Soul Stealer by Brenda Cothern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Having read book five in the Shadows series first, I was excited to get the opportunity to go back and read the rest of the series. As the first book in the series, Soul Stealer
sets the stage for the series as it introduces us to Alec and his night club, Shadows. Enough time has passed since I read Shattered Illusions that I didn’t remember right off who Alec and Kira were, which made reading Soul Stealer feel exactly like I was delving into a brand new series for the first time. As Ms. Cothern has written the books as standalones, this feeling of newness remained with me the entire time and I must say that, as usual, it was an extremely enjoyable book for me. I found Kira’s character absolutely fascinating. I wasn’t quite sure what she was in the beginning of the book and was rather stunned when Alec had the same lack of recognition as I did. Whereas my confusion was cleared up after her first feeding, Alec remained in the dark far longer. What surprised me was that even after he witnessed Kira feeding, he still didn’t know what she was. While Kira calls herself a Soul Stealer, the description of her feeding coincides with what I typically consider a succubus. However, her ability to detect auras and use them to choose her next “meal” and her behavior immediately after her feeding differ greatly from the succubus legends I am familiar with and made her designation as a soul stealer feel like a more apt name. But what really surprised me was the connection between Kira – one who feeds off souls – and Alec – one who has no soul and who feeds off human blood. It would seem that the two would not be a good match as neither could feed the other, and yet the chemistry and physical connection between the two was IN. TENSE! Vampire sex is hot for the same reason M/M sex is – the participants tend to be equally matched in strength, which tends to lead to really aggressive sex. Yep, you guessed it. The sex between Alec and Kira is HOT! HARD! and deadly.
I must give Ms. Cothern serious kudos for writing in scenes from Kira’s past that added to the story rather than detracting from it. I tend to find such flashbacks disruptive to my reading flow and the storyline, yet in Soul Stealer this was not the case and I actually relished reliving parts of Kira’s life. Equally impressive was the extremely human nature of the conflict of the story that enabled Alec to work his way into Kira’s life, especially considering their non-human natures. As I expected, I was sucked right into the story and was glued to my Kindle until I reached the final page. Well done Ms. Cothern. I cannot wait to read When Beasts Bite next.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
Check out the Shadows Series Books 1 & 2 by Brenda Cothern blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.
View all my reviews
may be my favorite of the In Hyacinth series to-date. As much as I love the perfect hero and heroine, I also adore those that feel like real people and Dora and Gaelic are perfect examples of people I would befriend. With her short stature, plus-size figure, and the complete lack of interest by the courting males of Hyacinth, Dora has relegated herself to spinsterhood at the ripe old age of 20. While I hated that Dora felt this way about her future, I loved that she threw herself wholeheartedly into working with Chris at the Inn, which gave us a chance to see how their sibling-style relationship has continued to develop since Courted by Trouble. Actually, because Dora works with Chris and because Chris and Stephanie still live with Dora, fans of the series get to catch up with both of them. 
is an intense series of highs and lows. I don’t want to call it an emotional rollercoaster because there’s not a lot of happiness found within and what bits of happiness do occur are tainted by the darkness that pervades the Hawks. It’s a bad case of whiplash in the very best way. This installment picks up right where Second Debt ended, with Nila’s liberation from Hawksridge Hall. Nila has no understanding of the repercussions her departure will cause and as awareness sets in before she has even left the grounds she tries to return to Jethro but is unable to. As Nila learns yet again that she has absolutely no control over her life, Jethro is forced to face his failure in collecting the debts. Cut’s cruelty knows no bounds, but he attempts to convince Jethro (and the reader) that he does love his son as he offers Jethro an alternative. Yet all are aware that there is no choice being given, rather Jethro’s trading of one cage for another. 
since the moment I finished Desolate. It is because of my fascination with Ryan and his relationship with Cereus that I am saddened by the fact that this was a novella, but mainly because I wanted more of the story. Yet despite its length, the author has given fans of the series an enticing look into the Ryan and Cereus’s life and did it in such a way that I didn’t feel like I was rushed through it.
was freaking hilarious. The romance is heartbreaking and heartwarming. The sex is unbelievably hot. But it is the massive amounts of humor that Ms. Hunting infused throughout the book that completely made it for me. I chuckled. I giggled (I know!). I snickered. I snorted. I guffawed. I was even ROTBLMAO (B = bed) at this book. You give me a synonym for laugh and I probably did it at least once while reading Pucked. 
was an intensely compelling read. I was glued to my Kindle for the first half of the book, and when I had to take a break for a couple of hours to do some paperwork, I could not get back to my Kindle fast enough. I connected to Toni’s character almost immediately and because of her upbringing – both as an Italian and as a principessa – I often forgot that she was only 16. The life into which she was born required that either she grow up with a maturity and understanding of the world that most her age don’t have or she grow up completely sheltered and naïve. What we learned of Antonella (Toni) over the course of the book is that despite his old school ways, her father, Carlo, seemed to have struck a nice balance between the two that gave her far more insight into that world than a female normally gets while maintaining her innocence. And ultimately, it is this combination of maturity and innocence that wins Enrico over.
because I did. I liked that Ace stayed to true to his character and lashed at out Adam when he sent Alicia away after the discovery at the end of Part Four, which is where this installment picks up. I was surprised by the consequences of his rash decision and reckless behavior that Ms. Orman wrote into the story, but they were realistic and I applaud her willingness to do that to one of her main characters. I loved that Adam’s arrival was once again perfectly timed when Alicia’s past came skulking back into her life and that he had the chance to administer a little justice before the police arrived. That the guys accompanied her to the police station and were there to support her emotionally helped to show that maybe, just maybe, Ace was finally getting his act together and that they had a chance for the long-term ménage relationship they had been working toward. Of course, the sex scenes were as hot as ever – even with the position maneuvering that was required to accommodate physical conditions at different times in the story. But I suppose I had hoped for just a bit more closure to their story. Did I enjoy In the Moment: Part Five? Absolutely. Was it a complete story? Yes it was. Were all the questions answered? No, but no book can do that and the questions that were left hanging were left hanging because of when in time the story ended. Ultimately, I just wanted a bit more of their story. But in the end, In the Moment: Part Five is still a 5-star read for me because I will reread it and I look forward to being able to read all five installments back-to-back. 
. Well, after a side trip to the Caribbean that is, as the book opens with Riley and Jack finally taking their honeymoon a year later. Unfortunately their trip is cut short when Riley’s sister Eden calls to tell him that his 8 year-old daughter is on her way to live with him. Yep, the WTH? thoughts running through your head are pretty much what Riley was dealing with too – except his were coupled with the fear that an instant family would send Jack running. Not surprisingly, Jack took the news in stride and was not only accepting of Hayley, he embraced fatherhood head on. Of course, it didn’t hurt anything that Jack wanted a family with Riley and that Hayley is actually Riley’s blood just made it that much better. But what made the instant family circumstance perfect was Hayley herself. She is such a sweet little girl and exactly the kind of child these two men needed as she is independent, intelligent, understanding, and has no problem letting them know what she needs and wants, or when they’re messing up. The conversation about shutting the bedroom door had me laughing out loud. 
was a fast read that combined just the right amount of sweet romance and spicy sex that has secured it a spot on my reread list. Zac is best friends with Freddie’s brother and has known her since they were children. But when she turned 25, he stopped seeing her as West’s little sister and started seeing her as the sexy woman he had to force himself to keep his hands off of… until one night he didn’t. While he has managed to avoid Freddie in the six months since that night, he hasn’t forgotten a single second of their encounter. Being best man at West’s wedding puts her directly in his sights and Zac decides he doesn’t want to deny himself any longer. However, after ignoring her for six months, it might not be that simple.
ended up being just an okay read for me. The biggest hindrance to my enjoyment was that I never connected to either of the main characters. Right off the bat with the opening scene, Cali rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe if Ms. Dare had provided a bit more detail as to why Cali was quitting her job I would have been able to sympathize with the predicament she found herself in and connect with her. Without it – for me – the scene becomes quite stilted and Cali comes off a bit like she’s spoiled. As it stands, the scene feels contrived simply to set the stage for her to go the lake and ultimately reunite with Owen. 
is the third installment in the Underground series and while it was better than parts one and two, it’s my final stop on this journey. There is far more action in this installment than before because Ethan is going out into the field for recon and we get to see him take part in a mission. I liked that Ms. Carr showed Ethan actually learning skills – making errors and learning how to do things correctly or better. It’s expected that he will master some tasks quicker than others because he’s a professional athlete, but thankfully there was no “Boom, he’s a natural born genius who masters everything on his first attempt” scenario going on. Also enjoyable was Ethan’s continued bonding with his colleagues. I liked that we got to learn more about the various team members and that certain ones seem to have taken him under their wing. Unfortunately, the romantic connection remains a hint and is suggested more by the series blurb than the installment itself. The mission was intense and action-packed, which is what helped to elevate Initiation by Fire over Off the Grid and Creating Slapshot. Regrettably it ended too soon to finish reeling me in. Would I like to know what happens to Ethan? Yes, but I’m not willing to sit through seven more installments to find out. I think that had parts 1-3 been released as one novel, I probably would have continued on with the series. But at its current rate, it feels like the story is dragging on and on without making enough progress to keep my attention. As always, I recommend that you check it out for yourself because it is an enjoyable storyline, it’s just not working for me at its current pacing. Who knows? Maybe once all 10 parts have been released, I’ll give it another shot. 
. Hmm…. Where do I start? I’m in a bit of a quandary on how to rate this book. While I did enjoy reading Hunter, it just didn’t pack the same punch as Brody did. I appreciated that Ms. Harbin gets straight to the action in the first chapter because it helped set the stage for the romantic suspense elements. I also liked the use of Hunter’s dream flashbacks and memories as an appropriate vehicle for providing background on his past and explaining his protective attitude over his sister Heather. But once the foundation for the story was laid, it felt like there were a few too many scenes where Ms. Harbin skimmed over what was happening. This failure to develop the scenes fully reduced the intensity level of Hunter. I should point out that I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did. Rather I felt like something was missing from Hunter that made it not quite as good of a read as Brody was. 
continues on from Part Three and we find Ace reeling from Alicia kicking the two of them out. What do two testosterone-fueled men do when the woman in their lives shows them the road? They engage in some seriously hot M/M sex. Adam has come to realize that Ace sees their sexual encounters as a way to reaffirm their connection and he is more than willing to give that to Ace… or should I say, take it from Ace. I’ve gotta hand it to Ms. Orman, even after four installments, she is still keeping the sexual encounters HAWT! 
gave me everything I love in a book – drama, suspense, secrets, lies, betrayal, murder, romance, love, really hot m/m sex, cowboys, and there was even a barroom brawl. I laughed. I cried. I smiled like a loon. I was so swept up into Riley and Jack’s story that I read into the wee hours of the morning, only stopping when my eyes refused to stay open any longer and picking it back up as soon as I could today – which was not quick enough for me. There are so many layers to the story that I am afraid to talk specific details for fear of revealing spoilers. 
. Bloody heck were they intense and, at times, terrifying – and I was just the passenger. But there was something worse that Taylor had to deal with … Draven Samuels and his scorn.
is that despite being interrupted what felt like a hundred times while I was reading it, I was drawn right back into the story after reading just a few sentences each time I was able to return to my Kindle. The connection between Clay and Leah was so strong that I couldn’t help but feel the sparks between them. Of course, I knew this meant that the sex between them would be intense, so I was even more motivated to get back in the thick of it. And Ms. Shelton did not disappoint on any account.
, I am soooooooooooo glad I waited because as soon as I finish writing this review, I will start Denied. 
is the continuation of Livy and Miller’s story and picks up where Promised left off. Livy is left reeling from Miller’s revelation and their last encounter in the hotel. And if that were not enough, coming face-to-face with her mother’s pimp was too much for her to deal with. While Livy attempts to recover from her break with Miller, Fate seems intent on throwing him right back into her path. Unfortunately, Fate is not the only one invested in their relationship and the number of obstacles these two encounter (including themselves) is constantly increasing and potentially dangerous. 
is the final book in the One Night trilogy and the conclusion of Livy and Miller’s story. Their tale resumes with them in New York, having fled the people that Miller works for. I really enjoyed the time that they had together in New York. It was nice to see Miller in a more relaxed environment because even though the threat was still there, it wasn’t breathing down their necks. Despite the mental turmoil Livy was experiencing from what she thought she saw when she boarded the plane, I found their time together there to be peaceful – well as peaceful as it could be with Miller’s OCD – and I felt like it helped to finish cementing their relationship. Boy was I wrong! Ms. Malpas took that quiet contentment, shattered it, shook it up, and I spent the rest of the book on edge waiting to learn how everything was going to play out. 
more than I enjoyed Off the Grid, I’m still not hooked on the series. Ultimately a geek at heart, I found the information that was disseminated via Ethan’s training quite interesting. Although I wasn’t surprised that he did well in the testing for skills that relied on hand-eye coordination, I was fascinated by the fact that he scored so much better than everyone else – yet he still questioned his ability to eventually contribute to the team. I really should give the guy a break as he is trying to find his way in a new life after having his old life ripped away from him so brutally, but his lack of confidence doesn’t ring true from someone who is a professional athlete who has helped his team win the Cup… twice. I do like that Ethan is not afraid to ask questions and has been encouraged by everyone so far to do so. And the way that the various team members have relayed their personal stories has helped fill in more of the blanks regarding the team and certainly helped make this installment more interesting as well. That said, I believe that parts one and two would have been more effective had they been combined into a single novella rather than two novelettes. I will be starting Initiation by Fire tomorrow and can only hope that it lives up to its name and finally brings the level of action and adventure that I was expecting. A good dose of romance would not be amiss either. 
is an adrenaline-filled read that kept me on the edge of my seat and glued to my Kindle. I couldn’t read fast enough and just when I thought I had a handle on what was going on, Ms. Harper would throw a twist in the mix to shake things up. Of course, THE TWIST (and when you read the book, you’ll know what I’m referring to) wasn’t even on my radar. I never saw that coming. Unfreakingbelievable! 
, I couldn’t quite remember what had transpired at the end of the previous installment. However, within a page or two, it all came flying back – the sex, the video, the hot sex, the argument, and did I mention the HOT SEX! Considering Ace’s response to the long list of the video’s recipients, it’s not surprising that I was the only one in this situation thinking about the sex. Needless to say, Adam was not happy with Ace’s reaction to the video, surmising that Ace’s anger over it getting out meant that Ace would never be comfortable taking their relationship public. As Adam lives his life openly as a bisexual man, he refuses to hide who he is for anyone, especially the man he is in love with. 
. And while each of these characters’ story is compelling on its own, it is how their relationship develops over time and how they become one another’s anchor in the world that truly made Carry the Ocean an inspiring read for me.
was such a sweet M/M romance. Robby has a crush on David, one of his customers, but hasn’t been able to figure out if he is gay or straight. With the Pride celebration being held during the upcoming weekend, Robby finally works up enough courage to make a nonchalant mention of the weekend’s events and is STILL unsure about David’s sexuality, although now Robby suspects that David may indeed be straight. Poor Robby. So when David shows up at the Pride festival and makes a point to seek Robby out, Robby finds himself even more confused until David asks him out for coffee. Priceless! Ask the coffee guy out for coffee.