Review: Forsaken by Jacquelyn Frank

Forsaken by Jacquelyn Frank

Series: The World of Nightwalkers #3

Publication date: January 7th, 2014

Pages: 368

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):

New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Frank continues her scorching and sensual new series set in the world of the Nightwalkers, where alluring entities known as Bodywalkers are the vanguards against the raging forces of darkness.

As a mercenary, Leo Alvarez has signed on for a lot--but he never signed on for his best friend becoming host to the soul of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Jackson is now inherited by a Bodywalker, and Leo is forced to grapple with a realm of supernatural beings far more dangerous than anything he's ever encountered.

But when Jackson is wounded by an attack from a demon god, Leo must team up with another supernatural creature--a Night Angel--to save his friend from utter destruction. With skin as black as midnight, hair as white as snow, and a body of pure perfection, the Night Angel arouses a burning desire in Leo, even as he refuses to be intimidated by her power--or the power of those who would destroy his friend. An unusual alliance is forged, electrified by sexual temptation, and together the two must unite their strengths to bring down a supreme evil.

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Review:

I received a physical copy of this book from the publishers via the blog host's request in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour.

I had only heard about Leo in passing in the first two books. All I knew was that he was a mercenary that went through and incredible ordeal in Forever. I knew after that experience that he would have issues with most of the Bodywalkers due to the action of one. I couldn't imagine him actually letting himself fall in love with any supernatural creature, but according to the synopsis he does. I had to find out how this came about.

Leo is deep in the self-loathing abyss in which he has resided since his release from a tortuous few days. He doesn't know who to trust anymore now that he knows about the Nightwalker world. He doesn't even known if he can trust his best childhood friend, Jackson, and Jackson's baby sister that he helped raise, Docia. Everyone and everything is foreign to him. And foreign equals an enemy and a force to fight. His feelings on Nightwalker creatures starts to change with the appearance of a Dark Angel ironically named Faith. After Jackson is critically wounded it is up to him and Faith to set out on a journey to find a source who may heal the fallen pharaoh and his best friend. Along the way Leo must confront his prejudices about the Bodywalkers and also fight his mounting feelings for the noir skinned beauty beside him.

Faith knows Leo's type. He is too busy passing judgment on others to really get to know them. She has no reason to allow him to get to know her either. Unfortunately, she seems to have as many prejudices about the human race as Leo does about Nightwalkers. She knows the future of the Nightwalkers rests on the shoulders of the wounded Jackson/Menes. What she doesn't know is what her future holds with the Hispanic killer she is starting to grow rather fond of.

Can Faith and Leo overcome both of their prejudices and stubbornness to get to the love that could be a possibility between these two unlikely people?

I absolutely love Leo. He is one of my favorite characters. He is comical as well as deadly. He reminds me a lot of Edward from the Anita Blake series. We get to see a different side of him in Forsaken. We get to see a healthy dose of vulnerability in a man you would never think to be that weak. We see Leo come to grips with a world in which the only family he knows is a part of. We also see Leo start to open up and let someone in. A woman who he despises only because of her inhuman-like existence. 

Faith was a fun addition to the cast. She was not quirky like Docia and was not overly serious to the point of being stiff like Marissa. She was blunt but also very sweet. I think she's my favorite female character to date.

I thoroughly enjoyed Forsaken for it's psychological attributes carefully woven into the plot of a stellar work of fiction.

Review: Forever by Jacquelyn Frank

Forever by Jacquelyn Frank

Series: The World of Nightwalkers #2

Publication date: May 28th, 2013

Pages: 352

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):

After being brought back from death, police officer Jackson Waverly receives the shock of his life: he has become host to a Bodywalker, a spirit that is reborn in flesh and blood, and part of a proud, ancient race that uses its extraordinary gifts to battle dark, evil forces. Jackson's spirit is a powerful one--none other than the Egyptian pharaoh Menes, who longs to reunite with hi eternal love, the Egyptian queen Hatshepsut.

While Menes is obsessed with finding the perfect vessel for his queen, Jackson cannot stop thinking about Dr. Marissa Anderson, the gorgeous precinct shrink who keeps pushing him to confront his grief over the loss of his K-9 partner. But what Marissa really arouses most in Jackson is intense desire, which is exactly what Menes is looking for. To fight a great enemy, pharaoh and queen must join; but to host Hatshepsut, Marissa will first have to die. Fate has given Jackson a profound choice: save Marissa from Menes' plan or keep an entire species from the brink of extinction.

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Review:

I received a physical copy of this book from the publishers via the blog host's request in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour.

I got through the first book without too many issues with the four spirits, two bodies dilemma. I have to say, I was a little weary going into the second book, especially with the synopsis talking about having to kill the woman that the original host was in love with in order for her to host the queen counterpart spirit to his king. That just has drama written all over it. Not to mention, I couldn't even imagine how exactly he would come to ask her for such a thing. "Hey baby, you're kind of hot, will you die and host the spirit of my alterego's queen? Pretty please?" I absolutely had to find out more about this story.

Jackson died and came back with a Bodywalker king living contentedly inside him. He was moderately okay with that. What he wasn't okay with was the fact that he would have to give up on his infatuation with the precinct psychiatrist in order to commit his heart and body to Menes' queen whenever she were to appear. He was struggling with the need to get closer to her while also knowing it cannot be anything permanent. He wouldn't ask her to host Hatshepsut's spirit. He would not disrupt her life in such a way. But what his head and his heart are telling him to do, not to mention the commentary from Menes who finds Marissa to be the perfect host for his queen, are completely different.

Marissa has always had a thing for the strong K-9 officer at her work. She couldn't explain why she was having such a hard time resisting him, but resist she must. She is his psychiatrist after he lost his K-9 partner in a tragic event and cannot cross that patient-doctor line. She must keep things professional. A tactic she has learned to use in many an uncomfortable emotional situation. But when faced with the otherworldly power of the spirit inside Jackson and what that spirit is capable of doing, she must wonder if what is professionally ethical is really what is keeping her away from him. Jackson is a frightening man all by himself to Marissa, add to that one royal alpha male and it makes for a very potent combination that makes Marissa question whether distance from Jackson is truly what she wants.

With the reappearance of Menes, the Bodywalker king, the Templars are quick to attempt to send him back to the Ether before his queen can join him, even if that means awakening an evil the likes of which the world has never known.

This book in the series focused a lot more on how Bodywalker sex can be odd. Ultimately the host is not just having sex with the other host, but also the Bodywalker... if sex is between two Bodywalkers, that is a whole lot of different personalities all mixed in there. What happens if one likes it one way and the other another? I couldn't see how any of that could be any more confusing. And I struggled even more with this book that the last, however, the connection between Marissa and Jackson seemed more real (if that's even possible in this sort of situation) than the one between Ram and Docia. I found myself falling in love with Jackson's quick wit as well as Menes's sexual innuendos. I started to (kinda, sorta) grasp how the Bodywalkers and the host kind of compliment each other. I found the insight into the Templars that was given to show them in a new light. Not all of them are bloodthirsty zealots bent on world destruction.

Forever is the perfect middle story. It fluffs out the details of the Bodywalker race and couples that with yet another steamy romance.

Review: Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank

Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank

Series: The World of Nightwalkers #1

Publication date: October 30th, 2012

Pages: 340

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):

From New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Frank comes this first book in The World of the Nightwalkers--an exciting and sensual new spin-off series in which the Bodywalkers, an ancient race of the night, battles the evil forces who prey on them.

The unexpected happens in an instant. On her way to work, secretary Docia Waverley hurtles into a crashing crossroads, and she quickly begins to suspect that things will never be the same. Then, when a tall, blond, muscular stranger intervenes on her behalf, telling her it is his duty to protect her at all cost, what is just a feeling turns to proof positive. That is, as long as Docia's savior doesn't turn out to be a crazed kidnapper.

When Ram finds Docia, he has no doubt that she is his queen. But as this golden warrior sweeps in to protect her, he feels something more than body heat every time they touch. He is overwhelmed by a searing connection that goes deep into the twin souls inside him. A desire rises in him that is forbidden--this woman is his queen, the mate of his king, his leader, his best friend. And yet Docia is so vulnerable and attractive that she awakens a hunger in Ram that is undeniable, a carnal craving he cannot yield to... not without risking the very survival of the Bodywalkers.

Available at:

Review:

I received a physical copy of this book from the publishers via the blog host's request in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour.

When I first heard about the World of the Nightwalkers series tour, I was excited to finally read something by Jacquelyn Frank. I had heard wonderful things from various people in my paranormal romance book club and I jumped at the chance. Little did I know that the series was a spin-off of a 6-book series before that. Upon reading the first few pages, I realized I better read the first series if I had any hope of understanding this new world and the characters they may be referencing. So I purchased the books from the previous series and started to read. I was hooked, but came to find out quickly that reading the first series was not a necessity, it was simply recommended. The world of the Bodywalkers is much different and fascinating.

In the world of the Bodywalkers, Egyptian souls have the ability of entering one's body when they are close to death. But only if they receive permission from their host. The host is presented a choice. Go into death knowing everything they wished of their lives was fulfilled or share their body with a Bodywalker and gain powers the likes of which they never would have imagined. Docia, after a traumatic experience, was presented with this same option and with her brother, Jackson, weighing heavily on her mind and the thirst for vengeance to those who harmed her clenching her heart, she agreed to the terms. Of course, afterwards she has no memory of the event. So it is increasingly strange when a golden god of a man comes out of nowhere and declares her his queen.

That is enough to unnerve anyone. Docia is left with yet another decision, leave her home with her brother to learn more about this new voice inside her head and the world the handsome stranger talks about, or run away screaming. One look at Ram and any girl would make the same decision Docia did and go with him.

Ram feels some sort of unbelievable draw to Docia. He is not supposed to feel anything but respect for the vessel of his queen. And yet... Ram finds himself toeing the line of a moral dilemma. Follow his heart to Docia or follow his brain and stick to his loyalty to his king and his people. 

But that is, of course, not all there is to this story. Ram and his people are at war with a split group of Bodywalkers called Templars. Templars are Bodywalker who focus more on magic and religion than the laws and rules of the Bodywalker world as Ram's Political Bodywalkers. The Templars believe ridding themselves of the heinous Politics would bring them closer to their deity and nothing will stop them in that pursuit.

Ram and Docia must struggle not just with their mounting attractions for each other but also contend with the war between their people. 

To be quite honest, I don't know how I feel about a love story that kind of involves four people. The two original hosts and the two Bodywalker spirits. That seems like two too many people involved, call me old fashioned. Does the concept upset me so much that I can't enjoy the book? No, not at all. But it does make me grimace from time to time. I am a steadfast monogamist and this just seems a little too free and easy for my liking. However, the overall world of the Bodywalkers is incredibly interesting. It's always fun to learn about new Nightwalker races, as I found in the Nightwalker series.

Forbidden is a book that toes the line between quirky kink and sultry everlasting love.

Review: Adam by Jacquelyn Frank

Adam by Jacquelyn Frank

Series: The Nightwalkers #6

Publication date: October 25th, 2011

Pages: 329

Synopsis (according to Goodreads):

Hunted by magic, beset by evil, the Nightwalkers face their darkest hour yet. And when the unthinkable happens, only one legendary male has the power, the will, to save them: Adam...

For 400 Years He Was Lost To Her, But He Is Hers Tonight...

From their first tantalizing touch, Jasmine knows he is different. What other lover could unlock her tight control, flood vampire senses jaded by a lifetime of decadent self indulgence? Centuries ago, when he disappeared without a trace, she had given up hope of ever fulfilling the promise of incomparable passion. But here he is, against the very laws of nature, ready to bring down their most vicious enemy, ready to bring her blood to the boiling point... if she will only let him.

Pleasure rules the night.

Available at:

Review:

I couldn't, for the life of me, remember who Adam was and how he was significant to those within the Nightwalker series. I wracked my brain but ultimately just came to the conclusion that the only way to find out was to dive into the book. I was sure they would tell me how he was related while also making his story come alive for me. Success, I did finally understand who Adam was and why I hadn't really heard much mention of him in the previous books. I was excited to see how Adam came to play a roll in their world once more.

Adam is the eldest brother of Jacob. He disappeared of the battlefield during the Vampire/Demon war 400 years from present date. He was ripped from his time by a violet-eyed teenager who asked him the critical question, "What would you do to save your brother?" The answer was a resounding "anything". Which led Adam down the path he was on. The path that led to the present. But not before he had a brief encounter with a luscious Vampire that made him question everything his Enforcer instincts dictated of him. It is this same Vampire that comes back into his life, determined to tease and taunt the strong willed Demon into submissions... and maybe a little fun along the way.

Jasmine had nothing in her life that really stimulated her. She was involved in the protection of most of the Nightwalker races, she had the ear of the Vampire Prince, Damien, and she was a skilled fighter on the hunt for her adversary, Ruth. She should have been well entertained even by Vampire standards and yet, she did not know why she continued to seek refuge in the ground for long bouts of sleep. The only time she had felt anything but indifferent to her long life was when she encountered a Water Demon who caught his interest immediately 400 years ago. Now, that same Demon is back and it is all Jasmine can do not to try to recapture their first encounter. She is not the girly swooning type. She has one goal above even the enticing draw of Adam... find Ruth and make her pay.

Ruth sees the end of the battle coming soon, as does the rest of the Nightwalkers. Nobody knows, though, how the end will turn out and whether any of them will be alive to see it. Jasmine and Adam navigate the tumultuous waves of their Imprinting while also seeking a demise to their long fought enemies.

I loved the time travel aspects of this final installment of the Nightwalkers series. I liked that it showed how delicate time can be and how one little change can change the future, sometimes for the better and other times for the worst. I loved watching Leah explore her powers and find a way to save her parents while also bringing a highly skilled warrior into the fight against Ruth. The whole book of Adam was more so about these aspects than the budding romance between Adam and Jasmine. I never much liked Jasmine so this was absolutely fine by me.

Adam was likable but not to the extent that Jacob was. Not by half. Jasmine was everyone's favorite pain in the ass. The romance between these two was very much slapped together. I think Frank may have been more into closing up the battle between Ruth and the Nightwalkers than necessarily staging a romance between two characters. She, of course, had to include that aspect of risk losing all the swoony face fans in the process.

Where Noah was borderline erotica, Adam was borderline urban fantasy instead of paranormal romance.