Never More by Dana Marie Bell

Never More by Dana Marie Bell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Never More may actually be my favorite of The Gray Court series, or at least it’s in direct contention with The Hob. I loved the banter between Raven and Amanda. From the moment in The Hob that Robin learned that Raven was his son and claimed him as his own, I have been rooting for Raven to find his truebond. Learning of the lies, manipulation, and torture he experienced at the hands of the Black Queen just made it even more important that he find his truebond – that one person created just for him – because it was clear that despite all that he endured, he was a good man. A good man in dire need of love.

With a reputation nearly as terrifying as his father’s, who better to love Raven than a human who has no fear of him because she has no idea of who and what his is? Enter double-dog-daring Amanda. Oh yes that’s her, the lovely Amanda who conspired with Leo to send Ruby his way. Where Ruby is all shy and reserved, Amanda is in your face and brash, which makes her the perfect match for Raven, who we learn has just as sharp of a wit and tongue as she does. But it’s not all fun and games as the two get to know one another because Amanda’s visit to see Ruby has turned into a business trip as she got “volunteered” to plan Robin and Michaela’s wedding. At the same time, Raven is trying to avoid the Black Queen’s assassin, track down a murderer who is attempting to frame him, and prove his innocence so that the White Queen can’t have him executed for said murders of members of the White Court. Not a dull moment to be found.

Once again Bell has crafted a thoroughly enjoyable tale of romance, magic, suspense, humor, and seriously hot sexy fun-times. While I hate the why behind it, I loved that Raven did not rush to mate Amanda. He wanted to get to know her first and make sure she was comfortable with him and understood what she was getting into before she accepted his bond. The dinner seduction scene was absolutely hilarious, but Bell tempered the darkness that Raven was forced to deal with in his endeavors with regular doses of humor between him and Amanda throughout the book. While all of the previous couples had their moments of levity, this is a couple that thrives on laughter and I look forward to their inclusion in future installments. My only actual complaint about Never More is that the storyline involving the White Queen felt unfinished. I can only assume that it will be picked back up in the next novel, which I am assuming will be Big Red’s story and I am so looking forward to that one.

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 Never More (The Gray Court #6) by Dana Marie Bell blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Siren's Song by Dana Marie Bell

Siren's Song by Dana Marie Bell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


At the end of The Hob, King Oberon was shown wandering, lost because his memory was gone. That was a terrible way for the author to leave fans of the series hanging. Outright cruel. Needless to say, I am glad that I had Siren's Song loaded on my Kindle and on my review schedule so I didn't have to wait long to find out what Oberon's fate was and whether or not he would accept his mate.

Having first met Cassie in Artistic Vision and then getting to know her a bit more in The Hob, it was obvious that hers was a pure and honest soul. As one of the merfolk, she uses her siren’s song to heal others and yet her own safety was in danger one she fled Atlantis up avoid an unwanted arranged marriage. Yet despite the risk to her safety and freedom, she takes off in pursuit of Oberon once his absence has been detected. Having been forewarned by Shane as to the condition she would find him in, Cassie knew that her skills would be needed to restore his memory. Because of the kind of person Cassie is, she is cautious as to the information she reveals during their time together because she does not wish to unduly influence Oberon. This proves to be a wise choice on her part because as Oberon's memory returns and he comes to realize how she could have taken advantage of his situation, his love for her grows. Oh yes, I said love. As it turns out, Oberon's memory loss ends up being a boon as he got to know Cassie without the memory of Titannia's betrayal coloring their fledgling relationship.

One of the things I enjoy about Bell's writing and this series is that while there is a series thread that is running from book to book, each book is written in such a way that it can be enjoyed as a standalone. While this does hold true for Siren's Song as well, this particular installment will be more enjoyable if the prior books in the series are read first, but at the very least The Hob should be read. Despite how distressing his memory loss was, I found the developing relationship between Oberon and Cassie to be quite heartwarming. Cassie did all that she could to heal Oberon fully expecting her truebond to send her away once his memory was restored. So when his memory returns and he sets out to claim his queen, Cassie is happier than she ever expected to be. At the same time as their bond is being formed, Robin and his Blades are busy uncovering who was responsible for Oberon's condition to begin with. I definitely understood his reaction to the identity of those involved and seriously enjoyed the way he and Robin dispensed punishment. But my favorite part was the formal bonding ceremony and I look forward to seeing Queen Cassandra show the doubters that she is truly Oberon's partner and truebond mate.

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 Siren’s Song (The Gray Court #5) by Dana Marie Bell blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Dare to Believe by Dana Marie Bell

Dare to Believe by Dana Marie Bell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


While this is not the first time I’ve read Dare to Believe, it has been a LONG time since I last read it and as I reread it, I was actually annoyed with myself for not having returned to The Gray Court sooner as the Dunnes and the world they live in is quite magical – and not just because they’re fae. As the first book in the series, the author does a wonderful job of introducing the various parts of the fae world the Dunnes are a part of and weaving it into Leo and Ruby’s story in such a way that the reader learns about Leo’s life at the same time Ruby does. For me, this helped me to connect with Ruby – that and the fact that she has a killer sense of humor.

Unbeknownst to her, our dear sweet frumpy Ruby captured Leo’s attention almost immediately. Because she considers herself unattractive, she has avoided being in Leo’s presence for fear of her attraction to him becoming public knowledge and the subsequent humiliation she knows will follow – after all, no one as attractive and accomplished as Leo Dunne could possibly be attracted to the short, fat girl. But Leo is determined to prove what he already knows – that Ruby is the one woman the universe made for him. The five years of (not so) unrequited love and the fated mates aspect made the way in which their relationship progressed feel right. Ruby’s feeling that she was rushing headlong into heartbreak had more to do with personal insecurities than Leo himself. The built-in history allowed the author to move the story forward – from a hot night of sex and seduction straight into the kidnapping of Leo’s brother Shane. Although not ideal circumstances for meeting her future in-laws (even if Ruby didn’t know that at the time), Leo’s parents were very welcoming of Ruby and approving of her as Leo’s mate. Yet the story is just getting started and soon all hell breaks loose as those responsible for Shane’s kidnapping demand their ransom – Leo’s hand in marriage – and their attempt to remove Ruby as an obstacle leads to quite the explosive bonding as Leo claims his mate in no uncertain terms. Not willing to let something as trivial as a truebond waylay their plans, the kidnappers step up their plans and Leo finds himself tapping into his Leprechaun bloodline to save the day.

One of the things that still impresses me about this book is the way that Bell utilizes the ongoing storyline to teach the reader about the Fae Courts, introduce the cast of characters, and set the stage for future books in the series. There is a lot of information introduced as the author builds the world in which the series is set, yet it is done in such a way that the reader is not overwhelmed with the info – at least I wasn’t. As I have read the first three books more than once, I found humor in statements made that foreshadowed future plot lines that weren’t humorous during the first read because I wasn’t privy to the direction the author was taking the series. Bell combines intriguing characters, fast-paced action, steamy sex scenes, and a sweet romance in Dare to Believe and managed to hook me so thoroughly that I bought and read books two and three immediately and I’m looking forward to rereading them next.

I reviewed my personal copy of this book.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Dare to Believe (The Gray Court #1) by Dana Marie Bell blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers!


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