep his clan alive what he's not prepared for is that horde of rogue vampires. Ever since becoming a vampire Nell has expanded her talents to not just the assistant to Lucinda, the leader of the vampires, but now a rogue vampire hunter too. Armed to the teeth with plenty of potions and enchanted items that may help Nell is set to destroy the nest of vampires who infested a Scotland mountain, she never expected to find the leader of the Bear Clan fighting for his life against a couple dozen rogues. Nell is able to save Hans and heal him with the help of a potion, but Hans' hatred of vampires is well known so she conceals (with the help of another potion) who she really is, Hans knows she's lying he just doesn't know why. It isn't until they face the gnarly witch that started the whole thing that the truth comes out but by that point Hans feels a certain pull towards Nell. They agree to help each other achieve their goals and get off the mountain alive. 

I love that Nell and Hans took their time with their love affair. For being a jerk in the previous books Hans sure did redeem himself. I think this was my favorite out of the box set. It was entirely focused on Hans and Nell and had a pretty constant flow of action.   

Isaac (Clan Legacy #7) Isaac Hart the leader of the panther clan, cursed to never leave the clans land. Cursed by a vindictive and petty fairy. So when one shows up in his home he prepares for the worse. Roxie went to Isaac as a last resort to save her mother, it was a long shot that Isaac would help her but with the promise to lift the curse and he reluctantly agrees. Once they get their it's clear that Isaac has been played, he's taken prisoner and used as a plaything for the fairies. Roxie feels bad she didn't know the King of the Winter Court was going to do this so she breaks Isaac out and together the have their own misadventures going from sadistic fairies of the Winter Court to horny ones in the Spring Court to the Summer Pirate Fairies and finally back to Roxie's home the Autumn Court where her mother banishes her into Isaac's keeping for an undetermined amount of time. But Roxie's mother keeps her promise and removes the curse from Isaac. Isaac and his clan welcome Roxie with hesitant but open arms and the more time Isaac spends with her the more he wants her to stay, and Roxie wants to stay she'll even risk her own life to protect the clan. But can either of them ever truly admit their feelings?

This was a nice one it had a good flow and I liked the characters. I wasn't expecting a trip through the Fairy Realm so that was a nice surprise.   

Erik (Clan Legacy #8) not included in the box set but can get for free I believe when you sign up for her newsletter.

Simon (Clan Legacy #9) Simon and Robin continued to train together after the events of Mate Hunt. After Robin's time was up she went back to Africa to continue her training with her mentor, Red, to be the most powerful witch on Earth. Fast forward a bit Robin is one of the most powerful witches and Simon is well Simon, he has worked his way up and one of Dylan's best. Robin has earned some time off and the only person she can think of to spend it with it Simon. But upon her arrival Dylan asks a favor that she work with Simon one more time to rescue yet again shifter royalty Lucy, and along to help out is Jake. But things are not what they seem when they get there with demons and hidden mazes throw in the fact that Simon just realized his feeling for Robin are not and have never been platonic and he's feeling jealous as hell and conflicted because falling in love with her messes up all the plans he made to have a shifter mate. But that all goes out the window when he realizes that Robin's life is still on the lines and he can't stand the thought of life without her.

This was the only one I have read and reviewed previously, it's not my favorite mainly because it doesn't flow as easily as the others do, but I love Simon and Robin they are great characters and had a great adventure together.