Jask Tao, lycan leader, rules his pack with absolute dedication and demands the same loyalty in return. In the world of Blackthorn, where respect is a rare commodity, Jask has earned his – few dare to cross him, and fewer survive to tell the tale.

When he captures Sophia, a rare serryn witch – whose blood is lethal to vampires – Jask knows just how valuable she can be. Despite her fiery nature, he also can’t shake the feelings that she rouses in him – feelings that he thought died along with Ellen, his mate.

Sophia knows she has to escape from Jask’s lycan compound – and fast. Inheriting her sister’s serryn powers can only mean one thing – that her family is at risk. She’ll have to get past the dangerously attractive Jask first but, scarred by memories of her mother’s murder, Sophia won’t ever give up.

Sparks fly between Jask and Sophia but, as both her family and the pack come under threat, they might just need each other if they, and their loved ones, are going to stay alive…

In this thrillingly sensual novel, Lindsay J. Pryor returns to the shadowy dystopian world of Blackthorn, where tensions are rising, the risks are high, and the most powerful loves are formed in the face of great danger.

A mighty flame follows a tiny spark.

Cora Sandoval lives an insulated, unexciting life. Mostly, she blames her dad. Her mother disappeared from Ireland when she was five and he’s been a human handcuff ever since. Cora’s life suddenly propels into the extraordinary when she begins to see colorful lights around people. Everyone, that is, except herself—instead, she glows only a brilliant, luminous silver. Cora has reason to believe that someone is hunting and killing people like her—if there are any others like her who are still alive…

While investigating the danger associated with these auras, Cora is inexplicably drawn to Finn, a gorgeous Irish exchange student. Their attraction is instant, magnetic, and primal—but her father disapproves, and Finn’s mother abruptly orders him back to Ireland. As mysteries add up, Cora realizes that the small life she’s always known was a lie. On the run from a supernatural killer, she flees to Ireland to look for her missing mother and learn the truth about herself. There she meets another silver-haloed person and, amidst threats and danger, discovers the meaning of her newfound powers and their role in a conspiracy spanning centuries—one that could change mankind forever…if it doesn’t kill her first.

Review:

Scintillate

Waking up in a hospital bed after being so sick with fever it was unsure she'd recover, Cora Sandoval is understandably a little disoriented. This is only exacerbated by the fact she's suddenly seeing strange colours around everyone. Putting it down to lingering symptoms, she leaves the hospital, but the visual anomaly persists.

To add to this worrying development, she suddenly finds herself the centre of hot Irish exchange student, Finn's, attention. It's quite overwhelming, but not at all unwelcome. After all, he's gorgeous, his Irish brogue is so adorable it should be illegal, and he makes her feel things she's never felt before. He also reminds her of her mother's side of the family, since she was also Irish.

Speaking of which, she hasn't seen her mother for 12 years. She disappeared, and the one person who knows why - her father - won't spill the beans. Naturally this causes some resentment between them, and when Finn's exchange period is over, it's not long before she finds herself on a plane to Ireland as well.

From here the book really takes off. There's revelation after revelation, as well as a few shocks and, sadly, a betrayal or two within the pages of SCINTILLATE. And of course, romance! I loved all of the developments and the magic and worldbuilding they were built upon. I also liked the addition of new character, Giovani, at this stage, who has a strong connection to Cora. This brought some interesting conflict for her in the romance department.

Overall I found SCINTILLATE to be a well-paced, interesting read which built to a thrilling and unexpected conclusion. It had a great story line, a sweet romance, interesting magic, and left me wanting to know what will happen next for these characters.

4 Stars! ★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It’s the roaring twenties, and San Francisco is a hotbed of illegal boozing, raw lust, and black magic. The fog-covered Bay Area can be an intoxicating scene, particularly when you specialize in spirits…

Aida Palmer performs a spirit medium show onstage at Chinatown’s illustrious Gris-Gris speakeasy. However, her ability to summon (and expel) the dead is more than just an act.

Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger who’s more comfortable with guns than ghosts—unfortunately for him, he’s the recent target of a malevolent hex that renders him a magnet for hauntings. After Aida’s supernatural assistance is enlisted to banish the ghosts, her spirit-chilled aura heats up as the charming bootlegger casts a different sort of spell on her.

On the hunt for the curseworker responsible for the hex, Aida and Winter become drunk on passion. And the closer they become, the more they realize they have ghosts of their own to exorcise…

Review:

I loved this book! Let me count the ways...

First of all—the era, the setting, the clothing, the language, the hints of magic, all layered together to make one deliciously sumptuous paranormal world, unlike anything I've read before. I loved the 1920's details—they gave it such a unique flavour!

Second—you may or may not know that I have a real soft spot for the big, grumbly bear-type characters. Those ones that are alpha enough, but not so alpha they make me want to hurl things. Kinda stern-looking on the outside, marshmallow on the inside. And that is exactly what Winter was and IlovehimIlovehimIlovehimIlovehim!

Thirdly—Aida. Oh, my God, Aida. She was wonderful! You've got to give her credit for at least pretending she was resistant to Winter's allure for all of five minutes in the beginning. It's a lot longer than I would have lasted!

And the last thing that stood out for me was the end scenes. Another great choice for setting/location that was very vivid and somewhat surprising!

Oh, and I loved Winter's sister. And Bo. There's more to those two, methinks. And I can't wait to meet his brother in book two and...oh, heck, I just liked it ALL!

5 Stars! ★★★★★
ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.